Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Resurrection Sunday
Which day has scriptural support?
Jesus said in Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Jesus is the fulfillment of the law. He said everything written about him would be fulfilled, Luke 24:44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. He is the Passover Lamb in the law. He fulfilled all the types given in the law concerning the Passover Lamb written in the Law, Exodus 12:3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: 4 and if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: 6 and ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. 7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. 8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. In the Jewish calendar, the day begins at sunset. One day ends and another day begins. The Passover Lamb was selected on the 10th day of the month, and killed on the 14th day, then eaten on the 15th day. It is eaten at night after sunset, which would be early on the 15th day, called Passover day. How did Jesus fulfill all that was written in the law about the Passover Lamb? The scriptures tell us in the gospel of John 12:1 Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. Six days before Passover would be the 9th day of the month. So Jesus came up from Jericho on the 9th day. It is about 15 miles from Jericho. All uphill. Jericho is about one thousand feet below sea level, and Bethany is about twenty-five hundred feet above sea level. People who hike that trail today take about 8 or 9 hours. Jesus was traveling with a large group, so we should consider this an all-day journey. He didn't enter Jerusalem that day. Scripture tells us in John 12:12 On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. This is the 10th day of the month, this was Jesus being selected by the people to fulfill the type of the Passover Lamb. It is almost universally taught by Protestants and Catholics that Jesus entered Jerusalem on Sunday, what is called by tradition Palm Sunday. If Jesus entered Jerusalem on Sunday that would mean that he traveled from Jericho on Saturday. Saturday was the sabbath day. Jesus never broke the sabbath law as it was given to Moses by God. The Bible tells us what a sabbath day's journey was; a sabbath day's journey was the distance a person was allowed to travel on a sabbath day; Luke 24:50 And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. 51 And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: Acts 1:12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey. Bethany was a little less than 2 miles from Jerusalem, John 11:18 Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:. Jesus would not have traveled from Jericho to Jerusalem on a sabbath day. Church tradition says that Jesus was crucified on Friday, which they call Good Friday. The Passover Lamb was to be killed on the 14th. Jesus was crucified on the 14th to fulfill the type of the Passover Lamb. If the 14th was Friday then Sunday would be the 9th, and Monday would be the 10th, the day Jesus entered Jerusalem. If as some say, Jesus was crucified on Thursday the 14th, then the 9th would be on Saturday, the sabbath day, and the 10th would be on Sunday. This would have Jesus coming up from Jericho on the sabbath day. Some, like myself say that Jesus was crucified on Wednesday the 14th. This would mean the 9th was on Friday, and Jesus entered Jerusalem on the Sabbath, Saturday the 10th day of the month. This is further supported in Mark's gospel, Mark 11:11 And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve. There were no money changers at the temple on the sabbath day. The next day, which is Sunday they are there, Mark 11:15 And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; 16 and would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. Jesus being crucified on Wednesday is also supported by the words of Jesus in Matthew 12:40 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. Placed in the tomb just before sunset on Wednesday, sunset on Thursday, that's one day, sunset on Friday, that's two days, sunset on Saturday, that's three days. Resurrection Sunday, 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. Jesus rose from the dead early on Sunday, sometime after sunset on Saturday, which marked the beginning of Resurrection Sunday. this is the day with scriptural support. There is no scriptural support for Palm Sunday or Good Friday.
Leviticus 23:10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: 11 and he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. Resurrection Sunday is the Feast of Firstfruits. When the priest was waving the sheaf of barley, the firstfruits of the harvest, Jesus was the firstfruits of the resurrection. 1 Corinthians 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
