Easter is one of the most significant events in Christianity, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. It is the cornerstone of the Christian faith, symbolizing victory over sin, death, and the promise of eternal life. However, many people wonder, “What day is Easter in the Bible?” The answer is not as simple as a fixed calendar date, and the celebration of Easter, or more specifically, the resurrection of Jesus, has deep biblical roots. To understand what day Easter is in the Bible, we need to delve into the historical and theological aspects of the resurrection, the timing of key events during Holy Week, and how the early church began to observe this momentous occasion.
The Resurrection and the Timeline of Events
Before diving into the specific day of Easter as observed in the Bible, it’s important to understand the timeline of events surrounding the resurrection of Jesus. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John offer detailed accounts of the final days of Jesus’ life, His crucifixion, death, and resurrection.
The Last Supper and the Crucifixion
The events leading up to Jesus’ resurrection are set against the backdrop of Passover, a Jewish holiday that commemorates God‘s deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. The Last Supper, where Jesus shared His final meal with His disciples, took place during the Passover festival. In the Gospel of Luke, we read, “Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, ‘Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover’” (Luke 22:7-8, NIV). This signifies that Jesus’ last meal with His disciples was in the context of the Passover feast, a time when Jews would sacrifice lambs in remembrance of the Exodus.
After the Last Supper, Jesus was arrested, tried, and sentenced to death. He was crucified on a day that is referred to as Good Friday, which is commemorated by Christians worldwide. According to the Gospel accounts, Jesus died on the day of preparation for the Sabbath, which was Friday, the day before the Jewish Sabbath (Saturday). His death is marked at approximately 3 p.m. (Mark 15:34-37). Jesus’ body was then laid in a tomb before sunset, to comply with the Jewish law that prohibited work on the Sabbath.
The Day of the Resurrection: Sunday Morning
The key event that Christians celebrate as Easter is the resurrection of Jesus, which occurred on the third day following His crucifixion. According to the Bible, Jesus was resurrected early on Sunday morning, which is the first day of the week. The Gospels consistently affirm that Jesus’ followers discovered the empty tomb on the morning of the first day of the week, after the Sabbath had ended.
The Gospel of Matthew states, “After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb” (Matthew 28:1, NIV). Similarly, in Mark 16:2, it is written, “Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb.” The Gospel of Luke recounts the visit of the women to the tomb: “On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb” (Luke 24:1, NIV). Lastly, in the Gospel of John, Mary Magdalene arrives at the tomb early on Sunday and finds it empty (John 20:1).
Thus, the resurrection of Jesus, which is the event celebrated as Easter, occurred on Sunday, the first day of the week. This is a pivotal point in Christian theology because the resurrection marks Jesus’ victory over death and His fulfillment of the promise of eternal life for believers. It also establishes the significance of Sunday as the day of Christian worship.
Why Sunday? The Significance of the First Day of the Week
In the Jewish tradition, the Sabbath (Saturday) was the day of rest, and it was the seventh day of the week. However, early Christians began gathering for worship on Sunday, the first day of the week, as a way to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus. Sunday became known as the Lord’s Day, a term that is mentioned in Revelation 1:10. This shift from the Sabbath to Sunday worship was an important marker of the Christian faith, setting it apart from Judaism while honoring the resurrection.
The decision to celebrate the resurrection on Sunday is also deeply theological. In the Old Testament, the seventh day was associated with rest (Genesis 2:2-3), but with the resurrection, Jesus inaugurated a new creation, a new beginning for humanity. Therefore, Sunday became a day of celebration and new life, the beginning of a new week, and the day of victory over death.
Jesus’ Resurrection and the Fulfillment of Prophecy
Jesus’ resurrection on Sunday is significant not only because it marks the end of His earthly suffering but also because it fulfills the prophecies and promises made in the Old Testament. Jesus Himself predicted His resurrection on the third day. In Matthew 16:21, Jesus says, “From that time on Jesus began to explain to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the law, and that He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”
The “third day” refers to the period from His death on Friday (the day of preparation) to His resurrection on Sunday. In Jewish counting, a day was considered a full day even if only part of it was experienced, so the “third day” includes Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
In addition to Jesus’ own words, the resurrection was also seen as a fulfillment of the messianic promises found in the Old Testament. The Apostle Paul later wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:4 that Jesus’ resurrection “was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” This reference likely alludes to various Old Testament prophecies and types that foreshadowed the resurrection, such as Jonah’s three days in the belly of the fish (Jonah 1:17) or the suffering servant described in Isaiah 53, which is understood by Christians to point to Jesus’ death and resurrection.
The Development of Easter Celebrations in the Early Church
While the resurrection itself is central to the Easter celebration, the formal observance of Easter Sunday as a holiday developed gradually in the early church. Christians began gathering on Sundays to commemorate the resurrection, but it was not until the second century that Easter became an annual celebration.
The first significant recorded observance of Easter came in the context of the Paschal Feast, which celebrated the death and resurrection of Jesus. This feast became more formalized as the church began to set aside a specific time to reflect on Jesus’ passion, crucifixion, and resurrection. The term “Easter” itself is believed to derive from the Old English word “Eostre,” the name of a pagan goddess of spring, though the church later reclaimed the word to symbolize the resurrection.
By the fourth century, after the legalization of Christianity under Emperor Constantine, Easter was firmly established as a major celebration in the Christian liturgical calendar. The church set a fixed date for the observance, with Easter always falling on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox, ensuring that it would always fall on a Sunday, the day of the resurrection.
Conclusion
While the term “Easter Sunday” does not appear in the Bible, the resurrection of Jesus, which is the basis for Easter, is clearly described in all four Gospels and is foundational to the Christian faith. According to the Bible, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after His crucifixion, which was Sunday, the first day of the week. This event marked the beginning of a new era in salvation history and became the primary reason for Christians to gather and worship on Sundays. Easter Sunday, as it is celebrated today, serves as a reminder of Jesus’ victory over death and the hope of eternal life for all believers. The resurrection is the central event in Christianity and is commemorated every year with joy, worship, and gratitude for the new life that Christ offers.
You Might Be Interested In:
