What is THE TRUTH ABOUT EASTER?
Church tradition has dictated the date of many Christian events and distorted the meaning of others.
The fact is that Christ was not crucified on Friday, nor did he rise on Sunday morning.
Matthew 12:40 For as Jonas 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.
John 11:9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.
12 Hours in a day & 12 hours in a night = 24 hours x 3 = 72 hours
According to tradition, Jesus died on the cross at 3:00 PM on Friday and rose very early Sunday morning.
How can three days and three nights be compressed in such a short time span?
Most Christians simply ignore the obvious problem and hold the traditional view.
Nowhere in the Bible does it say that Jesus was crucified and died on Friday.
This is because the Bible says that Jesus was crucified on the day before the Sabbath.
Mark 15:42 and now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath.
There were other Sabbaths beside the weekly Sabbath (Saturday).
The first day of the Passover week no matter what day it may be.
Exodus 12:16 and in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.
Lev 23:7 in the first day ye shall have a holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
The Passover Sabbath, falling on the 15th of Nisan, which came on Thursday the year that Christ, died.
It was not accidental that Christ died during the Passover.
The Bible tells us that Jesus was tried and crucified as the preparation of the Passover was going on.
John 19:14 and it was the preparation of the Passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King:
Christ was not tried and crucified before the weekly Sabbath (Friday), but the day before the Passover Sabbath.
In the year falling on Thursday, therefore, the only conclusion we can make is that Christ was crucified on Wednesday.
John tells us that Jesus ate the Passover the evening before and that he himself died on the cross at the very moment that the Passover lambs were being killed between the two evening on the 14th of Nisan Jesus the real paschal lamb, whom all other paschal lambs offered through the centuries were only types, was therefore slain at the very time appointed of God.
He would not eat the Passover lamb on the Passover day, for he was the Passover lamb.
Exodus 12:3 speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for the house:
Exodus 12:6 and ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.
Jesus was killed on the 14th of Nisan.
He was not crucified on the Passover day but on the preparation of the Passover, and that he was to be three days and three nights in the grave, and as the preparation of the Passover that year would be Wednesday and his resurrection early on the first day of the week.
This allows exactly three days and three nights in the grave. Jesus died some time after 3:00 PM on Wednesday and was placed in the tomb before dark or at the beginning of a new day, Thursday (remember that the day started at 6:00 PM). Wednesday night, Thursday night, and Friday night makes three nights. Thursday, Friday and Saturday day takes care of the three days.
So at the beginning of the first day of the week which is Sunday, which started at 6:00 PM Saturday night our time, Jesus rose from the grave.
John 19:42 There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.
John 20:1 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
It was DARK on Sunday….
The statement that Jesus made was literally true (Matthew 12:40), his body lay in the sepulcher three days and three nights, but he himself went into paradise and declared that the perfect sacrifice had been made and then led the O.T. saints out of that place and Paradise has been moved into the third heaven. (Ephesians 4:8-10; II Corinthians 12:2)
I Peter 3:18 for Christ also hath one suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, and quickened by the Spirit:
I Peter 3:19 by which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
If we take exactly what the Bible teaches, we see the marvelous fulfillment of prophecy and O.T. typology, on the other hand, if we accept the church tradition, we rob Christ of essential glory. In fact if the traditional good Friday/Easter morning tradition not only robs Christ, it also neglects the clear teaching of God’s word, thus placing it beneath everything about the Passover lamb that Jesus was a picture of:
1. A lamb without spot or blemish. (Exodus 12:5 your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year.)
2. A lamb chosen on the 10th day of Nisan. (Exodus 12:3 in the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb.)
It was he 10th day of the month, the preceding Saturday, that the triumphal entry into Jerusalem was made, and not on Palm Sunday as tradition suggests.
This is clear since Jesus came from Jericho to Bethany six day before the Passover.
John 12:1 then Jesus six day before the Passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.
This would have been Friday that he made the trip from Jericho to Bethany.
If the church’s Palm Sunday were historically correct, it would mean that Jesus made a trip on the Sabbath (six days before Friday) in violation of the law.
Exodus 16:29 see, for that the Lord hath given you the Sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.
Bethany was a Sabbath’s day journey from Jerusalem.
Acts 1:12 then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a Sabbath day’s journey.
Jesus entered Jerusalem on the next day.
John 12:12 on the next day much people that were come to the feast, when thy heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.
It was also the same day that Judas went to the chief priest and offered to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:6-16; Mark 14:3-11).
That evening (Friday night), Jesus and his disciples were at dinner at Simon the Leper’s house.
That same night (now Saturday, 10th of Nisan, remember that the days begins at sunset), Judas sold Jesus the fulfillment of prophecy.
Zech 11:12 and I said unto them, if ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear, So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.
There is absolutely nothing is favor of a Friday crucifixion or any verses to support it.
On the other hand, everything scripture offers on the time of the Lord’s crucifixion points to Wednesday:
Matthew 26:61 And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.
Matthew 27:40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself.
If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
Matthew 27:63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.
Mark 8: 31 And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
Mark 9: 31 For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.
Today 2 Tim 2:7 Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.
2 Tim 2:8 Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel:
Rom 1:3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
Rom 1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
1 Cor 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
1 Cor 15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
The importance- 1 Cor 15:12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
1 Cor 15:13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:
1 Cor 15:14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
1 Cor 15:15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
1 Cor 15:16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
1 Cor 15:17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
1 Cor 15:18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
1 Cor 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
The Mystery truth only in Paul writings.
1 Cor 15:51 Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
1 Cor 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1 Cor 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
1 Cor 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
1 Cor 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
1 Cor 15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
1 Cor 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Cor 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
1 Th 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
1 Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1 Th 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
1 Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1 Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1 Th 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
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