I don't celebrate Easter because its not asked of us in God's Word. I believe we should always remember Christ's sacrifice for us in our daily lives because no one can be saved without it. Of course we've got to accept His sacrifice and live by His precepts, and He gives us the power to do so when we do.
Agreed.
Passover Lamb NOT Easter Bunny
However Jesus' death proves that the Sabbath is indeed Saturday, the seventh day of the week and always will be even in heaven and the new earth for all eternity.
Jesus died on Friday the sixth day which was called preparation day by the Jews. Jesus was put in the tomb before the Sabbath which biblically starts at sunset on Friday. Biblically the first part of the day is evening as is clear in the creation story.
On the seventh day, Saturday, the Sabbath, Jesus rested in the tomb. "Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen" (Mark 16:1-2). Even in the plan of salvation the Sabbath day was to be rested on.
Then on the first day of the week, Jesus rose from the dead, "Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb" (Luke 24:1-2).
Jesus died on a
WEDNESDAY, in the "midst of the week" and rose three days and three nights later on
SATURDAY, aka "The Lord's Day". That is why when the two Marys arrived at the tomb early on the first day of the week, they found the stone rolled away and the tomb
EMPTY. It was empty because God had already raised/resurrected Jesus from the dead on
SATURDAY.
Daniel 9:27 And he (the Messiah/Christ, the Prince - see the two preceding verses,
Daniel 9:25-26) shall confirm The Covenant with many for one week:
and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations He shall make [it] desolate, even until the consummation (the "Lake of Hell-Fire"), and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
The sacrifice made in the
MIDST of the week (Wednesday) was the crucifixion of Jesus.
The Passover the week of the the crucifixion and resurrection occurred early on Wednesday (after sunset, when Tuesday ended and Wednesday began), and continued through the end of that day (approximately 24 hours later at sunset, when Wednesday ended and Thursday began).
The High Sabbath marking the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which immediately follows the Passover (beginning the following day, at sunset), fell on Thursday of that week (
John 19:31).
John 19:31 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath day, (
for that Sabbath day was an high day [The Passover - Wednesday 21/4/34],) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and [that] they might be taken away.
That is how the women could acquire and prepare the spices, etc.
on the day of preparation for the
WEEKLY Sabbath (on Saturday) on Friday -- the day of preparation for the weekly Sabbath -- and then rest of the Sabbath, before visiting the tomb.
Luke 23:50 - 24:3
23:50 And, behold, [there was] a man named Joseph, a counsellor (and "Minister of Mines" - to the Romans as well as the Jews); [and he was] a good man, and a just (and was Jesus' great-uncle):
23:51 (The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them; [he was] of Arimathaea, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for The Kingdom of God.
23:52 This [man] went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.
23:53 And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid.
23:54 And that day was the preparation (for the High Sabbath on Thursday -
John 19:31), and the (High) Sabbath drew on.
23:55 And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.
23:56
And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments (which they could not have done on the Sabbath, but did do the following day, on Friday, the day of preparation for thee weekly Sabbath); and rested the (weekly) Sabbath day according to the Commandment.
24:1 Now upon the first [day] of the week (Sunday), very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain [others] with them.
24:2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.
24:3 And they entered in,
and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.