Easter Sunday

History of Easter

Easter, which celebrates Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead, is Christianity’s most important holiday. It has been called a moveable feast because it doesn’t fall on a set date every year, as most holidays do. Instead, Christian churches in the West celebrate Easter on the first Sunday following the full moon after the vernal equinox on March 21. 

The exact origins of this religious feast day’s name are unknown. Some sources claim the word Easter is derived from Eostre, a Teutonic goddess of spring and fertility. Other accounts trace Easter to the Latin term hebdomada alba, or white week, an ancient reference to Easter week and the white clothing donned by people who were baptized during that time. 

Through a translation error, the term later appeared as esostarum in Old High German, which eventually became Easter in English. In Spanish, Easter is known as Pascua; in French, Paques. These words are derived from the Greek and Latin Pascha or Pasch, for Passover. 

Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection occurred after he went to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover (or Pesach in Hebrew), the Jewish festival commemorating the ancient Israelites’ exodus from slavery in Egypt. Pascha eventually came to mean Easter.

Easter is really an entire season of the Christian church year, as opposed to a single-day observance. Lent, the 40-day period leading up to Easter Sunday, is a time of reflection and penance and represents the 40 days that Jesus spent alone in the wilderness before starting his ministry, a time in which Christians believe he survived various temptations by the devil.

We cannot find Easter in the Bible

This is a major problem for some of us, because some of us are Bible Christians. We only worship the Lord Jesus Christ according to what is written in the Holy Scriptures. The great and dreadful God of the Bible demands worship exactly as He has commanded. He will not tolerate additions or deletions, no matter how innocent, noble, popular, or sincere. If you doubt this, ask Cain about his offering, Nadab and Abihu about contemporary worship, Moses about striking a rock, or David about moving the Ark of the Covenant on a new ox cart. All four were judged severely for altering the worship of God. 

If we cannot find a doctrine or practice clearly taught in the Bible, then what should some of us do?

Some of us hate the fact that Easter and anything to do with it, is not in the Bible, and if you want proof, then check out some of these links...

Proof: Gen 4:6-7; Lev 10:1-7; Num 20:1-13; Deut 5:32; 12:29-32; II Sam 6:1-10; I Chron 15:12-15; Ps 119:128;Isaiah 8:20; Matt 28:20; Rom 16:17-18; Gal 1:6-9; II Cor 11:1-4; II Thess 2:15; 3:6; II Tim 3:16-17; Titus 3:10-11;Jude 1:3.

We can find Easter in pagan history

Pagans have always gotten excited about spring, because they saw the sun increasing in power, animals mating, and plant life reviving. With their minds totally blinded by a holy God, they exalted animal and human fertility, reproduction, and sexual love. 

Goddesses of love and fertility were worshipped with spring festivals and gross immorality. The Roman Catholic Church, seeking to "Christianize" the pagans, gave new names and meanings to the old pagan festivals to keep their unregenerated members happy. 

Any encyclopedia will confirm this brief synopsis, and below some links have been provided to help you, the reader, discover this discrepancy yourself. 

Proof: Ex 34:12-16; Num 15:38-41; Deut 4:19; 17:2-5; I Kgs 11:5; Jer 7:16-20; 44:16-23; Ezek 8:13-18; Luke 16:15; Rom 1:18-32; I Cor 12:2; II Cor 6:14-17; Eph 4:17-19; II Thess 2:3-12; I Tim 4:1-3; James 4:4; I John 2:15-17; 5:19,21; Rev 18:4.