Easter is right around the corner.

Easter is right around the corner.

Sad to say, however, this will be one of those Sundays when most people who have not been to church in a month of Sundays, so to speak, will run to church. Everyone is so busy theses days. People do not have time for God anymore unless it’s a holiday to remind them that God does exist.

But, really, what does Easter have to do with God? Millions assume that Easter, one of the world’s major religious holidays, is found in the Bible.

But is it?

Have you ever looked into Easter’s origins and customs and compared them with the Bible? Here are some known facts from the Bible you need to know.

On Tuesday, Jesus Christ ate an evening Passover meal with His disciples and instituted the New Covenant symbols (Matthew 26:26-28). Jesus was then betrayed by Judas, arrested, and during the night brought before the high priest.

On Wednesday, Jesus died around 3 p.m. (Matthew 27:46-50). This was the preparation day for the annual, not weekly, Sabbath, which began at sunset (Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54; John 19:31).

Jesus’ body was placed in the tomb just before sunset (Matthew 27:57-60).

On Thursday, this was the high-day Sabbath, the first day of Unleavened Bread (John 19:31; Leviticus 23:4-7). It is described as the day after the “Day of Preparation” (Matthew 27:62).

On Friday, the high-day Sabbath now past, the women bought and prepared spices for anointing Jesus’ body before resting on the weekly Sabbath day, which began at Friday sunset (Mark 16:1; Luke 23:56).

On Saturday, the women rested on the weekly Sabbath, according to the Fourth Commandment (Luke 23:56; Exodus 20:8-11). Jesus rose near sunset, exactly three days and three nights after burial, fulfilling the sign of Jonah and authenticating the sign.

He gave of His messiah ship.

On Sunday, the women brought the spices early in the morning while it was still dark (Luke 24:1; John 20:1), finding that Jesus had already risen (Matthew 28:1-6; Mark 16:2-6; Luke 24:2-3; John 20:1). He did not rise on Sunday morning but near sunset the day before.

Summary: The Jesus of the Bible did not die on Friday evening or rise on Sunday morning. He died on a Wednesday and was buried in a tomb just before sunset. He lay three nights and days in the grave (Matthew 12:40). He was resurrected near the end of the weekly Sabbath (late on Saturday afternoon), 12 hours earlier than the Easter sunrise services of today. This is the true story of Easter.

Bishop Forest Rhodes is on 106.3 FM on Sundays at 9 a.m.