Jesus’ resurrection, which took place 2,000 years ago, is a very important event that is essential for every believer’s life of faith. It is natural for people to think that everything ends in death. However, contrary to their thought, Christ showed that we would enjoy eternal life and happiness in Heaven with God, through His resurrection from the dead.
On the Resurrection Day, the day Christ came back to life, we commemorate the power of God who broke the chains of death. As the people of Zion, let us study the origin and meaning of the Resurrection Day and march toward Heaven with hope for the resurrection.
God established the seven feasts in three times according to the work of Moses when the Israelites came out of Egypt and marched toward Canaan. Thus, we can find the origin of the Resurrection Day through the work of Moses.
. . . Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!” So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. Ex 14:1–7
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. . . . Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the LORD swept them into the sea. The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived. But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. That day the LORD saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, . . . Ex 14:21–30
After keeping the Passover, the Israelites came out of Egypt and began their journey toward Canaan. Soon after, however, they were chased by the Egyptian army, and blocked by the Red Sea in front of them. When they cried out to God, He commanded Moses to stretch out his hand with the staff to part the Red Sea.
By the power of God, the Israelites crossed the Red Sea and landed safely in the early morning of the twenty-second day of the first month according to the sacred calendar, which was Sunday (according to today’s weekly system). As the water flowed back, the Egyptian army was buried in the sea.
God appointed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for the Israelites to remember their suffering from when they left Egypt until they crossed the Red Sea. He also appointed the Feast of Firstfruits to commemorate the day when they came out of the Red Sea.
The LORD said to Moses, “. . . ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest. He is to wave the sheaf before the LORD so it will be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath. . . . This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.’ ” Lev 23:9–14
The Feast of Firstfruits was celebrated on Sunday, the day after the Sabbath, following the Feast of Unleavened Bread. On this day, the priest waved a sheaf of the first grain before God to be accepted by Him. For this reason, it is also known as the feast of the wave offering and the feast of the heave offering. It was on this very day—the Feast of Firstfruits—that Jesus was resurrected.
Every feast was a prophecy that Christ would later fulfill. Accordingly, Jesus Christ established the New Covenant on the Passover to save mankind from sin. He was arrested on the night of the Passover and suffered on the cross at the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Then He was resurrected at the Feast of Firstfruits, the day after the first Sabbath following the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The Israelites’ entering the Red Sea represents Jesus’ entering the tomb; their coming out of the Red Sea represents Jesus’ resurrection. The same meaning is also contained in the baptism we undergo.
Through the regulations of the Old Testament, we can see that the Feast of Firstfruits is closely related to the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 1 Co 15:20
By rising from the dead, Jesus became the firstfruits of those who had fallen asleep. It means that He became the offering of the Feast of Firstfruits of the Old Testament. Therefore, just as the offering of the Feast of Firstfruits was presented on the day after the Sabbath, so Jesus was resurrected on the day after the Sabbath as the fulfillment of prophecy.
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. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! . . .” Lk 24:1–7
According to Bible prophecy, Jesus was resurrected on Sunday, the day after the Sabbath. He fulfilled the prophecy of the Feast of Firstfruits by being offered as the firstfruits to God.
Nowadays, most churches insist that worship services should be held on Sunday because Jesus was resurrected on Sunday. However, the Sabbath and the Resurrection Day are separate feasts in the Bible. The Sabbath is a weekly feast to commemorate God who is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and the Resurrection Day is an annual feast to commemorate the resurrection of Christ. Thus, the two feasts have entirely different meanings. We should understand that Jesus was resurrected on Sunday to fulfill the Old Testament prophecy of the Feast of Firstfruits, which had been celebrated on Sunday—the day after the Sabbath.
Many churches follow the tradition of dyeing and eating hard-boiled eggs on Easter. They insist that because chicks are born by hatching from eggs, Easter eggs contain the meaning of resurrection. However, isn’t it ironic that they believe that a boiled egg contains life? The tradition of Easter eggs is derived from the worship of Eostre—the goddess of spring in ancient Europe; it was later adopted by Christianity. Clearly, the Easter egg is a pagan tradition that has nothing to do with the Bible.
Let us examine the regulations of the Resurrection Day in the Gospel of Luke.
Now that same day [the day of Jesus’ resurrection] two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him. . . . When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” . . . Lk 24:13–35
After Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus and walked alongside them, but they were kept from recognizing Him. However, when Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to them, their spiritual eyes were opened, and they were able to recognize Christ and have firm faith in Him.
Satan tempted Adam and Eve to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Consequently, their eyes were opened to sin. In contrast, when Christ broke bread and gave it to the disciples, their eyes were opened to recognize Christ. Thus, the Resurrection Day is the feast when our spiritual eyes are opened by God’s power. This is the origin of the bread of the Resurrection Day, and the Church of God observes the ceremony of breaking bread that opens our spiritual eyes as a regulation of the Resurrection Day (Ac 20:6–7).
Today, the only church that celebrates the Resurrection Day according to the Bible is the Church of God. Following the teachings of Christ Ahnsahnghong, we break bread according to the regulations of the Bible; by this, we can understand the meaning of the Resurrection Day and have true faith in God the Father and God the Mother—the Spirit and the Bride. Christ opens our spiritual eyes through the bread of the Resurrection Day to recognize the true God.
By His resurrection, Christ broke the power of death and of hell to give a living hope to human beings, who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death (Heb 2:14–15).
. . . he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, . . . 1 Pe 1:3–4
. . . If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. . . . If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 1 Co 15:12–20
If there were no resurrection, our faith would be in vain. By His resurrection from the dead, Jesus gives us the hope that we, too, will be resurrected into a new life and enter Heaven. Through the convincing proof of Jesus’ own resurrection, we can have sure hope for the resurrection and eternal life. With this faith, we can be the true witnesses of God and inherit the everlasting Kingdom of Heaven.
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. . . . 1 Jn 5:13–15
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. Mt 27:50–53
Jesus promised eternal life through the Passover bread and wine, and destroyed the power of death through the Resurrection Day. Many people believe that everything will come to an end when they die; however, physical death is not the end for God’s people who abide in the truth. In other words, there is no end for those who have received eternal life. We should only look forward to the eternal Kingdom of Heaven and participate in the glory of the resurrection.
Satan thought that the authority of Heaven would be his if Jesus came in the flesh and died for the sins of His people. This is why Satan crucified Christ. However, Jesus, who is eternal life, can never be bound by death even for a moment; by rising from the dead, He drove out Satan, who holds the power of death. Jesus showed us that we, too, would be resurrected and changed at the last trumpet.
This was a message of tremendous hope and joy for the disciples who believed in Jesus and followed Him. This is why the saints of the early Church, including the apostles, preached about the resurrection wherever they proclaimed the gospel.
. . . We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. . . . For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words. 1 Th 4:13–18
The saints of the early Church kept their faith, believing that their souls would be resurrected and live with the Lord forever, even in the face of martyrdom and extreme suffering. The hope for resurrection strengthened them to stand firm in faith. Despite being ridiculed and persecuted by many people, they willingly followed Christ on the path of the cross.
We, too, who are living in this age, must never lose hope for resurrection. The dead in Christ will rise to live, and those who are still alive will be changed to enjoy eternal life and happiness in Heaven. This promise of God is trustworthy and true.
. . . The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. . . . we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” . . . 1 Co 15:35–55
We have a natural body now, but in the future we will have a spiritual body. God has promised that the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed into immortal bodies in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. Is there any promise more precious than this?
All people die in the end, no matter how much wealth and knowledge they have. When death comes upon them, they look back and lament over the emptiness and vanity of life. As God taught, life on earth is not everything.
Everlasting life and the glory of the angelic world, where we will travel throughout the universe with God, have been prepared and are waiting for us. The time is coming when we will experience a new joy every day—there will be no more pain, sorrow, or suffering. God earnestly yearns to see His children return to Heaven by keeping their faith and holding fast to the crown of life until the end.
Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Co 15:58
Please imagine what we will do as the royal priests and children of Heavenly Father and Mother in the everlasting Kingdom of Heaven. Let us devote ourselves more wholeheartedly to the work of God with firm faith, believing that our labor in God is never in vain.
After Jesus’ death on the cross, the disciples fell into despair; however, on the Resurrection Day, Jesus gave them new strength and joy. For the people whose hope is only for this life, how joyful it will be to hear God’s message of the resurrection! Brothers and sisters in Zion! I would like to ask you to preach this good news to all people so they can have hope for the eternal Kingdom of Heaven.