What were the charges that led to Jesus’ arrest? Did Jesus actually die on the cross? Did Jesus die on Good Friday?

What were the charges that led to Jesus’ arrest?

Jesus was accused of the following:

1.      Before the Jewish authorities he was accused of blasphemy by claiming   to be God (Luke 22:70-71; John 10: 33)

2.      Before Pilate he was accused of perverting the nation, forbidding to give tribute to Caesar and calling himself the Messiah, the King (Luke 23: 1-2).

Before Pilate however, the religious charges of blasphemy were laid aside as were the other two charges of perverting the nation and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar. What remained was Jesus’ claim that ‘he was the king of the Jews’. (G: p 185-187)

Did Jesus actually die on the cross?

Many people believe that Jesus did not die on the cross.

When Joseph of Arimathea begs for Jesus’ body Pilate is astonished that he died so quickly. In fact Joseph asks for the body (soma) rather than the corpse (ptoma) of Jesus. This implies that Jesus was still alive when he was taken from the cross. When the soldiers check, they found the two thieves still alive and so broke their legs to hasten their death. If they survived till then, Jesus too could have been alive. Why Jesus’s legs were not broken – still a mystery. It could be due to negligence, forgetfulness, bribery or some such reason.

After his ‘resurrection’ when he visited his disciples, he appears to have a healthy appetite. (John 21:13) He eats bread and fish. Why would a dead man eat?

Irenaeus,   one of the early Church leaders believed that Jesus lived to be an old man. He learned this from Bishop Papias, who heard it from the Apostle John.  (G: p 205-206)

Tabor, on the other hand, accepts the death of Jesus as a fact.

Did Jesus die on Good Friday?

The following, according to Tabor (p 199), is the chronology of events of the Holy Week:

         April 3, Wed:  Jesus Last Supper, Gethsemane, Arrest

            (Did not eat the Passover meal)

April 4, Thurs: Crucifixion at 9 a.m., Death at 3 p.m.

       

             

April 5, Fri:      Sabbath – Passover day - Jesus in the tomb

April 6, Sat:     Sabbath - Jesus in the tomb

April 7, Sun:    Tomb found empty.

Jesus died on Thursday.