Easter 2025

[NyawehNyoh]

.
The Jews' liturgical days begin in the evening so Passover this year kicks off at sunset Saturday April 12

Were 2025 the year of Jesus' crucifixion, he would be dying on the cross during Saturday's daylight hours while at the same time the Jew's would be slaughtering lambs and preparing them for that night's celebration. Consequently, while the Jews would be eating their lambs, Jesus would be spending the first of his three nights in the tomb.

According to Matt 12:40, Jesus was interred three days and three nights. So if we allow for his first night to begin at sunset Saturday April 12, then the three nights for 2025 would be Saturday night, Sunday night, and Monday night; and the three days would be Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.

The preponderance of textual evidence indicates Jesus' crucified dead body was restored to life during the third day rather than after the third day was over and done with. In other words, Jesus was deceased less than 72 hours.

Matt 17:22-23
Matt 20:18-19
Mark 9:31
Luke 9:22
Luke 18:33
Luke 24:5-8
Luke 24:21-23
Luke 24:46
John 2:19
Acts 10:40
1Cor 15:4

So then Easter 2025 would fall on Tuesday were we to go strictly by the book.

FAQ: What about Matt 27:63 and Mark 8:31? They say "after" the third day rather than during the third.

REPLY: To begin with, those verses are outnumbered 11÷2.

Plus; the Greek word translated "after" is somewhat ambiguous. It can indicate moments following the conclusion of an event, but it can also indicate moments within an event. I suggest letting the 11÷2 majority decide how best to interpret the intent of Matt 27:63 and Mark 8:31.

FAQ: Luke 24:21-23 says the morning that women came to the cemetery was the third day. How can that be true when the sun wasn't up yet when they arrived?

REPLY: The original Easter is a mite confusing due to a natural day following close on the heels of a liturgical day.

Whereas liturgical days were a twenty-four hour amalgam of daytime and nighttime; natural days consisted of only twelve hours of daytime. (John 11:9-10)

The day preceding the first day of the week was a sabbath (Matt 28:1) which began at sunset Friday and ended at sunset Saturday. So that in accord with liturgy the first day of the week began with sunset Saturday, whereas in accord with nature it began with sunrise Sunday morning. I can't advise folks how best to untangle the confusion resulting from mixing and mashing liturgical days with natural days 'cause I can't even do it myself. It's definitely a bit of a challenge.

FAQ: Can the hours of darkness during Jesus' crucifixion be counted as one of the three nights?

REPLY: Jesus survived those hours. Matt 12:40 requires that he be dead and buried.
_

[NyawehNyoh]

.
FAQ: Was it really necessary to restore Jesus' crucified dead body to life?

REPLY: Jesus' crucifixion made it possible for everyone to obtain a pardon per Isa 53:6. However, his crucifixion alone wouldn't have cleared them, viz: it would've left the record of their wrongs intact.

For example when folks pay fines for traffic violations, they satisfy the law's requirement for retribution, but fines don't clear people's names, viz: their violations remain on the books as a matter of record. Another example is the pardon that former US President Gerald Ford gave former US President Richard Nixon. The pardon kept Nixon out of prison, but he's still known in history as a crook because the pardon didn't clear his name.

The thing is: books are to be opened at the great white throne event depicted by Rev 20:11-15. Jesus' resurrection makes it possible for God to wipe those records so that on the books it will look as though people have never been anything but 100% innocent.

● Rom 4:25 . . He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

The Greek word translated "justification" in that passage means acquittal; roughly defined as an adjudication of innocence due to lack of sufficient evidence to convict, viz: exoneration.

In other words: by means of Christ's crucifixion & his resurrection, God closes the believer's case and it's never reopened-- not because it's a cold case, but because all charges against them-- those past, those now, and those future --went to the cross laid on Christ and when he came back from the dead, none of those charges came back with him: they're gone.

● 2Cor 5:19 . . God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them. (cf. Jer 31:34)

The Greek word translated "counting" pertains to keeping an inventory, i.e. an indictment. Well; without an indictment, the great white throne will have no cause to proceed with a trial.
_