A Word from the Pastor 

Have you ever wondered why the date of Easter moves around from year to year? Why does something so important like the resurrection of Jesus not have a set date on the calendar (like Christmas Day)? The answer has to do with the calendar that we use and the calendar that sets the date for Passover. According to the Bible, Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection occurred during the celebration of the Jewish observance of Passover. The dates of Passover were set by the Jewish calendar which is a lunar calendar. This means that on the New Moon (when the Moon cannot be seen in the night sky), it is the first day of a new month.

The most likely day that Jesus was crucified on the Hebrew calendar is the 14th day of Nisan (the day the Passover feast begins). This happens to be the first day of the full moon after the first day of Spring. In modern times we use the Gregorian Calendar which does not align directly with the Jewish calendar. To get the observance of Easter as close to the observance of Passover, the Church agreed to the Gregorian Easter calculation in the 16th Century. It sets the observation of Easter to the first Sunday after the first full moon, after the first day of Spring. This means that Easter can fall anywhere between March 22nd and April 25th.

I leave you with the following thought:

The angel said to the women, “5 Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. (Matthew 28:5-7a, NIV)

Have a Happy Spring!

Pastor Matthew