Expert: Brenda Martin - 11/24/2007

Question
How old was Jesus when He died? give scriptures if you can.

Answer
Jesus died on a torture stake at the age of 33 1/2.

A pivotal date for the Christian Greek Scriptures is determined by the date that Tiberius Caesar succeeded Emperor Augustus. Augustus died on August 17, 14 C.E. (Gregorian calendar); Tiberius was named emperor by the Roman Senate on September 15, 14 C.E. It is stated at Luke 3:1, 3 that John the Baptizer began his ministry in the 15th year of Tiberius’ reign.

the 15th year ran from August of 28 C.E. to August of 29 C.E. If counted from when Tiberius was named emperor by the Senate, the year ran from September of 28 C.E. to September of 29 C.E.

Soon after this, Jesus, who was about six months younger than John the Baptizer, came to be baptized, when he was “about thirty years old.” (Luke 3:2, 21-23; 1:34-38)

This agrees with the prophecy at Daniel 9:25 that 69 “weeks” (prophetic weeks of 7 years each, thus totaling 483 years) would elapse from “the going forth of the word to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem” and its wall until the appearance of Messiah. (Dan. 9:24,)

That “word” was authorized by Artaxerxes (Longimanus) in 455 B.C.E. and was put into effect by Nehemiah in Jerusalem in the latter part of that year. And 483 years later, in the latter part of 29 C.E., when he was baptized by John, Jesus was also anointed by holy spirit from God, thus becoming the Messiah, or Anointed One.

That Jesus was baptized and began his ministry in the latter part of the year also agrees with the prophecy that he was to be cut off “at the half of the week” of years (or after three and a half years). (Dan. 9:27) Since he died in the spring, his ministry of three and a half years must have begun toward the fall of 29 C.E.

Incidentally, these two lines of evidence also prove that Jesus was born in the autumn of 2 B.C.E., since Luke 3:23 shows that Jesus was about 30 years of age when he commenced his work.

all the best
Brenda