Easter - Sermons, Bible Studies, Articles, and Essays

Was Jesus Resurrected on Easter Sunday?

'Ready Answer' by Staff

Professing Christians celebrate Easter as a day of worship, often asserting that Jesus instituted a new day of worship when He rose from the grave on what they consider the first Easter Sunday morning. This belief leads them to disregard the command to keep the seventh-day Sabbath. However, Scripture indicates that Jesus rose from

Why Passover and Not Easter?

CGG Weekly by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Easter, which supplanted Passover throughout most of Christendom, was chosen by the Roman Church due to an intense prejudice against Jews and the widespread celebration of Easter among pagan cultures. The Roman Church effectively banned the practice of keeping the Passover on Nisan 14 at the Council of Nicea in AD 325, setting rule

Easter 2017

Commentary by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Tomorrow, Sunday, April the 16th, 2017, the world's Christians will celebrate Easter, commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, we understand from Scripture that nearly 2,000 years ago, Jesus was placed in a new tomb and was raised from the dead by the Father after exactly three days and three nights, as He prophesie

The Plain Truth About Easter

Herbert W. Armstrong Booklet

Easter, as it is known today, does not carry a Christian origin but is derived from the name of the ancient Assyrian and Babylonian goddess Ishtar, also known as Astarte among the Phoenicians, the consort of Baal, the sun god. This name, slightly altered to Easter in English, stems from old Teutonic mythology where it appears as Os

Easter: Origins and Implications

Sermonette by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Tomorrow is Easter, but for us, it is merely the middle day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Millions will wake up early, wear their finest and possibly new clothing, and attend Easter sunrise services. Some young girls might wear Easter bonnets. If the weather permits, children will participate in Easter egg hunts or Easter egg r

Bucking Tradition

CGG Weekly by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

For most people, it is a difficult undertaking to buck tradition, especially in holiday celebrations like Easter. As often and as forcefully as one might try to proclaim the inaccuracies inherent in Easter, the words seem to fall on deaf ears. Most people prefer to shrug off the inconvenient truth to avoid rocking the boat in the h

The Resurrection Was Not on Sunday

Herbert W. Armstrong Booklet

It is commonly supposed that the resurrection of Jesus occurred about sunrise on Easter Sunday morning. Few have ever thought to question this Easter tradition. However, the Bible urges us to test all things, and the evidence challenges this long-held belief. The tradition of Easter Sunday as the day of resurrection does not align

What Makes This a 'Good' Friday?

CGG Weekly by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Easter Sunday is observed as a day of rejoicing over Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead. However, the timing of this celebration raises questions when compared to the biblical accounts of His death and burial. Jesus Himself defined the period of His burial as exactly 72 hours, stating He would be in the heart of the earth fo

Pagan Holidays

Bible Study by Martin G. Collins

This present world system has attempted to change God's Sabbath and holy days, syncretizing them into corrupt worship and establishing their own counterfeit holidays. Though the Bible makes no direct references to Easter, the origins of such pagan holidays are mentioned as being abominations to God. If everyone obeyed God by refusi

Did Christ's Resurrection Change the Day of Worship? (Part Two)

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

Protestant theologians justify their worship on the first day of the week by claiming it honors the day of Christ's resurrection. However, there is no indication that God intended such a change, nor is there any explanation from an apostle or prophet to support this shift. By Jesus' own testimony, the significance of the timing of

Raising Our Conception of the Resurrection

CGG Weekly by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The day after the Sabbath during the Feast of Unleavened Bread is the day of the Wavesheaf offering, which typifies the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. It coincides with the day many Christians observe Easter, celebrating His resurrection with sunrise services, joyous proclamations of His rising, and wearing fine spring

Presumption and Divine Justice (Part One)

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

Hardly anything more clearly illustrates the self-deceived perverseness of human nature than its presumptuous additions of the observation of Easter to the worship of the God of the Bible. Regarding Easter, Jesus was not resurrected on a Sunday morning, nor was He crucified on a Friday afternoon. It is impossible to squeeze three d

'After Three Days'

Booklet by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The traditional Good Friday to Easter Sunday timeline does not align with the 72-hour period Jesus Christ specified for His time in the tomb. It is impossible to fit three full 24-hour days between Friday evening and a dawn resurrection on Sunday. The accounts in the Gospels indicate that He was buried at sunset, and if He remained

Does Paul Condemn Observing God's Holy Days?

'Ready Answer' by Earl L. Henn

Galatians 4:9-10 is a favorite crutch of those who claim Christians no longer need to observe God's holy days. However, Paul's meaning is quite different.

Chronic Difficulties

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Human tradition and Bible truth regarding the timing of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection do not square. Here is the overwhelming chronological evidence.

Appointments

Sermon by Clyde Finklea

God established the weekly Sabbath on the seventh day of Creation; He established His Holy Days (moedim) on the fourth day. These are His appointments.

Satan's Pagan Holy Days

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Kim Myers

New Years, Christmas, Easter, Halloween and birthdays all originate in paganism. Satan entices many into accepting these pagan practices through emotional appeals.

More on Tolerance

CGG Weekly by John W. Ritenbaugh

Many are guided by a multicultural value system that posits that all values, regardless of their source, are equal and should be tolerated. But God has one way.

He Lives, We Live

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Redemption is useless to mortal beings without God's gift of eternal life (I Corinthians 15:19), which God made possible through Christ's resurrection.

Are God's Holy Days To Be Kept Today?

Sermon/Bible Study by Martin G. Collins

If we do not keep God's holy days, we will deprive ourselves of the knowledge of God's purpose. Jesus and the first century church observed and upheld these days.

Remember: Truth and the Real Torch of Freedom

Sermon by Mark Schindler

The Night to be Much Observed emphasizes that Jesus Christ is the true Torch of Freedom, extricating us from Satan and his multiple deceits.

Consequences of Resurrection and Ascension

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Neither Christmas or Easter appear in the Feasts of the Lord, but we find plenty of emphasis on the resurrection and ascension of Christ in the Holy Days.

Passover (Part Seven)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Major reinterpretations have significantly distorted the meaning of Passover and Unleavened Bread, blurring the distinction between the two events.

Foundation of Sand

Sermonette by Craig Sablich

Paul warned the Colossians of scholarly men who would try to mix God's truth with vain philosophy based on the tradition of men instead of Jesus Christ.

The Torment Of The Godly

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Charles Whitaker (1944-2021)

Both Lot and Ezekiel were tormented by the abominations, sins, and defilement taking place within their culture, polluted with idolatry and paganism.

Christ's Death, Resurrection, and Ascension

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Jesus perfectly fulfilled the Old Testament types, slain as the Passover Lamb, resurrected with the cutting of the wavesheaf, and ascended to His Father at the time of the waving of the sheaf.

Sackcloth: A Spiritual Tool

CGG Weekly by Gary Montgomery

Putting on a spiritual garment of sackcloth in mourning is necessary in humbling ourselves as a part of the process in examining and scrutinizing our lives.

Holy Days: Passover

Bible Study by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The Passover commemorates the first steps God took to lead His people from the world toward ever-closer fellowship with Him and His Son, Jesus Christ.