A Defense of Scriptural Inerrancy: Reconciling the Passover Meal in the Synoptic Gospels and John’s Gospel

This article defends the inerrancy and reliability of Scripture by resolving the apparent discrepancy between the Synoptic Gospels and John's Gospel regarding the timing of the Passover meal and Jesus' crucifixion, demonstrating that there is no contradiction when properly understood in its Jewish and theological context.

THEOLOGICAL ARTICLES

Justin Hoke

10/9/20245 min read

a sheep and wine glasses on a table
a sheep and wine glasses on a table

Introduction: The Importance of Inerrancy in the Christian Faith

The reliability of Scripture is fundamental to the Christian faith. If we, as Christians, believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, we must also believe that it is without error or contradiction. The very foundation of sola Scriptura—that Scripture alone is our ultimate authority—rests on the premise that the Bible is both inerrant (without error) and infallible (incapable of leading us astray).

If contradictions were to exist in Scripture, they would undermine its authority and call into question its truthfulness. If the Bible cannot be trusted in the historical and factual details it presents, how can we trust its promises about salvation, eternal life, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ? A contradiction in Scripture would shake the very core of our faith, and the foundation of our hope in God’s Word would be obliterated.

One area of apparent tension that has generated much discussion is the timing of the Passover meal and the crucifixion of Jesus in the four Gospels, specifically the accounts of the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) compared to John’s Gospel. This issue has led some to speculate that there might be a contradiction in the timing of events. In this article, we will demonstrate that there is no contradiction, but rather a harmonious account that preserves the inerrancy of Scripture.

The Alleged Discrepancy: The Timing of the Passover Meal

The Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) explicitly state that Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with His disciples before His arrest and crucifixion. For example, Matthew 26:17-19, Mark 14:12-16, and Luke 22:7-15 all describe the disciples asking Jesus where they should prepare the Passover meal, which they then eat together that evening.

The implication of the Synoptic accounts is that Jesus was crucified after the Passover meal, on the day following the meal—meaning He was crucified on the 15th of Nisan, which was the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This suggests that Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples on the 14th of Nisan, as Jewish custom dictated.

However, John’s Gospel presents a slightly different timeline. In John 19:14, John states that Jesus was crucified on the day of Preparation for the Passover, which seems to place the crucifixion on the 14th of Nisan, the same day that the Passover lambs were being slaughtered. Additionally, in John 18:28, the Jewish leaders refuse to enter Pilate’s headquarters so that they would not be defiled and could still eat the Passover meal, implying that the Passover meal had not yet taken place at the time of Jesus’ trial and crucifixion.

This has led some to claim that there is a contradiction between the Synoptics, which place the Last Supper on the Passover, and John, which seems to place the crucifixion on the day when the lambs were being slain—before the Passover meal.

The Problem with Contradictions

The stakes are high when it comes to potential contradictions in Scripture. If there is a real contradiction in the timeline of the Passover and the crucifixion, then the inerrancy of Scripture is at risk. If the Bible cannot be trusted to be true in the historical facts it records, how can we trust it to be true in the theological promises it makes? The Apostle Paul makes this point clear when he says in 1 Corinthians 15:14, "And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain."

The reliability of the Bible is essential for the reliability of our faith. Any attempt to claim that Scripture contains contradictions undermines not only the doctrine of sola Scriptura but also the very nature of God’s revelation to humanity. If Scripture is not trustworthy, our faith is in vain.

The Harmonization: Understanding the "Day of Preparation" and the Broader Use of "Passover"

To resolve the apparent tension between the Synoptic Gospels and John’s Gospel, it is crucial to understand the specific terminology that John uses and the broader Jewish context in which these events occurred.

First, let’s look at the term "day of Preparation". In John’s Gospel, this term is used in reference to the day before the Sabbath. John 19:31 states, "Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day)…" Here, John clarifies that the "day of Preparation" is the day before the weekly Sabbath. In Jewish practice, Friday was always referred to as the day of Preparation because it was the day when Jews would prepare for the Sabbath rest, during which no work could be done.

Therefore, when John refers to the "day of Preparation" in connection with Jesus’ crucifixion, he is not suggesting that Jesus was crucified on the 14th of Nisan, the day the Passover lambs were slain. Rather, he is indicating that Jesus was crucified on Friday, the day of preparation for the Sabbath. This is entirely consistent with the timeline presented in the Synoptics, where Jesus is crucified on Friday, before the Sabbath, and rises from the dead on Sunday, the first day of the week.

Second, we must recognize that the term "Passover" in John’s Gospel can be used to refer not just to the specific Passover meal, but to the entire festival of Passover and Unleavened Bread, which lasted for seven days. In John 18:28, when the Jewish leaders are concerned about being defiled so they can eat the Passover, they may be referring to the broader festival, not just the Seder meal itself. This broader usage of "Passover" was common in Jewish culture, where the entire week of festivities could be referred to as "Passover."

Why This Harmonization Preserves Inerrancy

By understanding John’s use of "day of Preparation" as referring to the Sabbath and his broader use of the term "Passover", we can see that there is no contradiction between the accounts. The Synoptic Gospels accurately describe Jesus celebrating the Passover meal with His disciples on the 14th of Nisan, and John’s Gospel complements this by emphasizing that Jesus was crucified on Friday, the day of preparation for the Sabbath. John’s focus is not on the exact timing of the Passover lambs being slain, but rather on the theological significance of Jesus’ death, which occurred just before the Sabbath during the Passover festival.

This harmonization maintains the historical accuracy of the Gospel accounts and upholds the inerrancy of Scripture. There is no need to resort to imaginative or poetic interpretations that force John’s timeline to align with the slaughter of the Passover lambs. Instead, we can recognize that Jesus is the Lamb of God because of His atoning work on the cross, not because of the precise day on which He died. His sacrifice fulfills the theological significance of the Passover, but this fulfillment is rooted in the act of atonement, not in a coincidental timing with the Passover lambs.

Conclusion: The Inerrancy and Reliability of Scripture

The Bible is inerrant and infallible, and its accounts of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection can be trusted as historically accurate and theologically true. The alleged discrepancy between the Synoptic Gospels and John’s Gospel regarding the Passover meal and the crucifixion is not a contradiction but rather a complementary perspective that, when properly understood, reinforces the unity of Scripture.

As Christians, we can rest in the assurance that the Bible is reliable in all that it teaches. If Scripture contains contradictions, our faith is undermined. But because Scripture is without error, we can trust its promises fully and live with the confidence that God’s Word is true. This harmonization of the Gospel accounts is a testament to the reliability of the Bible and to the unchanging truth of God’s revelation to us in Jesus Christ.

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