Welcome to “Ehrman Errs,” a blog series devoted to using our conversational AI to refute each alleged biblical contradiction that is posed in the article on Bart Ehrman’s website: 50 Contradictions in the Bible: The Biggest, Most Shocking Differences.
Today’s alleged contradiction:
#19 – On What Day Did Jesus Die?
On What Day Did Jesus Die? We know that Jesus died by crucifixion. However, on what day? In the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus is crucified on the day of Passover (Nisan 15), following the Last Supper, which is described as a Passover meal. This timeline situates Jesus’ death after the Passover lambs were sacrificed. In contrast, John’s Gospel places Jesus’ crucifixion on the day before Passover (Nisan 14), at the same time the Passover lambs were being slaughtered in preparation for the festival (John 19:14).
How Does Ehrman Err?
Bart Ehrman’s argument is that there is an irreconcilable contradiction between the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) and the Gospel of John regarding the day of Jesus’ crucifixion. But when we look more carefully at the cultural, historical, and textual context, we can see that these accounts are not contradictory but complementary.
1. The Apparent Difference Summarized
- Synoptics (Matt 26–27, Mark 14–15, Luke 22–23):
- The Last Supper is described as a Passover meal (Luke 22:7–8).
- Jesus is arrested that night and crucified the next day — the 15th of Nisan, after the lambs were sacrificed.
- John (John 13:1, 18:28, 19:14):
- Jesus is tried and crucified on the Day of Preparation for the Passover, seemingly the 14th of Nisan, when the lambs were being slaughtered.
At first glance, these seem irreconcilable. But as T. C. Schmidt and other scholars such as Carson, Blomberg, and Köstenberger have explained, the differences stem from Jewish calendrical and interpretive conventions, not from flat contradiction.
2. Understanding “The Preparation of the Passover”
John 19:14 states:
“Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, ‘Behold your King!’” (ESV)
At first sight, that may seem to say that Jesus was crucified before Passover began. However, the term Preparation(Greek: paraskeuē) was widely used in the first century simply to mean Friday—the day of preparation for the Sabbath, regardless of the particular festival (see Josephus and Jesus by T. C. Schmidt, Appendix 3). Thus, as Dr. Schmidt writes, “John 19:14 is routinely understood to indicate that Jesus was crucified before the Passover lambs had been consumed because John says that Jesus’ trial occurred on ‘the preparation of Passover’… but this phrase is typological, not necessarily chronological.”
So “Preparation of the Passover” can mean “Friday of Passover week,” not “the day before Passover.” This removes much of the supposed contradiction.
3. The Passover Week in First-Century Palestine
According to Preparing for the Passover (by various contributors):
“Day fourteen of the Jewish month of Nisan is the Day of Preparation for the Passover on which the lambs are slaughtered at twilight… Fifteen Nisan, which begins at sundown immediately following the afternoon the lambs are killed, is the actual feast day.”
The interpretation therefore depends on whether one begins the Passover week counting from the evening that begins Nisan 14 or the evening that begins Nisan 15. Jews from different traditions (Galilean vs. Judean) sometimes reckoned festival days differently.
If Jesus and the Galileans kept the meal at the start of Nisan 14, while the Judean priestly calendar began it a day later, then:
- Jesus would have eaten the Passover meal with His disciples,
- and still would have been crucified at the time the Judeans were slaughtering their lambs the next afternoon.
This harmonizes both accounts naturally, without contradiction.
4. The Spiritual Fulfillment of the Passover
As T. C. Schmidt observes, John’s portrayal is typological rather than purely chronological:
“When John portrays Jesus as the Passover lamb, he is merely showing that Jesus fulfilled the Passover spiritually… not that his death precisely coincided with those specific festivals.” (Josephus and Jesus by T. C. Schmidt)
Paul provides the same theological interpretation:
“For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” (1 Corinthians 5:7, ESV)
John’s Gospel intentionally emphasizes that Jesus is the true Passover Lamb — whose bones were not broken, fulfilling Exodus 12:46 and Numbers 9:12 (cf. John 19:36). Thus, John shapes his presentation to highlight theological truth, not to alter historical fact.
5. Both Chronologies Affirm the Same Truth
Whether one adopts the Synoptic or Johannine framing, both depict the same truth:
- Jesus ate a final meal with His disciples in Passover context.
- He was betrayed, arrested, and crucified during Passover week.
- His death fulfills the meaning of the Passover — redemption by the blood of a lamb, delivering God’s people from judgment (Exodus 12:13; John 1:29).
6. Scriptural and Theological Coherence
The Bible’s own witness shows divine purpose and internal harmony:
- Matthew 26:17 — “On the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?’”
- Luke 22:15–16 — “And He said to them, ‘I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’”
- John 19:36 — “For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: ‘Not one of His bones will be broken.’”
These statements show both historical alignment and theological fulfillment: Jesus, the true Lamb, died when the Passover was being celebrated, sealing a new covenant of redemption.
Conclusion
Ehrman’s claim that this is a contradiction assumes modern Western precision in timekeeping rather than ancient Jewish festival reckoning. When one acknowledges the diversity of first-century calendars and the Gospel writers’ theological emphases, the narratives harmonize beautifully.