In terms of our verse-by-verse study in the Gospel of Mark it is time to move on from the cross. It is, of course, never time to move on from the cross in our hearts, other than to get the full message of the gospel. We need to visit the “full” tomb, so we are not deceived by those who would deny the death of Christ. And then we need to visit the “empty” tomb, so we are not hopeless in this world of woe where we serve our God. And of course, we will want to meet Christ in Galilee, that we might glory in our ascended Lord who has given us the ministry of reconciliation until He returns to judge all men according to their works. So let us move on!
Mark tells us that the "day of crucifixion” was the “Day of Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath.” I would like to speak of this “day,” first because all four Gospels mention it (Mt. 27:62; Lk. 23:54; Jn. 19:14,31,42), and because it is “the day the LORD has made” in which we rejoice (Ps. 118:22-24). It is important. But I also want to say that what we will discuss is not an issue of heresy. I believe Jesus, the Lamb of God, was on the cross for many people to see who were busy preparing for the Passover meal they would eat that evening. It is an awesome picture.
John (19:14) says it was “the Preparation Day of the Passover.” I take that to mean it was not the weekly preparation day before the Saturday sabbath. John (19:41) also says the sabbath was a “high day,” meaning not the normal Saturday but another day. The preparing the people were involved in was for Passover, the killing of the lamb at the temple. This all makes sense in Ex. 12 where the instructions for Passover were given. On the 10th of the first month you chose a lamb and brought it into your house (12:3). On the 14th you killed the lamb at twilight (i.e. at the end of the day) and put the blood on the doorposts (12:6). Then Passover moved into the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread (12:15). The first and last days of that feast were sabbaths, days of rest, holy or high days (12:16). If that is the case we are not tied to a Friday (day before Saturday sabbath) for crucifixion but it could be Thursday or even Wednesday, as some hold. Some of us are a bit dubious about the arguments that Friday evening to Sunday morning is adequate to fulfill Jesus’ prophecy of three days and three nights in the heart of the earth (Mt. 12:40).
There are a couple of “therefores” that result from this. First is that, in my understanding, Jesus ate the Passover meal with His disciples on the Preparation Day, at the very beginning. I can live with that “difficulty” rather than some of the difficulties resulting from the thought that He had that meal after the day of preparing for it. Mark 14:12 might be taken by some to mean they ate the meal on the right day. I take Mark’s “first day of Unleavened Bread” to refer to the Day of Preparation. Ex. 12:18 speaks of the feast being 8 days, meaning the Passover plus seven days. As I have said, all views have to work to understand Scripture. Given page limitations I will save the second “therefore” for the next post.
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