Peter Sammons considers when Jesus was really raised:

 Easter-free Zone

Recently I received a video link from a buddy on the fringes of church life in appreciation of the message of Easter. As my buddy has very simplistic beliefs and understanding, I did not think I would “undermine his faith” in Easter. But the brutal fact is that there is no “Easter” in the Bible and we are surely entitled to ask “where did Easter come from?”

This article does not seek to answer what is a negative question. Readers can do their own homework on that ……… However, in this short article we consider when Jesus was really raised. A few basic points need to be made, and I do not think I’m splitting hairs on this. This is important:

. There’s no such thing as Christmas in my Bible,
. There’s no such thing as Easter in my Bible

Ditto Lent, Advent, Saints days, Chrisdingle, Christmas trees etc, ad-nauseum. Also (and this will sound like I’m splitting hairs) serious commentators hold that Jesus was most likely crucified Thursday (failing that on Wednesday) of “Holy Week” (“holy week” also not in any Bible!!). It is unlikely that Jesus was crucified on Friday. If He was, what are we to make of His specific prophecy that he would be raised after three days and three nights?

First Fruits People

The reality of all this is rather simpler and more straightforward than the “traditional” Good Friday to Easter schema. Jesus was crucified at Passover (theologically, the cost of our debts passes-over us and is laid to the account of Jesus). Jesus was buried during the festival of Unleavened Bread. Leaven is a symbol of sin, biblically; unleavened bread is ‘bread without sin’. Theologically and in reality, Jesus is without sin and so it was He who was buried as the seed that yields a huge harvest. And Jesus was raised not at “Easter” but at First Fruits, which occurs the third day after Passover. Jesus is the first-fruit of an eternal harvest that is still being gathered today; and He is alive!

Whilst the Old Rome-based “theologies” may have been helpful in their time (debatable !!!), the Bible prophesies that at some point there will be a reconnection with the “root”. All through my life folk have been talking about reconnection with the first century “church” (getting back to basics), rather than the fourth century church which we seem to have inherited. I think that reconnection is happening now. This schematic below shows the simple, easy to understand rhythm that so neatly sums up what the Christian faith is (or ought to be!!).

Note in the above that the first three Jewish festivals represent the past. The fourth is happening today. The final three lie in the future. There is a case for arguing that the era in which we live today is the “church era”. But even the church era must come to an end! The seven blobs above show a pattern which I remember as “PUFLTAT”. PUFLTAT is so much easier to get one’s head around rather than “Churchianity”, with its strange traditions, rituals and hundreds of saints days.

In terms of past, present and future, the Christian year can be thought of like this:

Out with the old?

Much of historical, normative Christian theology is correct, but the context today is changing fast. Probably much faster than most Christians realize. As the “church” goes into multi-faith/inter-faith and all its other peculiar agendas (again, accurately prophesied in the Bible itself) so many Christians are looking forward to that time of Christ’s return and are seeking to reconnect with the simple biblical rhythm.

And finally ………………. on the basis that a picture is worth a thousand words, and on the basis this is so simple an outline, here is my way of thinking about the seven Hebrew feasts and what they represent to us today. That’s why the task today is the same as it has been down the past 2000 years, it is to respond to Jesus’ specific call to “come, and follow me”.

Well, I hope this is helpful. Blessings in the Name of the Lord Jesus.

 

Peter Sammons is commissioning editor at Christian Comment. He is author of “The Empty Promise of Godism” which explores the ‘churches’ clear design to meld with the other religions of the world, following “god” as they see it, but minimizing the truth of the Cross. https://christian-publications-int.com/default-47.html?ID=87 . He also wrote “The Messiah Pattern” which fully explores the themes exposed in this short article. https://christian-publications-int.com/default-23.html?ID=142