Do these scriptures contradict the Resurrection account?
Bible errors? Or wrong assumptions?
Challenge what you “know”…
Resolve these 2 scriptures from the crucifixion account:
Mark 16:1- When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body.
Luke 23:54-56 It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.
The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.
Which is true? Mary, Jesus’ mother, and Salome bought the spices to anoint Jesus’ body AFTER Sabbath or BEFORE?
Is this an error? Have you noticed this contradiction before? Before today, I had not.
It came up in the process of reading through the CHRONOLOGICAL account of the walk to the cross over the last 2 weeks.
In the last couple of emails, I’ve shared I’ve been going LIVE on our Youtube channel and Facebook pages (main page and Peace Be Still private group) to read a chronological account of Jesus’ walk to the cross and resurrection.
Today I finished up the 10th day. Not many people have watched 😌. But it hasn’t discouraged me, because I’ve grown in ways I could not have imagined! And the joy has been amazing!
The LORD has led me over the last month to discover things I have not seen and dig deeper for hidden treasure!
Did you know that Jesus satisfied the requirement of being both the morning and twilight sacrifice?
Did you know there was a morning and twilight sacrifice?
Exodus 29:38-41 “This is what you are to offer on the altar regularly each day: two lambs a year old. Offer one in the morning and the other at twilight. With the first lamb offer a tenth of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil from pressed olives, and a quarter of a hin of wine as a drink offering. Sacrifice the other lamb at twilight with the same grain offering and its drink offering as in the morning—a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the Lord.
Last month I found those scriptures when I wondered about the 9th hour of prayer mentioned in Acts 3:1-
Acts 3:1- Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.
I wondered. What is the 9th hour of prayer?
I discovered the morning sacrifice in Exodus 29 is 9am and the twilight sacrifice is at 3pm.
In this process I remembered Jesus died at 3pm.
Mark 15:34- And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).
So Jesus satisfied the final daily requirement of being the perfect twilight sacrifice!!!
And He was also satisfied the final daily requirement of being the perfect morning sacrifice!!!
He was crucified (nailed to the cross) at 9am!
Mark 15:25-26 It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the jews.
Now go back up and re-read Exodus 29:38-41.
What do you see?
How many different offerings do you see? (TRY NOT TO SCROLL FURTHER UNTIL YOU CONSIDER YOUR ANSWER! 😊)
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There is a sacrificial lamb offering. There is a grain offering of flour mixed with pressed oil. There is a drink offering made with wine.
Do you see Jesus in all 3?
The perfect lamb? The unleavened bread of Heaven pressed out like pressed oil in the suffering? His blood as the precious wine of the new covenant?
DO YOU SEE THAT HE ALSO PRAYED?! HE HONORED THE HOUR OF PRAYER AT 3PM!!!
He prayed at 3pm- Mark 15:34- And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”)
AND 9AM! Luke 23:34- Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”[c] And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
Now back to the seeming contradiction of when the women bought the spices to anoint Jesus’ body. It is not a contradiction of a Friday (before Sabbath of Saturday) vs after Sabbath (after Saturday).
It all becomes clear when you realize the detail of there being a “Special Sabbath” that week! Hint: It is a part of the Feast of Unleavened bread instituted by the LORD. The special Sabbath is mentioned in John’s account of the crucifixion (scripture below).
From the scriptures below, you’d be able to see that the women bought spices to anoint Jesus’ body BETWEEN the Sabbaths that week! So both scriptures above are true! Mark references them getting spices after the first Passover Sabbath that week, whereas Luke references them getting spices before the regular Saturday Sabbath!
This is a detail I had not noticed before. Have you?
Looking more closely at the Special Sabbath John mentions, brought great revelation! (All this from reading the chronological account of Jesus’ walk to the cross!).
And I realized through the deeper dive that scripture doesn’t show that Jesus was crucified on Friday, but earlier in the week!
Jesus was not crucified on a Friday! I have never heard this prior! Have you?
When I slowed down and looked more closely, I realized the 2 Sabbaths gave clarity to there being 2 days of preparation; and, an early timeline of Jesus’ death on the cross! And when you factor important detail in, you see that Jesus was not crucified on a Friday!
JOHN 19:31- BEREAN TRANSLATION- 31. It was the day of Preparation, and the next day was a High Sabbath. In order that the bodies would not remain on the cross during the Sabbath, the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies removed.
JOHN 19:31- NIV TRANSLATION- Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down.
John 19:31- NLT- It was the day of preparation, and the Jewish leaders didn’t want the bodies hanging there the next day, which was the Sabbath (and a very special Sabbath, because it was Passover week). So they asked Pilate to hasten their deaths by ordering that their legs be broken. Then their bodies could be taken down.
For Him to be crucified on a Friday and risen on Sunday makes it hard to calculate His words that He would be 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of the earth. But if He was crucified before the 1st Sabbath that happened earlier in the week, the math computes!
Matthew 12:40- For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
He really was in the grave for 3 full days and 3 full nights! And I’ll send the detail of that in the next blog next week! But before then, are you curious enough on your own to research it and find the answer on your own? Take time to dig into scripture and discover which day He was crucified!
May you and yours go deeper with the King of all this weekend! May He be lifted up in your hearts and homes and worship at church services you attend!
He alone is worthy of all glory and honor and praise!
IT IS FINISHED!
He is RISEN! HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
John 19:30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Luke 24:6-8- He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered his words.
