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“Easter Sunday”Is it a Holy Day or a Holiday?

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Easter

Easter is a big holiday, next to Christmas!Observed by many as a holy day!Is Easter to be observed by Christians

today?Purpose of this lesson:

To define Easter and its surrounding special days!

Examine Easter and its observances in light of Bible teaching!

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The Easter Tradition

LentAsh WednesdayPalm SundayGood FridayEaster Sunday

“Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days” (Col. 2:16)

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The Easter Tradition - LENT

An old English word (“lecten”) meaning SpringThe 40 days from Ash Wednesday to Easter

Sunday observed by the R.C. Church40 Days signify Christ’s 40 days in the

wilderness – Matt. 4:1-12Observed by fasting, prayer, self-denial and

attending church servicesLent was enforced by the Catholic Church after

800 A.D.

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The Easter Tradition – Ash Wednesday

This day begins Lent – Wednesday, March 5th 2014 Ended Thursday, April 17th, 2014

Earliest reference to this day is about the 8th centuryThe ashes are from burned palm leaves used in the

previous years Palm Sunday observancesThe priest marks the head of the worshiper by putting a

mark in the shape of a cross on the forehead and saying: “Remember that you are dust and unto dust you shall return,”

or, “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel,” or, “Repent and hear the good news”

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The Easter Tradition – Palm Sunday

The last Sunday before Easter and beginning of the “Holy Week” – April 13th, 2014

This is to commemorate the entry of Christ into Jerusalem when the people spread palm leaves in His pathMatt. 21:1-11; Mk. 11:1-11;Jn. 12:12-19

This day is observed by a solemn march carrying palm branches, chanting, and hymns

This practice began in the 4th century

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The Easter Tradition – Good Friday

Friday, April 18th, 2014This is supposed to commemorate the

day Christ was crucifiedThe origin of this day is not knownOn this day, the altar and the priests of

the Catholic Church are dressed in black

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The Easter Tradition – Easter Sunday

Marks the end of Lent and is supposedly the day Christ was raised from the dead

The actual day of observance can vary: 2010 – April 4th 2011 – April 12th 2012 – April 8th

2013 – March 31st 2014 – April 20th Easter can be from March 22 to April 25 In 325 A.D. the council of Nicea proclaimed Easter should be

the first Sunday after first full moon after the vernal equinox – March 21

The Chaldeans and Egyptians observed a Spring festival honoring the goddess of Spring and Light

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The Easter Tradition – Easter Sunday

What about Acts 12:4 in the KJV?Greek word “Pascha” occurs 29 times in the

N.T. and is translated “passover” 28 times

Other versions translate this word as “passover”NKJV, NIV, ASV, RSV

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Albert E. Barnes on “Easter”

“There never was a more absurd or unhappy translation than this. The original is simply after the Passover. The word Easter now denotes the festival observed by many Christian churches in honor of the resurrection of the Savior. But the original has no reference to that; nor is there the slightest evidence that any such festival was observed at the time when this book was written. The translation is not only unhappy, as it does not convey at all the meaning of the original, but because it may contribute to foster an opinion that such a festival was observed in the times of the apostles.” Barnes Notes, on Acts, p. 190

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The Name “Easter”

First called the “Christian Passover”Col. 2:16-17; Gal. 5:3

The word “Easter” adopted by 8th century!“Originally a Saxon word (Eostre), denoting a

goddess of the Saxons, in honour of whom sacrifices were offered about the time of the Passover. Hence the name came to be given to the festival of the Resurrection of Christ, which occurred at the time of the Passover..”” Easton’s Revised Bible Dictionary

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What is Wrong With Observing Easter?

We Don’t Oppose - The resurrection of Christ:

1 Cor. 11:23-26; Acts 20:7The remembrance of the resurrection of Christ:

1 Cor. 11:23-26The preaching of the resurrection:

1 Cor. 15:1-4; Acts 4:2; 17:18; Rom. 1:4; 1 Pet. 1:3; 3:21; 1 Thess. 4:14

Wearing new clothes, hats, suits and shoes!Chocolate Easter bunnies, colored eggs, Easter egg

hunts or family get-togethers

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Why Do We Oppose Easter?

We must have Bible authority for all practices Matt. 28:20; 7:21-28; Col. 3:17; 2 Thess. 2:15; 2 Jn. 9; Gal. 1:8-9

Most admit, even Catholics, that Easter was not part of N.T. worship 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:3; 1 Cor. 4:6; 1 Pet. 4:11

Easter is a tradition of men and makes worship vain & void Matt. 15:8-9; 2 Jn. 9

While people admit that observing Easter is not found in the Bible – this lesson may cause some to be angry Some will fail to observe the Lord’s death which is in the Bible and

those who are angered will fail to observe the “first day of the week” (Acts 20:7; 2:42; 1 Cor. 16:1-2)

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The First Day of the Week Honors Christ’s Resurrection!

Christ was resurrected on the 1st day of the week!Mk. 16:9

His resurrection proclaims His church was established on the 1st Day of the week!Acts 2:1, 24-32, 36-47

1st century Christians worshiped on the 1st day of the week!Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2; Heb. 10:25

“The Lord’s day” is mentioned by John!Rev. 1:10

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The First Day Of The Week Worship Honors Christ’s Resurrection

“The ‘first day of the week,’ the Lord’s Day, was the regular, weekly commemoration of our Lord’s resurrection. It is more than doubtful if there was an annual commemoration (‘Easter’) in Apostolic times.”

James Hastings, Dictionary of the Apostolic Church, Grand Rapids: 1973, II:133

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A Historical Addition

“The English word comes from the Anglo-Saxon Eastre or Estera, a Teutonic goddess to whom sacrifice was offered in April, so the name was transferred to the paschal feast. The word does not properly occur in Scripture, although the King James Version has it in Acts 12:4 where it stands for Passover…There is no trace of Easter celebration in the New Testament.”

H. Porter, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Volume II, page 889

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It Is Only Supposition That Easter Was Observed!

“While there is reason to suppose that Easter had been honored from early in Christian history, the first definite record of its celebration is in connection with a visit of Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, to Anicetus, bishop of Rome, in 154 or 155.”

Williston Walker, A History of the Christian Church, New York: 1950, p. 64

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A Blend of Paganism & Apostasy

“Modern-day Easter is derived from two ancient traditions: one Judeo-Christian and the other Pagan. Both Christians and Pagans have celebrated death and resurrection themes on or after the Spring Equinox for millennia. Most religious historians believe that many elements of the Christian observance of Easter were derived from earlier Pagan celebrations.”

Easter: Origins, Meanings, & Current Practices, religioustolerance.org/easter.htm

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Conclusion

Please meditate and study this material!Ask questions!Don’t be angry at us!Don’t refuse to study about Easter and the surrounding

traditions! Search the scriptures – Acts 17:11

Please don’t falsely accuse us – Acts 6:10-11; 13:45We observe the Lord’s death on the “first day of the

week”! Last Sunday – this Sunday – next Sunday – every Sunday! Yet some falsely charge us of being against it!

Read 1 Cor. 15:1-58; 1 Thess. 4:13-18

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Conclusion

“The baptism of John – where was it from? From heaven or from men?”Matt. 21:25 – NKJV

“The (celebration of Easter) – where is it from? From heaven or from men?”Acts 5:29

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We Must Be Satisfied With God’s Way!

“…must Worship Him in spirit and in truth”Jn. 4:24

Respect the will of God, not religious traditions of men!Proverbs 14:12; Mark 7:1-9

Stand for the truth!Resurrection of ChristTrue Worship

Oppose all error!1 Tim. 4:1-2; 2 Tim. 4:2-4