It has been taught that Jesus died on Good Friday and rose early Sunday morning.
Not exactly.
The empty tomb was discovered on the 3rd day, in the early hours of the morning after the Sabbath.
No one knows exactly when Jesus rose.
As a result of this teaching, man instituted the holiday called Easter. On Easter Sunday you have Christians, world wide paying tribute to a day, in which they believe Jesus, was resurrected.
The day when the empty tomb was discovered and the world could see that he had been raised.
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.
Well I haven't looked into it that closely, but we know that he died just before the Sabbath. Which is the 7th day of the week, which was the equivalent of our Saturday, even though it wasn't called that then. And we know that the Sabbath was from 6pm-6a.m - i.e it would have started at 6pm on the equivalent of our Friday - and Jesus was crucified at around 3 in the afternoon.
This lesson will examine the history of Easter a little, and then investigate the Bible concerning the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Easter Created By Man
Before we get into the death and resurrection of Jesus we need to address history of Easter itself. We will also take a look at the symbols of Easter: rabbits and eggs. What does rabbits and eggs have to do with the birth of Jesus?
Nothing - Easter is about the death and resurrection of Jesus, not his birth.
Rabbits and eggs are symbols of new life. Eggs because they may not look like much but can hatch into chicks - i.e they have new life within them. And presumably rabbits because they breed prolifically or may do so in Spring - also a season of new life.
Furthermore, when did rabbits start laying eggs?
When has anyone even hinted that they believe rabbits can lay eggs???
Additionally, we will look at the history of Easter sunrise service, lilies, candles, and hot crossed buns. If you research Easter in most encyclopedias, you will see that Easter has many customs and legends that are pagan in origin and have absolutely nothing to do with Christianity.
Maybe. But rabbits, eggs, hot cross buns and candles can all represent the Easter story, or part of it
- new life, the cross on a bun, which is spiced to represent the spices taken to the tomb, Jesus, light of the world, and so on.
Easter was named after Eostre (sometimes spelled Eastre), the great Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring, fertility, and new life. Similar Teutonic dawn goddesses of fertility were known variously as Ostare, Ostara, Ostern, Eostra, Eostur, Eastra, Eastur, Austron and Ausos. Her name was derived from the ancient word for spring: "eastre." Thus it is easy to see how "Eastre time" became "Easter time".
Again, maybe.
But Christians do not worship some pagan god but celebrate the Son of God being raised from the dead.
Easter Sunday falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after March 20th,
No, the date of Easter Sunday varies depending on when the Jewish Passover is that year.
This year, it's on April 4th - next year it could be later or even before March 20th.
This is the day (or period of days) in spring when the days and nights are of approximately equal length. This is a time of celebrating new life, the resurrection of nature from the dead, and it has typically featured fertility rites, merrymaking, and usually centers on orgiastic sexual activities. In ancient times there were the sacrificing of virgins, the worship of fertility gods and goddesses.
Jesus celebrated a final Passover meal with his friends, and was crucified on the day the Passover lamb was being killed. So Easter is linked with Passover - not with pagan orgies.
The Easter sunrise service, that is practiced in many Christian churches, can be traced back to the ancient pagan custom of welcoming the sun god at the vernal equinox
It wouldn't matter if it could be - the service is held at SON rise; the Son has risen. It was just before sunrise, i.e while it was still dark, that the women went to the tomb.
It was a time to celebrate the return of life and reproduction to animal and plant life as well. Worship of the sun god at sunrise is the religious ritual condemned by the Lord as recorded in Ezekiel 8:15-18.
Why do you say that Christians would want to celebrate the birth of sun gods, pagan goddesses, indulge in pagan orgies - or even think of doing those things?
Ezekiel 8:14 Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD'S house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.
Ezekiel 8:15-18 Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these. And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD's house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east. Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose. Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.
Again, why are you making a link between Jesus' empty tomb being discovered by women, and then Jesus' disciples, and non believers who choose to worship a sun god, (not that there are any other gods)?