According to the New Testament Scriptures, Jesus Christ fulfilled the Old Testament sacrifice of the Passover. What is the meaning and purpose of the Passover for Christians? What does the Good Friday-Easter Sunday celebration with its colored eggs, bunnies, hot cross buns, sunrise services and communion have to do with the Passover Jesus Christ fulfilled? Which should true Christians keep today?
Read: Acts 12:1-4 (KJV)
Q. Is Easter mentioned in the Bible? (KJV verse 4)
Q. What time of year was James killed and Peter thrown into prison? (vs. 2-4)
Q. What does the Bible say about keeping the customs of the Gentiles? (Lev. 18:30; 2 Kgs 17:7-17; Jer 10:1-3; 44:2-6; Eze. 8:5-17)
Q. Are these customs or traditions a form of idolatry? (Eze. 14:2-8)
Read: Luke 2:41-51
Q. Did Jesus and His parents keep the Passover? (vs.41)
Q. When Jesus stayed after the feast did His parents understand? (vs. 50)
Q. Did He obey his parents? (vs. 51)
Read Matthew 26:17-21 and 1 Corinthians 5:7-8
Q. Did Jesus' disciples keep the Passover and feast of unleavened bread? When? (Matt. 26:19; Lk 22:15; Lev.23:5-6)
Q. When did Jesus get together with His disciples? (Vs. 17,20)
Q. Did Paul also keep the Passover and feast of unleavened bread? (1 Cor. 5:8)
Read: John 2:13 and Luke 22:14-20
Q. Why did John call the Passover the Jews Passover? Was it because the Jews kept it? (John 2:13)
Q. Did Jesus know this would be His last Passover? (Lk 22:15-16, Jn 13:1-2)
Q. Who was going to betray Him? (Jn 13:2)
Q. Why did Judas betray Him? (Jn 13:2 and 12:4-6)
Q. Did Jesus change the Old Testament Passover? (Lk. 22:15-20; Heb.10:16-19)
Read: Mark 14:12, Luke 22:13-15 and 23:44-46
Q. When on the 14th of Nisan did Jesus and His disciples keep the New Covenant Passover? (Mark 14:12,17-18 [in the evening at the beginning of the 14th - the biblical day begins at sunset in the evening - Gen 1:5; Lev 23:32])
Q. Why did they keep it in the evening at the beginning of the 14th? (Lk 22:14-16) Was it because He Had to institute it before He suffered and fulfilled it according to the Scriptures? (Luke 24:44; John 19:28)
Q. When was Jesus crucified? (6th to 9th hour of the day, Lk 23:44-46; Jn 19:14-18; Ex. 12:6)
Read: John 2:18-22 and Matthew 12:38-40
Q. What did the Jews ask from Jesus as proof He was the Son of God? (John 2:18)
Q. What sign did Jesus give them? (vs. 19 and Matt. 12:39-40)
Q. What did He mean by "this temple"? (John 2:21)
Q. Traditional "Christianity" observes a "Good Friday-Easter Sunday" to commemorate the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus said He would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. How many days and nights are there between sunset Friday and sunrise Sunday? (Mat 12:40 [2 nights and 1 day])
Q. Does a "Good Friday" crucifixion Sunday morning resurrection fulfill the only sign Jesus gave to the scribes and Pharisees to prove His Messiahship?
Q. Passover, the 14th, is a preparation day for the first Sabbath High Day of the feast (John 19:14,31). What day was Jesus put in the sepulcher (tomb)? (Luke 23:53-54; John 19:42) [Wednesday the 14th of Nisan before sunset, still the preparation day]
Q. Counting 3 days and 3 nights (three 24 hr days) from Wednesday evening before sunset comes to what day and time? [Sabbath evening before sunset]
Q. What Sabbath began right after Jesus was put in the tomb? (Lk 23:54; John 19:31,42) [High Day Sabbath - the 15th of Nisan]
Q. Which day did the women rest before they bought and prepared spices and ointments? (Mk 16:1; They bought the spices after resting on the Sabbath High Day - Lk 23:55-56; 24:1 should correctly read, "...and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they went back to prepare spices and ointments, but rested even this Sabbath according to the commandment." Remember this Sabbath was the High Day, on Thursday the 15th of Nisan - They would have bought and prepared the spices and ointments on Friday and rested again on the weekly Sabbath]
Q. Which day did they return to the tomb with the spices they prepared? (Lk 24:1) [the first day of the week, very early Sunday morning]
Q. How many days passed from the time Jesus was laid in the tomb until they returned early in the morning on the first day of the week? (Lk 24:7 - more than 3 days, so He had already risen the evening before as He had said He would)
Read: Roman 6:7-12,23 and Hebrews 10:3-4
Q. What is the purpose of sacrifices? (Heb. 10:3; Gal 3:19,24)
Q. Can animal sacrifices take away sin? (vs. 4)
Q. What is the result of sin? (Eze. 18:4; Rom. 6:23)
Q. Does death free us from sin? (Rom 6:7-12,23 - When we die, we reaped the penalty for sin, but through Christ's sacrifice we can receive the gift of God, which is the resurrection to eternal life - see also John 5:21,25-29)
Read: Hebrews 9:27-28 and 1 Peter 2:24
Q. What was the purpose of Jesus Christ's sacrifice? (Heb. 9:27-28; 1 Pet 2:24)
Read: John 13:3-17
Q. To begin the Passover service what did Jesus do as an example for His disciples? (Vs. 4-5, 15)
Q. Did His disciples understand what He was doing? (Vs. 6-9)
Q. Why did He wash their feet? (Vs. 12-15)
Q. What did Jesus promise for following His example? (Vs. 16--17)
Read: 1 Corinthians 11:20-26 and Luke 22:17-20
Q. Is Passover service the "Lord's Supper"? (1 Cor 11:20)
Q. What symbols did Jesus institute for the New Testament (covenant) Passover? (vs. 23-25)
Q. What do these symbols represent? (vs. 24-26; Lk 22: 19-20)
Q. What does Easter Sunday teach? (Jeremiah 7:17-19; Matthew 15:3; Mark 7:5-9,13)
Read: 1 Corinthians 11:26-32
Q. What warnings did Paul give for taking the Passover with wrong attitudes or in an unworthy manner? (1 Cor 11:26-32)
Read: John 3:3-18
Q. What does the Passover teach us about God's love? (John 3:16; 13:34; 1 Jn 3:1)
Copyright: 3/1/97 - Serf Publishing, Inc., 1/24/08
The word Easter is found only once in the KJV of the Bible. It was mistranslated from the Greek word "Pascha" which is derived from the OT Hebrew "pecach" meaning Passover. In all other places and most versions of the Bible this word is correctly translated as "Passover."]
Back
The origin and traditions of Easter are mentioned in the Old Testament including sunrise services, easter cakes, etc. - The name Easter is a Teutonic translation which comes from the name of The queen of heaven (Jeremiah 44:16-25) who was originally Ishtar (other names include Astarte, Ashtoreth (Judges 10:6), etc.), wife of Nimrod (Genessis 10:8-12), who founded pagan religious cults. She represented the "mother goddess" and goddess of fertility of the Gentiles (heathens). Tammuz (Ezekiel 8:14) is another name for Nimrod, who was the son of Cush and Ishtar and he married his mother Ishtar. He was also called Adonis by the Greeks and Osiris by the Egyptians. see Unger's Bible Dictionary - Gods, False.]
Back
Dan. 9:24-27 prophesied Jesus would be crucified (cut off) in the midst ( middle) (after 3 1/2 years of His ministry - from fall of 27 AD to spring of 31 AD) of a prophetic week of years and also in the midst of a literal 7 day week (Wednesday). Passover (14th of the first month-Abib (Nisan) Ex. 12:6; 23:15) occurred on a Wednesday in 31 AD. No Passover occurred on a Friday during His entire ministry.]
[Note: The 69 prophetic weeks of Daniel 9:25 is 483 years (a prophetic week is 7 years and 7 X 69 = 483 years - Lev 25:8; 26:28,34; Num 14:34). The years began in 457 BC when King Artaxerxes sent Ezra forth with the command to restore and build Jerusalem (Ezra 7:12-25). Jesus Christ began His ministry 483 years later in the Fall of 27 AD (there was no year 0) in the beginning of a Jubile year(Lk. 4:14-21). His ministry lasted 3 1/2 years to Passover 31 AD.]
Back