This might help:
Work it. Really put your back into it.
Posted on 04/10/2009 10:32:45 AM PDT by DouglasKC
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.
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").
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.
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).
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.
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.
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
There is no remonstrance because there can be no remonstrance to facts like that.
***I love the allcaps in the quotes from Cardinal Gibbons, as if some fantastic smoking gun had just been unearthed.***
When one grubs in the earth, uncovering dirt and irrelevance, one may acquire the mindset that everyone grubs in the earth.
Your Eighth Day theory is bogus Eisegesis.shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiachSee post 440
From your post #440:
(Alamo-Girl) For the discussion, I’d like to submit that some of the early Christians referred to the worship on the “eighth day” in anticipation of the new heaven and new earth and that the Lord’s Sabbath is also prophecy, referring to Creation week and Christ's millennial reign.
When I do a word study of "eighth day" in the Holy Word of Elohim,shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach
I find dedication through circumcision
and the Feast of Booths and dedication of the temple.
Many believe that Yah'shua was born on Sukkoth
and circumcised on the eighth day feast tying the
two together with the dedication of Yah'shua.I find nothing about the day of the sun or first day however.
Exod. 22:30; Lev. 9:1; 12:3; 14:10, 23; 15:14, 29; 22:27; 23:36, 39;
Num. 6:10; 7:54; 29:35; 1 Ki. 8:66; 2 Chr. 7:9; 29:17; Neh. 8:18;
Ezek. 43:27; Lk. 1:59; Acts 7:8; Phil. 3:5
You didn't look far enough. Alamo-Girl is correct. The Eighth Day and its connection with mia Sabbatwn is referred to by John, who also used the term, The Lord's Day . The connection of this group of terms is documented from the earliest Christian sources, some of which I listed in a previous post. It is clear that these terms had special meaning to the first Christians.
Revelation 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, , and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet.
John 20:19 It being, therefore, Opsios [refer to subsequent commentary] on that day, the ONE at Sabbatwn, and the doors having been shut where the disciples were assembled, through fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and saith to them, `Peace to you;'
John 20:26 And meta Okto Hemera [amid the Eighth Day, or after the Eighth Day], again were his disciples within, and Thomas with them; Jesus cometh, the doors having been shut, and he stood in the midst, and said, `Peace to you!'
"And upon the ONE of the Sabbatwn when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together… When he …. had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed." (AV Text of Acts 20:7)"Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye--upon the ONE of the Sabbatwn let every one of you tithemi by him in store, as God has prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come--and when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem." (AV Text, Chapter16:1-2).
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Other post-Apostolic sources refer the Lord's Day in connection with the Eighth Day as well:
Ignatius, Ad Mag., ix.1, "No longer keeping the Sabbath but living according to the Lord's day, on which also our Light arose"; Ev. Pet., verse 35, "The Lord's day began to dawn" (compare Matthew 28:1); verse 50, "early on the Lord's day" (compare Luke 24:1); Barn 15 9, "We keep the eighth day with gladness," on which Jesus arose from the dead." I.e. Sunday, as the day of Christ's resurrection, was kept as a Christian feast and called "the Lord's day," a title fixed so definitely as to be introduced by the author of Ev. Pet. into phrases from the canonical Gospels. Its appropriateness in Revelation 1:10 is obvious, as John received his vision of the exalted Lord when all Christians had their minds directed toward His entrance into glory through the resurrection.
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Cordially,
I think that the key here is either Apostolic or post Apostolic sources. As the Church grew and began to dissociate themselves from the Jews, necessarily some of the practices diverged as well. Nobody in the Church ever said that the Sabbath practices of the Jews practicing Judaism were wrong; we are not Jews even though we revere them as our elder brethren and the first to hear the Word of God; we cannot go back into the womb.
Cordially,
"Young's Literal Translation": [John 20:19] It being, therefore, "evening", on that day, the first of the sabbaths, and the doors having been shut where the disciples were assembled, through fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and saith to them, 'Peace to you;'
The reason many folks don't understand this terminology about "Evening" and what it meant to the Hebrew people, stems from the fact that it means something totally different to us, in the 21st century.....as well as the translators of the King James Bible in the 16th century.
The Hebrews had "Two" evenings.....every day! Lets look at scripture: [Exodus 12:6] 'And it hath become a charge to you, until the fourteenth day of this month, and the whole assembly of the company of Israel have slaughtered it between the evenings;
[Exodus 16:12] I have heard the murmurings of the sons of Israel; speak unto them, saying, Between the evenings ye eat flesh, and in the morning ye are satisfied with bread, and ye have known that I am Jehovah your God.
[Exodus 29:39] the one lamb thou dost prepare in the morning, and the second lamb thou dost prepare between the evenings;
[Exodus 29:41] 'And the second lamb thou dost prepare between the evenings; according to the present of the morning, and according to its libation, thou dost prepare for it, for sweet fragrance, a fire-offering, to Jehovah:
[Exodus 30:8] and in Aaron's causing the lamps to go up between the evenings, he doth perfume it; a continual perfume before Jehovah to your generations.
[Leviticus 23:5] in the first month, on the fourteenth of the month, between the evenings, is the passover to Jehovah
[Numbers 9:3] in the fourteenth day of this month between the evenings ye prepare it in its appointed season; according to all its statutes, and according to all its ordinances ye prepare it.'
[Numbers 9:5] and they prepare the passover in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, between the evenings, in the wilderness of Sinai; according to all that Jehovah hath commanded Moses, so have the sons of Israel done.
[Numbers 9:11] in the second month, on the fourteenth day, between the evenings they prepare it; with unleavened and bitter things they eat it
[Numbers 28:4] the one lamb thou preparest in the morning, and the second lamb thou preparest between the evenings
[Numbers 28:8] 'And the second lamb thou dost prepare between the evenings; as the present of the morning, and as its libation thou preparest -- a fire-offering, a sweet fragrance to Jehovah
The King James in all these passages simply says....."At evening". This is an incorrect translation! Young's translates it correctly....check the passages here.
Not to be redundant....but I just wanted to list these passages so you would know that the term "Beyn ha Arbayim" was not something I dreamed up. Here is the way it appears in the Hebrew using English script: [Exodus 12:6] .wəhāyâ lāḵem ləmišəmereṯ ‘aḏ ’arəbā‘â ‘āśār ywōm laḥōḏeš hazzeh wəšāḥăṭû ’ōṯwō kōl qəhal ‘ăḏaṯ-yiśərā’ēl bên hā‘arəbāyim: It means......Between the evenings.... and the Hebrews recognized two.....every day!
[Genesis 1:1-5] 1 In the beginning of God's preparing the heavens and the earth -- 2 the earth hath existed waste and void, and darkness is on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God fluttering on the face of the waters, 3 and God saith, 'Let light be;' and light is. 4 And God seeth the light that it is good, and God separateth between the light and the darkness, 5 and God calleth to the light 'Day,' and to the darkness He hath called 'Night;' and there is an evening, and there is a morning -- day one.
What did God call the light? He called it day. What constituted the day? Evening and morning. What did He call the darkness? He called it night......not evening! Evening was part of the daylight.... according to Hebrews. John was a Hebrew.
Now.....let's go back up and review John's passage at the top of my post. When did this "evening" occur? According to Young's Literal Translation it occurred "On that day, The first of the Sabbaths." The King James does get that right as they also say, Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you
Where the King James errs is by saying, "The first day of the week". We all know by now that this really says, "On the first of the Sabbaths". We know that the day of resurrection was the Sabbath, and we now know that the "SAME" day, on the first of the Sabbaths the disciples were meeting behind closed doors......during the daylight hours, between the evenings.......sometime.
"Arbayim" is a dual word. For you in Rio Linda, that means two. There were two evenings. The first evening was at high noon....and the second evening was at sunset. The problem the translators had was in not knowing this and not knowing that the Hebrews called the going down of the sun, anytime after mid day, when it was at its highest. From that point it began going down until about 6 hours later...it set! Between the evenings was about 3:00 P.M. and coincidentally.....just about the time Our Savior died. The lambs were slaughtered in the temple on Passover at 3:00 P.M. also.....and this process continued till sunset.
Most Biblical references are done with a Christian perspective and the problem is......most Christians have no idea regarding Hebrew customs. The Apostles were all Hebrew. Our Lord was Hebrew. The scriptures were written from a Hebrew perspective.
Josephus [Wars of the Jews; Book VI; Chapter Nine; Part 3] So these high priests, upon the coming of that feast which is called the Passover, when they slay their sacrifices, from the ninth hour (3:00 P.M.) till the eleventh (sunset), but so that a company not less than ten belong to every sacrifice, (for it is not lawful for them to feast singly by themselves,)
Hebrew: between the two evenings. "The Hebrews divided the day into morning and evening: till the sun passed the meridian, all was morning or forenoon; after that, all was evening or afternoon. Their first evening began just after twelve o'clock, and continued till sunset; their second evening began at sunset, and continued till night, i.e., during the whole time of twilight; between twelve o'clock, therefore, and the termination of twilight, the passover was to be offered." (Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, Exodus 12:6)
So.....you see....when John says "that evening....the same day".....he was referring to sometime between noon and sunset.......on the Sabbath!
You totally ignore the what the scriptures actually SAY. The chronology is very clear. The women saw where they were burying Jesus, then went home and prepared the spices and celebrated the Sabbath immediately there after. IF there was a non-sabbath day between the weekly and Passover two things would have happened. 1. The body would have been anointed that day - bodies decay rapidly there - remember Lazereth - after 4 days he 'stinketh'. Secondly Jesus' followers would have bugged out under fear of prosecution - the two followers going to Emmaus makes that clear.
If the crucifixion occurred in 33 A.D. as some erroneously believe the women would have then had to purchase the spices [Mark 16:1], return home and prepare them [Luke 23:56] doing all of this prior to sunrise on Sunday morning because that's the time they appeared at the tomb......with the spices! This means that after the weekly Sabbath ended (sundown Saturday) they would have to do all of this on Saturday night.
Yet that is the gospel account Diego -
Luke 23: 55 And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.
56 And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.
Excuse me Diego - where, pray tell, is this extra day to be found in this passage???? The gospel narrative does not allow for the speculative extra biblical twisting and turning you are exhibiting here.
AD 30 fails to even come close to meeting the gospel narrative.
This might help:
Work it. Really put your back into it.
First of all what do you think Jesus meant here:
Mat 12:39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah:
Mat 12:40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
The Jewish understanding of Jonah was that he was in the fish a literal 3 days and 3 nights. A time period approximately equal to 72 hours.
Being put in the tomb just before sunset Friday and arising BEFORE sunrise Sunday is not even close to 72 hours. So many choose to "shoehorn" Christ in the grave into a much shorter time frame than he predicted. I think it's wise to believe Christ, not tradition.
So back to this verse:
Luke 23:55 And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.
56 And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.
If Christ went into the grave just before sunset on Friday, the beginning of the sabbath, then how did the women have any time at all to prepare the spices and ointments BEFORE the sabbath began at sunset. They couldn't do this type of work on the sabbath. Preparing the spices and ointments was a laborious task.
Compare this:
Mar 16:1 Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.
Now we see that they bought spices AFTER the sabbath. The earliest they could have BOUGHT spices would have been at sunset Saturday under the Friday death scenario. But that would make it impossible to PREPARE the spices AND REST before the sabbath.
If one is to believe the traditional view, then Mark and Luke contradict each other.
What happened was as Diego explained. He went into the tomb just before sunset on Wednesday. Sunday began the high holy day of the first day of unleavened bread.
The women had no time to buy or prepare spices. From sunset Wednesday to sunset Thursday there was no opportunity to buy spices. Nothing was being sold. Observant Jews were observing the Lord's holy day.
Friday was the day that the women bought the spices and prepared them. This wasn't a 5 minute job. They had to travel to the proper vendors, buy the needed things, and prepare them. And this was in addition to the regular sabbath preparation which was considerable. I don't think that people appreciate just how MUCH the Jews had built a hedge around the sabbath. NO work was to be done. Preparation day was a day of double work. All food to be eaten on the sabbath had to be prepared in addition to a myriad of other chores that couldn't be done.
...which is quite irrelevant since Christ was crucified on a Friday.
According to tradition, not scripture.
According to tradition and Scripture, but not your own personal interpretation of Scripture.
I'm not the one who wrote the bible. It's clear. The words of Jesus, if one believes and accepts what he said, makes clear how long he was in the tomb:
Mat 12:39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah:
Mat 12:40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
One sign Jesus gave to an evil and adulterous generation. Adulterous wasn't physical adultery, but spiritual. They had left the teachings of God a long time ago and instituted their own traditions. One sign, and one sign only. Just as Jonah WAS in the fish three days and three nights so too would Jesus be three days and three nights in the earth.
The jews feared this coming true. Today people deny that it's true.
Matthew 12:40 is figuative, unless you believe Christ was buried at the center of the globe.
You mean Jesus wasn't being literal there, but figurative?
Interesting comment. Do protestants accept the authority of the Catholic church in this matter?
Here is an interesting comment from Cardinal Gibbon’s book, “Faith of Our Fathers,” 110th ed., p. 89: “You may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and YOU WILL NOT FIND A SINGLE LINE AUTHORIZING THE SANCTIFICATION OF SUNDAY. THE SCRIPTURES ENFORCE THE RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE OF SATURDAY, a day which we never sanctify.”
On September 23, 1893, Cardinal Gibbons also made this statement in the “Catholic Mirror:” “The CATHOLIC CHURCH for over one thousand years before the existence of a Protestant, by virtue of her divine mission, CHANGED THE DAY FROM SATURDAY TO SUNDAY ... THE CHRISTIAN Sabbath (Sunday) IS, therefore, to this day, THE ACKNOWLEDGED OFFSPRING OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH as the spouse of the Holy Ghost, without a word of remonstrance from the Protestant world.
I agree 100% with Cardinal Gibbons statements. The move from the 7th day sabbath instituted by God to the 1st day holiday instituted by man is based solely on the tradition and the authority of the Catholic church with no scriptural support.
The move from the 7th day sabbath instituted by God to the 1st day holy day instituted by the Church founded by Christ is based on Scripture and the Tradition of the Catholic Church, which is all the support necessary.
Why would Christians worship on the feast day of the pagan god Saturn, rather than the day of Christ’s Resurrection?
The word translated "earth" is more properly understood as "soil, land" etc. A tomb carved into the earth would certainly qualify.
But what's the point? Do you think Jesus is saying that Jonah wasn't really in the fish 3 days and 3 nights and so he wouldn't really be buried 3 days and 3 nights?
Not as the "heart of" the earth.
Do you think Jesus is saying that Jonah wasn't really in the fish 3 days and 3 nights and so he wouldn't really be buried 3 days and 3 nights?
Christ is merely associating His death and Resurrection with the Jonah typology, for those with eyes to see and ears to hear.
He often spoke in metaphors, and there is no reason to believe He meant to lock us into a rigidly-delineated, strictly-defined 72-hour period.
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