Tag Archive for: Course Spotlights

In some of our online courses, we have a “Student Thoughts” section where we ask a question to see what the students think. In our course on the Biblical Passover, we asked the question:

If you had to defend why you don’t keep Easter, and the reasons you keep the Passover to someone in the world, how would you explain your beliefs in a concise way while keeping in mind the principle from Matthew 10:16, “be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.”?

Take a look at some of the responses below!

“I would politely explain that I kept the Feasts God instructed us to keep, as we were instructed in the pages of the Bible. This would give me an opportunity to explain my joy of finding the answer to what had always puzzled me even as a child since I could count — How I could not reconcile Friday crucifixion and Sunday morning as being three and one half days, and that I also found how rabbits and eggs sneaked into the picture…Depending on my listener’s reaction I would also add the prophecy Christ Himself gave of Jonah and the fish.”

-MS

“If I were confronted about why I keep the Passover instead of Easter, I would explain that I keep the Feasts and Holy Days that Christ and the Disciples kept in the New Testament. I would explain that Easter is not in the Bible and if it is, it is a mistranslation of the word Pascha which means Passover. Also God tells us that He will not accept pagan rituals in worship of Him and when people keep the traditions of Easter, they are not keeping God’s commandment to keep the Passover. They are in fact worshiping a fertility goddess called Eostre who’s origin is pagan. I would tell them to do some research on the origin of Easter.”

-AL

“My defense for observing Passover instead of Easter would be that mathematics rules out my observance of Easter. In Matthew 12:40, Jesus said, ‘For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.’ Easter keepers are saying that Jesus was in the heart of the earth only two nights and one day, which is only half of the time He stated would prove him to be the Messiah. Concisely stated, I observe Passover because I really do believe that Christ was the promised Messiah, who now sits at the right hand of the Father as our intercessor. Stated another way, if Easter depicts the actual time between Christ’s burial and His resurrection, we have no Savior!”

-RM

In some of our online courses, we have a “Student Thoughts” section where we ask a question to see what the students think. In Unit 4 of the Life Ministry and Teachings of Jesus Christ course, we asked the question:

Why did Peter deny Christ (Luke 22:54-62)? What can we do in our own lives to make sure we do not deny Him (Matthew 10:32-33)?

Come take a look at some of the Student Responses below!

“Peter denied Christ three times because he feared. Scriptures tell us to be of courage and have faith. Christ also told us to pray not to be lead into temptation. If we are truly converted and do not deny Christ, He will not deny us to the Father. We must truly be sure we know the truth, love the truth, live the truth, and be willing to die for it if necessary.”

– SJ

“We have often been admonished to overcome self, Satan, and society. This incident with Peter is a good example of these three pulls in our lives. First, Peter was fearful of what society would do to him. The scripture reference of Matthew 10:32-33 is in the context of Jesus’ instructions to His disciples before sending them out. The preceding verses instructed them not to fear those who can kill the body but not the inward man that God has started within us. Peter’s focus on what the governing authorities could do was part of his failure here. Another vital part was that Satan was ‘playing him like a cheap fiddle.’ Jesus predicted Peter’s denial just a little earlier saying, ‘Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.’ (Luke 22:31) However, Satan’s influence over Peter’s actions here was because Peter was trusting in his own strength. This is evidenced by his use of the sword. In order for us to succeed in the job God has given us to do, we need to recognize our enemies. We have three. They are self, Satan, and society”

– TW

“Peter was still carnal, not fully conquered by the power of God, the Holy Spirit. Also, Peter was relying on his strength rather than putting his trust in God to take care of everything. So, for us today, we have to keep the commandments of God as shown in John 14:15. Also in 1 Thessalonians 5:18-22, we are told, ‘give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.’ [ESV] “

– LK