Math (Again)
5 min read
31 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
We are looking at Friday (Good Friday) on the eve of Passover. The way that the ancient Jews (and many people today) reckon days is by counting the first day as one, the second day as two, the third day as three, and so on.
It seems easy enough, but it can be confusing when dealing with dates. For example, March 1 - March 3 is three days. It’s a mistake to think that 3-1 = 2, so it’s two days. So Good Friday to Resurrection Sunday is three days.
Yes, I am thinking about math again! XD I was checking my math work from the Sunday message, and I hope I got it right. I think I did.
Scholars believe that Jesus was born in 4BC. Then, He started His ministry when He was about thirty. So that means 26AD. And here’s where the math can get tricky. His earthly ministry lasted for three years (three Passover are accounted for in the Gospels). That could mean that the first Passover recorded in the Bible was in the year 26AD or 27AD. If it was 26AD, the third Passover, the one at which He was crucified, was in 28AD. If the first Passover was in 27AD, obviously, the third was in 29AD.
And so the 2000th anniversary of Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection will the Good Friday/Easter of either 2028 or 2029. Personally, I believe the anniversary is 2028, and not just because it’s sooner.
And like I said on Sunday, it’s not that I think Jesus is coming back on the 2000th anniversary of His crucifixion and resurrection. It’s just a good reminder that Jesus is indeed coming back.
And whenever I think about Jesus returning, I always think, “Yes! Come, Lord Jesus!” But at the same time, I don’t feel quite ready for Jesus to come back. Not because this world has so many blessings in store for me. And there are many blessings to look forward to—my children getting married and having families of their own.
I recognize that those blessings I have to look forward to will pale in comparison to the blessings we will have in heaven. However, I never really feel quite holy enough for Jesus to come back.
I guess the message to myself—the lesson to myself— is to start working on that seriously right now. And as I do so, I have the love, mercy, and grace of Christ to always sustain me.
Father, I long for the day when my Lord comes. But You know all my junk that needs to be worked out. I know that no one can be perfect, yet You encourage us to strive for the perfection of Christ. Help me to do so. In Jesus’s name. Amen
