Timetable of the Passion
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This page shows the timetable of the last days of Jesus' life, as recounted by the gospels.
According to the Gospels of Matthew and Mark
The gospels of Matthew and Mark are in broad agreement.
| Modern Day of Week | Time of Day | Jewish Date | Jewish Day of Week | Significance | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday | Evening | 14 Nissan | Thursday | Preparation Day | Jesus in Bethany. He is anointed by a woman. He is betrayed by Judas. |
| Thursday | Day | 14 Nissan | Thursday | Preparation Day | Lambs sacrificed for Passover. Disciples arrange for Jesus' accommodation and meal in Jerusalem. |
| Thursday | Evening | 15 Nissan | Friday | Passover | Jesus returns to Jerusalem. Last Supper, a ritual Passover meal. Farewell discourse. Garden of Gethsemane. Betrayal and arrest. Flight of the disciples. Trial by the high priest and the Council. Peter's denials. |
| Friday | Day | 15 Nissan | Friday | Passover | Trial before Pilate. Flogged and mocked by soldiers. Road to Golgotha. Simon carries the cross. Crucifixion (9 am) Jesus dies (3 pm). Darkness descends. Temple curtain tears. Matthew only: The dead return. Joseph of Arimathea places Jesus' body in the tomb. |
| Friday | Evening | 16 Nissan | Saturday | Sabbath | Jesus' followers observe the day of rest. |
| Saturday | Day | 16 Nissan | Saturday | Sabbath | Jesus' followers observe the day of rest. |
| Saturday | Evening | 17 Nissan | Sunday | First day of the week | |
| Sunday | Day | 17 Nissan | Sunday | First day of the week | Mark only: Mary Magdalene, Salome, and Mary the mother of James encounter a young man/angel at an empty tomb. They flee, disobeying his instructions to tell the disciples. Mark only (longer version): Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene, who tells the disciples. Matthew only: Mary Magdalene and the other Mary go to the empty tomb. Amidst an earthquake, an angel appears before them and rolls back the stone. Before they can give the good news to the disciples, Jesus appears to them. |
According to the Gospel of Luke
The gospel of Luke introduces several important events not recorded in Matthew and Mark.
| Modern Day of Week | Time of Day | Jewish Date | Jewish Day of Week | Significance | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday | Evening | 14 Nissan | Thursday | Preparation Day | Jesus in Bethany. He is anointed by a woman. He is betrayed by Judas. |
| Thursday | Day | 14 Nissan | Thursday | Preparation Day | Lambs sacrificed for Passover. Disciples arrange for Jesus' accommodation and meal in Jerusalem. |
| Thursday | Evening | 15 Nissan | Friday | Passover | Jesus returns to Jerusalem. Last Supper, a ritual Passover meal. Farewell discourse. Garden of Gethsemane. Betrayal and arrest. Peter's denials. Flogged and mocked. |
| Friday | Day | 15 Nissan | Friday | Passover | Trial by Caiaphas and the Council. Trial before Pilate. Interrogation by Herod Antipas, second trial before Pilate. Road to Golgotha. Simon carries the cross. Crucifixion (9 am) Jesus dies (3 pm). Darkness descends. Temple curtain tears. Joseph of Arimathea places Jesus' body in the tomb. |
| Friday | Evening | 16 Nissan | Saturday | Sabbath | Jesus' followers observe the day of rest. |
| Saturday | Day | 16 Nissan | Saturday | Sabbath | Jesus' followers observe the day of rest. |
| Saturday | Evening | 17 Nissan | Sunday | First day of the week | |
| Sunday | Day | 17 Nissan | Sunday | First day of the week | Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Joanna and the other women encounter two men/angels at the empty tomb. They recount this to the disciples, most of whom do not believe them. Peter rushes to the tomb to confirm their account. Cleopas and another see Jesus on the road to Emmaus. Jesus then appears to the disciples. |
According to the Gospel of John
The gospel of John, as usual, has a different timetable. This is a big change from the synoptics. Where the synoptics say that Jesus died on Passover, John says he died the day before, on Preparation Day. Most scholars favour John's dating. John differs in other details. For example, John places the anointing by a woman six days before Passover, not just two days before Jesus death.
| Modern Day of Week | Time of Day | Jewish Date | Jewish Day of Week | Significance | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday | Evening | 14 Nissan | Friday | Preparation Day | Last Supper. Casual meal, no Jewish religious significance. Farewell discourse. Garden of Gethsemane. Betrayal and arrest. Interrogation by Annas. Appearance before Caiaphas. |
| Friday | Day | 14 Nissan | Friday | Preparation Day | Lambs sacrificed for Passover. Trial before Pilate. Road to Golgotha. Jesus carries the cross. Crucifixion (9 am). Jesus dies (3 pm). Soldiers break Jesus legs. Nicodemus anoints Jesus' body. Joseph of Arimathea places Jesus' body in the tomb. |
| Friday | Evening | 15 Nissan | Saturday | Passover, Sabbath | Jesus' followers observe the day of rest. |
| Saturday | Day | 15 Nissan | Saturday | Passover, Sabbath | Jesus' followers observe the day of rest. |
| Saturday | Evening | 16 Nissan | Sunday | First day of the week | |
| Sunday | Day | 16 Nissan | Sunday | First day of the week | Mary Magdalene (alone) finds the empty tomb. Upon this news, Peter, and the Beloved Disciple rush to the tomb. Mary Magdalene sees two angels. Mary Magdalene sees Jesus, whom she takes for a gardener. She tells the disciples. |