This is the fifth… in this series of a discussion about what the ‘Catholic Church’ teaches and what ‘The Bible’ says. Many in the Catholic have been taught that Good Friday is when Christ died after His crucifixion. If you will simply read in Genesis, The Word says… and the Evening and the Morning, were the First, Second and so on. The Jewish day begins at 6 PM in the evening till… the next evening, that is “One Day!” One day + one night = one day!
“Good Friday” or “Good Thursday”…?
Recently someone asked… about the “Resurrection of Christ Jesus”. There are several facts to be considered. Easter is celebrated by most Churches, but the nomenclature is ‘incorrect.’ Easter is in fact, a pagan holiday, with all its trappings of Easter bunnies and colored eggs and candy. Correctly, it should be called “Resurrection Sunday”. Most know that Christ Jesus was crucified by the Roman soldiers with the full approval of the Jewish religious leaders, repeatedly shouting …“Crucify Him!”
*** (Luke 23:38) And = an inscription = also was written = over Him = in letters of Greek = and Latin = and Hebrew, = “This Is = THE KING = OF THE JEWS”.
“Resurrection Sunday”… often called Easter, is also celebrated with a wrongly with a day called, ‘Good Friday.’ But herein is the problem with that… “How could Christ be in the grave… ‘Three days and three nights’… “IF”… He was crucified on Friday?” Sorry, He, Christ Jesus was ‘Not’ crucified on Friday. Again, the celebration of ‘Good Friday’ is a complete mistake. Many make an accounting error and many make excuses for time accounting counting sundown as a day, when it starts the evening.
*** (Matthew 12:40) For as Jonah = was = ‘three days’ = and = ‘three nights’ = in the belly of the huge fish, = so the Son of Man = shall be = ‘three days’ = and = ‘three nights’ = in the heart of the earth.
Most Religions do not use… the ‘Bible Truth’ for their point of reference. Instead they substitute their Church teaching for Truth. Perhaps the first thing in this discussion is to see… “Who Raised the Body of Jesus?” Ask most people and they will tell you that God, the God of the Bible, raised Jesus. Most do not know that Christ Jesus said… “The He raised His own body!” Did you know that…?
*** (John 2:19-to-22) Jesus answered = and said to them, = Destroy this temple = and in = ‘three days’ = “ I ” = will raise it up.
(John 2:20) Then the Jews said, = This temple was forty-six years building, = and will you = rear it up = in three days?
(John 2:21) But = He spoke = of the temple = of His body.
(John 2:22) Therefore = when He = had risen = from the dead, = His disciples remembered = that = He had said ‘this’ to them, = and = they believed the Scripture = and = ‘the word’ = which Jesus had said.
Many do ‘not’ know this…! Often time I share this with that religion called, ‘Jehovah Witnesses.’ You see they “Deny”, that Christ Jesus is God. There are other Pseudo Christian religions that also deny these Bible Facts. His disciples understood these facts, John 2:22 and remembered His word and believed Him. But are there more verses that validate that Truth…?
*** (John 10:17-18) Therefore = My Father [God] = loves Me [Jesus], = because = I = lay down = My life = so that = I = might take it [up] again.
(John 10:18) No one = takes it from Me, = but = I = lay it down = from Myself. = I = have authority = to lay it down, = and = I = have authority = to take it [up] again. = I = have received = this commandment = from My Father.
Since the Scriptures have established… that Christ Jesus laid down His life and He Himself… took it up again. Ok but what about the difference in the… “Three days and the Three nights”… in the grave? IF He was crucified on Friday [night – one]… Saturday [night – two]… Sunday [night – 3]…? Oops…? Wasn’t He raised on Sunday Morning…? Yes He was… so He could “NOT” possibly have been… ‘Crucified on Friday.’ Ok, so what is the solution? The answer is in the Bible and… “Not in Church teaching and Tradition!” The key, is the word… ‘Preparation’.
*** (Matthew 27:62) And = on the next day, = which was after = the Preparation, = the chief priests and the Pharisees = gathered to Pilate,
*** (Mark 15:42) And it, = becoming evening already, = since it was = the Preparation, = that is, = “the day” = before Sabbath,
*** (Luke 23:54) And = that day was = the Preparation, = and = the Sabbath drew on.
*** (John 19:31) Then the Jews, = because it was = Preparation, = begged Pilate = that their legs might be broken, = and = that they might be taken away, = so that the bodies = should not remain on the cross = on the Sabbath. = For that Sabbath was a ‘high day’.
*** (John 19:42) There, then, = because of = the Preparation = of the Jews, = because the tomb was near, = they laid Jesus.
Do you know about… “The Year of Jubilee”…? Under the Law of God, slaves were free every ‘seven years.’ On the “50th year, called the year of Jubilee [Jubile – KJV] all Israel was to free all debts and all the original property returned to each person of those 12-tribes. So as the land was to lay fallow every seven years, “7-x-7=49”, there was no planting in that year. And there was no planting, 50th - in the year of Jubilee either. This day called… the Preparation… fell during the Year of Jubilee.
*** (Jonah 1:17) And = Jehovah [God] = had prepared = a great fish = to swallow up Jonah. = And Jonah = was in the belly = of the fish = ‘three days’ = and = ‘three nights’.
Forty Two times, the term “Three days & Three Nights”… is used in the Scriptures. Each and every time, in the OT Hebrew, it strictly means, “Three Days & Three Nights!” There is no question that this was part of the prophecy that Christ Jesus… would be a Jonah, “Three days & Three Nights”… in the Earth. Lets’ do the Math…? Christ Jesus was “Crucified on the Preparation = Thursday [one-night] as He was buried before Sundown. Friday [two-night] and Saturday [third-night]… Which counts for ‘Three Nights’… in the Earth.
*** (Matthew 28:1) But late in the week, = at the dawning into = the first day of the week, = Mary Magdalene and the other Mary = came to see the tomb.
*** (Mark 16:2) And = very early in the morning, = the first day of the week, = they came upon the tomb, = the sun having risen.
The First Day of the Week… “Sunday!” The Jews ended their week on the Sabbath, the day of rest, as commanded by the Law of God. Sunday became the first day of the week, as the NT Church took it as the day of worship. Traditional Good Friday was the convenient day to start the Resurrection Sunday celebration. The Communion service is part and parcel of this resurrection celebration. As it celebrates the death, burial and resurrection of Christ Jesus.
*** (Matthew 15:8-9) "This people = draws near to Me [God] = with their mouth, = and = honors Me = with their lips, = but their heart = is far = from Me.
(Matt 15:9) But in vain = they worship Me, = teaching for doctrines = the commandments of men."
*** (Mark 7:7-8-9) However, = they worship Me [God] = in vain, = teaching for doctrines = the commandments of men."
(Mark 7:8) For = laying aside = the commandment of God, = you hold = the tradition of men, = the drippings of pots and cups. = And = many other = such things you do.
(Mark 7:9) And = He [Jesus] = said to them, = Do you do well = to set aside = the commandment of God, = so that you = may keep = your own tradition?
Perhaps now is the time… to ask you to examine what you believe about God and your Traditional Practice of your “Faith in God”. Many times, there are ‘other religious’ trappings and practices that have “Nothing” to do with God or His Word… The Bible! Do you believe the Scriptures... or what the Catholic Church teaches, they are NOT the Same!
*** (Acts 17:11) And these = were more noble = than those of Thessalonica, = in that = they received = the “Word” = with all = readiness of mind = and = searched the Scriptures = daily = to see if = those things = were so.
*** (Ephesians 5:9-10) For = the fruit = of the Spirit = consists of every form = of = goodness, = righteousness, = and = Truth.
(Eph 5:10) Proving = what is acceptable = to the Lord,
*** (Psalms 119:18) Open my eyes, = so that I = may behold = wonderful things = out of = Your Law [Word].
Continued next blog…
Thanks, In Christ, Roger
Ende…!
