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Easter
or Resurrection?
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Before
proceeding further you need to know that I am not
on some sort of legalistic tangent. However, some
of what is associated with “Easter”
troubles me. As an animal lover I happen to like
‘bunnies’. Nevertheless, also as a Christian,
the day that we designate to remember, honor and
observe is a very special day. It is the day when
we take some extra time to remember our Lord’s
resurrection from the dead. It is not about bunnies
distributing eggs, ‘oohing’ and ‘aahing’
over cute baby chicks, wearing bonnets in so-called
“easter parades”. Nor is it simply a
day to make an annual pilgrimage to a fashionable
church service wearing the finest of name brand
clothing.
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Babylonian
Goddess of Spring |
The
word ‘easter’ is not the best word to
use when referring to this particular day and season.
Many of the customs that are associated with this
observance have their roots in the pagan celebrations
of the rebirth of the earth in the spring of the year.
It is believed that the English word “Easter”
is from the name of a Teutonic or Anglo-Saxon goddess
Eostre or Eastre, the goddess of spring. Various symbols
associated with this day have been adopted from many
so-called “Christian” cultures. I say
“so-called Christian” because since the
time of Constantine in the fourth century when the
institutional Church was married to the State there
has been a erosion within Christendom. With the toleration
and eventual of ‘making’ (often by force)
Christianity the State’s official religion a
good deal from paganism entered the organized churches
especially into Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy.
A great deal of this “Christianized” paganism
was passed on to Protestantism where it continues
to thrive. |
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I
prefer to refer to what is commonly called “Easter”
to “Resurrection Day.” This day has absolutely
nothing to do with “easter egg hunts,”
“sunrise services,” entertainment, etc.
sponsored by churches in order to draw a crowd in
the hope of gaining greater acceptance from the world.
We’ve allowed the world and paganism to steal
much of the joy and real meaning of this day from
us as disciples of Christ. At this observance Biblical
Christians take time to remember and celebrate anew
our Lord’s bodily resurrection. Messiah [Christ]
is not dead. He lives! And because He rose from the
grave and now lives, we also live and that for eternity.
See – 1 Corinthians chapter 15.
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Anglo
Saxon Goddess of Spring |
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The
early Christians made our Lord’s resurrection
the focal point of our Christian faith. Very early
in Church history, though the majority of the earliest
believers of Jesus [Yeshua] were Jews, they began
meeting on the first day of each week rather than
the seventh day. The seventh day Sabbath, along with
circumcision, had been given to the Jews as signs
of their covenant relationship with God. The first
day of each week is a mini-Resurrection day for Christians.
Since the first century it has been designated as
“the Lord’s Day.” See – Acts
20:7. Because of the fact that the followers of Christ
were assembling each first day of the week, aka Sunday,
this day was officially proclaimed the day of Christian
worship in AD 321.
Contrary
to what seventh day Sabbath-keepers[1] claim it was
not emperor Constantine who instituted Sunday-keeping
for the church. |
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Rather, he simply recognized the day of the week that the
Christians were assembling on already.
History
reveals that the day mistakenly called “Easter”
has been observed by churches at least since the fourth
century. Even those churches that do not observe the traditional
Church Year[2] take time to observe this special day each
year.
Prior
to the fourth century, Christians observed Pascha, Christian
Passover in the Spring of the year. This observance was
adapted from the Jewish Passover. Pascha was a festival
of redemption and commemorated both the crucifixion and
resurrection of our Lord. It is believed that the Jewish
Christians observed both Passover (Pesach) and Pascha. However,
many Gentile converts were hesitant to observe the Jewish
festival, especially since the Council at Jerusalem had
taken the position that Gentile converts, who believe in
Messiah, did not have to observe the various Jewish practices.
See – Acts 15. Gradually by the fourth century Holy
Week with Good Friday commemorating Jesus’ crucifixion
and death were being observed. Whether or not Christ was
crucified on a Friday or another day (Wednesday or Thursday)
is up for speculation and should not be used to divide believers.
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I mentioned that I prefer to use the phraseology “Resurrection
Day” in lieu of the pagan word “easter.”
This celebration far exceeds “Christmas”
in importance for believers.
The
Message of this day is the message of hope and victory
over sin, death and hell. The
“enemy” has been defeated! This
day recalls for us that Jesus literally, not just
figuratively or spiritually, rose from the grave on
the third day after his crucifixion. This day symbolizes
the love and grace of God and the promise that the
soul of each person is immortal.
To
me this is fact not some doctrine concocted by theologians
nor borrowed from pagan religions. I part company
with any and all theologians, preachers or secularists
who seek to explain away our Lord’s bodily resurrection.
Jesus rose in the flesh. I am one of those people
who believe in the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
He was both human as well as God in human flesh when
he came to dwell amongst us on earth. See –
Philippians 2:5-11; John 1:1-5, 14. |
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Many
Christians are puzzled as to the reason why the date of
this observance varies from year to year. History reveals
that it was celebrated at different times by the early churches
until 325 A.D., when the Council of Nicea fixed the day
as the first Sunday after the first moon after March 21.
This always places its observance sometime between March
22 and April 25. It is believed that the Nicene Council
probably set the date to fall near the time of the full
moon so that pilgrims journeying to worship might have moonlight
to help them find their way. Whether this is true or not
we really do not know.
Forty
days following Resurrection Day Christians remember the
bodily ascension of Christ back into the heavens to be with
the Father. It is there where he ministers today as sole
Mediator and Intercessor. See 1 Timothy 2:5 and Hebrews
7:25.
The Ascension of our Lord marks not only his resurrection
from the dead, but also his exaltation from servanthood
to Ruler and Lord. This is the fitting climax of Resurrection
Day. See Eph. 1:20-22.
Churches and Christians who follow a Church Year Calendar
use different colors as symbolic of the year. They use the
color white or gold during the season of Resurrection which
concludes with Pentecost Sunday, i.e. fifty days after Resurrection
Day. The color white symbolizes the hope of the resurrection
that is ours as believers in Jesus Christ. It also symbolizes
the purity and newness that comes from victory over sin
and death. The gold (or yellow) symbolizes the light of
the world brought by the Risen Christ who enlightens the
world, as well as his exaltation. |
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A
PRAYER
(From
the Book of Common Prayer)
O
God, who for our redemption gave Your only begotten Son
to death on the Cross, and by His glorious resurrection
has delivered us from the power of our enemy: Grant that
we who celebrate with joy the day of our Lord’s
resurrection, may be raised from death of sin by Your
life-giving Spirit. Grant us so to die daily to sin, that
we may evermore live with Him in the joy of His resurrection,
empowered and transformed by Your grace in and among us.
O
Lord, so stir up Your church, indeed in each of us, that
Spirit of adoption and reconciliation that is made possible
by Your grace revealed in Jesus the Christ, that we being
renewed in both body and mind, may worship and serve You
in sincerity and truth. We pray this in the name of the
same Jesus Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with You
and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
It’s Impact!
The
bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ sets Christian faith
apart, above and beyond every religion of the world. Our
Lord’s resurrection is the bedrock upon which the
historic biblical faith rests. If your church participates
and/or sponsors some of the pagan influences that have crept
into churches why not speak out, gently and in Christian
love, but firmly recommending that your church cease its
pagan practices. Some will say “does it really matter,
after all, the children love it?” My friend it does
matter. We dare not set a false premise on the most important
teaching of our belief as disciples of Christ. No longer
“Easter” but “Resurrection!” |
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At one point in my life I advocated
keeping the seventh day Sabbath. I continue to recognize
that there are some Christians who continue to observe this
day. Whether one keeps the seventh day (Saturday) or the
first day (Sunday) has absolutely nothing to do with one’s
salvation. See – Colossians 2:14-17; Romans 14:5-11.
Salvation is by grace through faith, not in observances.
[2]
The “Church Year” calendar is more frequently
observed and followed in the traditional liturgical churches
than it is in the non-liturgical, free churches. |
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