There's much more to Christ's resurrection than watching a sunrise on Easter morning, probably the only occasion when most people even think about the resurrection.

Actually, Easter sunrise services were adopted from ancient paganism, just as the name Easter came from Ishtar, the ancient Babylonian fertility goddess. Such services are actually inconsistent with biblical facts about the resurrection of Christ. And in light of their origins, they are certainly unrelated to the promised resurrection of godly people to eternal life.

Another reason a sunrise service cannot honor Jesus is that He did not rise on Sunday morning. Your Bible teaches that He had already been resurrected when Mary Magdalene came to the tomb on Sunday morning "while it was still dark" (John 20:1)—before the sun had even risen!

Further, it is impossible to reconcile a Friday crucifixion and Sunday morning resurrection with Jesus' clear statement that He would be "in the heart of the earth" for three days and nights (Matthew 12:40). You simply cannot fit three days and nights into that time frame. Our free booklet Holidays or Holy Days: Does It Matter Which Days We Observe? clearly explains the actual timing as proven in the Bible. Download or request your copy today! GN