Introduction

On 1 August 2026, the first of the eighth month of this year, I believe, a new season begins in which we people are even more effective than in the past.

Not that we have not already made a big difference in the past 48 years that we have been in full-time service to King Jesus within His Ekklesia/Church! No, I always say, because I KNOW BETTER today, I DO BETTER!

Yes, I have served the Lord fully and as best I could and done things every day during these 48 years.

But over the years, I have repeatedly discovered, through good things that have happened, but especially through bitterly bad things that have happened, that how I do things, what I believe in the matter, and how I tell people this, was not always wise and the best way in which I could do it.

Moreover, the Lord has been so faithful and has taught and guided me as He promised in His Word. I have experienced how He guides and teaches me every day through His Word and His Spirit, and also in my time with other believers within the worldwide Ekklesia or Body of Jesus.

Thus, through all my mistakes over the years, I have discovered that there are better ways and there are even more Biblical ways, more within “the will of the Lord” ways of doing and thinking.

Therefore, my motto in this new season: BECAUSE I KNOW BETTER, I DO BETTER!

Apart from the fact that I am convinced that we will especially serve believers around the world better and more effectively in this new season, we will also manage the economy of this ministry better!

 

My own story in this regard

Up until the end of October 1993, after about 15 years as a Dutch Reformed pastor and teacher in the largest Afrikaans church denomination at that stage – things had changed radically in the meantime – I, like any other pastor and spiritual leader in any of the other churches, received a fixed salary (or as we called it in Afrikaans, :”traktament”.)

After the Lord challenged us as a family to be baptized biblically as believers for the first time, on October 10, 1993, He led us to resign as NG pastors. But He also said: In the world, the principle applies: Whose bread one eats, whose word one speaks. This will never be the case in your life and ministry in the future! I am your total Provider, and I will use My people (the believers) to be the channels through which they “give to Me and My work,” to give you what you need!

The Bible passage that the Lord especially used to teach us this over the years was 2Cor 9, and especially verses 6 to 8, which in the Afrikaans 83 translation is translated as follows:

“Remember this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly; and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

Each one should give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

And God is able to make all things abundantly available to you, so that in all things, always having all that you need, you may have all you need for every good work.”

Just hear how beautifully it is translated in THE VOICE:

"But I will say this to encourage your generosity: the one who plants little harvests little, and the one who plants plenty harvests plenty. Giving grows out of the heart—otherwise, you've reluctantly grumbled "yes" because you felt you had to or because you couldn't say "no," but this isn't the way God wants it. For we know that "God loves a cheerful giver." God is ready to overwhelm you with more blessings than you could ever imagine so that you'll always be taken care of in every way and you'll have more than enough to share."

Let me be honest: This new phase of ministry in our life as a family since October 1993 has been the most exciting part of our ministry in the service of the King, but it has also been the most challenging part, and especially for one reason: To discover how one, as one of God’s Ephesians 4:11 to 16 gifts to the Lord’s Body, makes sense and works economically and financially! How do you make your finances work in a responsible way?

It touches on practical matters such as: We have the same financial needs as any other family – and sometimes even more money, because we sometimes have to go overseas, and have huge expenses for travel expenses and computer and internet costs.

And of course, the fact that the Lord uses His people to make sure that we can have enough! How does that work? Especially when 95% of His children HAVE NO IDEA of what we need, because they are even just busy every day with what they need!

And on top of that, we have to do what we do within a torn and fragmented Ekklesia or Body of Jesus!

Did you know that there are currently more than 30 000 different churches and church denominations in South Africa alone? And each of these 30 000 believes they are right and do things right as the Bible teaches us! That is why they each try to persuade the believers around them to join them and to give financially “to the Lord” right there!

How will God's people know to also give to us, who can and may no longer be part of this “torn and shattered picture of the Body”?

Do you understand now why I said this part was the most challenging part of the new path we have been walking since 1993?

 

How do we deal with money in ministry?

As I have already said, “our” verses in this regard are 2 Cor 9:6 to 8.

We have therefore chosen in faith to believe that God will always be our total Provider. Of course He will use people as His channels of provision.

Since October 1993, because money can also be a way to manipulate spiritual leaders to do and say what you want them to do, God has challenged us not to ask for or accept a monthly salary or anything similar for anything we do.

Therefore, we have chosen to do everything in the ministry “for free” as much as possible, but also so that believers have the opportunity to give or donate VOLUNTARILY.

People could give what they choose to give (as 2 Cor. 9:7 says), or if they cannot give, still feel welcome to freely receive what we serve.

Here is why we do it this way:

For example, Jesus said the following about prayer ministry: “You received it free, give it free” (Matt. 10:7-8). The early church repeated this by making it clear that Christians may not charge any fees for prayer. (Read, for example, in the Didache 11:12; Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book 2, Ch. 32, Sect. 4).

We also read how Peter rebuked Simon for trying to buy the power of the Spirit (Acts 8). James commanded not to allow favouritism or favouritism among certain groups of people based on wealth or poverty (James 2), and the apostle Paul often refused or forsook financial support from those who were too poor and had too little, so that the gospel would never be hindered.

But that was only one side of the equation.

AT THE SAME TIME, Scripture also teaches that those who labour to TEACH others in the Word should be supported financially and economically.

Jesus himself said, “The labourer is worthy of his wages” (Luke 10:7), and Paul wrote, “Those who preach the gospel should earn their living by the gospel” (1 Cor. 9:14). He also said that elders who labour in preaching and teaching “are worthy of double honour” (1 Tim. 5:17–18). And the biblical context confirms that this was specifically about financial support.

The apostles taught the Lord's Church that there are kingdom principles such as giving honour where people deserve it, and to sow and reap, which also apply to full-time teachers and ministers within the Lord's congregation. But they also warned strongly against manipulation and even against false prophets and false teachers who exploited people financially.

Paul summarized it this way:

2 Cor 9:6-7 - “Remember this: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one should give as he has decided IN HIS OWN HEART, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

So our personal conclusion in this regard was the following: We never ask for a required fee, but we are open to accepting voluntary offerings and donations, so that we can eat and continue the work of the ministry that God has given us.

When we are invited to speak, we greatly appreciate it if rooms or travel expenses can be provided, but we do not demand it. We do not charge any fees for preaching or teaching. Even with our online ministry for the past 26 years every week, we have done it all for FREE until now.

We have strived until now to love and treat everyone the same. It is important that by what we do and how we do it, we never harm the Lord and His honour, and that we do it in faith and live holy in all areas before God.

Because ultimately, we also stand before our King and Lord in this matter, and we must give an account to Him in this regard.

May the Lord also give you in you and where you give, bless, and remember, it is always an honor and privilege to serve you and minister the Word to you!

So, thank you for the opportunity!

Do you sometimes struggle with how to use the opportunities effectively when you have them?

I discovered that if a child can understand what you want to say, you are slowly but surely getting there!💕🕺💃🎶

Here are two videos about how I use an ordinary A4 page to share what I believe is the core of our message as followers of Jesus.

 

- Here is the video about how you fold, tear, and can use the A4 in your message.

https://youtu.be/j1Esf66ke-E?feature=shared

 

- And here is a video about how I used that in sharing about what I believe is the core of the message of the Bible: Jesus, the Messiah, Saviour, and King!

https://youtu.be/t1NgA_uY004?feature=shared

 

I sincerely hope that God will use it to bless and equip you and others, to His glory!

Please feel free to share it wherever you see fit!

#gospel
#Bible
#Jesus

	Dr Christo and Hetta Nel NEW WINE MINISTRY
	In the Service of King Jesus in His Ekklesia An Ambassador of the Kingdom of Heaven here on Earth B.A. B.Th. M.Div.  D.Phil.  D. Juris. Theol.
	Introduction Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 10:8: “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You have received freely, give freely.” Dr. Christo and Hetta Nel, after 14 years of ministry in the Dutch Reformed Church, resigned in 1993 to be available full-time where the Lord wanted to use them worldwide in His Ekklesia. Since October 1993, at the command of the Lord, they have been serving full-time in faith, with the Lord as their Total Provider who provides everything they need through His people. Therefore, this information sheet is to inform you exactly what Christo and Hetta’s ministry entails, so that you can make a responsible choice as to whether you want to give in their ministry for the Lord and the coming of the Kingdom. Why doesn’t Christo receive a fixed salary? The Lord has explained it this way since October 1993: As the proverb says: “Whoever eats bread, speaks his word!” In other words, people and organizations think that if they pay you a fixed salary, then you must say what they want you to say. “In service of King Jesus”, Christo and Hetta understood, means that you only say what the KING told you to. That is why Dr. Christo’s business card explicitly states: In service of Jesus in His Ekklesia! This ministry is “good ground” To help you decide whether this ministry is truly “GOOD GROUND” that can yield an abundant harvest if you were to sow and give in it, please read on! Then sit at the feet of Jesus yourself and hear from Him whether and what you should sow here. Christo and Hetta have been serving King Jesus full-time in the Body of Jesus worldwide since 1979. (See his profile on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/christo-nel-0b511333 They live in Somerset West in the Western Cape, South Africa. From 1979 to 1983, Christo was Chaplain in the South African Air Force, and he served God's people in uniform and on the Border. Therefore, Dr Christo can also serve all military veterans in this new season as Chaplain and Head of Auxiliary Services. (See more about this below.) Christo was also a pastor in the Dutch Reformed Church at this time, and after his time as chaplain, from 1983 to 1993, served the Dutch Reformed Church congregation in Potchefstroom-Mooirivier. However, the Lord convinced Christo and his entire family that they could no longer serve people with what the Dutch Reformed Church teaches as the truth. From now on, they would be used by the Lord to serve “new wine” (as in Luke 5:37 and 38), within Jesus’ Ekklesia, to His people worldwide. Because Christo understands the theology and the heart language of Afrikaans-speaking people, especially those who come from a typically Reformed background, the Lord can use them to minister what He teaches us through His Spirit through His Word, in a language and in a way that Afrikaans-speaking people in particular can easily understand. A telling example of this was the new Afrikaans congregation that was established in Potchefstroom in October 1993 as a result of their work there, and which is today one of the largest congregations in Potchefstroom. Today the congregation is known as Duet. Other ministry platforms Dr Christo's first book was published in 1996, specifically about the events and his teaching in this congregation, entitled “WAARHEEN MET DIE NUWE WYN” (= where to with the new wine). Since then, this book has been republished three times, and the teaching in it has radically changed the lives of thousands of people. This was followed by several other books and publications, of which you can read more on the website at www.nuwewyn.co.za . Since the year 2000, Dr Christo has begun to minister to all the young people who are going to live and work overseas, via the internet. This ministry has been running for 26 years this year and ministers to thousands weekly via email and on all social media platforms. Read more about this on their ministry website, www.nuwewyn.co.za, as well as on the English version at www.new-wine.co.za Christo is convinced that virtual platforms and the internet are the way in which ministry and all forms of training (from even pre-schools to doctoral level) can take place effectively and affordably. That is why he has been busy for years working with other Christian leaders to equip leaders in ministry all over Africa, India, and other parts of the world on Open Digital Platforms. He has even created an Open Internet Library where these leaders can obtain and download training material for free. Christo and Hetta are also fully trained leaders in Harvesters’ Ministries worldwide, which is one of the largest training ministries in the world. See https://harvestersministries.com/ Then, Christo is also one of the catalysts in the world of the Disciple Making movement that equips God’s people to be “disciples of all nations”. He has even built an internet-based App with an accompanying website to help God’s people to disciple others effectively. See www.journey-of-discovery.co.za with the accompanying App that can be downloaded at: https://journey.beezer.com/ The Cape Town Metropolis is currently the second most violent part of the world. From January to June 2019, a tragic number of 1867 people died violently in Syria, a war-torn country, while over 2000 people died violently in the Cape Town Metropolis during the same period. This is why Dr Christo, as a specialist trained Neuro Multilevel Practitioner and Trauma Counsellor, is in great demand to minister healing and restoration to so many hundreds of people in these and other areas in our country and even around the world. Christo is also one of a group of 300 selected National leaders who have committed themselves nationwide to serve the Kingdom, and to take South Africa back from the hands of the enemy and to set God's people free. He is also a mentor and guide in various ministries and ministry networks in South Africa, and even internationally. This year, 2026, he was also asked to be one of the senior leaders in South Africa of HarvestNet International. Currently, the leaders of the network are negotiating with Christo to allow him to minister to hundreds of the leaders in the network in America, at the American Headquarters in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, during 3 sessions on “Who shepherds the Shepherd?” A “new congregation” of ± 500,000! In January 2025, Dr. Christo was appointed Chaplain and Head of Relief Services for more than half a million Military Veterans! However, all of this work is completely voluntary! And because there is so much spiritual, emotional, and especially financial need among these veterans, Dr. Christo, with the help of others, founded a Non-Profit Company that can help to serve the huge need. (The name of the non-profit company is the HELDERBOSCH VETERANS’ ORGANISATION NPC, with registration number: 2025/879689/08.) If you want to support them financially With all of this said, if you feel like supporting Dr Christo and Hetta Nel in their ministry, here are their bank details: The Bank Account of C A Nel at ABSA (SWIFT: ABSA ZAJJ) Branch Code – 632005.   Account number: 4040149654 The Bank Account of C A Nel at CAPITEC BANK (SWIFT: CABLZAJJ) Branch Code – 470010.  Account number: 1345180967     Your donation in the Kingdom can also be a tax benefit for you! Did you know that you, as an individual, are allowed by South African tax law to donate up to R150 000 per tax year to a ministry like that of Dr Christo and Hetta Nel? “A taxpayer can donate up to R150 000 per tax year and not have to pay any Donations Tax. Any amount over that will incur a donations tax of 20% which he will have to pay over to SARS.” In other words, you as the donor can then declare that donation under “Amounts not considered taxable” on your tax return and will therefore not be assessed on it. So, you can sow in the Kingdom and benefit from it yourself! In the same way, I, Christo Alfred Nel, will then, as the recipient of your donation (which can be a one-time or monthly donation), also declare it as a donation on my tax return. “The recipient should declare on his/her ITR12 that they received a donation under the "Amounts not considered taxable" section.” (For further information in this regard, go and investigate it yourself at the following link: https://www.taxtim.com/za/blog/faqs-donations-and-tax If you donate Dr Christo and the ministry, you can use his ID number to declare it. Here is his ID number: 5401105082080.

 

This is the latest version of this important article that I wrote about the vital events of that week, from the Sunday before Jesus's Resurrection until His Resurrection on that First Day of the week, which would, therefore, have happened the following Sunday after that week.

Regarding the dating of the events according to the Jewish Calendar, my dating is the same as in my previous articles. Note that my latest dating, according to the Gregorian calendar we follow today, differs somewhat from my calculations in the past.

Let us first set down a few solid points from Scripture and specifically from the Gospels and other New Testament books about these events.

 

• On 14 Nissan the lamb for the “Pesach”-feast had to be slaughtered (Ex. 12:6). It must then be prepared to be eaten that same evening, i.e. on 15 Nissan, which is counted from 18h00 to 18h00, our time, along with the rest of the PASSOVER meal. (See Ex. 12:8).

• These events were, according to the Old Testament Torah law, preceded by a series of events in this regard. Such as the events on the 10th Nissan (four days before the time), when a lamb without blemish had to be chosen and set aside to be slaughtered as the Passover Lamb.

• The day of the PASSOVER meal itself is, according to the TORAH law, counted as a SABBATH, regardless of which day it would take place. (See Ex. 12 and Ex. 23:4-8)

• From the Gospels and other New Testament passages, we know the following information: Jesus is called the Lamb in several passages. (See e.g., John 1:29,36; 1 Pet. 1:19; Rev. 5:6,8,12,13;6:1,9,12,16; 7:9,10,14,17; 8:1; 12:11; 13:8; 14:1,4; 15:3; 17:14; 19:7,9; 21:9,14,22,23,27; 22:1,3)

• From the Gospel accounts, we know that Jesus died on the day of His crucifixion, 3:00 p.m. Because the next day was considered a Sabbath (because the first day of the Passover, with its meal that evening, was also considered a holy day), His Body had to be removed from the cross that afternoon, and He had to be buried in the tomb that Joseph of Armitea had made available.

• Then we also know that Jesus prophesied, based on Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah, that He would be in the tomb (or literally “in the heart of the earth”) for three days and three nights. (See Matt. 12:40; 27:63; Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:34; John 2:19)

• We also know that the women went to the tomb on the first day of the week, in other words, Sunday morning, after the crucifixion events were over and the Body of Jesus had already been in the tomb for three days and after the regular Sabbath was over. (See e.g., Luke 24:1)

 

Introduction

Most Christian believers commemorate the crucifixion events on Friday, which they then call “Good Friday” for this reason, which would then be followed by the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus on Sunday as the first day of the week.

The reason for celebrating the Crucifixion of Jesus on a Friday is because Luke 23:24 states: “And it was the day of preparation, and the Sabbath was about to begin.” (Some translations, such as the 1983 Afrikaans Translation, have therefore also interpreted this verse in this way. The NIV consequently translated it as: “It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.”

Although one therefore understands why many Christians around the world celebrate the crucifixion events as a “Good Friday” event, it is very clear from the facts of the events that the crucifixion happened on Wednesday.

One can say that it is about celebrating the events and that it offers followers of Jesus the opportunity and privilege to be silent with other family members and other Christian believers about a week of events in Jesus’ life that changed each of our lives.

I disagree with this, and in writing this article, I have tried to show why the precision of what and when these events took place is important because they deal with historical events that changed the entire history of the world. If we cannot even account for such events to ourselves about the real facts of the events, how can we testify about them with credibility to a lost, but very critical and cynical world, which is already wondering about and whether there are credible grounds for the Biblical message and specifically what is said and testified about Jesus.

Therefore, in this article, I want to offer readers the opportunity to meditate on the details of the historical events of each day of this vital week.

May the living God himself, through the working of His Spirit, use these truths to touch and set everyone free anew.

After all, the truth alone sets us free!

 

That week’s events that year in which the first day of the Pesach on 15 Nissan did not fall on an ordinary Sabbath

 

THE SUNDAY

Before I talk about that Wednesday’s events, let’s begin our reflection with the events of Sunday, usually called “Palm Sunday” in the church worldwide.

This was the day Luke 19 and John 12:12 and onwards tell us about. It was the day that Jesus rode into Jerusalem, the city of King David, on a donkey.

As before, when a king of that time, the crowd threw garments and palm branches down before Him to show Him honour as the King from the line of David. All exactly as the prophecies in Zech. 9:9 and Dan. 9:25 – 27 had predicted centuries earlier would happen.

According to Exodus 12, the lamb for the Passover to be celebrated later that week was to be chosen on the tenth of the first month of the Jewish Year, the month, Nissan.

According to the custom in Jesus’s time, only lambs from the Bethlehem area were considered suitable to serve as a lamb for the Passover celebration. Therefore, during that week in which Pesach was celebrated, on that particular Sunday, a lamb born in the Bethlehem’' district was chosen and brought into Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives’ side, through the Sheep Gate.

This would be the same route that Jesus took that Sunday in that week on His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. (See Matt. 21:1 ff.; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-38; John 12:12-19)

As He entered, the people shouted: Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Save us, Son of David!

In this manner, Jesus from Nazareth was announced with acclamation as the long-awaited Messiah of Israel, and the crowd chose their Lamb for the Passover!

However, this lamb had to be examined by the spiritual leaders first. As taught in the Torah, it had to be a lamb without blemish and without spot to be suitable to be slaughtered as a lamb for the Passover.

Therefore. we read how Jesus, after entering Jerusalem, first went to the temple to teach there. (See passages on this, such as Matt. 21:23 ff.; Mark 11:27-33; Luke 20:1-8)

While He was there, the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the teachers of the law came and tried to trap Him with all kinds of difficult questions, trying to expose Him as a liar. But they could find no fault in Him.

 

The dating of these events

Let me confess honestly right away that it is very difficult to date these events now according to our calendar. As you remember, initially it was dated according to the Jewish Lunar calendar, while we are using nowadays the Gregorian calendar.

The reason for this is that because the Gregorian calendar (which has been followed since 1582 and is based on the movement of the sun), has very strict rules and can therefore be easily adjusted and calculated. In contrast, the Jewish Rabbis, who determined the dates of the Jewish Festivals each year according to the 28-day cycle of the Moon, sometimes used their own rules and preferences to calculate when a particular festival, such as Pesach, which had to be celebrated as a Sabbath, could occur in a given year. Furthermore, to make things even more complicated, some of these festivals could not be celebrated on a Monday, or a Wednesday, or a Friday, but only on a Sunday, a Tuesday, a Thursday, or a Saturday, according to the beliefs of certain groups of Jewish Rabbis.

But, with this in mind, let us try to date these events according to the best research and calculations.

 

If we start from a date in which the Pesach meal on the First Day of the Pesach celebrations took place on a Thursday, then the date of that year would be 30 A.D.

15 Nissan of that year, 30 A.D., then fell on 5-6 April 30 A.D. (Remember that the Jewish Thursday already began on Wednesday evening, 18h00!)

Then this particular Palm Sunday would fall on 2 April 30 A.D.

 

THE MONDAY

On the particular Monday of the week in which the Passover was to be celebrated, every form of yeast, as a symbol of evil and sin, had to be removed from every house according to the instructions of the Torah. Therefore, every Jewish mother searched her house with a candle for any form of it on this day.

Therefore, Jesus went to the temple as the house of God on that very Monday and then drove out all the money changers (Luke 19:45 ff.).

 

THE TUESDAY EVENING

Because Jesus and his disciples were not in Jerusalem that year but in Bethany, a small village just outside Jerusalem, it was permissible for them to make preparations there the day before and celebrate the Passover meal. (Luke 22:14 ff.; Matthew 26:17-35; and John 13:36-38 tell us about it).

Later that evening Jesus is arrested in the garden of Gethsemane, which lies on the road from Bethany to Jerusalem (Matt. 26:36-46; Luke 22:39-53).

 

THAT WEEK HAD TWO SABBATHS

Because it is important for a correct dating and understanding of the events of this important week, I want to reiterate here that the week in which the Passover was celebrated could sometimes have two Sabbaths if the Passover fell somewhere in the middle of the week.

The year 30 A.D., according to the Jewish calendar, was just such a year. Therefore, we find that in such a week, the First Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover meal was celebrated in the evening, would be counted as a Sabbath according to the Jewish festival calendar. Later in the week, the regular Sabbath is then celebrated on the seventh day of the week as usual.

As I said, the week when Jesus was crucified was just like that.

Let me begin to chronologically place the rest of the events of that week for you in light of this.

 

WEDNESDAY MORNING AT 06H00

According to the Jewish calendar that particular year (30 AD), the “day of preparation”, with the Passover meal that would follow later that evening, had to take place that Wednesday.

 

Jesus, our perfect Passover lamb without blemish, had to be prepared to be slaughtered and die in our place.

Everything started happening that Wednesday morning at 06h00 when Jesus was tried and sentenced by Pilate. (John 19:13-16)

 

WEDNESDAY MORNING AT 09H00

In the temple in Jerusalem, the High Priest tied the chosen lamb for the Passover to the horns of the altar, as was ordained for the 14^th Nissan.

Jesus was nailed to a cross on Golgotha at 09h00 that morning.

According to our Gregorian dating, Jesus was crucified on Wednesday, April 5, 30 AD, or Nissan 14 that year, according to the Jewish lunar calendar.

 

15H00, THAT WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON

After a sudden solar eclipse of three hours from 12h00 that afternoon, simultaneously with the time that the lamb was to be slaughtered in the temple (according to Exodus 12:6), Jesus died at 15h00 that Wednesday afternoon (Matt. 27:45 ff.). After three hours of “hell,” He could say: “It is finished”, and He could finally breathe His last.

Everything that needed to happen to make forgiveness of sin possible was done. The victory was achieved, and therefore, Jesus could peacefully surrender His life to the Father.

Now you and I can say in faith with boldness and certainty: I have been delivered from the hands of the enemy by the Blood of the Lamb!

But even more than that happened at that moment.

Matthew tells us about it in chapter 27, verse 51, and onwards.

It was as if God the Father from heaven wanted to help the people of that time to understand that what happened here was of cardinal importance. Yes, the history of the world changed with these events!

To fully shine the spotlight on exactly what happened at that moment, God, with His own hands, took hold of the thick curtain that separated the Holy part of the temple from the Holy of Holies.

And then God ripped it apart and tore it from top to bottom!

Yes, it was that same curtain through which the high priest could walk only once a year into the Holy of Holies!

Suddenly, it was gone! No more was any separation left between the Holy and the Most Holy, where God himself sat in His holy presence and waited to speak to His people.

 

For this reason, in Hebrews chapter 10, we read about the boldness with which every believer could now appear in the presence of the Holy God after these events. (See Heb. 10:19)

To further emphasize what happened here, God uses everything He has to keep the community talking about these events for weeks and years.

Suddenly, there was an earthquake, and graves opened. People who had recently died and been buried suddenly came out of their graves alive and began walking around the streets of Jerusalem for everyone to see and talk to!

It was as if God wanted to say: This is a new beginning! The old covenant with all its things was over. A new relationship with Me is now possible. Everything that the Old Covenant, with all its festivals and laws, wanted to remind you of, were now only like signposts wanting to lead you to Me and to what happened here!

All these things from the Old Covenant served their purpose. From then on, the laws would only serve to convince unbelievers that they were sinners and lost!

Yes, it would finally remind them that Jesus Christ had come as the Messiah and Lamb of God, who had to die this very week like the Passover Lamb of old.

 

EARLY EVENING, BEFORE 18H00 THAT WEDNESDAY

With the Passover celebration to take place after 18h00 and the Sabbath rest ahead, the believing followers of Jesus had to take His body down from the cross and lay it in the tomb that Joseph of Arimathea had donated for it.

Mark 15:42 and further tell us about it.

 

THREE DAYS IN THE TOMB

According to the Scriptures and the prophecies, Jesus would be in the tomb for three days and nights.

So, he was there that special Sabbath (or first day of the “Feast of Unleavened Bread”), which extended from Wednesday 6:00 p.m. to Thursday 6:00 p.m.; followed by Friday (which extended from Thursday evening 18h00 to Friday evening 18h00); and then also for the Jewish Sabbath (from Friday 6:00 p.m. to Saturday 18:00).

 

HE RISEN

Early that Saturday evening, after 18:00, with the dawn of the Jewish First day of the week, Jesus rose from the dead after three days in the tomb.

Exactly what time it was, we do not know.

Jesus himself prophetically declared that He would be crucified, die, and be in the tomb for three days and then rise again.

Thus, many other prophetic passages are also fulfilled with this, namely, Hos. 6:1,2 and the sign of Jonah (Matt. 12:40).

That Saturday evening, according to the Jewish festival calendar, the priest also waved the “First fruits Sheaf” of the harvest before God to dedicate the new harvest to God (Lev. 23:10-11).

That is why the Risen Jesus is also called the “First fruit” in 1 Cor. 15:20-23.

 

EARLY SUNDAY MORNING

Early that Sunday morning, April 8, 30 AD, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, and later also some of the other disciples, discovered that Jesus Christ had risen as He Himself had said would happen (Matt. 28:1 ff.).

Therefore, we can say with the believers throughout the ages: Hallelujah, we truly serve a living Lord! (1 Cor. 15). Jesus Christ truly rose, and He lives.

Unlike all figures worshipped in other religions, we serve a Living, Risen Lord.

If He had not truly risen, our faith as Christian believers would be in vain. (Read 1 Cor. 15 about this)

 

SUDDENLY THIS BECAME THE WEEK THAT CHANGED HISTORY

Anyone who reflects on the realities of this week's events cannot help but think for the first time, or in remembrance, about Jesus and who He was.

Who was Jesus of Nazareth really? Was He just an ordinary man who lived from the 11^{th  of} September 3 BC to the 5^{th of} April 30 AD?

What about all the remarkable things He said and did?

What about the fact that everything He said, even about His death, happened exactly like that?

He even said that He would rise from the dead after three days!

Could He then have been just an exceptionally good man or just a prophet, as some would describe Him? That cannot be if the events happened as I have told you.

And if He did not rise from the dead, He was a liar and could not be a true prophet.

What's more, He claimed to be God who became man!

Anyone who is really serious about this and wants to be honest in light of the facts cannot just say that He was just another exceptionally good man or prophet.

Either He was the biggest liar and psychopath who ever lived, or He was who He said He was: Namely, God who became man to finally redeem us.

Yes, then Jesus of Nazareth was truly the Savior who came so that everyone who believes in Him may have life and have it abundantly!