Resurrection Sunday (And Other Holidays Connected To Easter)
Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI
Biblical Authority Ministries, October 26, 2026 (Donate)
There are a lot of holidays that directly connect to Easter
Sunday, which itself connects to Passover. Of course, there is Ash
Wednesday, which begins the Easter Season and the countdown to it. Naturally,
a lot happens on Holy Week. There is Palm Sunday (a week before Easter)
and Maundy Thursday, a day before the crucifixion. Crucifixion Day
also called Preparation Day, a High Sabbath, then the resurrection or
Easter Sunday.
But then we often forget the days that follow. Some celebrate
Easter Monday as part of the Octave of Easter commemorating the day
that Jesus began appearing to other people beside his close disciples. That is
the last of the immediate days of the Octave of Easter which technically
began with Palm Sunday.
But there are two other holidays that follow that are
powerfully important! One is Ascension Day, which was 40 days after the resurrection.
Then there is Pentecost which is 50 days after.
This is when the Holy Spirit poured out on believers in a miraculous way to
baptize the church with the power of the Spirit.
A Note On The Calendar
Easter Sunday (and these other holidays tied to it) moves
around on our modern Gregorian calendar. The reason is that it is directly tied
to Passover, which is still calculated today based on a lunar calendar
(a calendar based on 12 moon cycles or either 29 or 30 days, giving a yearly
354 days). The current Jewish calendar is lunar (and was borrowed from
Babylonians while they were in captivity).[1]
Our modern Gregorian calendar (a corrected version of the old Julian calendar of Roman days) is a solar calendar with 365 day a year with a leap year every 4 years (and other slight corrective features from time to time). The lunar calendar also has a leap, but it doesn’t add a day, instead they add an entire leap month every few years to correct the calendar. Basically, they add an extra month at the end of the year to make up for the fact that they year ends so early (remember, it was only 354 days, where a true year is about 365.25 days).
But because of this, Passover, Easter, Pentecost and other holidays attached to Passover drifts and then resets, then drifts, then resets. So Resurrection Sunday drifts on our calendar, then resets beca sue we just translate the dates over to the Solar calendar. And then drifts again on our calendar and resets forward every few years.
Biblical Holidays Surrounding Passover, Easter, And
Pentecost
The Bible obviously records several key events surrounding
the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. Some of these originated
in the Old Testament and pointed forward to Christ.
We have made holidays to remember and commemorate these
events (we are made in the image of holiday-making God!). Sometimes, understanding
these events helps us appreciate the connections between the Old and New
Testaments. Let’s go back to the Passover ever so briefly.
- Passover
Passover (Hebrew: Pesach) was instituted by
God when the Israelites were preparing to leave Egypt. According to Exodus 12,
each household was instructed to select a male lamb without blemish on the
tenth day of the first month (Nisan or Abib—equivalent to late March to late
April).
The lamb was slaughtered on the fourteenth day of Nisan, and
its blood was applied to the doorposts and lintel of the home. When God struck
the firstborn of Egypt, He passed over the houses marked by the blood. In
the same way, Christ—our eternal Passover Lamb’s blood, saves us from eternal
death!
By God’s decree, Passover was celebrated to remember
Israel's deliverance from Egyptian bondage. It was followed by the seven-day Feast
of Unleavened Bread, during which leaven (yeast) was removed from their
homes. These observances reminded Israel of God's judgment, mercy, and
deliverance.
Take note that even for Christians, Passover has
tremendous significance because Jesus Christ is the ultimate Passover Lamb.
John the Baptist identified Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of
the world! (John 1:29). Likewise, the Holy Spirit through Paul declared,
Therefore purge out the old leaven,
that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ,
our Passover, was sacrificed for us. (1 Corinthians 5:7, NKJV).
Just as the Israelites were spared judgment through the
blood of the Passover lamb, believers are delivered and saved from eternal
judgment through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
Thus, Passover was more than just a remembrance of
Israel removal from Egypt. It was a prophetic picture pointing forward to the
perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ to save us for eternity. (See: Exodus
12:1-28; Leviticus 23:4-8; Matthew 26:17-19; Luke 22:7-20; John 1:29; 1
Corinthians 5:7.)
- Preparation
Day
Preparation Day was an important part of Jewish
religious life. The term generally referred to the day before the weekly
Sabbath, when people prepared food and completed necessary work before the
Sabbath began at sunset.
In the New Testament, Preparation Day is particularly
significant because Jesus Christ was crucified and buried on this day. Hence, is
sometimes called Crucifixion Day.
Mark 15:42 identifies the day of Christ's burial as the Preparation
Day, as it was the day before the Sabbath. Also, Luke 23:54 states that the
Sabbath was approaching when Jesus was placed in the tomb.
John 19:14 specifically mentions the Preparation Day
of the Passover, connecting Christ's crucifixion with the Passover
season. Jesus and His disciples ate the Passover meal (the Last Supper) after
sunset on Preparation Day as it was crossed over with Passover.
The Jewish religious leaders were still going to eat it after they arrested and
was having Him condemned to death (John 18:28).
Jewish days were reckoned from evening to evening (today, we
push it back a few hours to Midnight), making the approaching sunset
particularly important. Because the Sabbath was drawing near, Joseph of
Arimathea and Nicodemus needed to act quickly in preparing Jesus' body for
burial (John 19:38-42).
Preparation Day also helps explain why the Jewish
leaders requested that the crucified men's legs be broken to hasten their
deaths (John 19:31). They didn’t want the bodies remaining on the crosses
during the approaching Sabbath.
Christ, however, had already died, fulfilling the Scriptures
concerning the Passover Lamb. For those of us in Christ, Preparation Day
is powerful because it marks the day of the Last Supper and Christ’s
crucifixion. (See: Exodus 12:6; Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54; John 19:14, 31, 42.)
- High
Sabbath
A High Sabbath was a Sabbath that fell during one of
Israel's appointed feasts. Unlike the ordinary weekly Sabbath, which is
celebrate every seventh day (honoring God’s work of creating all things in
six days and resting
on the seventh), certain festival days were designated as sacred assemblies
when ordinary work was prohibited.
The first and seventh days of the Feast of Unleavened
Bread were such occasions (Leviticus 23:6-8).
John 19:31 interjects that the Sabbath immediately
following Christ's crucifixion:
Therefore, because it was the
Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the
Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their
legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. (NKJV).
This means that the approaching Sabbath possessed
special significance because of its association with the Passover and the
Feast of Unleavened Bread festival.
The High Sabbath should remind us that the ceremonial
observances of the Old Testament pointed toward something greater. As
Colossians 2:16-17 explains, these observances were types and shadows, while their ultimate
substance is ultimately found in Jesus Christ. (See: Leviticus 23:5-8; Exodus
12:16; John 19:31; Luke 23:54-56.)
- Resurrection
Sunday (Easter Sunday)
Resurrection Sunday is all about the bodily
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. It is commonly called Easter
Sunday (based
on the German month name to which Passover falls), although many
Christians prefer the designation Resurrection Sunday to honor the
biblical event.
According to all four Gospels, Jesus' tomb was discovered empty early on the first day of the week, following the Sabbath. The women who came to the tomb expected to find Jesus' body. Instead, they encountered an empty tomb and received the extraordinary announcement that He had risen (Matthew 28:6)!
The resurrection wasn’t merely spiritual or even symbolic.
Jesus, who is God in the flesh, physically rose from the grave, proving His
victory over sin and death.
He subsequently appeared to Mary Magdalene, the apostles,
and numerous other witnesses. Paul records that more than 500 brethren
witnessed the risen Christ at one time (1 Corinthians 15:6).
The resurrection is foundational to Christianity. Without
it, the Christian faith would be meaningless, as Paul explains in 1 Corinthians
15:14-19. So one can understand how important it is to remember.
Unlike Passover, which was specifically commanded
under the Mosaic Law, an annual Easter celebration wasn’t directly
commanded in Scripture. Nevertheless, Christians have historically celebrated
this unique event to glorify Christ and His resurrection because it confirms
His deity, His sacrifice, and the future bodily resurrection.
Since the resurrection happened after Passover, Resurrection Sunday should obviously follow Passover. The date to celebrate Easter is always calculated to follow Passover and it is done in a clever way, based on a moon sign.
Easter Sunday is always the first Sunday, following the first full moon after the Vernal Equinox (spring equinox). This assures that Easter always comes after the Passover. As Passover drifts, it won't "go behind" Easter using this method.
Nevertheless, Resurrection Sunday is to celebrate the conquering King
who defeated death and holds the keys of Hades and Death (Revelation 1:18). (See:
Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-18; 1 Corinthians
15:3-22.)
- Ascension
Day
Ascension Day commemorates Jesus Christ's bodily
ascension into heaven following His resurrection. He was the original “superman”
flying through the air!
According to Acts 1:3, Jesus appeared to His disciples over
a period of forty days after His resurrection. During this time, He provided
convincing proofs that He was alive and taught them concerning the kingdom of
God.
At the conclusion of these appearances, Jesus led His
disciples near the Mount of Olives. Acts 1:9 records that Jesus was taken up
before their eyes, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
Two angels then informed the disciples that Jesus would
return in the same manner in which they had seen Him ascend into heaven (Acts
1:10-11). Ascension Day is traditionally observed on the fortieth day of
the Easter season, counting Resurrection Sunday as the first day.
Consequently, it always falls on a Thursday.
The Bible doesn’t command us to establish an annual Ascension
Day celebration. But it doesn’t forbid it either. Thus, it is still
recognized like many other holidays. The point of Ascension Day isn’t to
be a big celebration but simply to remind us that Jesus didn’t cease to exist
physically or abandon His humanity. Rather, the risen Christ ascended bodily
into heaven, where He reigns at the Father's right hand on the throne of God.
Furthermore, His ascension meant the apostles were to look
forward to the coming of the Holy Spirit, whom He promised to send to His
followers. For we Christians today, Ascension Day is a reminder that our
resurrected Savior will also return just as He promised. (See: Luke 24:50-53;
Acts 1:1-11; Mark 16:19; Ephesians 1:20-23; Hebrews 1:3.)
- Pentecost
This is the final holiday connected to Easter and Passover.
Pentecost comes from the Greek word meaning "fiftieth." In the
Old Testament, this celebration was known as the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot)
and was associated with the initial grain harvest.
According to Leviticus 23:15-16, Israel was instructed to
count seven complete weeks and observe the feast on the fiftieth day. Naturally,
the precise starting point for this count has been interpreted differently
among Jewish traditions.
Pentecost became especially significant in the New
Testament because of the extraordinary events recorded in Acts 2. It was
essentially the inauguration of the church with power.
Following Christ's resurrection and ascension, His disciples
remained in Jerusalem as instructed, awaiting the promised Holy Spirit.
On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended
upon the gathered believers. The event was a “wow event”! It was accompanied by
a sound like a rushing mighty wind and divided tongues resembling fire.
The disciples began speaking in other languages, enabling
visitors from numerous nations to hear God's wonderful works in their own
tongues.
Peter subsequently preached a powerful sermon proclaiming
Jesus Christ's death, resurrection, and exaltation. Approximately 3,000 people
received the gospel message, believed in Jesus, and were baptized that day
(Acts 2:41).
Pentecost marked a remarkable expansion of the church's public
witness and the fulfillment of Christ's promise concerning the Holy Spirit.
The unstoppable Holy Spirit has been at work ever since, converting world
nations and people to a point where Christianity is largest religion in the world
and is still the fastest growing religion by conversions! And yet it is arguably
the most persecuted religion in the world too.
Unlike the confusion of languages at Babel, where man was
divided through language (e.g., Genesis 10-11), Pentecost shows God's power to
communicate His Gospel truth across linguistic boundaries.
For Christians, Pentecost is about the Holy Spirit's
coming upon the disciples and early church and the crazy speed of the spread of
the gospel to people all around the world. (See: Leviticus 23:15-22;
Deuteronomy 16:9-12; Acts 2:1-41; John 14:16-17; Acts 1:4-8.)
Conclusion
These holidays leading up to Resurrection Sunday and
following it are closely connected to God's work through Jesus Christ on the Cross.
Passover yields a sacrificial Lamb. Christ is our eternal Passover Lamb.
Preparation Day marks the His crucifixion and burial.
The High Sabbath shows the body of Christ resting in the grave. Resurrection
Sunday reveals the power of God unto salvation! Christ hold eternal victory
over death.
Ascension Day commemorates Jesus’ exaltation into
heaven. Finally, Pentecost sees the Holy Spirit's coming upon the
disciples and the spread of the gospel. There is a remarkable unity in all this
if you just stop and think about it.
□
Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist
defending 6-day creation and opposing evolution since 1998. He spent 21 years
working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and
researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He
was also head of the Oversight Council.
Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in
2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a
501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in
churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children.
Mr. Hodge earned a Bachelor and Master of Science degrees
from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC). Then he taught
at SIUC for a couple of years as a Visiting Instructor teaching all levels of
undergraduate engineering and running a materials lab and a CAD lab. He did
research on advanced ceramic materials to develop a new method of production of
titanium diboride with a grant from Lockheed Martin. He worked as a Test
Engineer for Caterpillar, Inc., prior to entering full-time ministry.
His love of science was coupled with a love of history,
philosophy, and theology. For about one year of his life, Bodie was editing and
updating a theological, historical, and scientific dictionary/encyclopedia. Mr.
Hodge has over 25 years of experience in writing, speaking and researching in
these fields.
*Image by generative program as requested by Bodie Hodge
[1]
The Jewish calendar names still have a couple of Babylonian “gods” as the names
of their months (e.g., Tammuz).
