Easter will be celebrated March 23, 2008.
I prefer to call it RESURRECTION SUNDAY, when we celebrate the Rising
of our Savior, Jesus Christ from death and the grave, and His love rises in our hearts.
I want to share the difference between 'Easter'
and 'Resurrection'. People are surprised to learn these two celebrations
are not the same. They do not have the same beginning.
The name 'Easter' does not have a Christian beginning.
It began long before the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Risen Savior.
Easter is actually an English name from the Teutonic
festival which celebrated the return of Spring each year. The name comes from the Teutonic Eostur, the name of their mythical god.
A Jewish feast, celebrated by God's people on the
night of the first full moon in the Spring season is 'Pesah', a Hebrew
word. (in English, 'Passover'). This feast marks the freedom of the Israelites from the Egyptians, who had used them in slave labor. The angel of death, sent to kill the first born sons of the Egyptians, 'passed over' the house of the Israelites who had painted blood from a perfect lamb on their door posts. The blood symbolized Jesus blood shed for us. The lamb symbolized Jesus as our Sacrificial Lamb of God.
These two Spring celebrations, were previous to the resurrection of
Jesus. but were totally different in focus, one to celebrate a miracle
of God and one to celebrate nature.
EASTER AND RESURRECTION
Eventually two very different events blended to
look like one.
Today's custom of the sunrise service in the early
morning can be traced to ancient Spring festivities that celebrated the
risen sun (not the risen SON of God). This developed further in the middle ages when celebrations at sunrise were also popular. People gathered to pray as the sun appeared and then went in procession to their churches.
Today, new clothes on Easter are symbols of new
life. This modern day practice came out of a custom of immersian baptism on Easter Sunday of early Christians who were led into church wearing robes of white linen.
The Easter parades that became popular in recent
decades came from events in the middle ages, when people walked about the
country side on Easter, stopping along the way to pray.
The Easter egg, one of our better known symbols
which symbolized renewed life since ancient days, is said to be a symbol
of life, "because in all living creatures, life begins in the egg."
[The New Book of Knowledge, Book E, page 42.]
The Persians and the Egyptians also colored eggs
and ate them in their new year's celebrations which began in Spring.
All these ancient customs began long before THE RESURRECTION. "Easter"
is a pagan celebration of a new life in Spring.
New clothes do not change people. Jesus changes the inner soul at our invitation.
The Resurrection of Jesus is the power that gives Spiritual 'new' life to those who are born again through HIS power in their life.
Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the
week. Now every Sunday is a celebration of Jesus Christ. our RISEN Savior and Lord. Let's CELEBRATE the Love and Power of Jesus.
HAPPY RESURRECTION DAY!