S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

The death of Jesus and His subsequent resurrection are the single most important events since the creation of the world. It was through the death of Christ that God took those who were "alienated" ...

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October 06 2014 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

John Appelt Supporter

Although not specifically stated, the date of Jesus’ death can be determined from a careful study of Bible statements and historical research. 

One such important piece of information is from Luke 3:1-2, where Tiberius is mentioned. Tiberius, an emperor of the Roman Empire, the successor to Caesar Augustus, reigned from AD 14-37. However, in AD 12, he was officially made co-regent with Augustus, who wanted a smooth transition of power at his death. This, in effect, started his reign then, which historical records and research of coins of that era confirms.

Luke 3:1-2 pinpoints the start of John the Baptist’s ministry in the 15th year of Tiberius, which was not figured from the solo start of his reign in AD 14, which would be in AD 29. Instead, it was counted from the co-regency begun in AD 12, which would have been in AD 27. 

Shortly, perhaps a few months, after John began his ministry, he baptized his cousin, Jesus, who according to Luke 3:23 was about 30 years old when He began His ministry. Some scholars say the word “about” is in the narrow sense of days or weeks, not months or years. As Jesus was younger than John by about six months, He would have also started in AD 27. 

Historians also noted that Jesus was crucified in the eighteenth year of Tiberius which means Jesus died in AD 30. They also remarked that in that year was the unusual darkening of the sun which happened at Christ’s crucifixion, Matthew 27:45. This connection with Tiberius, is a very strong chronological detail in determining the date of when Jesus died as AD 30.

In his Gospel, John specifically mentions only three Passovers, John 2:13, John 6:4, John 11:55, which indicate Jesus’ ministry was no more than 2½ years. Attempts to identify other unnamed holidays in John’s gospel as Passovers, have no real support. The three Passovers would have been in AD 28, shortly after Jesus started His ministry, 29, and 30, when Jesus died. AD 30 was one of the years Passover, always on Nisan 14, Exodus 12:6, fell on a Friday.

Other chronological hints include the mention of the building of the temple, 46 years earlier, John 2:20. It was begun in 19 BC, or Herod’s eighteenth year of reign. That brings it to the first year of Christ’s ministry in AD 27. 

Also, reliable sources as the Talmud and the earliest Christian traditions noted that the veil of the temple was rent, Matthew 27:51, forty years before the temple was destroyed in AD 70. The siege of Jerusalem by the Roman army began on 14 Nisan, exactly forty years from the crucifixion of Christ. Also recorded were unusual things happening in those forty years, such as the mysterious going out of lights of the candlestick, and the nightly opening of the heavy temple gates that the priests had bolted closed. 

These historical and chronological references place the death of Jesus on Friday, April 7, AD 30.

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