So did when did Jesus die?

Question

We had a really exciting visit today, I can't believe I forgot about it until now. We got a flier from the Jehovah's Witnesses telling us that apparently this year Jesus died on April 2. Well that's when they were "celebrating" it anyway. How is that calculated, is it to do with the moon?

But possibly the most exciting part is that we found out we've got a local Kingdom Hall! It's a small suburb, don't know how we've missed it, but there you go. Any advice on this new discovery?

I know there's several questions there, but at least this way people can take up whichever bit they want (as usual) and STILL feel like they're answering the question! Who says heathens can't be generous?!

You people are so literal!

Easter is supposedly about Jesus dying and being resurrected, right? And the idea is that he died on the Friday and got up again on the Sunday. But the JW's are saying they've somehow calculated that it was a specific date - how? I just thought someone might know...

Answer 1

In the first century Jesus and the early Christians accepted the determination of the date Nisan 14 (which commenced at sundown) as set by the Jewish temple priesthood in Jerusalem. It is noteworthy that Jesus celebrated the Passover meal on Nisan 14, as directed in the law of Moses. (Ex. 12:6-8; Lev. 23:5; Matt. 26:18-20) He did not eat the Passover meal on Nisan 15, as most Jews do today. After the destruction of the temple in 70 C.E., Christians had to determine the Nisan 14 Passover date themselves.

Thus true CHRISTIANS are commanded to observe the Memorial of Christ’s death. This observance is also called “the Lord’s evening meal.” (1 Corinthians 11:20) What is so significant about it? When and how should it be observed?
Jesus Christ instituted this observance on the night of the Jewish Passover in 33 C.E. The Passover was a celebration held just once a year, on the 14th day of the Jewish month Nisan. To calculate that date, the Jews evidently waited for the spring equinox. This is the day when there are approximately 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. The first observable new moon nearest to the spring equinox marked the beginning of Nisan. Passover came 14 days later, after sunset. April 2nd. falls on that month.

Jesus celebrated the Passover with his apostles, dismissed Judas Iscariot, and then instituted the Lord’s Evening Meal. This meal replaced the Jewish Passover and therefore should be observed only once a year.

Answer 2

As was mentioned, Jehovah's Witnesses commemorate the Memorial of Jesus death on Nisan 14. It corresponds to the Passover celebration that the Jews celebrate.

I hope you will attend. Also, notice that there will be a special Bible talk entitled "You Can Feel Safe in This Troubled World!" This same exact talk will be given world wide on Sunday, April 15.

Answer 3

The Jehovah's witnesses are the same group that has predicted the end of the Earth on certain dates in time and have always been wrong.
The truth of the matter is Jesus died on the cross he was crucified on. It was not a painless death. As he was on the cross all the sins of the world fell upon him. He was so horrendous looking God had to turn away from him. Most of those crucified had to have their legs broken in order for them to die. Jesus was dead before they had to do that.
Jesus dies on that Friday, he arose on the Sunday. He Resurrection was his overcoming of death. He took the keys of Hell away from Satan. By accepting Jesus as your savior and repenting your sins you can have eternal life.

Answer 4

A more interesting question: How was Jesus in the tomb for three days if he was buried on Friday night and rose Sunday morning?

Answer 5

Beware of many cults and cult followers!

I don't know how much research was done but with just reading the Bible I think you'll find this to be all bogus.

Jesus died and rose again. He is alive. We celebrate not because he's dead but because he rose again.

Don't be part of the crowd. The crowd is always in group think. But learn and grow. For truth will surely set you free.

Answer 6

Because ancient Israel began a new day at sunset (rather than midnight), Jesus both ate a last supper and was executed on the same Jewish date of Nisan 14; that date is generally the first full moon after the spring equinox. In 2007, that date corresponds to April 2, 2007.

In bible times, and today, a "memorial" is typically commemorated annually. It seems ironic that the vast majority of Christendom chooses to celebrate all its "other" memorials annually, EXCEPT for the Memorial of Christ's sacrificial death.

The most significant "Memorial" one could observe is, of course, the Memorial of Christ's death. It is sometimes called "the Last Supper" or "the Lord's Evening Meal". Jesus directed true Christians to commemorate that "Last Supper" and the day of his death; notably, nowhere in the bible are Christians instructed to ignore the day of Christ's death and instead commemorate Christ's resurrection. Frankly, that ignores a Scriptural principle...

(Ecclesiastes 7:1) A name is better than good oil, and the day of death than the day of one’s being born

(John 15:13-14) No one has love greater than this, that someone should surrender his soul in behalf of his friends. You are my friends

(1 Corinthians 11:23-25, NWT) The Lord Jesus in the night in which he was going to be handed over took a loaf... Keep doing this in remembrance of me.” 25 He did likewise respecting the cup.. Keep doing this... in remembrance of me.”

(1 Cor 11:24, 25, NEB) "Do this as a memorial of me.”


Christ Jesus himself personally celebrated and explained the significance of that Last Supper to his followers (see Matthew 26:26-29). Apparently Jesus Christ established the occasion to supercede the Jewish Passover, which occurs after sunset on the 14th of Nisan (a month of the Jewish calendar).

(Luke 22:14-16) At length when the hour came, he reclined at the table, and the apostles with him. 15 And [Jesus] said to them: “I have greatly desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I tell you, I will not eat it again until it becomes fulfilled in the kingdom of God.


Sadly, it is only a minority of professed Christians who follow the BIBLICAL pattern for the Last Supper which was established by Christ himself. Sadly, most of Christendom ignores Christ's celebration and instead follow unrelated human traditions which purport to honor Christ, but in ways unconnected with what Jesus Christ established.

Like the former Passover, those Christians who commemorate the Last Supper have also done so on the date corresponding to Nisan 14, which generally falls between late March and mid-April. Interestingly, Christians in the centuries immediately after Christ's impalement were sometimes called "Quartodecimans" which literally mean "fourteen-ers"


There are fundamental differences between the Memorial which Christ Jesus instituted and the so-called "Easter" which Christendom adopted from pagan worship of the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre (or Oestre). While most Easter celebrations merely repackage pagan fertility festivals and concentrate on eating, decorating, and frivolity, the Last Supper focuses on the value of Christ's sacrifice and the sober obligation of Christianity.

No serious bible student pretends that Sunday is the sabbath; Christendom primarily reveres Sunday as a vestige of pagan Sun worship. It is true that Christ died on a Friday and was resurrected on a Sunday (which tends to establish Saturday as a day of rest), but in any event Christ's resurrection was never intended for commemoration

(Matthew 15:6-9) You have made the word of God invalid because of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites, Isaiah aptly prophesied about you when he said, 8 ‘This people honors me with their lips, yet their heart is far removed from me. 9 It is in vain that they keep worshiping me, because they teach commands of men as doctrines.’”

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_08.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/index.htm?article=article_11.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20041215/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20011115/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20050101a/
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/

Answer 7

Since this has been known for nearly 2000 years, the question should be why does your church deny you this knowledge?

Answer 8

Jesus died when the nailed him to the cross. But he came back.

Answer 9

god only knows. we werent alive 2000 years ago in order to know for sure.

Answer 10

about 2000 years ago.