THE CENTURION’S TESTIMONY by Dr. R. L. Hymers, Jr. A sermon preached at the Baptist Tabernacle of Los Angeles Lord’s Day Evening, March 21, 2010 “And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God” (Mark 15:37-39).

Jesus was nailed to the Cross at 9:00 AM. He died at 3:00 PM. It was unusual for someone to die from crucifixion in so short a time. Yet it should not surprise us. After all, unlike most of those who were crucified, Jesus had been nearly beaten to death earlier in the day. Before He was crucified, Pilate hoped to convince the crowd not to do it by giving Him a severe flogging instead. “In any case, flogging was no light punishment. The Romans first stripped the victim and tied his hands to a post above his head. The whip (flagellum) was made of several pieces of leather with pieces of bone and lead embedded near the ends. Two men, one on each side of the victim, usually did the flogging” (Frank E. Gaebelein, D.D., General Editor; The Expositor’s Bible Commentary,Zondervan Publishing House, 1984, vol. 8, p. 775; note on Mark 15:15).

The following is an explanation and description of the physical effects of flogging – which was written by a medical doctor,

The heavy whip is brought down with full force again and again across Jesus’ shoulders, back and legs. At first the heavy thongs cut through the skin only. Then, as the blows continue, they cut deeper into the subcutaneous tissues, producing at first an oozing of blood from the capillaries and veins of the skin, and finally spurting arterial bleeding from vessels in the underlying muscles…Finally the skin of the back is hanging in long ribbons and the entire area [of the back] is an unrecognizable mass of torn, bleeding tissue (C. Truman Davis, M.D., “The Crucifixion of Jesus: The Passion from a Medical Point of View,”Arizona Medicine, 22, no. 3 [March 1965]: p. 185).

Dr. Gaebelein’s commentary said, “It is not surprising that victims of Roman floggings seldom survived” (Gaebelein, ibid.). The Centurion and his band of soldiers – who were in charge of the crucifixion – were not surprised by the fact that Jesus died a few hours after going through such torture. What surprised them was the way He died!

When Jesus died, several things happened. For three hours “there was darkness over all the land” (Matthew 27:45). A few moments after He died, there was a tremendous earthquake that tore the great veil in the temple “from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent” (Matthew 27:51). The earthquake and the darkness must have made a great impression on them, for Matthew says,

“Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God”
     (Matthew 27:54).

Liberal commentators tell us that the Roman Centurion was only saying that Jesus was like one of the gods in his pantheistic paganism. But they fail to mention that the Centurion had heard the High Priest and his cohorts, as well as the thieves, say,

“He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth”
       (Matthew 27:43-44).

So, the Centurion and his men had heard the chief priests and the Jewish thieves say repeatedly, “he said, I am the Son of God” (Matthew 27:43). The Centurion and his men had all day to think about that, and discuss what these Jews meant by “the Son of God.” In fact, being in Jerusalem the whole previous week, they had undoubtedly heard the term “Son of God” discussed repeatedly for at least several days. Dr. Lenski well said,

Rationalistic and modernistic exegesis does not regard the centurion’s confession as an admission of the deity of Jesus, for rationalism and modernism deny this deity. All [their arguments] will thus be dogmatic in the extreme… [The modernists say that the centurion’s] answer is then drawn from pagan mythology. Did the evangelists know of this officer’s confession and nevertheless record it when it really meant nothing for true believers?...Surely, the evangelists would not have tricked their readers (R. C. H. Lenski, D.D., The Interpretation of St. Mark’s Gospel, Augsburg Publishing House, 1946, pp. 726-727; note on Mark 15:39).

There was something else about the way Jesus died that convinced the Centurion that His enemies were wrong – and that He really was “the Son of God.” Listen very carefully to Mark 15:37 and 39,

“And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost”
     (Mark 15:37).

“And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God” (Mark 15:39).

Jesus “cried with a loud voice” right before He died. “And when the centurion…saw that he so cried out [with a loud cry] he said, Truly this man was the Son of God” (Mark 15:39). Why would Jesus’ “loud voice” cause the Centurion to say, “Truly this man was the Son of God”? Listen to Dr. Gaebelein’s commentary,

The loud cry of Jesus is unusual because victims of crucifixion usually have no strength left, especially when near death. But Jesus’ death was no ordinary one, nor was his shout the last gasp of a dying man. It was a shout of victory… (Gaebelein, ibid., p. 783; note on Mark 15:37).

The Centurion had seen it all. At the beginning of the crucifixion he was an unbeliever. But he heard Jesus pray for him,

“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do”
       (Luke 23:34).

He saw the darkness fall over the face of the earth. He saw the earthquake. He “feared greatly” (Matthew 27:54). And now he saw Jesus die as he had never seen any other crucified man die! All the others became so weak they couldn’t breathe – and died in silence. But Jesus “cried with a loud voice”! Where did He get the energy to do so? This Centurion had presided over many crucifixions. But no other man had died with “a shout of victory.” The Centurion was convinced. Christ’s enemies had been wrong! He himself had been wrong! Looking up at the dead body of Jesus on the Cross, he said,

“Truly this man was the Son of God” (Mark 15:39).

Was the Centurion converted? I think so, and here is why – he had been an unbeliever – but now he says, “Truly this man was the Son of God” (Mark 15:39). This is surely as good as Peter’s confession! Jesus asked Peter “Whom say ye that I am?” (Matthew 16:15). Peter answered, “the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). Jesus said,

“Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 16:17).

The Centurion surely had as much faith as Peter! If Peter’s testimony of Jesus as “the Son of the living God” came from the Father’s illumination, the Centurion’s testimony must have come from the same source!

“Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 16:17).

And the Centurion made a better confession of his faith in Jesus than Peter did! Peter forsook Him and fled. The Centurion stood in full view of Christ’s enemies – and fearlessly testified,

“Truly this man was the Son of God” (Mark 15:39).

But the Centurion said something else of equal importance. Luke tells us that he also said,

“Certainly this was a righteous man” (Luke 23:47).

That may not sound as important, but it is. Dr. Lenski tells us that he said both: “This man was the Son of God; this man was righteous.” It is the same thing the dying thief had said, when he was converted on the cross next to Jesus,

“This man hath done nothing amiss” (Luke 23:41).

The Centurion heard the converted thief say that. He had not believed it before. He had mocked Christ earlier – just as the thief had! (Luke 23:36; Matthew 27:44). But now, in their conversions, the thief and the Centurion agree,

“This man hath done nothing amiss.”

“Certainly this was a righteous man.”

By divine illumination, both the thief and the Centurion saw that Christ was not guilty. More than that – they saw His blessed righteousness! Did they know more? Scripture is silent. But they knew enough to say that Jesus was sinless, guiltless of the so-called “crimes,” for which His enemies crucified Him. The thief knew enough to call Him “Lord.” The centurion knew enough to say,

“Truly this man was the Son of God.”

We believe that the thief was converted. It seems to me that we should also think of the Centurion in the same way.

I do not place much value in tradition, for it may be tainted with superstition. And yet I cannot end this sermon without telling you that a very ancient tradition says this man became a Christian. Dr. Lenski said,

This Gentile, called Longinus in tradition, comes to faith beneath the dead Saviour’s cross. His confession is strong because of its αληθως [alaythos], “truly.” This adverb is set over against the Jewish unbelief and mockery. Whatever [they] may say, the centurion sees the truth of the divine Sonship of Jesus (Lenski, ibid., note on Matthew 27:54).

Some may criticize me for pointing out a Catholic tradition. Yet it seems to be older than Catholicism. I do not know if the tradition is true or false. It seems likely to be rooted in the truth, for the Gospel writers make much of this Centurion and I doubt that they would unless they knew him as a Christian afterwards. I also know that the conversion of the Centurion was like that of a Protestant. There is no Catholicism in it at all – no baptism, no penance, no sacraments. Simply faith in Jesus! And that is the way Christ saves everyone who comes to Him! Whatever you may think of the tradition, this man had the same kind of conversion as a Protestant or Baptist! There was nothing Catholic about it!

Now, what do we learn from all this? I think the Scriptures make the lesson plain – two men, the believing thief and the confessing Centurion, began by mocking Christ on the Cross, as did the rest of the crowd. But, after watching Jesus die, these two men, the thief and the Centurion, believed in Jesus. But two other men, the High Priest and the unconverted thief, saw the same events and remained in unbelief. That, I think, is the lesson God wants us to learn from the Scriptures. The two thieves could see the same thing – but one was converted and the other was not. Two men could see the same thing, but the High Priest remained unconverted while the Centurion believed. Two people can hear the same Gospel – and one be converted while the other remains in unbelief.

How many times have you read in the Gospels? How many times have you heard the Gospel preached? Others have come to Jesus and been saved. How is it that you remain lost? How can it be that you will not come to Jesus and be saved? How much longer will you wait? Jesus says to you,

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Jesus died in your place, to pay the full penalty for your sins. He rose from the dead to give you life. Why do you not come to Jesus? Why do you wait? Why not come to the Son of God?

Jesus loved the thief enough to save him at the very door of death. Jesus loved the Centurion enough to give him faith, even though this man supervised and executed His crucifixion, and ordered His hands and feet to be nailed to the accursed wood! And, my dear friend, Jesus loves you enough to pardon you and save your soul tonight – whatever sins you have committed – however long you have kept away from Him. Come to Him who loves you, and He will wash your sins away in His precious Blood!

I saw one hanging on a tree
   In agony and blood;
He fixed His [pain filled] eyes on me
   As near His cross I stood.

A second look He gave, which said,
   “I freely all forgive:
This blood was for thy ransom paid;
   I die that thou mayest live.”
(“He Died For Me” by John Newton, 1725-1807;
   to the tune of “O Set Ye Open Unto Me”).

(END OF SERMON)
You can read Dr. Hymers' sermons each week on the Internet
at www.realconversion.com. Click on “Sermon Manuscripts.”

Scripture Read Before the Sermon by Dr. Kreighton L. Chan: Luke 23:39-47.
Solo Sung Before the Sermon by Mr. Benjamin Kincaid Griffith:
“He Died For Me” (by John Newton, 1725-1807).

Final Word
 Introduction to The Scriptures

Throughout the articles on this site, we will be quoting from The Scriptures, a relatively new translation published by the Institute for Scripture Research. Although this organization is not affiliated with our Righteous Warriors web site, we believe they publish one of the most accurate English translations of Elohim's Word ever made.      To better clarify our choice of translation and to explain why certain words in these Scripture may appear unfamiliar to some, we thought it best to simply quote the relevant sections from the Preface of The Scriptures:

Introduction      In the past few centuries the Spirit of Elohim has moved scholars, calling and equipping them, to search and do research in the Scriptures: Hebrew, Greek and related subjects. This research has led to the increase of knowledge, as was indeed prophesied (Dani'el / Dan. 12:4).      The great move of the Spirit among these scholars has greatly blessed millions of sincere believers. They were indeed bringing to light (out of the treasure) hidden truths, renewed truths and old truths (Mattithyahu / Mt. 13:52). All this treasured knowledge was given through these scholars to all of us, and we are greatly indebted to all of them.      This present work of translating the Scriptures had its origin in the year 1971 when a few of us began to search and do research, after having been called - explicitly called. Soon after this work started, "called out" believers from all over the world joined in to help. The Purpose of this Translation      While there have been many fine translations which have been a source of blessing to so many, we have felt the need for a translation of the Scriptures which:      i. restores the Name of the Almighty to its rightful place in the text (see The Restoration of the Name, below).      ii. is recognizably Messianic in that it affirms the Hebraic roots of the Messianic belief by its appearance, by the use of Hebraic forms of certain words and titles, and by its usage of the same division of the pre-Messianic books of Scripture (the Tanak or "Old Testament") that was current at the time of our Messiah.      iii. restores the meaning to so many words which have become popular to use, but do not accurately reflect the meaning of the original - for example, church, glory, holy, sacrifice, soul, etc.      iv. seeks to be as far as possible a "literal" translation, wherever possible rendering key words uniformly (exceptions being noted in footnotes or the Explanatory Notes). The Restoration of the Name      "The Scriptures" differs radically from most other translations in that it does not continue in the tradition of substituting the Name of the Father and of the Son with names ascribed to gentile (pagan) deities. All the names of deities which in the past have been ascribed to the Father, the Son, and even used when engaged in worship, have been avoided.      One of the post-exilic-apostasies of Orthodox Judaism was the avoidance of the Name of the Almighty, the so-called Tetragrammaton, (the four lettered Name, ). Because of this and a similar and continued suppression and substitution of the Name by the Church, much harm was done to the True Worship. When anyone enquires about this he is told: "The Name has been translated into English as LORD, as was similarly done in other languages." This argument does not hold water. Guiseppe in Italian corresponds to Joseph in English; however, Guiseppe Verdi cannot be translated as Joseph Green in English, even if that is what it means in English! The proper name of any individual is not translated; it is always transliterated or transcribed in order to approximate its original pronunciation. We repeat: the proper name of any individual is simply not translated, more especially when we are dealing with the most important Beings in all the universe: The Most High, , and His Son, !      We thought of rendering the Father's Name () as Yahuweh (pronounced with the accent on the "u"). On the other hand, John H. Skilton, The Law and the Prophets, pp. 223, 224, prefers "Yahoweh". The Assyrians transcribed the Name as "Ya-u-a", so Mowinckle and other scholars prefer "Yahowah". Some scholars prefer "Yehowah", because that is the way the Massoretes vowel-pointed it. (Whether this vowel-pointing of the Name was done in truth, or whether it was done to "disguise" the Name, in accordance with the instruction given in the Mishnaic text of Tamid vii.2 (=Sota vii.6), we do not know for certain. There is also the Rabbinical interpretation of the Massoretic text saying that the vowels e, o and a were added to the Name as a Qere perpetuum which means that the reading of Adonai or Elohim is to be used instead. However, there is no definite proof that the Massoretes originally did it for this reason). Then again, many scholars favour the rendering "Yahweh". In any event, we decided to avoid controversy over the precise pronunciation and to render it in Hebrew characters as .      Such a rendering has solid historical precedent in the earliest copies of the Septuagint (LXX), and has the merit of being true to the text, neither adding nor subtracting by means of substitutions (however well-intended). It has also the additional merit of allowing the individual reader to progress in his own quest for accuracy of pronunciation, as he seeks to obey the scriptural injunctions to call on the Name (Shemoth / Ex. 3:15; Yeshayahu / Is. 12:4; Yirmeyahu / Jer. 10:25; Tehillim / Ps. 105:1,3;), to make it known (Shemoth / Ex. 9:16; Yeshayahu / Is. 64:1,2; Yeezqel / Ez. 39:7;), and to not obliterate or forget it (Debarim / Dt. 12:3,4; Yeshayahu / Is. 65:11; Yirmeyahu / Jer. 23:27; Tehillim / Ps. 44:20)! In the same way the Messiah's Name in Hebrew, , was chosen in order to avoid controversy. All the available authoritative sources and references are in agreement and clearly admit that our Messiah's Name was (see for instance even Kittel's Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, under Iesous). However, while some believe that this spelling should be pronounced in the traditional way, i.e. "Yehoshua", others influenced by the Murashu Text suggest the pronunciation "Yahushua". So we decided to print the Name of the Messiah () in Hebrew characters as we have done with the Name .      At this stage we need to explain the word "Elohim" used in this translation. English translations have traditionally rendered it as "God" or as "god(s)" in most instances. However, the Hebrew word "elohim" is the plural form of "eloah", which has the basic meaning of "mighty one". This word is not only used for deity, but is used in Scripture for judges, angels and idols (Shemoth / Ex. 7:1; 9:28; 12:12; 22:8,9; Tehillim / Ps. 8:5; 82:1,6) besides being used frequently for the Almighty. The shorter forms, "el" and "elim" have the same basic meaning and similar usage. (Needless to say, the same applies to the Aramaic equivalents, such as "elah" and "elahin"). By transliterating these expressions instead of translating them as "Mighty One", we discovered a richness in them, and therefore retained them, with the exception of a few instances (noted in footnotes), where the translation of "mighty one" or "mighty ones" seemed more appropriate. The Tanak (Pre-Messianic Scriptures, commonly called The Old Testament)      The Tanak in this translation is based on the Massoretic Hebrew and Aramaic text of the Scriptures, printed in the 1937 edition of Rudolph Kittel's Biblia Hebraica. This is based on the ben Asher text of Leningrad, B 19a. Generally speaking, there are few problems with the Massoretic text, because the Massoretes copied the Scriptures in great fear of making mistakes and altering the text. They used the device of the Kethib and Qere by means of which they indicated in the margins their preferred readings.      However, they did make a few changes in the text itself which have been recorded for us, but unfortunately not all in one manuscript. In 134 places the Sopherim (Scribes) removed the Name and substituted the term Adonai. In a further 8 places, the Name was substituted by the term Elohim. These have been collected by Dr. C.D. Ginsberg in his Introduction to the Massoretico-Critical Edition of the Hebrew Bible, (Ktav Publishing House Inc. New York), and are also recorded in Appendix 30-34 of Dr. E.W. Bullinger's The Companion Bible (Zondervan).      We have accordingly restored the text to its original readings in these 142 places, and have also restored the text in accordance with the "Eighteen emendations of the Sopherim", which are also recorded for us by Dr. C.D. Ginsberg. A list of these 160 places is provided in the Explanatory Notes for your convenience. The Messianic Scriptures (commonly called The New Testament)      An increasing number of scholars have, especially lately, taken a stand against the popular belief that the "New Testament was inspired in the Greek language". With this we heartily agree. There are close to 28,000 Greek manuscripts or fragments containing all or part of the Messianic Scriptures. The alarming fact is that "every one of these handwritten copies differs from every other one"! This being the case then, which one was the Greek manuscript breathed-out by the Almighty? For example, in the text of Ephesians 1:18, one Greek manuscript reads, "the eyes of your heart being enlightened", whereas a different Greek manuscript reads, "the eyes of your understanding being enlightened". Now which word represents the actual word which the Almighty inspired to be written - "heart" or "understanding"? Believing as we do, that the very words of Scripture themselves are inspired (in the original manuscripts, of course), presents the problem of deciding between the two readings. But, if the original text was not Greek, but Hebrew or Aramaic, the different Greek readings are easily explained as being translations. In Hebrew idiom, the heart is the seat of the mind or thoughts, whereas in Greek idiom (as with English), the heart is the seat of the emotions. Thus one translator rendered the Hebrew word for "heart" by the Greek word for "heart", while the other rendered it by the Greek word for "understanding". Both renderings then are valid; one as a "literal" translation of the Hebrew word (carrying also the danger of being misunderstood as "emotions" by the Greek or English reader); the other as a translation of the Hebrew concept. Thus variant Greek manuscripts may not necessarily be in conflict with one another if we consider them to be translations of an inspired Hebrew or Aramaic original.      So, there is a good case to be made for the view that the originals were inspired in a Semitic language and not in Greek, as is commonly supposed. This means of course, that we are attempting to faithfully put before the reader an English text that accurately reflects the inspired Semitic originals, when in fact the oldest and vast majority of texts we have available are Greek! To the extent that we have succeeded in this, we can only give praise to the Most High. However we are well aware of our shortcomings, and the possibility, even the probability that we have fallen far short of our goal. In this respect, let it be said that we do not view our work as in any way final or definitive. Rather, we hope that it will encourage others to reexamine what they may have always taken for granted, and to research these matters for themselves. (We extend an ongoing invitation to any who can give input that will improve future editions of The Scriptures, especially in regard to the matter of Semitic originals).      In addition to the above, there is the matter of substituting the Name of the Father and the Son with other terms, especially in light of the scriptural prohibition against adding to or diminishing from the words of the Most High (Debarim / Dt. 4:2; 12:32; Mishle / Pr. 30:4-6). And if it be further admitted (see for example, Explanatory Notes, under Jesus) that the Greek text uses terms that come direct from pagan deities for both the Father and the Son, then it becomes abundantly clear from Scripture itself (Debarim / Dt. 23:13; Yehoshua / Jos. 23:7; etc.) that such texts could not possibly be the inspired originals, but rather they are translations, ultimately descending from the Semetic originals.      What text then were we to use? Since the originals are no longer extant, there was no alternative but to make use of the existing Greek manuscripts, carefully considering the additional testimony of Semitic texts such as the Peshitta (Aramaic), the Shem Tob (Hebrew), etc. Even here, however there are problems, in that for each of the main streams of textual types (e.g. Byzantine / Textus Receptus vs. Alexandrinus, Sinaiticus, and Vaticanus) there are those who contend that a particular type and that one alone represents the true original.      We determined however, not to become embroiled in such controversies, since our position advocates a Sematic original, true to the Tanak / Old Testament. Hence whatever readings we have adopted will inevitably offend those contending for any one of the main textual types as the true original. We cannot therefore claim that our text represents a translation of any particular underlying text.      As a modus operandi then, we have started out using the Textus Receptus, modifying our rendering as seemed appropriate in light of those other texts which we consulted, such as the Nestle-Aland text and the Shem Tob text, noting certain differences in the footnotes, where necessary.      In harmony therefore with the above principles, we restored the Names of the Father and the Son, and the names of all the Hebrew individuals, in accordance with the Hebrew, especially as found in the Tanak / Old Testament. We also restored the names of the places in Yisra'el, for after all, we are dealing with a Jewish worship; we are dealing with the Elohim of Yisra'el; we are dealing with , the Sovereign of the Yehudim - as He is called in no less than 23 places in the Messianic Scriptures (New Testament).

   
   We stand in awe and fear before the Most High, knowing that every word rendered in this version, The Scriptures, shall be accounted for. Much is going to be required from those to whom much has been given (Luke 12:48). As previously stated, we do not offer our labours to the public as the "last word" on these matters, and welcome feedback and useful input from any who have insight or information relevant to the improvement of this translation.

     With this new translation, The Scriptures, we wish to reach out a hand of love toward all believers of all backgrounds, pleading that we join hands and turn back to Who will then turn back to us (Zekaryah 1:3 and Hoshea 6:1-3). Let us do so by turning to Who came to save us from our sins, thereby reconciling us with His Father. Let us heed Messiah's call in Revelation 18:4 to come out of Babel and stop sharing her sins. This call is Messiah's call to "Come out of her", to come out of the world of sin in which we live, and be set apart by , and unto . It is an invitation to people of all nations, tribes, kindred and tongues: to repent of sin, to accept as Saviour, Master and Sovereign. Let rule us, let be our Sovereign, let graft us into the Olive Tree, the true Yisra'el who truly believe and truly obey .

-- The Institute for Scripture Research                       

JESUS MY LORD AND SAVIOR

The Way to Life


The Map

The little boy watches his father studying a city map. The boy asks, "Why do you need a Map?"

"Because we're going where we've never been before. Perhaps I can find work in this city," replies his father.

The boy thinks more. Suddenly he says, "Father, my birthday is coming soon. I shouldn't ask for much, but there is one thing you can give me."

"I'll give you whatever I can, son. What is it you want?"

The boy answers, "A map."

The father is puzzled. "Why do you want a map?"

The boy explains, "Because I am growing older. I will be going where I have never been before. And you said, 'For that, one needs a map'."

Suppose you are the boy's father or mother. What would you give to meet your son's need for a sense of direction in life?

Why Consider The Bible?
Consider the Bible as the Map for life. Its wisdom spans many centuries, yet millions today find its message as fresh and relevant as ever. They find that its principles work in daily life - in every stage of life. They discover purpose for living. That purpose gives them hope for now and for the future - even beyond this life. They believe in a home with God forever. In other words, they believe the Bible when it claims to speak for God.
In seeking a map for life, consider the Bible's claims. Again and again, it assures us that it is the pure word from our Maker. Yes, the Map for life.
In over 2,000 places the prophets of the Bible say things like this:The Lord said to me . . .These are the words of the Lord . . .This is what the Lord says . . .

Moses said that God's laws, the Ten Commandments, were written "by the finger of God" on stone tablets (Exodus 31:18). He reported that God spoke with him "face to face, as a man speaks with his friend" (Exodus 33:11).

King David said, The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me; His word was on my tongue (2 Samuel 23:2-3).The prophet Jeremiah wrote,
Then the Lord reached out His hand and touched my mouth and said to me, "Now, I have put My words in your mouth" (Jeremiah 1:9).

We must seriously ask, "Did these prophets have a bad habit of lying? Or were they telling the truth, and God really did speak through them?"

Jesus assured us that the Bible prophets spoke the truth.

• He relied on their reports of history (Matthew 12:40; 24:37-39). 
• He trusted in all their writings - also called Scriptures - and taught us the same trust (Matthew 5:17-19; Luke 16:17,29; 24:27,44; John 5:39-47). 
• He based His teachings on the exact words they used (Matthew 19:5-6; 22:32). He asked, "Have you not read what God said to you?" (Matthew 22:31-32). 
• He reminded us, "The Scriptures cannot be broken" (John 10:35). 

The apostles [Jesus' spokesmen] Paul and Peter taught the same thing.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

For prophecy [God's message] never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21).

The Book

How can a book come to have such a title - The Book? The Bible fully deserves such a special title. No matter how one looks at facts about books, the Bible is outstanding as The Book.

OLD COPIES

How many ancient copies from the New Testament still exist? In the original language alone, well over 4,000! The oldest of these dates back close to the time when the New Testament was first written. Among ancient writings, no other collection is so well supported by so much evidence.

TRANSLATIONS

The Bible was first written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. It has come into our modern languages through translation. The Bible's message is so important that it has been translated into 2,000 languages. No other book has been translated more widely, and this trend continues.

PRINTING

The Bible was the first book printed for the ordinary people. It remains the most printed, circulated and read book of all time (billions more than the next top book).

HONESTY

The Bible's complete truth and honesty make it quite different from other ancient histories. The Bible shows both the good and bad, even in Israel's greatest leaders. Whether king or slave, rich or poor, man or woman, all were measured by the same ruler, "the law of the Lord."

FOLLOWINGOver a quarter of the world's population claims some belief in the Bible. Three great world religions claim roots linked with the Bible. Whoever seeks a Map for life should consider the Bible.

WRITING

The Bible was written by 40 men during a period of over 1,500 years. Most of these writers were not alive at the same time. They could not work together in any direct way. Yet the Bible has one continuing story flowing through it.

THE BOOK OF BOOKS

The Bible deserves this title because it is outstanding among books. But in another sense, it is The Book of Books because it is a library. Its first 39 books make up the Old Testament. They were written mainly in Hebrew between 1,500 and 400 years B.C. The second part, the New Testament, has 27 books written in Greek between A.D. 50 and 100. (Many today divide history into two parts. B.C. refers to time before Jesus Christ's birth. A.D. refers to time after Jesus Christ's birth.) The New Testament books complete the Gospel - which means Good News - about Jesus. Together, these 66 writings form a complete, united picture. No other book has been written like this. In the most amazing way, the Bible joins centuries of history with the highest wisdom. Above all, it shows us the Way to come home to God.

What Are Your Needs?

There are many reasons for taking the Bible seriously. Among them is its practical wisdom for successful living. What is your need? See if the Bible addresses that need or its root.

NEED FOR LOVE

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20).

NEED FOR FAMILY

In love God predestined [planned for] us to be adopted as His sons (Ephesians 1:4-5).

You are no longer foreigners and aliens, but . . . members of God's household (Ephesians 2:19).

NEED FOR LIFE

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10).

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies" (John 11:25).

NEED FOR GUIDANCE

You have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:15).

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him (James 1:5).

NEED FOR STRENGTH

Everything is possible for him who believes. . . . With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God (Mark 9:23; 10:27).

God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it (1 Corinthians 10:13).

I can do everything through Him who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13).

NEED FOR SECURITY

My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. . . . The Lord will keep you from all harm - He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore (Psalm 121:2,7-8).

"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:5-6).

NEED FOR FORGIVENESS

Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins (Act 2:38).

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

NEED FOR HEALTH

Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. . . . And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up (James 5:13,15).

NEED FOR PEACE

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid (John 14:27).

NEED FOR FOOD AND CLOTHES

Why do you worry? "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6:28,33).

I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed (Psalm 37:25-26).

NEED FOR FRIENDSHIP

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. . . . I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from My Father I have made known to you (John 15:13,15).

NEED FOR HOPE

In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you (1 Peter 1:3-4).

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure (Hebrews 6:19).

ALL YOUR NEEDS

God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work (2 Corinthians 9:8).

My God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).

Relationship

More Than "Religion"As the Bible addresses your needs, do you sense the importance of relationship? We find God's glorious riches "in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19).

Praise be to the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).

Some people view Christianity as another "religion." But the word "religion" is rare in the Bible. Two times where it applies to Christianity, "religion" is shown to be worthless if it does not care for needy people (1 Timothy 5:4; James 1:26-27). The Bible calls to you. This call is to meet a Person, not just plans or ideas. This call emphasizes relationships, not rituals. Indeed, the main rules have to do with love, first for God and then for each other (Mark 12:30-31).

Sadly, some judge Christ without knowing Him. They have heard about Him, which may include bad reports:

• Wars, cruelty and crimes committed in His name 
• Harsh rules imposed in His name 
• So-called "miracles" claimed in His name 
• Hypocrites who cover up their lies in His name 
• Leaders who get rich and powerful in His name 
• Supposedly "Christian" governments and nations that do wrong 

Such evils are the exact opposite of Jesus' life and teaching. Jesus and His apostles warned that enemies would give Christ's way a bad name (bring it into "disrepute").

There will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies [hurtful lies], even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them. . . . Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute (2 Peter 2:1-2).

The Way of Truth

Peter shows that he follows "the way of truth" given by Jesus. He warns against "shameful ways" from others. They claim His name, but they are enemies who work against Him (Matthew 7:15-23; 13:24-30, 36-43; 24:24). They twist and change Christianity for their own selfish purposes (2 Timothy 3:5; 4:3-4).

How can we tell the difference between "the way of truth" and false ways? Here is the greatest value of the Bible: It describes the Way from the beginning. It keeps that truth safe for all future ages. From this original record we can know the true Jesus. We can learn the Christianity that Jesus created and continues.
The key is the Bible. That is why we invite you into the Bible experience. In these World Bible School courses, all graded questions come from the Scriptures themselves. The Word of God is the pure source - the unique, reliable and respected record of Jesus and His Way. Man-made rules and divisions came later, and they turned into many muddied streams about Christianity. You will not be tested on those or anyone else's opinions. Rather, we aim to go back to the clear source that flows from God Himself. We seek the real Jesus. We want to learn His Way as He first revealed it. If you share that desire, join us on a journey into the heart of the Good News.

The Way To Faith

The New Testament tells the story of Jesus. The first four books - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John - report His time on earth.

The book of Acts shows the result as more and more people believe in Jesus as the Christ. ("Christ" comes from Greek, and "Messiah" from Hebrew; both refer to the supreme King promised by the Old Testament.) Acts shows detailed examples of how people become "Christians" - followers of Christ. In Acts 8 we find one man's journey. It begins by telling how the man first hears the Good News of Jesus. It ends with the man's happy response to Jesus. Let's join this man - a sincere seeker from Ethiopia - on his journey to faith. His helper on the journey is Philip, a Christian who shares the Good News of Jesus wherever he travels.

The Journey

On his way [Philip] met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it" (Acts 8:27-29).

Philip's meeting with the Ethiopian is no accident. Philip is on a mission. God's Spirit is at work to bring Philip and the Ethiopian together. In a similar way, we believe that important encounters come from God, not random chance. God cares about us. He knows how the Good News meets our deepest needs. God especially wants true seekers to find Him. The Ethiopian is an important government minister. Yet he takes the time to travel to Jerusalem, the historic center of worship. Now, on his return, he reads a copy of "Isaiah the prophet." And you . . . are you a seeker? Do you recognize that God is at work - this very moment - to meet your needs? Is your heart open to new discoveries from His Word?

The Guide

Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked. "How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him (Acts 8:30-31).

Perhaps, at times, you also ask, "How can I understand?" Sometimes we need help. Consider, for example, what the Ethiopian is reading from Isaiah 53. Someone is suffering in silence. He is judged unfairly. He is killed. Who and what is that all about? The Bible raises questions, and also provides the answers. A guide can prove helpful for finding your way through the Bible. World Bible School is designed to serve you as a guide like Philip. As you take WBS courses, your Study Helper will be there for you also, helping you find the Bible's answers for your own questions and needs.

The Scripture

The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: "He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so He did not open His mouth. In His humiliation He was deprived of justice. Who can speak of His descendants? For His life was taken from the earth" (Acts 8:32-33).

The Ethiopian is reading from the 53rd chapter of Isaiah, written by the prophet Isaiah in about 700 B.C. Isaiah foretells the success and glory of God's special "Servant" (for example, Isaiah 52:13). Yet Isaiah 53 then describes in great detail the Servant's horrible death - "His life was taken from the earth" (Acts 8:33; Isaiah 53:8). The surprises continue. Isaiah's prophecy then foretells the Servant's pleasure in the results of His death.

After the suffering of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied; by His knowledge My righteous Servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities (Isaiah 53:11).

Why will the Servant feel satisfied? Because His sacrifice will "justify" people (make them right with God). How? He will lift from sinners their load of iniquity (sin) and place that load on Himself.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." He will bear their iniquities (Isaiah 53:6,11).

The Servant Himself is innocent and pure (Isaiah 53:9). Why should He take our sins on Himself? Isaiah 53:10 says, "The Lord makes His life a guilt offering." This wording is truly remarkable since Isaiah followed the Law of Moses. In that Law, the term "guilt offering" always applied to flawless animals killed for people's sins. God hated the sacrificing of humans. Yet, by God's power, Isaiah foresaw a human as the "guilt offering"! God would sacrifice His Servant to rescue "us all" from our sins.

The Good News

The eunuch asked Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?" Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the Good News about Jesus (Acts 8:34-35).

Who is this sacrificed Servant? Philip points to Jesus. Yet Isaiah was written over 700 yearsbefore Jesus was born. (The oldest existing copy of Isaiah dates from long before Jesus' birth.) How could Isaiah foretell so many details of the torture that, in fact, Jesus did suffer? How could Isaiah foresee - long before Jesus was nailed to a wooden cross - the human sacrifice that takes away all our sins? Only God has the power to foretell and to fulfill in this way.

When Philip and the Ethiopian meet, it has not been long since Jesus died in great pain on a Roman cross. Yet Philip has Good News about Jesus! This is news about a Person, not merely about new religious ideas. This is news with a Name!

When Isaiah predicted the coming of Jesus, he gave Him the highest titles. Like other prophets of the Bible, Isaiah emphasized that there is only one God (Isaiah 43:10-11; 44:6). Yet Isaiah foretold the birth of a Son who would rightfully be called "God."

For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom . . . forever (Isaiah 9:6-7).

Remember, these words were written long before Christianity began. They, and many other passages, predicted the coming of the divine King (the Messiah, or Christ) from King David's family line. After Jesus died and then returned to life - as seen and reported by many witnesses - He showed how the Old Testament prophecies had come true.

He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms." Then He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem" (Luke 24:44-47).

Good News Of Forgiveness

We all can enjoy "forgiveness" because Jesus suffered the punishment we deserved. Our sins condemned us. They separated us from God and killed us spiritually. When Jesus gave His life on the cross, He took our place. Now the Father gives to us the gift of His Son's own purity and goodness.

God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).

How can we be sure of God's promise to us? Christ's return from death proves the truth of His Good News! That is why the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus are at the heart of the Good News.

By this Gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you.... For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:2-4).

Jesus said to her, "I am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26).

As we hear the Good News of Jesus, the same question comes to us today. Do you believe this? If so, how should you respond to such Good News? What is God's will for you as a believer?

The Joyful Response

As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?" . . . And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing (Acts 8:36-39).

Do you see how faith responds? Philip shares "the Good News about Jesus" and immediately the Ethiopian wants to be baptized (Acts 8:35-36). Baptism is a word that comes from Greek. In that language it means an immersion or dipping. What has water to do with the Good News?

John the Baptizer was a prophet who prepared people to accept Jesus. He did this by "preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins" (Mark 1:4). "Repentance" refers to the decision to change, to stop living in sin and start following Christ. Baptism marks that change with this purpose: "for the forgiveness of sins." When Jesus came, He also had people baptized (John 3:22,26; 4:1). His enemies, including the Pharisees, "rejected God's purpose" by rejecting baptism (Luke 7:30). In this setting, when John and Jesus were requiring baptism in water, a leading Pharisee visited Jesus. To him Jesus said,

I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit (John 3:5).

Thus Jesus Himself created the link between entering the kingdom and "water and the Spirit." This link continued as Jesus sent His followers to tell the Good News (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 8:12; 22:16).

Go into all the world and preach the Good News to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned (Mark 16:15-16).

Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." . . . Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day (Acts 2:38,41).

For Me?

Does "every one of you" mean this applies to you and me too? And why? What makes the baptism of a believing, repentant person so essential? As the New Testament unfolds its message, the reason becomes clearer.

Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life (Romans 6:3-4).

[You have] been buried with Him in baptism and raised with Him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead (Colossians 2:12).

The Gospel events are not distant facts. Jesus lives today. He calls you to share His death, burial and resurrection by baptism. The result is that you are "raised with Him through your faith" (Colossians 2:12, which shows that baptism is for people who have believed the Good News). From baptism you rise with Christ to "a new life" (Romans 6:4). As Romans shows, this is a life free from sin. First, God no longer sees you as guilty. Christ's blood washes away all sins and you receive God's free gift of complete purity. Second, God gives you power to change and overcome sinful habits, the power to live with Him and for Him. Nothing can ever separate you from this loving relationship.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. . . . We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. . . . [Nothing] in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:1,37,39).

This "new life" begins at the believer's baptism (Romans 6:4). No wonder the Ethiopian wants to be baptized immediately! His trust leads him to obey Jesus. In the water, he joins Jesus in death, so that he can rise with Jesus to life that is "new" in every way. That is why the baptized Ethiopian goes "on his way rejoicing" (Acts 8:39). Though Philip is taken away, the rejoicing continues because it focuses on the living Lord who promises, "I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:20).

Now, in the best sense, the Ethiopian is on his way home because he has found the Way! And you . . . where is your life going? Are you rejoicing in the relationship that leads you home? Do you know the Way? Jesus assures you,

I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you really knew Me, you would know My Father as well (John 14:6-7).

Like Philip, your Study Helper is a friend to encourage you and to assist you with God's Word. Please take a few moments now to complete the lesson exam questions. Then submit them to your Study Helper for grading, so that you can be assigned the first in-depth course. Explore God's spiritual Map. Learn the Way to the full life Jesus plans for you. May God bless your personal journey of discovery!

Copyright © 2013. World Bible School.

Bible Gateway “Holy Week” Infographic Published in Newsweek

March 16, 2015

Jonathan Petersen

“Holy Week” is the name given to identify the final days leading to Jesus’ arrest, crucifixion, and resurrection. As Holy Week unfolds, a large cast of characters play out a powerful emotional drama. But the story’s depth makes it somewhat complex. To help you track the people, places, and events of Holy Week day-by-day, Bible Gateway has prepared an infographic that visualizes each of the different strands of the Easter story as they lead to Easter Sunday.

(Click the image above for a full-size version. It’s also available in PDF.)

Each line in the chart represents a different person or faction that played a major role in the Easter story. Follow the lines to see how these individuals and groups interacted with each other during the events of Holy Week; read the Bible passages associated with each major event to learn about them. See this post for more information about how to read this timeline and what it does and doesn’t show. (And please note that this chart is an interpretation, drawn from the different Gospel accounts. There’s room for some interpretation in the timing of some of these events.)

We encourage you to project the above infographic during your church services and to print copies of the abovePDF version to distribute them to people at your church. Please include the following information: Copyright ©2013 Bible Gateway, part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc. Released under a Creative Commons-Attribution-Noncommercial license. Visit www.BibleGateway.com to freely search, read, and share the Bible.

The special magazine edition, Newsweek presents Jesus: His Life After Death, includes the Bible Gateway Holy Week Infographic (See the magazine pages [pdf]). Here is the magazine’s description:

It’s the greatest story ever told, and now, Newsweek Special Editions presents a 100-page celebration of the last days of Jesus Christ and the inspiring, world-changing events that ensued. This Newsweek collector’s edition takes you behind the scenes of Jesus’s Passion—from Palm Sunday to crucifixion to resurrection and beyond—with original commentary from noted scholars and historians including Reza Aslan, bestselling author of Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, as well as insight into the story after Christ’s resurrection with NBC’s A.D. executive producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey. It’s an all-angles look at the people and places involved in one of the world’s most transformative events: the death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.

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Passion Week

• Intro
• Principles

Timing

• Tomb
• Chart

Harmony

• Introduction
• Day-Start
• Sunrise
• Fetch Donkey
• Trumphal Entry
• Surveys Temple
• Curse Fig Tree
• Cleanses Temple
• Leaves City
• Fig Tr. Withers
• Authority Q’d
• Vine Dressers+
• Taxes+++
• Place Prepared
• J+J Request
• Watch
• To Pray
• Betrayal
• Denial
• In Public
• In Power
• Peter’s Denial
• To Pilot
• Before Pilot
• Pilot Again
• Before Herod
• Pilot Yet Again
• Hr. 70: As King
• Via Dolorosa
• Simon Carries
• Jesus Crucified
• Behold Son
• Darkness
• Darkness Hr 2
• Darkness Hr 3
• Jesus Dies
• Jesus in Tomb
• Special Sabbath
• Buy Spices
• Empty Tomb
• Morning...
• Evening...
• Doubting Thomas
• Ascension
• Pentecost

Passion/Easter Week Chronology

The process for figuring out Passion Week’s chronology is simply to catalog all the time references in Passion Week. The key word here is all. In the following chart green is used to mark time references. Using those references like puzzle pieces it is possible to put together the week’s schedule using Gospel references alone. The following chart shows the entire week, with all key events drawn.

It is not possible to change from this schedule while remaining faithful to all of the time references given in the Gospels. Extensive notes follow below.

Passion Week Chronology

Notes

• Most of the events listed in the chart have more than 1 scripture reference. To conserve space only single references are listed.
• The chart is drawn to an accurate scale, 6 hours to the division.
• The black vertical lines indicate the changes between days, at sunset, in Jerusalem. The Roman system of dates is offset from this by about 6 hours.
• This happened in the spring, near the equinox, so days and nights were very close to 12 hour each. (Though it is possible to show that the Bible’s clock is set at noon, and hours are always the same length. Observed sunset is thus unimportant.)
• Christians soon began celebrating new years on March 25, which was the custom until the mid 1700s in the English world. That date marks the Sunday of the resurrection and also limits which years could possibly have been the year of Jesus’ crucifixion. Year 31 is the only reasonable candidate, which is the year shown here for the Roman style dates.
• The Nisan dates, the Jewish dates, are not possible to reproduce by modern use of computers as at this point in history the Jewish calendar was subjectively, politically, fixed by the Sanhedrin. This was a political process similar to that used by the Senate in Rome which fixed the Roman calendar until 46 BC. The modern Jewish calendar, tightly synchronized to the moon, but determined by equations, was determined in the 300s and finally fixed in the 900s, nearly 1000 years after the Romans had done the same.
  The modern Sanhedrin has begun the practice of setting the calendar again, which will likely annul the modern Jewish calendar. The Jewish dates are drawn here by fixing Nisan 14 ending at Sunset on Thursday, March 22, 31 AD, as this is when the Special Sabbath following Passover began.
• The day and night cycle indicates when it was daylight and night time.
• Green is used on this chart to indicate events that are fixed by time in the Gospel narrative. The most important is Jesus’ arrival at Lazarus’ house before sunset on Friday, March 16, 31 AD. He would not have traveled on the Sabbath and that began at sunset. This arrival is 6 days before the special high sabbath mentioned later in John’s account. It establishes the otherwise questionable nature of a special Sabbath on Friday of the week.
  The High Sabbath could not have been 1 day later, since that would put Jesus’ arrival on the Sabbath. The High Sabbath could not have been 1 day earlier, since this would have allowed the women to attempt to put spice on Jesus’ body on Friday, which they clearly did not do.
• The events of the week starting with the triumphal entry are a prophetic match to the main time line of the Bible. Jesus was rerunning the entire chronology of the bible at 210 historical years to the hour. The units used in Gospels for time, 1 hour, is also matched to 1 week in his ministry, providing a double confirmation on the timing.
  That prophetic match to the historical chronology provides a precise timing and significant editorial on what Jesus was saying and doing across the entire time of Passion Week. The prophetic schedule is much tighter than the hours used in the Gospel accounts, accurate to within a few minutes. This tight timing appears important for future prophetic replays, especially at the 2000th biblical anniversaries of these dates in October of 2028.
• Passion Week was week 62 in Jesus’ public ministry. Even though there was a replay within this week, his regular pattern of prophetically replaying history as he went through his ministry continued through this week. The most important time, for the purposes of modern application, is the 3 hours of darkness on Wednesday across noon. Those 3 hours replayed across World War II, and are a prophetic statement of world history at that time. No other time in all of history is as bad, including the end-times.
• The week began when Jesus sent out disciples to prepare in various ways. The fetching of the donkey for his ride into the city is the most well known. Matthew’s account includes what amounts to a footnote that there were disciples sent to prepare the Passover on the first day of the week. This was the same time as the donkey was fetched. Note that Matthew’s text does not include the word "week" but Unleavened Bread is the day after Passover, so the "First Day" can be safely inferred as the first day of the week of the celebration of Unleavened Bread.
• The triumphal entry is a prophetic match to Adam’s fall. The prophetic stories continue with Jesus cleansing the temple, a match to Enoch’s ascension. Most of the events listed in the table above have known prophetic matches to events along the Bible’s trunk chronology.
  The chart above, though, is only drawn to the hour since the original account is only accurate to within 1 hour. Note also that several prophetic series have an implied 1 hour each which is supported by the underlying prophetic schedule Jesus used in this week.
• There was significant activity after dark on Tuesday night, indeed this was perhaps the busiest time in his entire ministry. Jesus held his Last Supper that night and then went to pray.
  He was arrested later that night and Jewish activity continued until about the time of Peter’s denial about daylight on Wednesday morning. All 4 gospels mention this Wednesday morning time, including importantly the Book of John. John, though continues with important details.
  On Wednesday morning, Jesus went to Roman authorities, Pilate and also Herod, where he made several appearances before these men and the crowds across several hours.
  One of Jesus’ appearances before Pilate is explicitly recorded in the Book of John as happening about the 6th hour which was on Wednesday about 11:00 AM. (Hour 1 begins at 6:00 AM, if you have not studied this.)
  This 6th hour appearance means Jesus could not have been arrested at night and crucified the next day. It spreads out as shown here across Tuesday night and Wednesday.
  This same timing likely applies at his return, with additional public presentations at a prophetic timing following the same schedule as he followed with Pilate, Herod, and the attendant crowds. This timing also suggests a considerable wait from the end of the trial until the start of Thursday morning when the Via Dolorosa began. This wait, too, has considerable prophetic significance.
• The 3 days and nights in the tomb followed a prophecy about Jesus as the fulfillment of Jonah’s 3 days in the fish. These 3 days came in at about 62 hours total time dead instead of the expected 72 hours. This makes this time into another prophetic match to the core time line of the Bible. In this case the 62 weeks of Jesus’ public ministry are in view. The weeks of ministry are themselves a reflection of the time from Adam’s fall until the general resurrection when Christians will come out of the grave. The prophecy points at 62 * 210 = 13020 AA, or more precisely, the 20 years ending at 13020 AA.
• There is considerable additional detail that this level of view cannot hope to display. But, there are enough scripture references in the chart above to allow anyone versed in scripture to reconstruct the key times in Passion Week, even without access to a more complete Bible chronology.

Conclusion

I’ve previously established that Jesus’ public schedule across passion week was a 210 years to the hour replay of the historical chronology of the Bible.

The chart above neatly overlays the Bible’s master chronology at that special ratio. Using it you can see the Olivette discourse not only matched content wise to Mosaic Law, it matched schedule wise as well.

There are several points where the timing of Jesus’ actions can be graphed tighter than the hour since the underlying schedule has a precision of 210 parts to the hour.

What remains to do is to harmonize these with the master time line which we do next.

By Phil Stone
Revised 12998-05-11 (2007-05-13)