Wednesday 5 April – Sunday 9 April 30 CE Pesach or Passover versus Easter

Wednesday April the 5th of the year 30 CE Jesus came together in an upperroom in Jerusalem city. There he took bread and wine and offered it to his disciples as a symbol of a New Covenant sealed by his blood. It was the 14th of Nisan, the first month of the year 3791. On that same day, in our calendar Thursday 6th of April at 3 p.m. Jesus died. His life ended and because the next day being a holy day he was quickly removed to be put in a grave. Three days he stayed in the grave, “three days in hell” or “between the dead”.

Three days after his death, Jesus was taken out of the dead, raised from the dead, as an example also to what can happen to every other human being as well. His resurrection on Sunday the 9th (or still Nisan 17) was an incredible event, which we should remember as the liberation of mankind and the offering of renewed life.

Strange enough lots of Christians keep celebrating that resurrection every year on a different day. That would not be so bad if it was not every time on the day of the celebration of the goddess Eostra/Eostre, the pagan god of fertility. One may wonder why so many Christians do prefer to hold on to that tradition, with hiding eggs and putting up chocolate bunnies, which have nothing to do with a resurrected Messiah.

In case they want to celebrate the resurrection of Christ, why do they do that not on the same date every year? Why do they not, like other remembrance days keep the remembrance on the same day of the year? That would mean they should celebrate that resurrection of Christ every year on the 9th of April.

But Christians should know that it is not exactly that day lovers of God should remember. We should remember the days of the Chosen People of God, and as such should follow their calendar. Jesus also kept to those given days by God and followed the Jewish religious year with its Jewish holy days. therefore that Nisan the 14th was very special in two ways. It was to gather for remembering the liberation of the Jewish people and their exodus from the land of slavery, Egypt. But for followers of Christ there came an extra element to it. Namely on the 14th of Nisan Jesus installed a New Covenant which made it possible also for non-Jews to have the relationship restored in such a way that they too could come allowed to call themselves children of God again.

Jesus also asked his disciples and his and their followers to remember that day and to share the symbols as often as they could. For that reason we do come together at regular intervals to hold a meal together and to worship God in our community at the ecclesial service. But knowing that the Passover also should be remembered until eternity, we should also keep ourselves to that Holy Festival instead of the pagan Easter holiday. As such we should continue in the tradition of our master teacher and his Jewish friends and apostles to celebrate the same days as they Nisan 14-22 as our Passover festival.

By taking Jesus out of the dead and accepting his ransom offering, Jesus being slaughtered as the Lamb of God, the Most High Elohim and the One true God showed His love. Jesus preferred not to do his own will but managed to keep to all God His requirements, His ordinances and rules and God His hope that man could proof to be faithful to Him. Jesus has totally proven such possibility. Jesus has shown to mankind that it is possible to keep to God His commandments and to fulfil His expectations.

All people should come to see and understand that Jesus is the way to God. All also should come to see that the message of Jesus his life and death are the core-business of the bible and of the life-giving message God has given mankind. When looking at the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus we should know that it is not just for one specific day in the year and certainly not a day which can be associated with paganism. All Christians should come to see that they have to abandon that awful practice of keeping to pagan festivals like Christmas and Easter.

For all, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ should be something sacred, something set-apart or holy. Too sacred to have any connection with Easter eggs or Easter bunnies or anything connected to the gods of Spring. For us is being given the hope of much more than any heathen god can offer. Those special events, Jesus gathering in the upper room, his suffering, going to his death at the stake and then that magnificent moment of his resurrection, should be part of the basis of the faith of every Christian that lived and will ever live. All do have to know that without the work of Jesus and without the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, there would still be no whitewashing of the sins of mankind and as such no salvation.

Having received that Grace of Salvation, we should be happy and full of joy let others know about that great salvation which is given mankind. Twice God liberated man. First His own selected or Chosen People, and than some centuries later He gave the opportunity of liberation to all who want to hear. But to come to hear it there have to be broadcasters or publishers, people willing to shout it from the rooftops.

Every person calling himself Christian should tell others about that miraculous event, that Jesus is risen and brought liberty for all. People are only having to accept that liberation and then have to do something with that precious Gift. Without doing something with their present they shall be nothing with it. Therefore we should tell about Christ’s messages and about the sayings of the many other prophets God provided for mankind, so that nobody could have an excuse they never heard about Him nor about the Messiah.

All Christians should also make sure they do away with all heathen connections and should keep themselves to the days given by God. Therefore, do not take part in the pagan Easter Festival but keep to the Passover Festival. Let the ritual of the Spring Equinox a celebration of renewed life and the change that comes with those who do not know the God of gods and do not want to become a part of the Body of Christ. In case you, next to the 14th Nisan, you also want to celebrate the resurrection of Christ, celebrate it than on the day he was risen, namely every year remembering it on April the 9th.

Preceding articles

A Messiah to die

Lost senses or a clear focus on the one at the stake

Christian values, traditions, real or false stories, pure and upright belief

Easter holiday, fun and rejoicing

Not bounded by labels but liberated in Christ

The Weekend that changed the world

Proclaiming shalom, bringing good news of good things, announcing salvation

A Great Gift commemorated