WHAT YEAR WAS JESUS CRUCIFIED?

             SPELLING EDITED

WHAT YEAR WAS JESUS CRUCIFIED?

First of all, I want to emphasize that the most important thing is that we, as true believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, must believe that Jesus was indeed crucified for our sins and that Jesus did indeed rose from the dead. In other words, it is not a matter of salvation to know the exact year that Jesus was crucified, but rather just to know and BELIEVE that Jesus was INDEED crucified for your sins and that he rose from the dead after three days. For a deeper understanding that Jesus did indeed die on the cross, was buried and raised from the dead after three days please read the study called  “HISTORICAL EVIDENCE OF JESUS !” But for now, I believe that you will find, as I did in this study, to learn the YEAR that Jesus died, to be a very interesting study. I had no idea how many clues are in the Bible. And to me, it was very interesting to see if I could indeed know the exact year on which Jesus was crucified. So then, let us begin this study in God's word by taking a close look at that which we do KNOW for a certainty.

We know from reading the four gospels in the New Testament that Jesus was crucified under the reign of Pontius Pilate. Please read Matthew 27:1,2, which clearly shows us that Jesus was delivered into the hands of Pontius Pilate, who was the governor or ruler of that region at the time Jesus was crucified.

Matthew 27:1,2.

“When the morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to PUT him to DEATH:

2. And when they had bound him, they led him away, and DELIVERED him to Pontius Pilate the governor.”

It is just a matter of examining the CLUES we find in God's word that will lead us to know the exact year that Jesus was crucified. Also, these people like Pontius Pilate being recorded in HISTORY, as well as in the Bible, brings some external evidence that supports that the Bible is true and not a book of so-called “MYTHS” as some skeptics claim. So this study can also be used to prove that the Bible is true.

Clue #1:

Jesus died during the reign of Pontius Pilate.

This clue is recorded in all four gospels leaving us no doubt to this fact that Jesus was crucified during the reign of Pontius Pilate. You can look up these references as well. Please read Matthew chapters 26 and 27; Mark chapter 15; Luke chapter 23; and John chapters 18 and 19, which all, without a doubt, proves to anyone seeking the truth of the whole word of God, that Jesus was crucified during the reign of Pontius Pilate.

So then, all we need to do now is to search the history books to find when Pontius Pilate REIGNED to know the approximate YEAR that Jesus was crucified. I say “approximate” year because this is just ONE of the many clues we are given in the Bible. Also, Pontius Pilate reigned for more that one year, so we cannot know which is the exact year that Jesus was crucified without more information. Also, ALL the clues must AGREE with each other. Upon searching the historical record, we find that Pontius Pilate was the fifth Prefect of the Roman province of Judea from 26 AD to 36 AD and was under the emperor Tiberius.

Therefore, the HISTORICAL record shows us that Jesus had to have been CRUCIFIED on one of these TEN years between 26 AD to 36 AD, but which one of these ten years was Jesus crucified is still the question. So far, all we know with absolute certainty is that Jesus was crucified on ONE of these TEN possible years ranging from the year 26 AD to year 36 AD. So then, the question remains can we even know the EXACT year that Jesus was crucified? I personally believe that there is enough information given to us in the Bible to narrow down the possibilities even a bit further and perhaps even to the exact year.

However, in order to answer the question as to the EXACT YEAR on which Jesus was crucified and resurrected from the dead we need to first settle the debate as to what DAY of the week the Bible teaches us that Jesus rose from the grave. What I mean by this is was Jesus crucified on a Friday as some church traditions teach? Or was Jesus crucified on a Wednesday to allow for a FULL three DAYS and a FULL three nights for Jesus to be in the belly of the earth and then to be raised on the First day of the week AFTER these full three days and full three nights in the grave?

Please read Mark 8:29-31.

“And he said unto them, But whom say you that I am? And Peter answered and said unto him, You are the Christ. 

30.  And he charged them that they should tell no man of him.

      31.  And he (Jesus himself) began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and AFTER three days rise again.”

Then read Matthew 27:57-66.

“When the even was come, (Speaking of the EVENING of Wednesday right before sunset, which was the BEGINNING of the NEXT day or the day after Wednesday. So on Wednesday EVENING right before sunset) there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple: 

58. He went to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.

       59. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,

       60. And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulcher, and departed. (So then, the dead body of Jesus was laid in the tomb right before sunset on Wednesday EVENING, right BEFORE the yearly high Sabbath began on THURSDAY)

61. And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulcher.

       62. Now the NEXT day, that followed the day of the preparation, (Or in other words, on THURSDAY the next day being the HIGH yearly Sabbath, which FOLLOWED the day that Jesus was crucified, which was on Wednesday, the day of PREPARATION FOR the yearly high Sabbath) the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,

       63. Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, AFTER three days I will rise again.

       64. Command therefore that the sepulcher is made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He has risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.

        65. Pilate said unto them, You have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as you can.

        66. So they went, and made the sepulcher sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.”

For the more in-depth Biblical proof as to what DAY that the word of God itself clearly teaches us that Jesus AROSE from the grave please read the study called  “WAS JESUS CRUCIFIED ON GOOD FRIDAY?” You see, it is important to know which DAY of the WEEK that Jesus was crucified because of the DAYS of the week changing from year to year with respect to the day of the MONTH. In other words, for example, January 1st is not always on the same DAY of the WEEK every year.

So then, after you are fully persuaded by God's word as to what DAY that Jesus arose from the grave, then we can determine upon which YEAR that Jesus was CRUCIFIED. So again, please read the study  “WAS JESUS CRUCIFIED ON GOOD FRIDAY?” for the SOUND Biblical proof as to what DAY that Jesus was CRUCIFIED. But for now, I will say that I myself, have concluded that Jesus was crucified on a WEDNESDAY as opposed to the traditional Friday crucifixion.

Now let us see what other clues the word of God itself gives us to find the exact year that Jesus was crucified from the TEN possible years that we know for certain to be the only possible years upon which Jesus could have been crucified. In searching the HISTORICAL record of when Pontius Pilate reigned, we also learned that he reigned UNDER Emperor Tiberius.

Clue # 2:

Tiberius was Emperor over Pontius Pilate.

We also find this clue in God's word as well, where the word of God gives us even more detail. Please read Luke 3:1-3, which teaches us that John the Baptist BEGAN his ministry in the FIFTEENTH YEAR of when Tiberius Caesar was reigning as Emperor over Pontius Pilate.

Luke 3:1-3.

“Now in the FIFTEENTH year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,

2. Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God CAME unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

3. And he (John the Baptist) came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;”

Upon searching the HISTORICAL record of the reign of Tiberius Caesar we find that Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus reigned as sole Emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD. I say that Tiberius began to be the SOLE Emperor in 14 AD because the year 14 AD is when the previous Emperor Augustus Caesar died. The HISTORICAL record shows us that Imperator Caesar Divi F. Augustus, the founder of the Roman Empire, DIED on August 18 in the year 14 AD. But history also shows us that Tiberius reigned JOINTLY for a short time during the last few years of the reign of Augustus. Some scholars say that Tiberius began his official JOINT reign in 12 AD. But for now, we are going to use the exact date of August 19th in the year 14 AD as the BEGINNING of the reign of Tiberius.

So then, clue #2 teaches us that the FIFTEENTH year of the reigning of Tiberius with the STARTING date of August 19th of 14 AD would be from August 19th, 28 AD to August 19th, 29 AD.

But how does know this year from August 19th of 28 AD to August 19th of 29 AD help us to determine the year that Jesus was CRUCIFIED? We will find out in the next clue, but in all fairness using all the possible dates Jesus could have started his ministry as early as 27 AD using the JOINT reign of 12 AD to as late as 29 AD if you count the year from January to January as opposed to August 19th to August 19th. 

Some Christians use the latest possible year of 29 AD as the beginning of the ministry of Jesus combined with a 3 1/2 year ministry of Jesus to arrive at 33 AD where Nissan 14 falls on a Friday for the crucifixion of Jesus. This is why church tradition has taught us that Jesus was crucified on a “Friday” as opposed to having been crucified on a “Wednesday”. And thus, they are ignoring the other sound Biblical evidence that supports a Wednesday crucifixion of Jesus.

And then, some Christians use the earliest possible year of 27 AD as the beginning of the ministry of Jesus combined with a 3 1/2 year ministry of Jesus to arrive at 31 AD where Nissan 14 falls on a Wednesday for the crucifixion.

Now. if we used ALL the possible years using ONLY these two clues from the Bible combined with a 3 1/2 year ministry of Jesus, then we would have the years 31 AD, 32 AD, and 33 AD as being the possible years of the crucifixion of Jesus. And if the ministry of Jesus was shorter than a full three and one-half years, then we could have the years 28 AD, 29 AD, 30 AD, 31 AD, 32 AD, and 33 AD as being possible years of the crucifixion of Jesus.

But for now, we will use the year 28 AD as the beginning of the ministry of Jesus simply because there is no “STRETCHING” the starting year of the reign of Tiberius or extending his fifteenth year of reign past August 19th of 29 AD. Now you would not actually be extending his reign, but rather you would count the year from January to January so that September through October, the Fall of the year, would still be in 29 AD as the FIFTEENTH year. You see, if one counts August 19th, 29 AD as the END of the FIFTEENTH year, then the FALL of that year would be the beginning of the NEXT year of the reign of Tiberius. So then, from August 19th, of 29 AD to August 19th of 30 AD would be the FIFTEENTH year reign of Tiberius.

On the other hand, using January to January as the start and end of the calendar year, then the year 28 AD would be the FIFTEENTH year reign of Tiberius. It makes no difference as to how one counts the beginning and end of the fifteenth year reign of Tiberius because the FALL of the year will be in the fifteenth year EITHER way. But it does affect the OTHER clues found in the Bible as to which way is the correct way to count the years. More on this as we consider ALL the clues together that are found in the Bible itself so that they agree with the historical evidence. 

Let us take a look at the THIRD clue found in the Bible using the year 28 AD first and then we can come back to plug in the other possible years at the end of this study to see which year fits ALL the evidence.

Clue # 3:

How old was John the Baptist when he was called by God in the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius to begin preaching the baptism of repentance?

So then, how does knowing how old John the Baptist was when he BEGAN his ministry help us to determine what year Jesus was crucified? For the Biblical proof that Jesus was six months younger than John the Baptist, please read the study “WAS JESUS BORN ON DECEMBER 25th?” for the SOUND Biblical evidence showing that Jesus was born in the FALL of the year. In the above study, I myself, have concluded that the best possible year for Jesus to have been born in the light of all the evidence is September 11, 3 BC. You see, knowing the age of John the Baptist, at this time, between August 19th, 28 AD to August 19th, 29 AD will tell us the AGE of Jesus as well. The above study will as well prove to be very interesting if you like putting clues together. So then, let us take a look at clue #3, which is found in Luke 3:23, which teaches us the approximate age of Jesus during the FIFTEENTH year reign of Tiberius.

Luke 3:23.

“And Jesus himself BEGAN to be about THIRTY years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,”

The phrase “And Jesus HIMSELF” teaches us that it was this SAME period of time that John the Baptist BEGAN his ministry in the FIFTEENTH year of Tiberius that Jesus HIMSELF also began to be ABOUT the age of THIRTY. This phrase also tells us that John was already THIRTY years old when he began to preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. We also know from the context of verse 23 here in the gospel of Luke that Jesus was BAPTIZED by John when Jesus BEGAN to be about THIRTY years of age. 

Please read Luke 3:21-23.

“Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,

22. And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, You are my beloved Son; in you, I am well pleased.

23. And Jesus HIMSELF began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,”

The phrase in parenthesis “(as was supposed)” carries with it the meaning that Joseph was observing a custom of the Jews. In other words, Jesus was adopted by Joseph to be his son. If you continue to read the rest of Luke chapter 3 you will find the genealogy of Jesus through Joseph goes all the way back to Adam who is also called the son of God. The genealogy or actual bloodline of Mary is also traced back to David and the tribe of Judah. And this tells us that BOTH Mary and Joseph were from the tribe of Judah.

Anyway, getting back on track we now know that Jesus BEGAN to be ABOUT the age of THIRTY when he was baptized by John the Baptist and BEGAN his ministry as well in the FIFTEENTH year of Tiberius, which we know from historical records was from August 19th, 28 AD to August 19th, 29 AD.

So then, we know for certain that Jesus began his ministry at the age of THIRTY anywhere from August 19th, in the year 28 AD to August 19th, in the year 29 AD. Now, all we need to do is find out how long Jesus ministered before he was CRUCIFIED. 

Again, the ACTUAL calendar year did NOT stop on August 19th. But rather the END of the FIFTEENTH year reign of Tiberius stopped on August 19th. So in all fairness, one could count the months of September through December of 29 AD as ALSO being the FIFTEENTH year reign of Tiberius. This brings us to our next clue.

Clue #4:

How long was the ministry of Jesus before he was crucified?

Now we can make an educated GUESS as to how long Jesus ministered by reading the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, but for me following this method of guessing would be at most just an approximation of how long Jesus ministered before he was crucified.

However, the gospel of John makes it quite simple to see that Jesus ministered no less than just a little over two years and no more than three and one-half years. In other words, according to the gospel of John, the Ministry of Jesus was either 2 1/2 years in length, or Jesus ministered for a full 3 1/2 years before he was crucified. The reason for the difference between these two choices is that some INTERPRET John 5:1 differently. Some Christians teach that since John 5:1 shows us a FEAST day, then it is concluded that this feast day MUST be a PASSOVER. And thus Jesus ministered from the fall of the year through two Passover feasts and being crucified on the third Passover feast making his ministry 3 1/2  years in length.  And other Christians teach that it is NOT the Passover, but rather it is another yearly feast day. And thus it is concluded that the ministry of Jesus was only 2 1/2 years in length. We will cover this debate further on in this study, but for now, we will just be looking at the verses in the gospel of John that specifically say the PASSOVER

You see, the gospel of John teaches us how many PASSOVERS that Jesus kept from the time after he was baptized, which is when Jesus began to be about THIRTY years of age, to the time that Jesus was CRUCIFIED on Nisan 14, the preparation day of PASSOVER and the feast of unleavened bread. The LAMB was KILLED on Passover to prepare for the feast of unleavened bread. Please keep in mind that this verse 23 in Luke chapter 3 teaches us that Jesus BEGAN to be ABOUT thirty years of age between August 19th of 28 AD to August 19th of 29 AD, which was the FIFTEENTH year of the reign of Tiberius.

Luke 3:23.

“ And Jesus himself BEGAN to be about THIRTY years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,”

Now, I personally interpret this to mean that Jesus was just about to turn 30 years of age at the time that he was baptized by John and the Holy Spirit of Almighty God descended upon him. Some Christians, however, dogmatically demand that Jesus had to have been no younger than THIRTY years of age BEFORE he began his ministry because this was the minimum age of the priesthood. So by that interpretation, Jesus would have already turned thirty years old just before his baptism. Or Jesus turned thirty years old on the very day that he was baptized.

My point right now is to keep in mind that verse 23 says that Jesus himself BEGAN to be about THIRTY years of age and this was when Jesus was BAPTIZED by John the Baptist and NOT the very day that Jesus actually BEGAN his MINISTRY. How do we know this? Number one, we know that Jesus was immediately led into the wilderness, where Jesus fasted for 40 days, the moment that he came up from the water after being baptized.

Please read Mark 1:9-12.

“And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was BAPTIZED of John in Jordan.

10. And STRAIGHTWAY (Or immediately) coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:

11. And there came a voice from heaven, saying, You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

12. And IMMEDIATELY the Spirit drives him into the wilderness.

13. And he was there in the wilderness FORTY DAYS, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.”

So then, we can see that Jesus, who BEGAN to be ABOUT the age of THIRTY when John BEGAN to baptize, was also baptized by John and that the baptism of Jesus was in the FIFTEENTH year reign of Tiberius. Again, we now know to be from August 19th, 28 AD to August 19th, 29 AD. In other words, Jesus could have turned 30 on any one of these days either before he was baptized by John, one the very day that Jesus was baptized, or shortly after Jesus was baptized while he was in the wilderness being tempted of Satan. All we know for SURE, at this point, is that Jesus BEGAN to be ABOUT thirty years of age from August 19th, 28 AD to August 19th, 29 AD. I personally believe that Jesus was born on September 11, 3 BC which was during the 40 days of his temptation. Please read the study  “WAS JESUS BORN ON DECEMBER 25th?” for a deeper understanding of when Jesus was BORN, which will also help pinpoint the exact time of year that Jesus was born. And knowing the exact time of the year Jesus was born will tell us the exact time of the year that Jesus was baptized and began his ministry. But for now, let us continue this part of the study to see how long Jesus ministered before he was CRUCIFIED. Was it 2 1/2  years? Or was his ministry 3 1/2 years in length?

We know that Jesus BEGAN his ministry shortly AFTER he was baptized by John because we see in the gospel of John that Jesus went to a marriage feast in Cana where he told his mother that his HOUR has NOT YET COME.

Please read John 2:1-3.

“And the THIRD day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:

2. And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.

3. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus said unto him, They have no wine.

4. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with you? My HOUR is NOT YET come.”

In other words, Mary the mother of Jesus wanted her son to do a MIRACLE and turn the water into wine, but Jesus said to his mother, “Woman, what have I to do with you? My HOUR is NOT yet COME.” To say this another way, the first miracle of Jesus was just BEFORE his actual ministry began. Jesus went to Capernaum for several days after he let the wedding feast at Cana. Again, Jesus could have turned THIRTY years old any one of these days BEFORE he actually BEGAN his MINISTRY or his preaching the kingdom of God and healing the sick. But I myself believe that the very HOUR that Jesus BEGAN his MINISTRY is when he went into the temple, opened the scriptures to Isaiah, read Isaiah 61 verse 1 and PART of verse 2, and then said, this scripture is FULFILLED in your ears and closed the book and sat down. Please read Luke 4:14-21 which is right or very soon after Jesus returned from being tempted by the devil. So to me, there was obviously time to attend the wedding at Cana just BEFORE Jesus ACTUALLY BEGAN his ministry.

Luke 4:14-21.

“And Jesus returned (This could mean Jesus returning from the wedding at Cana, this could mean Jesus returning from the desert after being tempted, or this could mean Jesus returning from his baptism where Jesus was ANOINTED with the Holy Spirit and with POWER. If so, then it actually means all three of these things. The main point is that Jesus returned) IN the POWER of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round-about. 

15.  And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. 

16.  And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up (Jesus was actually born in Bethlehem, but he was raised most of his childhood in Nazareth): and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read. 

17.  And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. (Or Isaiah) And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 

18.  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has ANOINTED me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

19.  To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. (Isaiah verse 2 goes on to say more and I believe there is some significance as to why Jesus stopped here and did not finish anymore of Isaiah. And I believe that significance is because what Jesus did read was speaking of his FIRST coming and the rest refers to his SECOND coming yet to BE fulfilled. Another point that I would like to make is that THIS BEGINNING of the ministry of Jesus IS the “BEGINNING” that Jesus is referring to in John 8:24 when he told the Jews WHO he was IN THE BEGINNING. “I said therefore unto you, that you shall die in your sins: for if you believe not that I am he, you shall die in your sins.” Please read the study “JOHN 8:24 IF YOU DO NOT BELIEVE THAT I AM” )

20.  And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 

21.  And he began to say unto them, THIS DAY is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears.”

So then,  to me, Jesus needed to actually turn THIRTY years of age either ON or BEFORE this DAY that he proclaimed himself as the ANOINTED ONE spoken of in the Scriptures that was to come. That was the HOUR that Jesus BEGAN his actual ministry had come. It was IN THE BEGINNING of the MINISTRY of Jesus that he told the Jews that he was the MESSIAH. I am HE, the one prophesied to come. And if you do not believe that I am then you shall die in your sins.

Again, this would make Jesus be 30 years old when Jesus BEGAN his ministry and thus 33 1/2 years old at his crucifixion if one interprets the ministry of Jesus being a fully 3 1/2 years long. But if one interprets the ministry of Jesus to be just 2 1/2  years long then Jesus would have died at the age of 32 1/2 years old. 

Now since we have many choices or options from which to choose we cannot YET prove the exact year. So the following paragraphs are NOT the exact year. But rather they are the best CHOICES with the EVIDENCE that we have covered thus far.

Since our calendar is based upon the BIRTH of Jesus then this, in turn, demands that Jesus was born in the FALL of the year on year ZERO. However, there is no such year zero on our calendar. But if there were a year zero, then from the spring of year 0 to the spring of year 1 AD is 1 year. Then from the spring of year 1 AD to the spring of year 2 AD is 2 years and so on. Thus the FALL of the year 32 AD to the year FALL of the year 33 AD would be the 33rd year of Jesus. Add another 1/2  year and this becomes 34 1/2 years because it was in the SPRING of the year as to when Jesus was crucified. Now, since there is NO year ZERO, then the day of the birth of Jesus must begin on 1 AD or 1 BC.

If we choose the year 1 AD, then that makes the crucifixion to then be in the SPRING of 34 AD. And if we choose the birth of Jesus to be on 1 BC, then that makes the death of Jesus to be 32 AD. However, since there is NO year zero, then we must add 1 year to cross over that year zero that is not on the calendar. And thus, the crucifixion of Jesus is 33 AD in the SPRING of the year IF the year 1 BC is chosen for the birth of Jesus. In other words, from the FALL of 1 BC, the for NOW chosen birth of Jesus, to the Fall of 1 AD, the first birthday of Jesus, is 1 year, and the fall of 1 AD to the fall of 2 AD is 2 years and so on, which would make the 33 and 1/2 years of the life of Jesus, the SPRING of the next year to be the crucifixion of Jesus, which would be the SPRING of 33 AD. BUT what happened to year ZERO? Logically we must ADD 1 year crossing over from 1 AD to 1 BC, which would then make the crucifixion be in the 34 AD. Thus many Bible scholars have concluded the birth of Jesus to be in the FALL of 2 BC, in order the MAKE of even FORCE the crucifixion of Jesus to be in the SPRING of 33 AD. More on this later as to why I say make or even force the year 33 AD to be the year Jesus was crucified. Keep in mind that we have MORE evidence to examine and that ALL the clues TOGETHER must be in agreement.

Again, many Bible scholars believe that Jesus was born in the FALL of the year. Yes, traditionally, the Roman Catholic Church places Jesus to be born on December 25th, but I personally find no Biblical support for Jesus being born in the WINTER. Again please see the study “WAS JESUS BORN ON DECEMBER 25th?” for a deeper understanding of when Jesus was born. 

Other Bible scholars place the BIRTH of Jesus to be on September 29 of 2 BC, which I cover in the study above that I just mentioned. And yet others place the birth of Jesus on September 11 of 3 BC. My main point right now is to establish that Jesus was born in the FALL of the year.

So then, going with the FALL of the year as the BIRTH of Jesus would consequently mean that Jesus just BEGINS to be about 30 years of age would place the time of his baptism in the late summer to the FALL of the year as well. Therefore, using clue #3, the FIFTEENTH year reign of Tiberius, the year that Jesus actually BEGAN his ministry was the FALL of 28 AD. And this agrees with the beginning of the FIFTEENTH YEAR of reigning of Tiberius because August 19th of 29 AD would be BEFORE the FALL of the year of 29 AD, which is the time that Jesus turned 30 years old. In other words, the FALL of 29 AD would be AFTER August 19th. And, therefore, 29 AD would be too late for the beginning of the ministry of Jesus because it would be in the 16th year of reigning for Tiberius. Thus it would contradict clue #3 to be in the FIFTEENTH year of the reigning of Tiberius. 

The FALL of the year is AFTER the month of August no matter what year it is. Now, I suppose one could fudge this date to be the FALL of 29 AD, but for ME, after closely examining ALL the evidence I personally choose the FALL of 28 AD as the BEGINNING of the ministry of Jesus Christ. This would make the crucifixion of Jesus to be the SPRING of the year 32 AD.

But again, in all fairness, as I said earlier, the STARTING year of the reign of Tiberius could have been as early as 12 AD and thus place the FIFTEENTH year of his reign to be 27 AD, which we will consider at the end of this study. But for now, we are just looking at 28 AD as being the best possible year for the BEGINNING year of the ministry of Jesus. Keep in mind that we have TWO choices as to the LENGTH of the ministry of Jesus that differ by ONE YEAR. Now, since we now know the time or season of the year that Jesus BEGAN his MINISTRY, then all we need now is to determine HOW LONG did Jesus MINISTER before he was CRUCIFIED.

The debate of the LENGTH of the ministry of Jesus varies from as short as six months to as long as 3 and 1/2 years, where 3 and 1/2 years is the LONGEST POSSIBLE time of the ministry of Jesus according to the gospel of John. Therefore, using the length of the ministry of Jesus is from six months to three and one-half years places that crucifixion of Jesus anywhere from the spring of 29 AD to the spring of 32 AD. And if one fudges the FALL of the year 28 AD to the fall of 29 AD as being the fifteenth year reign of Tiberius, then Jesus could have been crucified as late as 33 AD using the last starting date of the ministry of Jesus. So then, so far we have narrowed the TEN possible years for the crucifixion of Jesus down to FIVE possible years.

Let us continue to take a closer look at the gospel of John to see how many PASSOVERS that Jesus observes AFTER his ministry actually began in the FALL of 28 AD. Please read John 2:13-23 which is shortly after Jesus spends a few days in Capernaum after the miracle of changing water into wine at the marriage feast in Cana when he told his mother that his HOUR is NOT YET come.

John 2:13-23.

“And the Jews' PASSOVER was AT HAND (Or drawing close), and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,

14. And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves and the changers of money sitting:

15. And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;

16. And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house a house of merchandise.

17. And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of your house has eaten me up.

18. Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign show you unto us, seeing that you do these things?

19. Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

20. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and will you rear it up in three days?

21. But he spoke of the temple of his body.

22. When therefore he had risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.

23. Now when he was in Jerusalem at the PASSOVER, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.”

This Passover found in John 2:23 is the FIRST Passover that Jesus observed after he began his ministry at the age of THIRTY that is clearly and plainly recorded for us to read. And this means that Jesus was in the SIXTH month of his ministry at the time of this FIRST Passover. And since Jesus was NOT crucified on this FIRST Passover of his ministry then it is impossible for his ministry to be only for six months. In other words, by just using the evidence that we have covered thus far we can see that the ministry of Jesus had to be no less than 1 1/2 years long. But there is MORE evidence.

The next CLEAR passage of scripture where we can PLAINLY see the SECOND Passover that Jesus observed is found in John 6:4 which is at the time Jesus fed the great multitude with five loaves of bread and two small fish. Please read John 6:1-15 to get the whole context.

John 6:1-15.

“After these things, Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias.

2. And a great multitude followed him because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.

3. And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.

4. And the PASSOVER, a feast of the Jews, was NIGH. (This would be the SECOND Passover feast that was very near that is CLEARLY and PLAINLY STATED as being a PASSOVER without ANY doubt as it being a PASSOVER. Again, I am aware of John 5:1 and we will consider this verse as a POSSIBILITY of referring to a Passover at the end of this study. That is why I skipped over that verse for now. For you see, it must be INTERPRETED to be a Passover feast.)

5. When Jesus then lifted up his eyes and saw a great company come unto him, he said unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?

6. And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.

7. Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.

8. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said unto him,

9. There is a lad here, which has five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?

10. And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.

11. And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.

12. When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.

13. Therefore they gathered them together and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.

14. Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.

15. When Jesus, therefore, perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.”

Now we know that the Passover feast is observed in the SPRING of the year from the Old Testament and the Jewish calendar beginning on Nisan 14 called the day of preparation where the Passover LAMB was KILLED. Therefore, from the time that Jesus BEGAN his ministry in the FALL of the year of 28 AD to this Passover record here in John 6:4 would be 1 and 1/2 years into the ministry of Jesus.

The next Passover that we see that is CLEARLY and PLAINLY recorded in the gospel of John begins in chapter 11, verse 55, and continues all the way through to John 19:14-19, where we read that the Jews cried out saying, away with him, away with him, CRUCIFY HIM. In other words, this next Passover is the YEAR that Jesus became the LAMB that was slain for the sins of the world and therefore would have been his LAST Passover before Jesus ascended into heaven where he is presently awaiting his SECOND coming. And that would make the ministry of Jesus no less than 2 1/2 years in length.

John 19:14-19.

“And it was the PREPARATION (The day before the FIRST day of the feast of the unleavened bread, which was a HIGH Sabbath day of rest) of the PASSOVER, and about the sixth hour: and he said unto the Jews, Behold your King!

15. But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, CRUCIFY him. Pilate said unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered We have no king but Caesar.

16. Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus and led him away.

17. And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:

18. Where they CRUCIFIED him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.

19. And Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

This is a good witness from Pilate. So then, this record in the gospel of John from chapter 11 through chapter 19 is the THIRD PASSOVER, which was the YEAR that Jesus was CRUCIFIED. Therefore, the clear plain and simple answer to the LENGTH of the ministry of Jesus would be 2 and 1/2 years since only THREE Passovers are CLEARLY and PLAINLY recorded from the beginning of the ministry of Jesus to his CRUCIFIXION of the THIRD Passover in the gospel of John. By clearly and plainly in simplicity I mean that there is NO INTERPRETATION NEEDED. The Bible itself STATES as a FACT that these were Passover feast days.

In other words, from the FALL of 28 AD to the SPRING of the FIRST Passover would be around 6 months or 1/2 of a year, which would place the FIRST Passover that Jesus observed in the spring of the year 29 AD. So then, from the FIRST Passover in 29 AD to the SECOND Passover in 30 AD would be 1 and 1/2 years that Jesus had ministered. Then from the SECOND Passover in 30 AD to the THIRD Passover where Jesus was CRUCIFIED would be 2 and 1/2 years that Jesus ministered. So then, we can clearly and plainly see that that six months and the 1 1/2 year ministries can be eliminated as possibilities because we know for SURE that the length of the ministry of Jesus can be no less than 2 1/2 years long.

Therefore, the simple, plain, and clear answer is that Jesus was CRUCIFIED in the spring of the year 31 AD on the day of PREPARATION for the feast of PASSOVER. And according to the Old Testament, the PASSOVER LAMB was killed on the 14th day of the first month of the Jewish year. In other words, Jesus was crucified on Nisan 14 of the year 31 AD.

Now, I say the SIMPLE, plain, and CLEAR answer is that the ministry of Jesus was 2 1/2 years in length because there is a debate among Bible scholars that the ministry of Jesus was 3 1/2 years in length. In other words, some Bible scholars argue that the FEAST that is recorded in John 5:1 is also a PASSOVER feast even though the word “PASSOVER” does not occur anywhere in the context.

John 5:1.

“After this there was a FEAST of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.”

Now, it MAY very well be that this UNNAMED FEAST is, in fact, a PASSOVER feast but it is a very long and drawn out procedure to try and prove that this feast is yet another Passover feast in order to try and prove that the ministry of Jesus was indeed 3 1/2 years. In other words, it MAY very well be that this UNNAMED feast is NOT the feast of Passover.

So then, IF this FEAST in John 5:1 is indeed proven to be without a doubt another PASSOVER feast, then the ministry of Jesus would indeed be 3 1/2 years in length. This would then place the crucifixion of Jesus in the year 32 AD by using the clear plain and simple year of 28 AD as being the FIFTEENTH year of reigning of Tiberius. But as you will see further on in this study that 32 AD is NOT a possible year for Jesus to have been crucified because Nisan 14 does NOT fall on either a WEDNESDAY or on a FRIDAY to allow for THREE days and nights for Jesus to be in the grave.

Therefore, IF a 3 and 1/2 year ministry is proven, then the BEGINNING year of the ministry of Jesus and his ANOINTING must be 27 AD, which is a POSSIBLE year. But remember ALL the evidence must fit. In other words, since Jesus BEGAN to turn THIRTY when he was ANOINTED and IF one chooses 27 AD as the year Jesus began his ministry, then that means Jesus had to be BORN in the FALL of 4 BC.

Now, from the evidence that I have considered, the best possible date of the BIRTH of Jesus is September 11 in 3 BC, which would make Jesus to BEGIN to be THIRTY years of age in 28 AD. So those who choose 27 AD are a year too early UNLESS it can be proven that Jesus was born in the Fall of 4 BC. Again, we will look at this POSSIBILITY at the end of this study.

Yet again, some dogmatically ague and say the ministry actually began in the year 29 AD and with a 3 1/2 year ministry would then place the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus in the 33 AD. And IF this date is correct, then Jesus would have needed to be BORN in the FALL of 1 BC. 

So then, if all these possibilities are considered, then we have narrowed the TEN years of the reign of Pilate down to just THREE possible years that the crucifixion of Jesus would have taken place. And those three POSSIBLE years are between the spring of 31 AD to the spring of 33 AD. And as you will see the year 32 AD is NOT truly a possible year because Nissan 14 does NOT fall on either a Wednesday or a Friday which are the two most widely accepted days upon which Jesus was crucified.

For me personally, after looking closely at ALL the evidence of the BIRTH of Jesus along with ALL the evidence of his crucifixion and his BIRTH, then I myself have concluded that Jesus was CRUCIFIED on Nisan 14 in the year 31 AD. Also, from the study “WAS JESUS CRUCIFIED ON GOOD FRIDAY?” I concluded that Jesus was crucified on a WEDNESDAY as opposed to being crucified on the TRADITIONAL teaching that Jesus was crucified on Holy FRIDAY, which given even further evidence for the year 31 AD. Again, please read this study for all the scriptural proof, but for now, just know that there are NOT three FULL days and three FULL nights between Friday at sunset and Sunday morning just before sunrise. Therefore, for ME, the PLAIN, CLEAR, and SIMPLE answer is that Jesus had to have been CRUCIFIED on a WEDNESDAY in order to be raised from the dead on the FIRST day of the week AFTER being in the heart of the earth for three full days and three full nights as the scripture clearly and plainly teaches us in Matthew 12:38-40.

Matthew 12:38-40.

“Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a SIGN from you.

39. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a SIGN; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the SIGN of the prophet Jonas:

40. For AS Jonas was three days AND three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days AND three nights in the heart of the earth.”

So for ME, in order for this SIGN to be FULFILLED as Jesus proclaimed, then Jesus would have needed to be in the grave three FULL days AND three FULL nights. And the ONLY way for Jesus to have risen from the grave on Sunday just before SUNRISE was for him to have been CRUCIFIED on a WEDNESDAY and laid in the tomb just before the start of the HIGH Sabbath day the first day of unleavened bread. In other words, from sunset Wednesday evening to sunrise Thursday morning would be ONE NIGHT. Then from sunrise Thursday morning to sunset Thursday evening would be ONE DAY. Then from sunset Thursday evening to sunrise Friday morning would be TWO NIGHTS. Then from sunrise Friday morning to sunset Friday evening would be TWO DAYS. Then from sunset Friday evening to sunrise Saturday morning would be THREE NIGHTS. Then from sunrise Saturday morning to sunset Saturday evening would be THREE DAYS. Then sometime AFTER these three full days and three full nights of being in the heart of the earth Jesus rose from the dead before sunrise on the FIRST day of the week.

So then, following this only logical interpretation of all the scriptures that Jesus was crucified on a WEDNESDAY on the 14th of Nisan, the day of preparation when the PASSOVER LAMB was KILLED, then all we need do is to roll back the Jewish calendar to the years from 26 AD to 36 AD and see when the 14th of Nisan fell upon a WEDNESDAY, a THURSDAY of a FRIDAY. I include Thursday and Friday for now just to show ALL the possible years upon which Jesus may have been crucified.

Therefore, when we take a look at what DAY the 14th of Nisan fell upon between the years 26 AD and 36 AD when Pontius Pilate reigned you will find that ALL the possible choices were either on Monday, on Wednesday, on Friday, or on a Saturday. Please view the Hebrew calendar found on the link below to verify these following dates:

http://www.cgsf.org/dbeattie/calendar/?roman=3

In the year 26 AD the 14th of Nissan was on a FRIDAY.

In the year 27 AD the 14th of Nissan was on a WEDNESDAY.

In the year 28 AD the 14th of Nissan was on a MONDAY.

In the year 29 AD the 14th of Nissan was on a SATURDAY.

In the year 30 AD the 14th of Nissan was on a WEDNESDAY.

In the year 31 AD the 14th of Nissan was on a WEDNESDAY.

In the year 32 AD the 14th of Nissan was on a MONDAY.

In the year 33 AD the 14th of Nissan was on a FRIDAY.

In the year 34 AD the 14th of Nissan was on a WEDNESDAY. But yet most Christians who chose 34 AD believe and teach that Jesus was crucified on a FRIDAY and NOT on a WEDNESDAY.

In the year 35 AD the 14th of Nissan was on a MONDAY.

In the year 36 AD the 14th of Nissan was on a FRIDAY.

Now, we can immediately eliminate all the years that Nissan the 14th fell upon a MONDAY or on a SATURDAY because it would be impossible for Jesus to have risen on the FIRST day of the week seeing that he was in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights and was resurrected soon after the weekly Sabbath had ended but just before sunrise on the FIRST day from the weekly Sabbath. The Jews count the days of the week FROM AFTER the weekly Sabbath day. For example, ONE day of Sabbath means the FIRST day AFTER the weekly Sabbath day, which is SUNDAY on our present-day calendar, the FIRST day of the week. Therefore a crucifixion on a Monday or a Tuesday would be far more than the three days and the three nights. And a crucifixion of a Saturday or a Sunday would not allow for three days and three nights. Therefore, the ONLY possible days of the week that Jesus could have been crucified upon would be a Wednesday, a Thursday, or a Friday. First of all, there are no Thursdays listed in the TEN possible years that fall on Nisan 14.  But even if there were some Thursdays falling on Nisan 14 during the TEN possible years of the crucifixion of Jesus, to me, the three days and three nights still do not work out smoothly. And as I have shown in the referred studies that neither does a Friday crucifixion truly full the three FULL days and three FULL nights according to the Scriptures.

So again, the only plain, clear, and simple answer for Jesus being in the heart of the earth for the three FULL days and the three FULL nights would be that Jesus was crucified on a WEDNESDAY. However, to allow for ALL the possible years that Jesus may have been crucified I have included Nisan 14 falling on a Thursday or Friday as well because there is an old Jewish IDIOM that states that any PART of a day may be counted as a WHOLE day. Please read the study called “WAS JESUS CRUCIFIED ON GOOD FRIDAY?”, which covers the arguments on Jesus being crucified on GOOD FRIDAY. However, for ME, I question that the JEWISH idiom is actually found in the Bible and it is the Scriptures ALONE that I myself use to base my studies upon. I only use HISTORICAL FACTS to support what the Bible itself teaches.

So then, IF all the possible days of the week are to include WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, and FRIDAY, then that leaves us with 26AD, 27AD, 30AD, 31AD, 33AD, 34AD, and 36AD for the ONLY possible years that Jesus could have been CRUCIFIED under the reign of Pontius Pilate.

Now, the four most debated years are 30 AD, 31 AD, 32 AD, and 33 AD as being the most likely. The reason being is that the years 26 AD and 27 AD are too early and the three years 34 AD through 36 AD are too late to fit ALL the evidence. We have already shown from the Bible that these years are eliminated, but this will become even clearer to you as we continue this study. Also, using this particular Hebrew calendar to calculate Nissan 14 we would have to eliminate 32 AD as well. For you see, according to this particular Hebrew calendar, Nisan the 14th on the year 32 AD falls on MONDAY, which would be too far away from the resurrection on the first day of the week to fulfill the SIGN of three full days and three full nights. However, I have seen OTHER days of the week for Nissan 14 that DIFFER from the source that I linked above, but I have not been able to locate this other source again. So I cannot prove this to you.

So then, the year 32 AD cannot be COMPLETELY eliminated seeing that an ERROR could have been made by the SOURCE that calculated the days of the week in the Hebrew calendar that fell on Nisan 14. But it is pretty safe to eliminate all the other years as being possible due to all the other evidence. I suppose one could fudge enough things to include 30 AD as well, but there had better be a very good reason showing the need for Jesus to be crucified in 30 AD.

So then, if we, at least, for NOW, eliminate 32 AD for the reason of Nisan 14 falling on a Monday, then that leaves us with just THREE possible YEARS for the crucifixion of Jesus, which are 30 AD, 31 AD, and 33 AD.

Now again, we can eliminate the year 30 AD as NOT allowing for a MINIMUM of a 2 and 1/2 years for the ministry of Jesus, UNLESS it can be proven that Jesus was born in 4 BC to allow Jesus to turn THIRTY years of age in 27 AD and have a MINIMUM of a 2 and 1/2 year ministry. And IF a 3 1/2 year ministry is used, then this would mean Jesus would have to have been BORN in 5 BC. Again, the evidence that I have found, point to 3 BC as the best possible year for the BIRTH of Jesus. So I myself have eliminated 30 AD as a possible year for the crucifixion of Jesus.

And of course, we could also eliminate the year 33 AD IF we go with the SIMPLE, PLAIN, and CLEARLY explained 2 and 1/2 year ministry of Jesus over the UNPROVEN 3 1/2 year ministry of Jesus. But if we chose to go with the more COMPLICATED arguments, then I suppose we would have to also add back the years 29 AD, and 30 AD as well because some argue that Tiberius reigned JOINTLY along with Augustus Caesar for at least a couple of year which would place the beginning of the ministry back a couple of years as well. But the FURTHER we go back causes Jesus to be BORN even earlier and it gets very complicated in TRYING to prove these earlier dates as well as the later dates after 33 AD.

In other words, this study can become a very, very long and drawn out study to show you all the arguments. And believe me, some of these arguments get very complicated. So to save you from all these COMPLICATED arguments that I have personally sorted through for myself, I will just give you the CONCLUSION that I myself have drawn from all the evidence that I have searched.

Many Bible scholars have placed the date of the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ to be April 25, 31 AD, which was on a Wednesday. Again, that particular Wednesday on April 25 in the year 31 AD was the 14th of Nissan on the Hebrew calendar, which would be the same as the 25th of April on our Gregorian calendar. Also, it was a full moon on this day as well, for you see, the Hebrew calendar is based upon the cycle of the moon rather than the sun like the Gregorian calendar.

So then, Tuesday, the 10th of April, was a NEW moon, which cannot be seen, or reflects no sunlight. This would mean that from 1 to 3 days later the 1st sliver of the crescent moon would appear, which would indicate the beginning of the month of Nissan. Now, if we count backward from April 25 being Nissan 14, then we would arrive at Nissan 1 being on Thursday, April 12, 31AD. Here is a link to the time and date website, which is a different website from the link that I gave earlier in this study for the Hebrew calendar.

http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/?year=31&country=34

Gregorian calendar

April 31 AD