Jesus Christ Our Passover

THE FOURTEENTH OF NISAN:

Part Three

[Be sure to read Part Two before proceeding.]

The synchronization of the earthquake with the Son of God's death was a powerful sign to Israel and to everyone else present.

Meanwhile, faithful followers stood by, observing this dramatic course of events, for they were determined to take care of their beloved master as best as circumstances would allow.

Matthew 27: 55 and 56 -- And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him:

Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses and the mother of Zebedee's children.

Mark 15: 40 and 41 -- There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;

(Who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him;) and many other women which came up with him into Jerusalem.

Luke 23: 49 -- And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.

While God's Word does not specifically name any men present at the crucifixion, it does take special note of the women who were there. It is remarkable that while most of the disciples had scattered, these faithful women remained with Jesus even up to the time of his burial by Joseph of Arimathea.

Chronologically, the record now brings us to the removal of the corpse from the cross and the burial of our lord's body. The Judeans became anxious about disposing of the crucified men's bodies, since the special Sabbath of the Feast was rapidly approaching. They wanted the victims off the crosses and taken away before sunset at which time the important Feast began. The record of this is in John 19.

John 19: 31 -- The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath was an high day), besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

The Greek word for "cross" is stauros, meaning "an upright pale or stake." ***

*** [W.E. Vine, An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, 4 vols. in 1 (1940; reprint ed., Old Tappan, N.J.: Fleming H. Revell Co., 1940), 1: 256 and 257.]

The Bible further describes the cross as a tree.

Acts 10: 39 -- And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree.

I Peter 2: 24 -- Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

The cross on which Jesus died was simply a tree trunk stripped of its branches and placed in a hole in the ground.

In crucifixion, the victim's hands were nailed above his head. Normally the feet were nailed to the cross also. When the body was suspended in this fashion breathing could be difficult and the muscles and tendons were painfully strained. The wounds from the nails and previous torture would add to the excruciating pain. Still a man could survive an extended period if left alone. So in order to bring about death more quickly, the soldiers would break the men's legs.

Breaking the legs of the victims was done by soldiers using a club or hammer. Such blows would cause internal blood loss which would bring about the victim's death quite rapidly. Without the support of the legs, the person's breathing would be further inhibited. The breaking of the legs was customarily accompanied by piercing the victim's side with a spear. These procedures hastened and assured the victim's death. ***

*** [Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, 2: 613; The New Bible Dictionary, s.v. "Crucifixion," by D.H. Wheaton.]

The Judeans asked Pilate to have the legs of the crucified men broken in order to hasten their deaths. They wanted the victims off the crosses and taken away before sunset at which time the important Feast began. That first day of the Feast was a special Sabbath. When Jesus died, it was still the time of preparation, as John 19: 31 so clearly declares.

John 19: 32 and 33 -- Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.

But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs.

The traditional picture of Calvary has had Jesus on the center cross with only one cross on each side of him. If that were true, the soldiers must have broken the legs of the first criminal, then, ignoring Jesus on the center cross, they must have passed by him and gone on to break the legs of the other criminal. The soldiers would then have had to return to Jesus on the center cross. That is totally illogical. People have not scrutinized God's Word to see its simplicity; instead they have complicated it by trying to manipulate the Word to fit erroneous traditions. Previously we studied and saw that four were crucified with Jesus: two malefactors were led out and crucified with him; later, after the parting of the garments and several other incidents, two robbers were brought out and crucified with him. Therefore, five crosses were erected. Jesus was in the midst on the center cross. One malefactor was on the cross to his immediate right and the other to his immediate left. Then the robbers were set on the crosses at each end, outside the malefactors: one robber to Jesus' left and the other to his right. Now it is very simple to see what occurred according to John 19: 32 and 33.

The soldiers first went to a robber at the end of the row and broke his legs. Then they came to the second victim in the line of crosses, a malefactor. The malefactor had been crucified at the same time Jesus had been. He also was closer to Jesus than the robber. That is why the malefactor is described as "the other which was crucified with him." After breaking the legs of these two victims, the soldiers proceeded to the third cross in line, Jesus' cross. No reference is made to the two victims on the remaining two crosses because the focus of the passage is on the soldiers' coming to break the legs of Jesus. This is how logically God's Word fits.

The soldiers did not foolishly run around the center cross and then come back to it. The soldiers broke the legs of a robber and then those of one of the malefactors; Jesus was next in line. Since Jesus was already dead, they did not break his legs. God had instructed in the Old Testament that no bone of the Passover lamb was to be broken.

Exodus 12: 46 -- In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof.

Numbers 9: 12 -- They shall leave none of it unto the morning, nor break any bone of it: according to all the ordinances of the passover they shall keep it.

For Jesus Christ to be our Passover lamb, the same had to be true of him. He laid down his life at exactly the appropriate moment, the time the Passover lamb was to die. Not only was it the proper time for the death of the lamb of God, but had Jesus Christ remained alive any longer, the soldiers would have broken his legs. Words cannot adequately express the exactness of God's timetable and the beauty with which God's Word sets this so accurately.

John 19: 34 -- But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.

Jesus was already dead and the soldiers knew it. Although they did not break Jesus' legs, they did pierce his side so that blood and water flowed from it. If a soldier's spear were to pierce the victim's side from below, it could penetrate the stomach and the heart, gravity then causing water from the stomach and blood from the heart to flow out through the wound. This fits the description found in God's Word.

John 19: 35 to 37 -- And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.

For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.

And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.

So while no bone of Jesus' body was broken, his side was indeed pierced. In so many ways the Scriptures of old made known the coming Messiah. Jesus Christ fulfilled every scriptural requirement as the Messiah and the Passover lamb, even to the last detail of his death.

After his death follows the record of Jesus' burial. In studying the four Gospel accounts of the burial of Jesus, we will see that each Gospel tells part of the story. But only when all four Gospels are put together does one get a total view of the interesting and intricate activities involved in the burial of Jesus. For example, what John told in his record is not identical to what Matthew, Mark, and Luke told; yet there is no contradiction among them when the Word of God is rightly divided, noting carefully the time, the place of action, and the persons involved.

Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus are the two active participants in burying Jesus. Except for Jesus' burial, Joseph of Arimathea is mentioned in no other Biblical record. Nicodemus is mentioned in only two other places, John 3 and John 7. As we shall see, each man worked independently of the other, one with the idea that Jesus was temporarily dead, and the other believing that Jesus was to remain in his lifeless condition. Some of the women also desired to carry out certain burial customs for their dead master, but they were not able to do so because of time factors and the guards that were placed at the sepulchre.

Let us study the burial of Jesus by going through each Gospel beginning with Matthew.

Matthew 27: 57 -- When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple.

The word "even" signifies that sunset was near. The words "a rich man" show that Joseph was abounding in riches. He was a very wealthy man who lived in Arimathea, approximately twenty-five miles from Jerusalem. Being "Jesus' disciple" means that he was technically discipled to Jesus, a pupil of Jesus, a student convinced because of his own searching.

Matthew 27: 58 -- He [Joseph of Arimathea] went to Pilate, and begged [requested] the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.

Remember that Joseph was a Judean, while Pilate was a Gentile. Entering into the court of a Gentile to request the body of Jesus made Joseph ceremonially unclean to eat the Passover. For this reason, the rulers of the synagogue would not enter Pilate's judgment hall when they brought Jesus to him the preceding day.

John 18: 28 -- Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves [the rulers, scribes, and Pharisees] went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover.

Touching the dead body of Jesus would also make him unclean by Old Testament law. Ignoring these legalities, Joseph earnestly appealed to Pilate to give him Jesus' body. Certainly, even under normal circumstances, no prestigious person would ask for a criminal's body; he would try to disassociate himself from the disgraced person. Yet Joseph went to Pilate's hall earnestly requesting from Pilate the body of Jesus. How Joseph must have loved and respected Jesus, for in asking for Jesus' body he defied all other priorities.

Matthew 27: 59 -- And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it [the body] in a clean linen cloth.

Notice that in Matthew 27 that no mention is made of Nicodemus' aiding Joseph in any way. It was Joseph of Arimathea who, after Pilate commanded the body to be delivered, took the body of Jesus and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. The words "wrapped it" mean "rolled it up in," which shows that Joseph did not wind Jesus' trunk, head, and limbs in a burial fashion. To demonstrate this further, the word for "linen cloth" is the Greek word sindon. This clean "linen cloth" was not the normal grave wrapping, for which an entirely different Greek word is used. The linen cloth in which Joseph rolled up the body of Jesus was a sheet of material which could be wrapped around any body, not necessarily a dead body.

Matthew 27: 60 -- And [Joseph of Arimathea] laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out [which was hewn] in the rock: and he [they] rolled a great stone to [Aramaic and Greek say "upon"] the door [the opening] of the sepulchre, and [they] departed.

One question which this verse provokes is why should Joseph of Arimathea have a tomb or a sepulchre in Jerusalem next to the place where criminals were executed. After all, Joseph was from Arimathea, a town twenty-five miles away. This just doesn't make sense unless we accept the idea that this particular sepulchre was a memorial specifically prepared by Joseph of Arimathea at this accessible location so that it might be the burying place or tomb for Jesus.

The word for "had hewn" in verse 60, in contrast to "had taken" in verse 59, is in the passive voice in the Aramaic text, indicating that Joseph previously had someone hew out the memorial; he himself did not hew it out. As a wealthy man, he could have had his servants hew it out. Verse 60 then notes that Joseph and his servants (the Aramaic reads "they") rolled the "great stone" upon or over the opening of the sepulchre and departed. Notice that there was no anointing, there were no spices used, there was no wrapping in grave clothes.

Matthew 27: 61 -- And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.

The word "against" means "on the opposite side of, away from, in front of, or facing." The women who were present observed everything that was done by Joseph of Arimathea, including the fact he was not burying Jesus according to Judean custom. Why did Joseph not anoint him with spices and wrap him in the burial clothing? All the actions of Joseph of Arimathea indicate that normal burial rites were unnecessary, for he believed Jesus Christ would not remain dead, but rise again as he had promised. As a disciple, Joseph was not simply a casual pupil of Jesus, but a convinced follower.

After the Matthew 27 account, the next record in the Bible regarding the burial of Jesus is found in Mark 15: 42 to 47.

Mark 15: 42 -- And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day [omit "the day"] before the sabbath.

The word "even" is the same word used in Matthew 27: 57, referring to sometime in the late afternoon, approaching sunset. This verse directly informs us that the day on which Jesus Christ died was during the preparation, which included the fourteenth of Nisan, the day before the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The fifteenth of Nisan was always a Sabbath, the "high day" of John 19: 31. In the year Christ died, it did not fall on the regular weekly Sabbath.

Mark 15: 43 -- Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counseller, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved [asked for] the body of Jesus.

This record tells us more about Joseph; namely, that he was "an honourable counseller," that is, he was a member of the council, the Sanhedrin, the ruling body of the Judeans in Jerusalem. He was also waiting for the Kingdom of God.

Mark 15: 44 -- And Pilate marvelled [questioned with surprise] if he [Jesus] were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead.

Pilate could not believe Joseph's words that Jesus was truly dead, so Pilate sought confirmation from the centurion. The boldness of Joseph of Arimathea in every record is most impressive. Mark 14: 50 says regarding the disciples at the scene of Jesus' arrest, "And they all forsook him, and fled." Yet Joseph was bold, He was not one of the twelve apostles, but he was one who literally believed Jesus. The apostles may have been more closely associated with Jesus, but under the adversity of this critical time the majority of them fled. In contrast, Joseph took deliberate, courageous action to obtain the body of Jesus.

Mark 15: 45 and 46 -- And when he [Pilate] knew it [that Jesus was dead] of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.

And he [Joseph] bought ["having bought" in Greek] fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto [upon] the door of the sepulchre.

Note that Joseph had already deliberately purchased for this person who was very special to him a new wrapping or sheet which here again is called "fine linen," sindon - the same word that is found in Matthew 27. Verse 46 also tells us that Joseph took Jesus' body down from the cross. The word for "wrapped him" is again the same word as "rolled him up in." He did not put the body in grave wrappings, nor did he anoint the body with the oils and spices customarily used in burial; rather he employed a fine linen material made for general use.

Mark 15: 47 -- And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid.

Once more there is no mention whatsoever in this Gospel of the presence of Nicodemus, although Mark 15 again states that the women beheld where Jesus was laid.

The next record regarding Joseph's burial of Jesus is in Luke 23: 50 to 56.

Luke 23: 50 -- And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counseller; and he was a good man, and a just.

The word "good" used here means that he was worthy to be admired, a person to be looked up to and emulated.

Luke 23: 51 -- (The same had not consented to [had not agreed to] the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathaea, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God.

These verses in Luke 23 give more personal information about Joseph than does Matthew or Mark. Joseph was not only a member of the Council, the Sanhedrin, but also he did not agree with their advice or their actions. He had not consented to their treatment of Jesus.

Luke 23: 52 and 53 -- This man went unto Pilate, and begged [asked for] the body of Jesus.

And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid.

Luke 23 gives the same description as in the two previous Gospels, of Joseph's asking Jesus' body of Pilate, his removing that body from the cross, and then wrapping and laying it in a newly hewn sepulchre. Again the word sindon is used for "linen."

Luke 23: 54 -- And that day was the preparation [literally, "And it was a day of preparation"], and the sabbath drew on.

The day once more is noted as a day of preparation. It was still the fourteenth of Nisan, nearing the special Sabbath though sunset had not yet come.

Luke 23: 55 -- And the women also, which came with him [Jesus] from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how ["the manner in which" according to Aramaic] his body was laid.

These women can be identified from Mark 15: 40 and 41 as being "Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome" as well as "many other women which came up with him unto Jerusalem." These women came from Galilee and followed Joseph as he removed Jesus' body from the cross and brought it to the garden. They beheld the sepulchre and "how his body was laid." In other words, they observed exactly what Joseph of Arimathea had done. He had simply wrapped Jesus in a sindon without properly anointing his body with spices and oils according to religious burial customs. Because the women saw that Joseph of Arimathea did not give Jesus' body the proper rites, they set about to make arrangements to do so themselves.

Luke 23: 56 -- And they [the women] . . . prepared spices and ointments. . . .

Matthew 27, Mark 15, and Luke 23 concur that it was Joseph of Arimathea who took the body of Jesus down from the cross after Pilate had given him permission to do so. Joseph wrapped Jesus' body in a linen cloth, a sindon, and laid it in his own sepulchre without regard to the traditional burial procedure. The women observed his actions and later made preparations to give Jesus' body the correct customary treatment. Nicodemus has yet to be involved or even mentioned.

In the Gospel of John's account of Joseph's activities, we find some interesting added truths which do not contradict but, rather, enlarge upon that which the other three Gospels relate.

John 19: 38 -- And after this [after the soldiers found Jesus dead and pierced his side but did not break his legs] Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.

"And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus" is the same information as recorded in the other three Gospels. But then comes a statement which the other Gospels did not tell, namely, "but secretly for fear of the Jews." The word "secretly" would lead one to think that Joseph was afraid of what would happen to him if the Judeans found out about his activities. This is certainly contradictory to Joseph's boldness expressed in the other passages.

The word translated "secretly" in John 19: 38 is the Greek verb krupto, which means "hidden." Therefore the verse should read, "After this Joseph of Arimathea being a convinced follower, an earnest student or disciple of Jesus, but hidden for fear of the Judeans. . . ." He was hidden during the crucifixion events. So to fit Mark 15: 43, when Joseph came boldly to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus, with John 19: 38, when Joseph hid away for fear of the Judeans, we should note that Joseph of Arimathea apparently was not afraid of what might happen to him eventually; but he was concealed for the duration of the crucifixion because he wanted to be sure not only to be able to see what was going on, but also to stay alive to boldly claim the body of Jesus upon death.

Before this, Jesus' enemies had been around the cross mocking him. Joseph hid himself nearby. Undoubtedly, many of the Sanhedrin would be aware of Joseph's association with Jesus. Thus, rather than risk harassment that would have prevented him from claiming the body, Joseph hid himself until Jesus was dead and he could safely claim and bury the body.

Joseph obviously believed that Jesus was going to die and was aware of the place and other details involved. Therefore he chose a place in a garden close to the crucifixion site. There he had a sepulchre hewn out of the rock. Certainly Joseph would never have done this had he not believed what Jesus told him concerning his death.

From the other Gospels we learned that Joseph was given permission to take the body, that he gave it a very simple burial, and then left. We also learned that the women watched Joseph's actions and then left, intending to return and bury the body according to custom. Now John 19 brings in the second participant in the burial of Jesus' body.

John 19: 39 -- And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.

Until this verse Nicodemus has not been mentioned in any of the Gospel records. The Gospel of John relates that Joseph acquired the body. However, John does not tell of Joseph's burial of the body, which is fully elucidated in the other accounts. So we know that Nicodemus had to have come to the sepulchre after Joseph had buried Jesus and departed. The added note "And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night. . ." identifies Nicodemus as being the same man as told of in John 3 and John 7. The first mention of spices in any of the Gospel records of Jesus' burial is when Nicodemus came and "brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes" for a proper burial of the body. When John 19 tells what Nicodemus did, it is understood that Nicodemus was aided by his servants. As a ruler of the Judeans, Nicodemus was a wealthy man with servants who are here accompanying him. Quite often God's Word, by the figure of speech synecdoche, will utilize one man's name to include with him those under him. ***

*** [This type of synecdoche puts the part for the whole. Here it was one man's name to stand for a group of people associated with him. The Aramaic of Matthew 27: 60 and Mark 15: 46 shows this figure of speech is utilized in reference to Joseph and his servants. See Bullinger, Figures of Speech, pp. 613 and 614, 640, 648 and 649.]

John 19: 40 -- Then took they [Nicodemus and his servants] the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.

The word "they" in the King James Version has given the impression that Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus were working together. This cannot be true from the records given in the other three Gospels. The word "they" refers to Nicodemus and his helpers, excluding Joseph of Arimathea. Nicodemus, aware of Jesus' burial place, went with his servants to the sepulchre, rolled away the stone, and "took" the body to wrap and anoint it according to burial customs of that time.

Verse 40 is the first time the word "wound" is used. In the other Gospels Joseph wrapped the body of Jesus in a sindon. But now Nicodemus wound the body of Jesus with the spices in linen clothes, othonion meaning "bandages or wrappings, grave clothes." These are striking differences.

According to John 20: 5, the disciple running to the tomb on the first day of the week came to the sepulchre and "stooping down. . . saw the linen clothes. . . ." In verse 6 Simon Peter entered the sepulchre and he "seeth the linen clothes lie." The word for "linen clothes" in both verses is not sindon, but othonion, meaning "wrappings." Thus, when Nicodemus replaced the sindon, he wrapped Jesus' body with othonion, the wrappings which the disciple and Peter observed.

John 19: 41 -- Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.

This is the same garden where the women saw Joseph of Arimathea place the body of Jesus and where Mary Magdalene met Jesus after his resurrection.

John 19: 42 -- There laid they Jesus therefore [after Nicodemus had properly anointed the body and wrapped it for religious burial] because of the Jews' preparation day [omit this italicized word]; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.

It was still the time of preparation. "Because" indicates that Nicodemus laid Jesus back in this sepulchre because time was running out before the Feast began, which, of course, would occur at sunset. This verse well documents the fact that sunset was near when Nicodemus came to properly care for the dead body.

Looking at all four Gospel accounts, we note that Joseph of Arimathea and his servants, after receiving permission from Pilate, took the body of Jesus down from the cross, rolled it in a sindon, put it in a nearby sepulchre which had been prepared for this eventuality, rolled the stone to the opening of the sepulchre, and departed. In so doing, he did not observe the customary burial procedure. The women, who had been sitting a short distance from the sepulchre and had noted Joseph's treatment of Jesus' body, left the location and later prepared the spices and ointment for proper burial, not being aware that Nicodemus would properly care for the body shortly after they left. After Joseph of Arimathea and the women had departed from the garden, Nicodemus and his servants came to the sepulchre, properly wrapped the body in grave clothes (othonion) with spices, and buried Jesus according to custom.

The total picture, drawn by studying collectively these four accounts, is most interesting. Nicodemus, with tremendous respect and love for Jesus, subjected himself to legal defilement by touching a dead body. He became unclean for the Passover. However, since he was not planning on a resurrection within a few days, Nicodemus did the unnecessary work of anointing and wrapping the corpse in grave clothes.

In contrast to all others, Joseph of Arimathea was unique in that he was the only person prepared for both the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He had chosen a plot of ground in a garden near Golgotha and had a sepulchre hewn out. After receiving permission to take the body of Jesus, Joseph of Arimathea gave it tender but not customary care that would be expected for permanent burial. Joseph's actions confirmed his belief in the lord's teaching that he would rise three days and three nights after being buried.

Perhaps someone will now ask, "What difference does it make if Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus worked independently of each other?" It makes all the difference between an unerring, accurate Word of God and a jumble of half-truths. If God thought it important enough to sacrifice His only-begotten Son for us, then we ought to think it supremely important to accurately divide His Word regarding the information He has given us about it.

Thus in fact, Jesus was placed twice in the same tomb. First, he was buried by Joseph, a member of the Sanhedrin, who had anticipated his death. And then, before sundown, he was buried again by a ruler of the Judeans named Nicodemus. Nicodemus opened the tomb, removed the linen sheet from the corpse and buried the body again according to custom. Nicodemus closed the tomb again and left very shortly before sunset. By coming into contact with a dead body, both Joseph and Nicodemus became ceremonially unclean to participate in the Passover. These two highly respected men buried Jesus in two different manners, one believing that Jesus would get up in a short time, the other thinking him dead in perpetuity. That is the greatness of Jesus' burial late on Wednesday afternoon, and this concluded the day of the crucifixion, the fourteenth of Nisan.

End Of Part Three