You Will Be Challenged 1 - Daily Bible Study Guide

Holidays and Holy Days

“Always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.”  1 Peter 3:15

Why do we Christians do what we do, and believe what we believe?  Why do we celebrate Christmas and Easter, when they have obvious connections to pagan holidays?  Why do we worship on Sunday instead of on Saturday?  And, how do you get three days and three nights out of Good Friday to Easter Sunday?

These are all questions that need answers.  Do you have those answers? 

What do you believe?  Why do you believe it?  What does the Bible say?

Set time aside the next three (3) days and study the scriptures given for each day.  What do you discover in the scriptures as it concerns the questions posed?  (You want your answers to come from the Bible, so be sure to let the scripture interpret the scripture.) 

On Wednesday, along with the reading, discover the definitions, then come prepared to go on an Incredible Journey in Bible Study, at 6:45 p.m.

MONDAY:

You will be challenged:  Christians can’t even do math!  How can you fit three days and three nights between a Friday afternoon crucifixion and a Sunday morning resurrection?  It just doesn’t add up.

Read for yourself:

What does Jesus, Himself, say about the length of time between His death and resurrection?

·       Matt 12:39-41

·       Luke 24:46-48

·       John 2:18-19

Do a parallel reading of the gospel accounts of Jesus’ removal from the cross, His burial and His resurrection?  See if you can determine why church tradition has Jesus being crucified on “Good Friday.”

·       Matt 27:62 – 28:4

·       Mark 15:42 – 16:5

·       Luke 23:50 – 24:7

·       John 19:31 – 20:2

Solve the mystery:  See what you can discover about different types of Sabbaths that answers the question and solves the mystery?

·       Leviticus 23:1-8

TUESDAY:

You will be challenged:  Christian who worship on Sunday are wrong, because it is not the seventh day, and God made the seventh day holy (Gen 2:1-3).  Not only do Sunday worshipers break the fourth commandment to “remember the Sabbath and keep it holy” (Ex 20:8-1), they are under a deception, because Sunday is the day for the worship of the Sun god.

Read for yourself: 

What does Jesus, Himself, say about keeping the Sabbath?

·       Mark 2:23-28

What do the scriptures say about “when” believers gathered, after the New Covenant?  (In searching out the “when,” you must pay close attention to the “who” and “where.”)

·       Acts 13:13-16

·       Acts 16:11-15

·       Acts 17:1-9

·       Acts 20:7

·       1 Cor 16:1-2

Responding to the challenge:  What is the New Covenant view of Sabbaths and holy days?

·       Rom 14:1-12

·       Gal 4:8-12

·       Col 2:16-23

·       Heb 4:1-11

WEDNESDAY:

You will be challenged:  Why do you Christians celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25th, a pagan holiday?

Use a dictionary to answer the following:

·       The word Christmas is a composite of two words.  What are they?  What is the meaning of the word Christmas?  (Not ‘what is Christmas?’)

·       Understand the definition of the word “solstice”

How did Paul deal with pagan worship?  Acts 17:16-25

How did Paul deal with error in teaching?  Phil 1:15-17