Aside from JWs, what other religions also recognize that the Memorial should be held on the Nisan 14, instead?

Question

of the more convenient weekend after?

Unlike Christmas, it has always been known what day the Last Supper took place. It is simple to ascertain, as the Jews used the Lunar Calendar. The Jewish Passover, which is when the Last Supper took place, begins at sun set on the first full moon after the Vernal Equinox. A second question, what do so many of today's churches have against following the instructions of Christ to observe the day in Memorial?

Answer 1

The most significant "Memorial" one could observe is, of course, the Memorial of Christ's death. It is sometimes called "the Last Supper" or "the Lord's Evening Meal".

(1 Corinthians 11:23-25, NWT) The Lord Jesus in the night in which he was going to be handed over took a loaf... Keep doing this in remembrance of me.” 25 He did likewise respecting the cup.. Keep doing this... in remembrance of me.”

(1 Cor 11:24, 25, NEB) "Do this as a memorial of me.”


Christ Jesus himself personally celebrated and explained the significance of that Last Supper to his followers (see Matthew 26:26-29). Apparently Jesus Christ established the occasion to supercede the Jewish Passover, which occurs after sunset on the 14th of Nisan (a month of the Jewish calendar).

(Luke 22:14-16) At length when the hour came, he reclined at the table, and the apostles with him. 15 And [Jesus] said to them: “I have greatly desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I tell you, I will not eat it again until it becomes fulfilled in the kingdom of God.


Sadly, it is only a minority of professed Christians who follow the BIBLICAL pattern for the Last Supper which was established by Christ himself. Sadly, most of Christendom ignores Christ's celebration and instead follow unrelated human traditions which purport to honor Christ, but in ways unconnected with what Jesus Christ established.

Like the former Passover, those Christians who commemorate the Last Supper have also done so on the date corresponding to Nisan 14, which generally falls between late March and mid-April. Interestingly, Christians in the centuries immediately after Christ's impalement were sometimes called "Quartodecimans" which literally mean "fourteen-ers"


There are fundamental differences between the Memorial which Christ Jesus instituted and the so-called "Easter" which Christendom adopted from pagan worship of the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre (or Oestre). While most Easter celebrations merely repackage pagan fertility festivals and concentrate on eating, decorating, and frivolity, the Last Supper focuses on the value of Christ's sacrifice and the sober obligation of Christianity.

(Matthew 15:6-9) You have made the word of God invalid because of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites, Isaiah aptly prophesied about you when he said, 8 ‘This people honors me with their lips, yet their heart is far removed from me. 9 It is in vain that they keep worshiping me, because they teach commands of men as doctrines.’”

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_08.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/index.htm?article=article_11.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20041215/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20011115/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20050101a/
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/

Answer 2

That's a good question. "Christians" have supposedly been celebrating the birth of Christ and the resurrection of Christ (neither of these were commanded by Christ to celebrate), however nearly every religion except that of Jehovah's Witnesses actually celebrate the death of Jesus Christ which was, in fact, a command to his disciples (Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26). In addition, the celebrations of Easter and Christmas are not found in the Bible. In fact, they are adaptions of pagan Roman celebrations that have been given a "Christian" appeal. True Christians refrain from mixing false religion with true religion, even if they seem to have godly appeal (compare to Exodus 32:4, 5, see also 2 Corinthians 6:14-17, Matthew 15:3)

Thus other religions are not worshipping God acceptably. Why should they, then, give attention to the observance of Christ's death, or to it's details? Also, their morals show clearly that they are not God's servants, because he is a God of high moral standards (Matthew 5:48). Just as the Bible prophesied, it can be clearly seen the "distinction between a righteous one and a wicked one, between one serving God and one who has not served him." -Malachi 3:18