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Frequently Asked Questions About Christianity, Answered Honestly!

Can we know what year
Jesus was Crucified?

-by Tony Warren


    There are some Theologians who say place the crucifixtion of Christ at 32 A.D., and others which make the claim it might have been in 31 A.D., and so the question is often asked, "can we really know what year Christ was Crucified?" The answer to that question I believe is yes!

In regards to the 31 A.D. and 32 A.D. suggestions, with careful scholarship and attentive study we find that these both are impossible dates, because they don't align with the passover feast (The time when Jesus died). We can know that without question by back tracking to the moon phases on those dates (the jewish calendar being regulated by the moon) and comparing notes. By this we know that Christ was Crucified in 33 A.D.

We are also given other pertinent information in scripture. For example, God describes the preaching of John the Baptist, at the time Jesus was baptized, and we read,

    Luke 3:1

  • "Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Ceasar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea . . ."

This piece of information also gives us an historical time clue. We should never use secular evidence to interpret scripture, but as useful information in establishing timelines, it's interesting that we know from these very reliable secular records that Tiberius Ceasar began to reign alone in the year 14 A.D. His fifteenth year was therefore 29 A.D. As we go carefully through the gospel of John we also find that Jesus actually preached for about 3 1/2 years. Since He was crucified at the Passover, which was observed in the spring of the year, His baptism would have been in the fall of a previous year. Thus, 3 1/2 years following 29 A.D. brings us again to 33 A.D.

Because of the moon phases which governed the timing of the Jewish feasts, (God's Time clock Observed) the year 32 A.D. or 31 could not possibly have been the year He was crucified. The timing of the Passover Feast was related to the full moon. We know "only" the years 30 or 33 A.D. were possible years that would agree with the timing of the Passover observed at the time Jesus was crucified. Therefore, for all these reasons, the Biblical evidence clearly points to the year 33 A.D. as the year that Christ was crucified.

On another level, when we rightly understand the 70 sevens (weeks) of Daniel chapter 9, we see that it also shows us that 33 A.D. was the year of His crucifixion by pointing to the year of his Anointing (Luke 4:18), and strongly suggests that the year of His birth was a Jubilee year.

Peace,

Copyright 1994 Tony Warren
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Created 3/20/94 / Last Modified 2/18/00
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