Image courtesy of Brian Wegman @ Unsplash.com Article by Carolyn D.
As a kid, I grew up attending a Presbyterian church, taking part in holidays such as Easter and Christmas, and attending church services on Sundays.
That’s what most Christians do, right?
I was taught that Jesus died on a Friday and was resurrected on Easter Sunday morning. That was also the reason given to me as to why we celebrated Easter, along with the Easter Bunny, who brought chocolate eggs for me to find.
Do you see anything wrong with this picture?
The Easter Bunny is rather obvious to most people, and they admit that they do this “for the kids” and further admit they know it has nothing to do with Jesus.
But what about the fact that the death and resurrection of Jesus are associated with Easter in the first place? Did you know these are two entirely different things and that one has absolutely nothing to do with the other at all?
If you have ever questioned these “traditions” and wondered why you’re doing them or what they’re about, then you’ve come to the right place!
Where’s Jonah?
There is a key Bible verse in the gospel of Matthew that links the prophet Jonah to the body of Jesus Christ that I want you to pay close attention to:
“For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40).
Three days AND three nights. With me so far?
Question: If Jesus died on Friday and was resurrected Sunday morning, was He in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights?
How is a day described according to scripture?
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. (Genesis 1:3-5)
Answer: No. From the time Jesus died on the cross to the time he supposedly rose on Easter morning (Sunday) is one full day plus a half day. Friday evening and Saturday evening equal two nights, not three.
Is Jesus a liar?
Was He speaking in parables?
The answers are no and no.
If your church teaches that the Sabbath was changed to Sunday and you would like to know why, please consider reading our free PDF publication online:
Who Changed the Sabbath to Sunday?
What are you really celebrating?
If you do a little digging into history you will discover some interesting bits of information.
There are two possibilities on the true origin of Easter.
One comes from a pagan myth called, “The Descent of Inanna (Ishtar)”:
When Tammuz (Inanna’s husband) dies, Ishtar is grief–stricken and follows him to the underworld. In the underworld, she enters through seven gates, and her worldly attire is removed. “Naked and bowed low” she is judged, killed, and then hung on display. In her absence, the earth loses its fertility, crops cease to grow and animals stop reproducing. Unless something is done, all life on earth will end.
After Inanna has been missing for three days her assistant goes to other gods for help. Finally one of them Enki, creates two creatures who carry the plant of life and water of life down to the Underworld, sprinkling them on Inanna and Damuzi, resurrecting them, and giving them the power to return to the earth as the light of the sun for six months. After the six months are up, Tammuz returns to the underworld of the dead, remaining there for another six months, and Ishtar pursues him, prompting the water god to rescue them both. Thus were the cycles of winter death and spring life.
Source: The Ancient Pagan Origins of Easter
Note: The Sumerian goddess Inanna is called outside of Mesopotamia by her Babylonian name, “Ishtar”. In ancient Canaan Ishtar is known as Astarte, and her equivalents in Greek and Roman mythology are known as Aphrodite and Venus.
The other possible pagan origin of Easter is a celebration of Eostre, goddess of Spring, otherwise known as Ostara, Austra, and Eastre.
Celebrated at Spring Equinox on March 21, Ostara marks the day when light is equal to darkness, and will continue to grow. As the bringer of light after a long dark winter, the goddess was often depicted with the hare, an animal that represents the arrival of spring as well as the fertility of the season.
In Germanic mythology, it is said that Ostara healed a wounded bird she found in the woods by changing it into a hare. Still partially a bird, the hare showed its gratitude to the goddess by laying eggs as gifts.
Source: The Ancient Pagan Origins of Easter
Passover, not Easter
The death of our LORD and Savior has NOTHING to do with a rebirth of the earth in spring, renewal, or fertility. However, it does have to do with the Holy Day of Passover.
If you like cute animals like bunnies, then consider a lamb. Would that suffice?
The next day, he (John the Baptist) saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)
In the book of Exodus, the Israelites were instructed by God to keep the Passover. They were to take a year-old male lamb without blemish, kill it at twilight, and roast it whole. The blood from the lamb was to be put on the two doorposts and the lintel of the house in which they ate (Exodus 12:2-6).
The lamb that was sacrificed was symbolic of Jesus Christ. He became that sacrifice when He died on the cross. He was killed at the exact same time as the Passover lamb was sacrificed. Through the shedding of His blood, death will pass over us, and we will inherit eternal life.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we partake in the LORD’s supper, which consists of a ceremony of foot washing, eating a portion of unleavened bread, and drinking wine (a small portion). At the end, we all join together and sing a hymn. This is the example Jesus left for us Christians in all four gospels.
We believe the words of Jesus when He said He would be in the earth three days AND three nights, thus disproving the authenticity of the celebration of Easter connected to the death of Jesus.
God’s Holy Days have nothing to do with anything pagan or occult. As Christians, we should have nothing to do with such things.
The world is full of deception, so it is good and right to question things if they don’t seem right to you. Do not participate in pagan traditions to please others. Seek to please your Heavenly Father and Him only.
Remember what the Bible tells us, “Test all things; hold fast what is good.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21)
If you have more questions about Passover and Easter please check out our free booklets:
How was Passover Replaced by Easter…And Who Did it?
Should Christians Observe Easter?
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