A curious contradiction happens nearly every year. Virtually all the Christian world will observe the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in unison, on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox as decreed by the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. However, if this paschal full moon occurs on a Sunday, Easter is then moved to the next Sunday. The Council of Nicea also decided that the Christian Easter shall never precede or coincide with the Jewish Passover, but must always follow it, a rule still observed by the Eastern Orthodox Church, but not the Western Church. The Eastern Orthodox church also still uses the Julian calendar to calculate Easter, and so frequently does not agree with the Western Church on dates.
This presents a very interesting situation, since the Protestants generally will subscribe to the motto of Sola Scriptura, the Bible only for doctrine, yet the Catholic affirms the authority of Church Tradition.
Now if you strictly follow the Bible as your guide as to when to observe Passover, you would ALWAYS be observing the crucifixion in the middle of the biblical month, very close to the full moon. This is because the biblical month begins with the observation of the new moon (crescent visible), and Passover the Bible tells us, is celebrated on 14 Nisan, the middle of the 29.5 day lunar cycle (the synodic month):
Lev 23:5 In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord's passover.
Consequently, the fourteenth day of the month is always in close proximity to the full moon. Ripened barley is required on 16 Nisan for the waving of first fruits, Lev. 23:10-11. If at the sighting of the new moon the barley is too immature, a 2nd Adar leap month is declared, and the the month of Nisan/Abib is delayed.
For 2009, sufficient ripening barley was reported found in the Jordan valley on March 26, and the crescent new moon was first sighted in Israel after sunset on the 27th, so March 28th begins the new year and the 1st month of Nisan / Abib / Aviv. In 2009, then, 16 Nisan and Easter coincide on April 12th. This is not always the case, however.
In 2008, the new moon of March 8th began Adar II, the leap month. This is because the barley crop was too immature on that date to be ripened for harvesting for first fruits (the 16th), thus triggering a leap month, Adar II. The first month of Nisan/Abib began at the sighting of the new moon of April 6th.
For 2005, with the barley harvest having been confirmed to be "Abib" (ripening), and the biblical new moon sighted on March 11th, the above calendar applied. The ripe barley is required on the 16th day of the first month for First Fruits (Lev. 23:10,11). If the barley had been too immature, the leap month of 2nd Adar would have been inserted, and Passover would be delayed to the next month, as the Jews generally did for 2005, observing Passover in late April.
Now isn't this a remarkable contradiction: "Bible Only" Protestantism has clearly cast aside the Bible as their teacher on this matter, and will celebrate "Easter" always on Sunday, a day that has no biblical foundation. Aren't Protestants, in practical effect, openly declaring they are actually followers of Catholic Tradition, and care nothing for the instructions of the inspired word of God, Scripture, which they claim to be their only guide? Isn't this a rather transparent case of hypocrisy on the part of "Bible Only" Protestants? Aren't they really declaring every Easter (and Pentecost), we are Catholics and prefer Tradition over God's word! ?
Indeed they are!
