The Good Friday-Easter Sunday Question

Consider these important facts. First, Easter Sunday is traditionally revered as the day of Jesus' resurrection—although the Bible clearly states that He had already risen before Sunday dawned in the city of Jerusalem.

Second, even though Good Friday is generally observed as the traditional day of His crucifixion, Christ Himself told the disciples that He would be in the grave for all of three days and three nights. How can three days and three nights possibly fit between a Friday-afternoon crucifixion and a Sunday-morning resurrection?

Third, the word Easter is not found in the Greek New Testament. Nor is there biblical mention of or instruction to observe Lent.

Finally, unlike the specific instruction to commemorate Christ's death, there is absolutely no commandment in the New Testament to observe the date of Jesus' resurrection. Yet today's religious customs are so ingrained in the church calendar that many would consider it heretical to question them.

Most of the world is scarcely aware that the original apostles did not institute or keep these customs, nor were they observed by the early Christian Church. Try as you might to find them, Lent, Good Friday and Easter are not so much as mentioned in the original Greek wording of the New Testament. (The word Easter appears only once in the King James Version of the Bible—in Acts 12:4—where it is flagrantly mistranslated from the Greek word pascha, which should be translated "Passover," as most versions render it.)

The justification for the Lenten 40-day preparation for Easter is traditionally based on Jesus' 40-day wilderness fast before His temptation by Satan (Harper's Bible Dictionary, "Lent"; Matthew 4:1-2; Mark 1:13). The problem with this explanation is that this incident is not connected in any way with Jesus' supposed observance of Easter. The 40-day pre-Easter practice of fasting and penance did not originate in the Bible.

Pagan practices adopted

Many people still follow such practices, assuming that such activities honor God and are approved by Him. But, we should ask, how does God regard such extrabiblical customs? Consider God's instructions to those who would worship Him:

"Take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, 'How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.' You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it" (Deuteronomy 12:30-32, emphasis added throughout).

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia notes: "The term Easter was derived from the Anglo-Saxon 'Eostre,' the name of the goddess of spring. In her honor sacrifices were offered at the time of the vernal [spring] equinox" (1982, Vol. 2, "Easter").

Many battles were fought over its observance date, but the Council of Nicea finally fixed the date of Easter in A.D. 325 to fall on the first Sunday after the full moon on or after the vernal equinox (March 21).

Not generally known is that "the preparation for Easter season, beginning on Ash Wednesday and continuing for a week after Easter Day, was filled with pagan customs that had been revised in the light
of Christianity. Germanic nations, for example, set bonfires in spring. This custom was frowned on by the Church, which tried to suppress it . . . In the sixth and seventh centuries [monks] came to Germany, [bringing] their earlier pagan rites[,] and would bless bonfires outside the church building on Holy Saturday. The custom spread to France, and eventually it was incorporated into the Easter liturgy of Rome in the ninth century. Even today the blessing of the new fire is part of the Vigil of Easter.

"Medieval celebrations of Easter began at dawn. According to one old legend, the sun dances on Easter morning, or makes three jumps at the moment of its rising, in honor of Christ's resurrection. The rays of light penetrating the clouds were believed to be angels dancing for joy.

"Some Easter folk traditions that have survived today are the Easter egg, rabbit and lamb. During medieval times it was a tradition to give eggs at Easter to servants. King Edward I of England had 450 eggs boiled before Easter and dyed or covered with gold leaf. He then gave them to members of the royal household on Easter day. The egg was an earlier pagan symbol of rebirth and was presented at the spring equinox, the beginning of the pagan new year.

"The Easter rabbit is mentioned in a German book of 1572 and also was a pagan fertility symbol. The Easter lamb goes back to the Middle Ages; the lamb, holding a flag with a red cross on a white field, represented the resurrected Christ [rather than the sacrifice of His life, as a fulfillment of the Passover lamb, that paid for the sins of the world (John 1:29)]" (Anthony Mercatante, Facts on File Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend, 1988, "Easter").

Passover out, Easter in

Easter traditions are embraced by many who profess Christianity. Yet none of these practices are found in the Bible or the customs of the early Church. Jesus and His apostles did not establish or perpetuate such practices, which obscure the true biblical meanings and observances of this time of year. In fact, a fourth-century church historian, Socrates Scholasticus, wrote in his Ecclesiastical History that neither the apostles nor the Gospels taught the observance of Easter, nor did they or Jesus give a law requiring the keeping of this feast. Instead, "the observance originated not by legislation, but as a custom" (chapter 22, emphasis added).

Even as early as the close of the second century, the theologian Irenaeus bore witness in his letter to Victor, bishop of Rome, that some early Roman bishops forbade the observance of Passover on the 14th of Nisan. This was the date of the biblical observance practiced each spring by Jesus and the apostles. At the time that the Nisan 14 Passover observance was banned, ecclesiastical authorities introduced Lent and Easter into Christian practice.

Distorting Jesus' words

A century later the Syriac Didascalia recorded the attempts of teachers in Rome to reconcile Jesus' words that He would be entombed "three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" (Matthew 12:40) with a Friday-afternoon crucifixion and a Sunday-morning resurrection. According to their reasoning, Jesus' sufferings were part of the three days and three nights of Scripture. Friday morning from 9 to noon was counted as the first day, and noon to 3 p.m. (which was darkened) was considered the first night. Three in the afternoon to sunset was reckoned as the second day, whereas Friday night to Saturday morning constituted the second night. The daylight part of Saturday was the third day, and the night portion to Sunday morning was the third night.

In other words, the three days and three nights in the grave that Jesus said would be the sign that He was indeed sent from God were transformed into a period of two days and two nights, or a total of no more than 48 hours. This has subsequently been reduced even further in modern times by figuring from late afternoon Friday to early Sunday morning, which takes away another 12 hours or more. Such reasoning has to discount or somehow explain away Jesus' clear promise that He would be entombed three days and three nights.

Easter and Lent are nonbiblical and were not observed by the apostles or the first-century Church. The biblical record shows, however, that the early Church diligently kept other observances, the New Testament Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread, just as Jesus and the apostles had done (Matthew 26:17-19; Acts 20:6; 1 Corinthians 5:8; 11:23-26). These were supplanted in later years by the customs and practices of Easter and Lent.

Passover is an annual reminder of Jesus' sacrificial death to pay the penalty for our sins (Matthew 26:26-28). The Feast of Unleavened Bread is a celebration that focuses on a Christian's need to live in sincerity, truth and purity (1 Corinthians 5:8). The nonbiblical festivals of Lent and Easter, added decades after the time of Jesus Christ and the apostles, only cloud the true significance of Christ's life, death and resurrection and the purpose of His coming.

The Passover, instituted in Exodus 12, continues by Jesus Christ's example and command—but with a change of symbols. Jesus' death fulfilled the symbolism of the sacrificial Passover lamb (Matthew 26:17-28; John 1:29). However, the New Testament Passover has been improperly replaced as an annual memorial of the death of Christ by Easter. We are commanded to commemorate Christ's death, not His resurrection (1 Corinthians 11:23-28).

Facts about Jesus' last days

Jesus Christ's promise was fulfilled exactly as He said, a fact that is made clear when we study and compare the Gospel accounts. These records give a clear, logical explanation that is perfectly consistent with Christ's words. Let's focus on Jesus' last days on earth to gain the proper perspective and understanding of how and when these events occurred.

Jesus said that, like the prophet Jonah, He would be entombed three days and three nights and that He would be raised up the third day after His crucifixion and death (Matthew 12:39-40; 17:23; 20:19). Putting these scriptures together, we see that He was resurrected at the end of the third day after His death. Luke 23:44 shows that He died around the ninth hour (Jewish reckoning), or 3 p.m. He would have been buried within the next few hours so that His body could be entombed before the approaching Sabbath (John 19:31).

Jesus' resurrection could not have been
on a Sunday morning because John 20:1-2 shows that He had already risen before Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning, arriving "while it was still dark." Therefore, neither could His death have occurred Friday afternoon, since that would not allow for His body to be in the grave three days and three nights. Clearly, the Good Friday-Easter Sunday explanation and tradition is without scriptural foundation.

Notice also that John 19:31 mentions that the Sabbath immediately after Jesus' death was "a high day"—not the weekly seventh-day Sabbath (from Friday evening to Saturday evening), but one of the annual Sabbaths, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (see Leviticus 23:6-7), which can fall on any day of the week.

In fact, two Sabbaths—first an annual Holy Day and then the regular weekly Sabbath—are mentioned in the Gospel accounts, a detail overlooked by most people. This can be proven by comparing Mark 16:1 with Luke 23:56.

Mark's account tells us, "Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him" (Mark 16:1). However, Luke's account describes how the women who followed Jesus saw how His body was laid in the tomb. "Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils" for the final preparation of the body. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment" (Luke 23:56).

Mark tells us that the women bought the spices after the Sabbath, "when the Sabbath was past." Luke, however, tells us that they prepared the spices and oils, "and they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment." How could the women have bought spices after the Sabbath, yet then prepared them and rested on the same Sabbath?

That is obviously impossible—unless two Sabbaths are involved, with a day between them. Once we realize this, the two accounts become clear (see "The Chronology of Christ's Crucifixion and Resurrection," p. 18). Christ died near 3 p.m. and was placed in the tomb near sunset that day—a Wednesday in the year 31. That evening began the "high day" Sabbath, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which fell on Thursday that year. The women rested on that day, then on Friday purchased and prepared the spices and oils for Jesus' body, which could not be done on either the Holy Day or the weekly Sabbath. They then rested again on the weekly Sabbath before going to the tomb before daybreak on Sunday morning, at which time they discovered that Christ had already been resurrected.

Two Sabbaths confirmed in text

The fact that two Sabbaths are involved is confirmed by Matthew 28:1, where the women went to the tomb "after the Sabbath." The Sabbath mentioned here is actually plural in the original Greek and should be translated "Sabbaths." Some Bible versions, including Alfred Marshall's Interlinear Greek-English New Testament, Ferrar Fenton's translation, Green's Literal Translation and Young's Literal Translation, make this clear.

Once we realize that two Sabbaths were involved—first an annual Holy Day, which was observed from Wednesday evening until Thursday evening, and the normal weekly Sabbath from Friday evening to Saturday evening, the fulfillment of Christ's words becomes clear.

The Savior of all humanity died near 3 p.m. on Wednesday and was buried shortly before sunset that day. From Wednesday sunset to Thursday sunset is one day and one night; from then until Friday sunset is two days and two nights; and from then until Saturday sunset is three days and three nights. Jesus Christ was resurrected at the end of this three-day and three-night period, near sunset on Saturday. Thus He was already risen long before the women came to the tomb before daylight on Sunday morning.

Jesus Christ's words were thus perfectly fulfilled, as verified by the Gospel accounts. He was not crucified on Friday afternoon, nor was He resurrected on a Sunday morning. The biblical evidence shows the Good Friday-Easter Sunday tradition to be a fabrication.

A correct harmonization of all the facts demonstrates that Jesus died near 3 p.m. that Wednesday afternoon, was entombed near sunset and was resurrected near sunset on Saturday, exactly three days and three nights later—just as He had stated. These are the facts, the correct biblical chronology that verifies the identity of Jesus Christ as the Son of God.

The chart on page 18 gives a day-by-day chronology of these events as described in the Gospel accounts.

The biblical festivals

Actually, the principal festivals and holidays observed by mainstream Christendom are a poor and pale reflection of true biblical teachings. Easter and Lent are a poor substitute for the wondrous truths revealed by keeping God's feasts.

The New Testament Church continued to observe the annual Passover to commemorate the death of Jesus Christ, but used the new symbols of bread and wine that He instituted (1 Corinthians 11:23-28). Today the members of the United Church of God commemorate this eminently important event in the same manner, in accordance with Christ's instructions. Again, the Bible contains no record of the Church observing Easter or Lent during the time of the apostles, nor any biblical command to observe Good Friday or Easter Sunday, especially since Christ did not die on Good Friday and was not resurrected on Easter Sunday. Instead, the apostles faithfully followed Christ's instructions to observe the biblical Passover "in remembrance" of Him (Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24-25). GN

Another latter-day, restorationist sect. It’s fitting that when I cut and pasted in “http://www.ucg.org/about/fundamentalbeliefs.htm"; this came up: FILE NOT FOUND.

It must have been user error. This is the url:

http://www.ucg.org/about/fundamentalbeliefs.htm

Here it is hyperlinked: fundamental beliefs

Lev 11:1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them...

Your New Testament certainly doesn't include such a statement. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Mark 16:9 - Now after He had risen early on the first day of the week, He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons. This passage is quite a hurdle to jump over to claim that Christ did not rise on Sunday.

Modern day Saturday night, does not equal Sunday morning "sunrise" services. The "first of weeks" (plural in the Greek) can mean the first day of the week (modern Sunday) which begins at sunset on Saturday, or it can mean the first day counted for the omer, which is the 7 week counting between the Feast of First Fruits and Pentecost.

Regardless, it is not the early morning of Sunday. An example: at sunset on Saturdy night in modern Jerusalem, the city comes alive as all the shops open up. This is when the women would have gone to buy spices... not at 3 in the morning.

God clearly tells Peter to eat unclean meat in the vision, even after Peter's protest. God clearly tells Peter in the vision that what He has cleansed, do not consider Unholy.

Now I agree that God was using this illustration to show Peter that the Gentiles were now clean, but that begs the question of why did He use unclean foods to make this point, why not just tell Peter outright that the Gentiles were clean.

I think God is killing two birds with one stone here, but I also believe He is revealing a truth to us. The mandate for clean and unclean foods in the OT was to set apart the nation of Israel from the other nations. Now that Christ had come, this setting apart was no longer needed. Christ had removed the wall of division between the Gentiles and the Jews. We are now all one in Christ. There is no need for distinction on the national level and there is no need for distinction on the culinary level.

JM

You wrote:

“The fact is, no one was ever executed for adultery.”

At best you’re speculating, and it’s the worst kind of speculation. The woman caught in adultery in John 8 would have been executed if not for Jesus. Do you honestly think that was the only time a person risked execution in centuries and centuries after the law was received? You would have to be very naive to believe that.

Perhaqps you would like to reconcile these two posts of yours in this thread for us? ...

"I think the WHOLE Bible is valid and life-giving. My Savior said something about it:"
"Question, why is Christianity the only religion that negates the front 3/4 of their Scriptures with the back 1/4?"

It might be interesting to hear how you can reconcile making such contradictory posts. Do you really believe Christians believe the last 1/4 of the Bible negates the front 3/4?

So, it is morally allowable for people to wear blends

Yes it is. The Almighty said it, and it stands. But do you know WHY? And do you know what is meant not to mix those two types of cloth? It most certainly does not mean that you cannot wear two types of cloth, and the Hebrew clearly shows that. Add to that, the commandment of "fringes" is a commandment to intertwine two different types of strings (wool and flax) - so there is something quite marvellous in the teaching regarding the mixing of cloth. But... most folks aren't interested...

Scripture doesn't say at what time exactly Christ rose on Sunday, just that He did rise on Sunday. It took place sometime between 6pm Saturday night and 6am Sunday morning our time, which would be on the first day of the week and not on the Sabbath.

Also the first day counted for the Omer and the first day of the week are both Sunday.

JM

The holy days are first mentioned and instructed before the Israelites struck this covenant.

Well, no. The Jewish Holy days can be found here.

Hannukah, for example, "celebrates the victory of the Maccabees over the Syrian army of Antiochus Epiphanes (165 B.C.)."

The feast of Purim celebrates the salvation of the Jews during their exile in Persia.

Unless you've got some different holy days in mind?

You wrote:

“I am quite sorry. I assumed that when you said that some Scriptures were not valid that you meant it.”

I never said that some scriptures were not valid. Like I said - and I did say this - “you just made a fool out of yourself.”

“There’s not enough information to judge whether it’s a moral or practical issue.”
Incorrect. The law is stated and stated simply enough. You already essentially admitted you understood it to mean blends were wrong to wear.

No, I said God had good reasons for the instructions and we should heed them.

So, if you wear them, are you violating the law (the answer has to be YES) and is that morally permissable (the answer to that logically must be NO).

We're approaching this from different perspective and definitions of "law". Without getting into a study about why laws such as this were added to the covenant, it's logical to conclude that the sacrifice of Christ is sufficient to cover circumstances where we may accidentally wear wool/linen blends.

OTOH clearly there's reasons why God said to do this and we shouldn't do it in a Godly society run by God. But we don't live in these types of societies anymore...or yet.

Lacking information, if you want my opinion I don't wear wool/linen blends. And I don't think God is going to smite somebody for doing so. But if someone wears them with the specific intent of disregarding this prohibition then I think they've got deeper issues with God than what they wearing.

Perhaqps you would like to reconcile these two posts of yours in this thread for us? ...

I would be glad to, thank you.

"I think the WHOLE Bible is valid and life-giving.

Shock of shocks. Jesus and the first disciples were OBSERVANT JEWS.

"Question, why is Christianity the only religion that negates the front 3/4 of their Scriptures with the back 1/4?"

Christianity is an INSTITUTION. As an institution, it has historically distanced itself (at best) and persecuted Jews (at worst). As an INSTITUTION it since the days of Justin Martyr (110 CE) attempted to show that the only Scriptural authority they claim is in the New Testament. Problem: 1/4 of the New Testament is either direct quote, or allusion to the "Old Testament" - therefore a theory of Supercessionism was created whereby the "New" replaced the "Old." Only problem with this theory... the Bible itself does not support it - ESPECIALLY the New Testament.

I believe that ALL Scripture is given by inspiration, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man of G0d may be complete, thoroughly equipped for good works.

If the INSTITUTION of Christianity cannot agree with that, then I am not a member of the INSTITUTION called "Christianity." Should a follower of Jesus follow Him obediently? Can a disciple of Jesus imitate Him? Must that follower be a member of the INSTITUTION that annuls the words of the Almighty? Certainly not.

I see. So you're basically saying that Moses spent his time with Jesus, rather than God the Father. Well, I suppose one can make a case for that, but it's just an opinion rather than a clear Scriptural reference.
Your New Testament certainly doesn't include such a statement. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Not really.

Joh 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

Nobody has seen the father except Christ.

1Co 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
1Co 10:2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
1Co 10:3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
1Co 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

Joh 8:56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
Joh 8:57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
Joh 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
Joh 8:59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

I never said that some scriptures were not valid. Like I said - and I did say this - “you just made a fool out of yourself.”

So... what exactly did you mean by this then?

vladimir998 said, Uh, are you sure that they both have the ABSOLUTE SAME authority NOW? In other words, would you support the execution of adulterers? (Lev. 20:10) How about stoning rape victims - if the rape happens inside the city limits? Deuteronomy 22:23-24

You clearly intended to write those words for a reason. You went to the effort to darken those pages in the OLLLLD Testament. Since I say I am misquoting you, maybe you can say what you MEANT by those words, if not to say that some Scriptures no longer have validity?

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