Easter Sunday was a fun day when I was a child. Who doesn't like a treasure hunt? We decorated eggs, wrote names on them, and hid them from one another. Then we set out to find those with our names on them. Sometimes we would go to larger treasure hunts where dozens of children ran about looking for any egg to add to their basket. It all seemed like harmless fun. Who could possibly be against it? But, we never stopped to ask, Why are we doing this?
What does it have to do with the resurrection of Christ? How do eggs and rabbits fit into the picture? Where does the name Easter come from? And are any of these questions even relevant? What difference does any of this make? Sadly, too many adults never ask these questions. It almost seems sacrilegious to question such longstanding traditions. But is it? On today's Tomorrow's World program, I'll answer these questions.
I'll also show you from the Bible what was the only sign Jesus said He would give, that He was the One He claimed to be-- the Son of God-- and how Easter traditions contradict that sign. I'll also be offering you an informative resource that answers the questions: On what day was Jesus crucified and on what day was He resurrected? If you think the crucifixion was on Friday and the resurrection on Sunday morning, you could not be more wrong, and I'll prove it to you from the pages of the Bible.
As we so often say, "Don't believe us just because we say it. Believe it because you can prove it for yourself from the pages of your own Bible." So, dust off your Bible and have writing material available to jot down the scriptures, and also to order our free resource, Easter: the Untold Story. ♪ A warm welcome to all of you from all of us here at Tomorrow's World. On today's program, I'm asking and answering questions about the holiday known as Easter.
I'll also show you from the pages of your own Bible that Jesus was not crucified on Friday, nor was He resurrected on Sunday morning. Now I know that is a shock to many, but you can prove it for yourself, and you need to, because that tradition contradicts Jesus' own words about the one sign He said He would give, that would show that He is the Messiah. But before we get to that, let's notice some other traditions that ought to make any thinking person sit up and ask some serious questions.
Why, for example, is the holiday that supposedly celebrates the resurrection of Christ, named after a pagan goddess? Think about that. Why?
Here's some documented history that you can read in our free resource, Easter: The Untold Story: The New World Encyclopedia suggests a connection between Eostre and Easter with the very popular and ancient goddess Ishtar: "Scholars likewise speculate that Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of Spring whose name later gave rise to the modern English 'Easter,' may be etymologically connected to Ishtar."
Interestingly, the Melkite Greek Catholic Church admits this about the origin of the name Easter, but gives a slightly different spelling from
"The word 'Easter' comes from Old English and refers to the Norse Goddess of Fertility, 'Istra'--who was symbolized by a rabbit." Thus the connection between Easter and rabbits, but why was Istra symbolized by a rabbit? Historians confirm that this goddess, spelled variously as Ishtar and Istra, was known as the goddess of fertility, and the rabbit is a well-known fertility symbol. The rabbit is not the only fertility symbol passed down from antiquity.
The Oxford Companion to World Mythology explains this about Easter: "The holiday comes in the early Spring and is clearly related to ancient fertility myths of reborn heroes. For many, Easter is synonymous with fertility symbols such as the Easter Rabbit, Easter eggs, and the Easter lily...." Now that's from our resource, Easter: the Untold Story, which can be yours free for the asking.
In addition to blending pagan customs and traditions into the worship of the true God, contrary to God's command, we find that even the part of Easter that supposedly comes from the Bible is terribly flawed. Most people believe that Jesus was crucified on a Friday, put in the tomb in the late afternoon of that day, and then He rose early Sunday morning. But is this what the Bible tells us?
After all, it is the Bible that is the only source that can properly answer this question; so what does it actually say? Let's begin in Matthew 12:38... "Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." Consider. Jesus said that no sign will be given to that generation except for the sign of Jonah: Jesus would be in the grave the exact same length of time as Jonah was in the belly of a great fish. And what was that time? Three days and three nights.
Now try as you might, you cannot come up with three days and three nights between Friday afternoon and Sunday morning. Even if you count parts of days you still come up short, but let's try. Scripture tells us Jesus was put in the tomb right at sunset, but some count a few minutes on Friday before sunset as day one. Friday night would be one night; the daylight portion of Saturday would be the second day and Saturday night would make the second night.
Now if Jesus rose Sunday morning after sunrise we might count that as day three, but where is the third night? It just isn't there. So, we must conclude one of three possibilities regarding the Good Friday/ Easter Sunday tradition: 1. Jesus was wrong and He is not our Savior 2. The Good Friday/Easter Sunday tradition is wrong Or, 3. We have not properly understood the sign Jesus gave It has to be one of these three, so which is it?
I'll answer that question in a moment, but first I want to show you how you can order our free resource-- Easter: The Untold Story. Jesus was in constant conflict with the religious leaders of His day who placed tradition over the Word of God. Is it any different today? Why is it dear friends, that modern Christianity rejects clear statements of Scripture, to perpetuate pagan traditions?
Easter: The Untold Story documents the sources for many of these traditions, but more importantly proves from the Bible that Jesus did fulfill the one sign that He said He would give, proving that He truly is the Son of God. As with all our resources, Easter: The Untold Story can be yours free of charge. No one will ask you for money as it has already been paid for by members of Living Church of God and our co-workers.
I'll be back in a minute to explain why the Good Friday/Easter Sunday tradition does not square with the Bible, but how the sign that Jesus said He would give does square with the Bible. So don't go away. ♪ For today's free offer call... Or go to... This clear and straight-forward resource will help you understand this vital truth-- straight from the pages of the Bible. If you're calling for the first time, you will also receive a free annual subscription to Tomorrow's World magazine.
Six inspiring issues discussing news, science, and modern culture will help you make sense of your world from a biblical perspective. Call today and join millions around the world who are turning to Tomorrow's World for truth, prophecy, and hope in these confusing times. Call now! Or go to... ♪ Welcome back. Prior to the break I pointed out that the Good Friday crucifixion and Easter Sunday resurrection does not fit the scriptural record.
Jesus said He would be in the tomb three days and three nights. And try as you might, you cannot come up with three days and three nights between Friday afternoon and Sunday morning. So, we must conclude one of three possibilities regarding the Good Friday/ Easter Sunday tradition: 1. Jesus was wrong and He is not our Savior 2. The Good Friday/Easter Sunday tradition is wrong Or, 3. We have not properly understood the sign Jesus gave So, which of these three is correct?
If Jesus was wrong, we have a serious problem. But that is exactly what one source claims. Have we properly understood the sign? So let's read from Matthew the twelfth chapter, and see what it says once again. "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."
Did Jesus literally mean three days and three nights? As shocking as this may be, The Abingdon Bible Commentary bluntly tells us Jesus was mistaken: The statement made is inaccurate, for Jesus was in the grave only from Friday evening to Sunday dawn. However, most commentators do not accept the statement to be literal. Why? It's primarily because they do not want to give up tradition and they need to find a way to make the scriptures fit their tradition.
Instead they allege that a day and night combined simply means a single 24 hour day and any part of a day is sufficient. However, we must remember that Jesus' words were recorded in the Greek language, and it may be true that the Greek expression used in this verse means parts of three days, although as I've just read, The Abingdon Bible Commentary rejects that idea. But, there is a greater problem here. Matthew 12:40 is not dependent on one language alone.
More importantly, we must remember what Jesus said in Matthew 12:40... "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." So how long was Jonah in the belly of the fish? We learn from Jonah 1:17 the following: "And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights."
The book of Jonah was written in the Hebrew language, and we must look to that language and its common usage to understand this expression. Appendix 144 in The Companion Bible explores the meaning of three days and three nights in Hebrew usage. After giving a technical explanation, it sums it up this way: Hence, when it says that "Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights" (Jonah 1:17) it means exactly what it says, and that this can be the
only meaning of the expression in Matt. 12:40.... Now this is the first reason that we know that Jesus' claim means a full three days and three nights. So Proof #1 is: The meaning of Matthew 12:40 is not dependent on one language alone. But there's a second proof. Proof #2: 72 hours is the only time that can satisfy all the statements that Jesus made on how long He would be in the grave. Jesus spoke of His body figuratively as "this temple."
Notice it beginning in John 2:19: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" But He was speaking of the temple of His body." In three days means that it has to be within three days, but on other occasions it is recorded that He would be resurrected to life "after three days." Notice it in Mark 8:31...
"And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again." Now following His resurrection, He explained to His disciples what had happened and why. We read this in Luke 24:46... Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day...."
So here we have three different expressions that help us understand how long He was in the tomb: "In three days" "After three days" "The third day" When we put these expressions together with The Companion Bible's explanation about the meaning of three days and three nights, there can be only one time that fits all four expressions--exactly 72 hours; not a minute before or a minute after. The time is exact.
But there's a third proof that He would be in the tomb a full three days and three nights, and that is: #3: The biblical chronology of events. And this dear friends is what I consider the most exciting and definitive statement on the subject. You can't get around it; yet, it's something few people understand. And one reason for that is because most professing Christians have rejected the Festivals and Holy Days that are found in the Bible and have substituted pagan traditions.
I'll explain exactly what I mean after a short 15 second break to let you know how you can order your free copy of Easter: The Untold Story. All you have to do is call the toll free number that will be shown on your screen, or go to TWTV.ORG/Easter. You need this eye-opening resource that gives the true story of the crucifixion and resurrection, so take down the toll free number to order your free copy of Easter: The Untold Story.
And when I come back in 15 seconds, I'll take you through the scriptures that prove conclusively the chronology of the crucifixion and resurrection of our Savior. ♪ This clear and straight-forward resource will help you understand this vital truth-- straight from the pages of the Bible. Call now! Or go to... ♪ Why is it that most assume that Jesus was crucified on Friday?
The truth is that many have no idea, other than that is what they have been taught, but for those who know a little more about the Bible, they're familiar with the fact that He was crucified on the day leading up to a Sabbath. For example, we have Luke's statement in chapter 23, beginning verse 52 where it describes how Joseph of Arimathea buried Jesus: "This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before. That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near." As all students of the Bible know, the biblical Sabbath begins at sunset on Friday and ends at sunset on Saturday. And so it would appear therefore that Jesus was crucified on Friday morning and put in the grave very late Friday afternoon, but are we missing something?
Many errors that we make are the result of a carelessly assumed false assumption and this is the case on this subject. There's no doubt that Jesus was crucified on the Preparation day for a Sabbath, but the carelessly assumed assumption is that it was the weekly Sabbath. But was it? What many call the Lord's supper, or the last supper, was in fact the Passover. There can be no doubt about this, although some scholars try to say otherwise.
But Matthew, Mark, and Luke all call Jesus' final supper with His disciples, the Passover. Let's just take a look at one of them, take a look at Luke's account, beginning in chapter 22 and verse 7: "Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed. And He sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat."
So they said to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare?" And He said to them, "Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters. Then you shall say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says to you, "Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"' So they went and found it just as He had said to them, and they prepared the Passover.
When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer." Can there be any doubt that the last supper was indeed the Passover? The Passover was a very special day, but it was not a Sabbath day. However, the day that follows the Passover is a Sabbath day. Notice this from Leviticus 23: "On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the LORD's Passover.
And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it." We know from this that the day following the Passover was a high day, an annual Sabbath day where customary work was not to be done. Remember that God counts time from sunset to sunset.
Jesus kept the Passover with His disciples at the beginning of the Passover day [shortly after sunset], He was then put in the grave at the end of Passover day, just before sunset.
When the sun set that evening, it was the first day of Unleavened Bread, an annual High Day Sabbath; and this is exactly what the Apostle John reveals in John 19:31: "Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath [and note this] (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away." Why is this not generally known?
Why is it that you have likely never heard this in today's professing Christianity? Some try to equate the "high day" as meaning that the weekly Sabbath was a double Sabbath-- both the weekly Sabbath and the annual Sabbath beginning the Feast of Unleavened Bread. However, there's a huge problem with this, and I'll explain what that is in the last portion of today's program. But first I want to mention one more time today's offer: Easter: The Untold Story.
This free resource goes into everything I'm explaining here today --and much more. It gives you the chance to look up every Scripture necessary to understand this topic. So if you're serious about knowing what the Bible really says about the crucifixion and resurrection, about the only sign Jesus gave to prove He is Savior of the world, you need our well-documented booklet-- Easter: The Untold Story.
So order today, and after this short break I'll show you from the Bible, that the crucifixion/resurrection account includes two Sabbaths that week. ♪ For today's free offer call... Or go to... This clear and straight-forward resource will help you understand this vital truth-- straight from the pages of the Bible. If you're calling for the first time, you will also receive a free annual subscription to Tomorrow's World magazine.
Six inspiring issues discussing news, science, and modern culture will help you make sense of your world from a biblical perspective. Call today and join millions around the world who are turning to Tomorrow's World for truth, prophecy, and hope in these confusing times. Call now! Or go to... ♪ Before the break I said that I would show you from the Bible itself that the crucifixion/resurrection account includes two Sabbaths that week.
But let me review John 19:31 once again as it is critical to understanding: "Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away." And as explained, the high day was an annual Sabbath, not the weekly Sabbath. Now let's notice Mark 16:1.
"Now when the Sabbath was past, [notice that it was after the Sabbath] Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him." But Luke 23:54-56 tells us they prepared the spices and then rested on the Sabbath. "That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near. And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils.
And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment." Now think about it, dear friends. You cannot prepare the spices before you possess them. Mark tells us that the Sabbath (in this case the annual Sabbath) was almost there. Therefore, they had to wait until after that Sabbath to buy the spices. But then Luke tells us they prepared them and rested on the Sabbath [in this case, it was the weekly Sabbath].
These two passages give infallible proof that there were two Sabbaths that week with an ordinary day in between. This is the only way to understand these verses. Either there were two Sabbaths, with an ordinary day in between, or the Bible contradicts itself. Now let me diagram this for you. Jesus kept the Passover with His disciples after sunset on Tuesday evening. He was taken into custody later that night and crucified on Wednesday.
He was put in the tomb right before sunset, late Wednesday afternoon. Now let's count three days and three nights. Wednesday at sunset began the annual high day Sabbath and Wednesday night was the first night. The daylight portion of Thursday was still the annual High Day Sabbath and was the first day. The Sabbath ended at sunset. And it was on this day between the two Sabbaths that the women bought and prepared the spices.
Thursday night is our second night and the daylight portion of Friday is our second day, an ordinary day. When the sun set Friday afternoon the weekly Sabbath began. Friday night is our third night and Saturday is our third day. And Jesus was raised from the grave late Saturday afternoon (right before sunset), but the women did not come until early the next morning (what is commonly called Sunday) and when they arrived, He was already gone.
Our booklet--Easter: The Untold Story--explains all of this in detail and gives you the scriptures so you can look them up in your own Bible, so be sure to order your free copy today. And be sure to join us again next week when Richard Ames, Wallace Smith, Rod McNair and I will continue to show you the plain truth from the pages of your Bible. See you next week. ♪ For today's free offer call... Or go to...
Call today and join millions around the world who are turning to Tomorrow's World for truth, prophecy, and hope in these confusing times. ♪ The preceding program is produced by the Living Church of God. ♪