THE SIGN OF JONAS 3 DAYS & 3 NIGHTS

It has been taught that Jesus died on Good Friday and rose early Sunday morning. As a result of this teaching, man instituted the holiday called Easter. And on Easter Sunday you have Christians, world wide paying tribute to a day, in which they believe Jesus was resurrected. In researching the scriptures one will find that the whole concept of Jesus dying on a Friday and being resurrected on Sunday is contrary to the bible itself. In other words this tradition directly contradicts the word of God. In this lesson one will see what the scriptures say concerning the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Now before we get into the death and resurrection of Jesus we need to address Easter itself. While it is the not purpose of this lesson to discuss or examine in it's entirety the tradition of Easter, I will look at it from the perspective of the bible. And the scriptures will show that Easter, is a tradition implemented by man. The word Easter appears in the bible one time and one time only. The following verse is the one that makes reference to Easter.

Acts (12:4) And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

Now an individual may see this, as the legitimizing of the holiday Easter. After all one sees it being referred to in the bible. However if we look at the verse directly above this one, it points to the fact, that the period being referred to is actually the Passover.

Acts (12:3) And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also.(Then were the days of unleavened bread.)

Verse (3) states that when Peter was taken it was the days of unleavened bread. One can determine that the time they were going to bring forth Peter was the Passover, by looking at the following verses. In them one will see that the Passover, is the day proceeding the Feast of Unleavened Bread not Easter. In addition the verse in John, states that it was a Jewish custom that the Romans would deliver unto them one at the time of the Passover.

Leviticus (23:5) In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord's passover.

(23:6) And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the Lord: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.

John (18:39) But you have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?

In closing concerning the subject of Easter, one will not find that its observance is supported by the bible. And that is because, Easter itself is supposed to be a commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus. And Jesus told us to commemorate His death not His resurrection.

Luke (22:19) And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. In reading chapter 22 of the Gospel of Luke one will find that Jesus asked this of His disciples during the Passover meal. The Passover is what Jesus asked us to observe to remind ourselves that He died for us not Easter. Jesus asked us to commemorate the Passover. He was not only to die on the Passover, He became our Passover. For a more through explanation on the Passover please view the lesson (Is This Not The Passover)

Jesus was always being inquired of by the Jews for a sign. He gave them one in reference to His death and resurrection. He told them that just like Jonas, He would be in the earth 3 days and 3 nights. In the Gospel of John Jesus again gave the Jews a sign by telling them if this temple was destroyed He would raise it up in 3 days. Jesus was referring to His body.

(Matthew 12:38) Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.

39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:

40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

(John 2:18) Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?

(19) Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

(20) Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?

(21) But he spake of the temple of his body.

Jesus makes it clear the time between His death and resurrection would be 3 days and 3 nights.

Now despite the fact that Jesus Himself said that He would be in the grave 3 days and 3 nights man has come up with the tradition of Jesus dying on Good Friday and rising early Sunday morning. In following this tradition not only does one not observe one of God's Holy Days which is the Passover, they directly deny the words of Jesus. Because it was Jesus who gave the sign of being in the grave 3 days and 3 nights. The tradition of Good Friday and Easter clearly does not line up with scripture. Because following this tradition the maximum one has Jesus in the grave is 1 day and 2 nights.

According to tradition if Jesus had died on Friday, He would have been in the grave Friday night, Saturday day and Saturday night. One would not count Sunday because in John (20:1) it states that the 1^st day of the week which is Sunday, Mary came to the grave site when it was still dark. In Luke (24:1-6) They find that the stone which was placed in front of the sepulcher had been removed and an angel tells them that Jesus had already risen.

(John 20:1) The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.

(2) Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.

(Luke 24:1) Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

(2) And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.

(3) And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.

(4) And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:

(5) And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?

(6) He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,

The following verses will serve to show that Jesus died on the Passover. It states in Mark (15:42-45) that on the evening of the preparation day, which is the day before the Sabbath, Joseph a counseller asked for the body of Jesus. Once Pilate determined Jesus was dead, he gave him the body.

Mark (15:42) And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation day, that is, the day before the Sabbath,

(43) Joseph of Aarimathaea, an honourable counseller, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.

The above scriptures is where the problem lied with the early church trying to interpret the events of the bible. One should take note, that what the majority of modern day Christians, practice or follow come directly from the Roman Catholic Church. You had non spiritual people trying to decipher events that were spiritual. Since the scriptures stated, that the preparation day, was the day before the Sabbath, they automatically assumed this event took place on a Friday, because they knew the Lord's Sabbath was from Friday evening to Saturday evening. That is how they came up with the concept that Jesus died on Friday and He rose early Sunday morning. What they failed to take into account were the Lord's Holy Days or as they are also called High Sabbaths. There are seven yearly Sabbaths and they with the exception of Pentecost can fall on any day of the week. At the beginning of this lesson it was showed in Leviticus (23:4) that the Passover which is the 14^th of the month, is the day before the feast of Unleavened Bread which is a Holy Day or A High Sabbath. The Passover is sometimes refereed as the preparation day because they use this day to prepare for the feast. The Feast of Unleavened Bread is the Sabbath which was being refereed to in Mark(15:42) when it was stated that Joseph craved the body of Jesus. Jesus had been crucified on the Passover and the next day was the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Jesus foretold as to when, His death would occur.

(Matthew 26:1) And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples,

(2) Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.

Now remember Gods days start at evening and end the next evening. Keep that in mind as you view the next set of scriptures. Jesus had been betrayed by Judas the evening of the Passover. John 13 tells how Jesus and His disciples that evening were sharing the Passover meal. John (18:3) shows that same evening, Jesus was betrayed and taken away. And one knows it was still nighttime when they took Jesus, because the men that came and took and bound Him had lanterns and torches.

Jesus was crucified the next day but it was still the Passover. Remember God=s days run from sundown to sundown. Jesus had been taken into custody the night of the Passover and the next morning which is the day of the Passover he was condemned and crucified. The following verses even show that Pilate was willing to release Jesus, the morning after he had been taken in to custody. It was still the Passover as we all know the Jews refused and Jesus was crucified.

(John 18:39) But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?

(40) Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.

Remember Mark (15:42) Joseph craved the body of Jesus the evening of the Passover. Now one can see that this was towards the end of the Passover.

3 DAYS & 3 NIGHTS

The scriptures show that Jesus was in the earth 3 days and 3 nights just as He had foretold.

In looking at the previous scriptures one should now have a better understanding, as to what took place. If one remembers Mary did not come to the grave site until the first day of the week which is Sunday. (John 20:1) The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulcher, And it was early in the morning and it was still dark. But Jesus had already risen. That's because Jesus went into His grave right before the end of the Passover or Wed. evening. The passing of the Passover brought in the Feast of the Unleavened Bread. So Jesus would Have been in the Grave Wednesday Night, Thursday Day and Thursday Night, Friday Day and Friday Night, Saturday Day and Jesus rose right before the sun went down on Saturday.  Hence one has the 3 days and 3 nights which Jesus prophesied.

In summation I am sure there will remain those who feel that there is nothing wrong in observing Easter. Because they believe that it is the spirit in which one does something that is important. Again my purpose it not to antagonize nor to cast dispersions. It is only hopefully, to cause one, to carefully examine the doctrine and practices, which they are following. And by researching the scriptures one can ensure, that their doctrine lines up with the word of God. And having said that, Jesus told us to worship in spirit and the Lord gave everyone specific instructions how to do that. Those instructions are contained in the Holy Bible, for it contains the word of God. And if any one follows a doctrine or operates in a spirit that is contrary to the scriptures, then they know with a certainty, that the doctrine and spirit they are following, are contrary to God.

In I John (4:1) it tells you to try the spirits. How does one try the spirits? Again judge any and all by the word of God. By operating in the so called spirit of things people worship God in ways, that can not be supported or substantiated, by the bible. And they do this while still not observing God's commandments. Observing the Passover is a commandment from God Leviticus (23:5). People world wide observe so called religious holidays in the name of Christ, and none of these are supported by the bible. This lesson hopefully showed that one of them Easter, is no more than a tradition established by man. Again try the spirits, for if one can follow practices not supported by the bible, yet not do what is written in scripture they are operating under a strong spirit. And that spirit is usurping the word of God.

Peace to all who seek truth and understanding in Jesus name.

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