It is amazing how we celebrate the Death,
Burial and Resurrection of Jesus Christ! We call it Easter and believe it is a
Christian celebration. However, like so many other things we do as Christians,
we don’t have a clue as to why we do them or their origin in our religious
practices. Easter is one of those celebrations we should take a closer look at.
Has anyone asked the question, what does the Easter Egg, Easter Bunny, Easter
Baskets, New Clothing, and a sumptuous Easter Diner, have to do with Jesus
Christ?
If people really want to answer this
question, there is an abundance of factual sources available in the libraries
and numerous internet sites. I won’t try to site the details of all their
origins here. It would be too long of a piece. Suffice it to say, that man has
mixed the redemptive work of Jesus on the cross, with a pagan seasonal
festival! To add insult to the injury of Jesus’ memory, modern day peoples have
commercialized the celebration promoting the sales of everything from clothing
to pet chicks and rabbits, for this day.
We have even named the occasion Easter,
after the Anglo-Saxon Pagan Spring
Fertility Rites of the Goddess, Eostre; and not after Jesus, for whose
resurrection it is supposed to commemorate! We think if we observe Lent for
forty days and deny ourselves some indulgence, we have done something really
great! Something that will incur God’s favor to us! What have we accomplished,
when we return to those same indulgences and sinful acts, after the Lent
Season? How foolish we are! Lent is supposed to be a time when many
Christians prepare for Easter by observing a period of fasting, repentance, moderation and
spiritual discipline. The purpose is to set aside time for reflection on Jesus Christ - his suffering and
his sacrifice, his life, death, burial and resurrection. But what do we do?..........
We make it about US!
I don’t remember reading in The Bible,
that when Jesus rose on Sunday morning, there were decorated baskets filled
with brightly colored eggs; chocolate rabbits; baby chicks and assorted
candies; or live rabbits found running around His tomb! The Easter Egg and The
Easter Bunny are symbols for fertility! The word Easter or the name
Easter comes to us from Ostera or Eostre; the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring,
for whom a spring festival was held annually in the spring months. It is from
this pagan festival that some of our Easter customs have
come. You know pagans are
defined as heathens, unbelievers and worshipers of false Gods and Idols.
They used the symbols of eggs and rabbits in their fertility rites. The
practice was to implore the Goddess blessings for abundant harvest and numerous
children.
I cannot find it written in The Bible,
that Jesus’ disciples or the people of their time, went on shopping sprees;
buying new robes, fine jewelry, new sandals, lamps, furniture and the latest
model of horse drawn chariots; in honor of Jesus’ death and resurrection! Nor
do I remember reading in The Bible, where the Disciples of Christ, along with
the general public held a grand feast; ate themselves into gluttony, danced and
drank wine until drunken; to celebrate Jesus’ victory over the grave! So
how did such a monumental, world changing event become corrupted with paganism,
idolatry and commercialism? Do you think The Enemy has anything to do with it? Do
you think he is pleased that we have seemingly forgotten the true significance
of Jesus Death, Burial and Resurrection? Have we allowed the devil to
distract and redirect our focus to purchasing finery and things glorifying
ourselves; rather than reverent acknowledgement of Jesus’ sacrifice for our
redemption; bought with His blood on Calvary?
Jesus' death was very significant! In fact,
it was the most significant death of a human in all of history! It was
the final sacrificial act of a life of love and service! A divine life bestowed
upon all mankind. The grand thing about Jesus' death was the way he died; the
magnificent and courageous spirit in which he met his death in total obedience
to the will of His Father. He took an event designed to humiliate, intimidate and
horrify on lookers and turned it into a triumph for God and a symbol of
salvation for the world. In His final prayer of, "Father forgive them, for
they know not what they do," we find Jesus’ final demonstration of the
love of God and removal of our sins. In this, He set a standard that would be
later followed by most of His disciples and new Christians, as they were
martyred for their belief in Christ.
In Gethsemane Jesus sought to avoid His
death; if this choice would be in agreement with the Father's will. He prayed,
"Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me!" But His
purpose was to live the full human life experience, from birth to death
and to do His Father’s will. In our human life we cannot usually avoid our
death, nor have it taken away. So Jesus submitted himself to death on the
cross. A death brought about by men -- not by God! It was God's permissive will
that Jesus should finish His human experience, even though it included
"drinking the cup" of death at the hands of His enemies. They
did not take his life! He gave his life of his own free will! But God was
faithful, and Jesus rose on Resurrection Sunday with all power in His hands!
Jesus' courage and selfless devotion to
the service of man and God by his crucifixion should be of inspiration to all,
at this time of year. It was the final act of a life of service!
"Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for his
friends." Jesus lived a life of service to all! Teaching, healing, forgiving
and performing miracles never seen before his coming. Through His life He
revealed God to mankind, and He courageously and selflessly bore the sins of
the world by His death in our stead. He revealed the Divine love of God
and upheld Divine justice; removing our guilt and reconciling us to God the
Father. He redeemed us from the penalty of sin, which we know from scripture is
Death. He died once and He died for all!
Jesus did not rise on “Easter”! He rose on
Resurrection Sunday after the Passover! Jesus and his followers observed the
Jewish Passover Feast and the seven-day festival called Days of the Unleavened
Bread and not the festival of Easter. The word Easter is mentioned only once in
the Bible, in the Original King James Version; Acts 12:4.The reference is to
the pagan festival held after the Passover. However, the
word translated Easter is the Greek word pascha (derived from the Hebrew word Pesach; there is no
original Greek word for Passover),
and the word Pesach
has only one meaning. It always means Passover—it can never mean Easter! Easter was incorrectly translated
over the original Hebrew word Pesach for Passover!
They slipped the pagan festival honoring the pagan Goddess Easter, into
scripture to make it appear that the Easter celebration was a Christian
practice and is therefore has Bible authority for its observance today. The
early Christians observed the Resurrection of Jesus, calling it Resurrection
Sunday and not Easter Sunday.
Beloved, if you desire to continue in the
worship of the false god, Easter……… do so! That is on you! But don’t mix these
abominations of man with the worship of Jesus Christ. Separate the worship and
remembrance of Christ from this pagan fertility rite celebration. Put
your hearts and mind on Jesus and the true meaning of His death on the cross
and His resurrection from the grave. Be thankful, grateful and
appreciative of his sacrifice in your and my behalf. Because he loved us so
much, we are free from the death sentence imposed by sin. All we have to do is
accept his gift, believe and live in the faith of our belief. Don’t continue to
insult Jesus by participation in the pagan Spring Festival rites! Even if your
church condones the practice as harmless, it is still a pagan practice and not
of God! Just because a practice is a long held tradition, does not make it
right! One hundred people cheating on an exam, does not make it right! Christians
should always desire and do what is RIGHT!
Jeremiah 10:2 –“Thus Saith the Lord, Learn
not the way of the heathen, (unbelievers)
and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at
them.”
Your brother, In His Service
Min. Douglas
