Passover and Easter: Origin and History to Modern Times

As an adult I have tried to reclaim Pesach/Pascha/Easter as the very heart of my religious year. I attend a non-liturgical church. When Eastern, Western and Messianic Christians were following Christ to his Passion, our church began a a capital campaign, a kick-off to a new building project. I am a novice when it comes to church liturgy, church calendars and sacred times. Passover and Easter: Origin and History to Modern Times by Paul Bradshaw and Lawrence A. Hoffman is an very good resource for those interested in looking back to ancient traditions of the church to influence how they live out their faith.

Until I was in Junior High School, I grew up in a home that was marginally Christian. My mom identified herself as Lutheran Home. My father was Episcopalian. I don't remember going to church except on religious holidays. I understood that Easter was related to the Christ story. Still, Easter mostly meant bunnies, new dresses, visits to relative's homes, candy and colored eggs.

While in the Catholic tradition the rites belonging to this season had undergone major mutations, in the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century they were almost entirely swept away, as part of the Reformers' general rejection on the use of all ceremonies in worship that were at best not understood by ordinary people and at worst interpreted in a highly superstitious manner. All that were usually left were the names for the more significant days together with the traditional biblical readings belonging to them. Special liturgies as such tended to disappear entirely: thus, ash was not used on Ash Wednesday, nor palms on Palm Sunday, and the Easter vigil vanished completely from sight, leaving Easter Day much like any other Sunday of the year. (page 5)

I am continuing to learn how to ensure that the paschal mystery, which this book defines as, "the incarnation, passion, resurrection and glorification of Christ, and the sending of his Spirit" remain the center of our family's eternal hope.

I was a little disappointed in that I felt Christian was used to define primarily Western Christianity. There was very little of the book related to the liturgy and traditions of the Eastern church. And, I do not believe the last supper was a Passover Seder and I do not believe there is a discrepancy between the synoptic gospels and John. In my opinion traditional calendarization of the Great and Holy Week misinterprets Jewish traditions.

• I believe Christ's triumphal entry occurred on Sunday, Nisan 10; the same day the Passover lambs were chosen (Exodus 12:3).
• The Jewish day starts at sunset. On Wednesday at sunset, the beginning of Nisan 14, I believe that Christ shared a festive meal with his disciples. Today, this day is traditionally kept as a Fast of the Firstborn. However, even today the fast can be broken to celebrate the completion of study.
• Thursday, Nisan 14, when the passover lambs were being slaughtered, Christ was crucified. Friday, Nisan 15, is the day that the Passover Seder is traditionally eaten. In Rabbinic Judaism, the Omer Count is started on Nisan 16. But, Leviticus 23:15-16 lays out the instructions for counting the omer, "from the morrow of the sabbath." Saturday, Nisan 16, would have been the regular weekly Sabbath. The morrow after the sabbath is Sunday, Nisan 17. This is the day I contend is First Fruits -- the day of the wave offering of barley and the day we start counting the Omer. 
• Christ rose on Sunday (Mark 16:9), Nisan 17. Did you know that Nisan 17 is the day the ark rested? It is also the day the Israelites crossed the Red Sea and entered the promise land. Salvation is finished.

While the author's assumptions and narrative did nothing to disprove what I believe to be true about Christ's last week, neither did they discuss the possibility of a crucifixion occurring on a day besides Friday.