It’s interesting how Easter still shows up in public life, even in a culture that is increasingly disconnected from its original meaning

Current Events
1

You see it in traditions, gatherings, even in language about renewal and fresh starts. But I sometimes wonder how much of that reflects the deeper message versus a more general sense of spring and positivity.

Easter, at its core, is not just about new beginnings in a vague sense. It’s about a very specific claim: that something decisive happened that changes how we understand life, death, and hope.

I’m curious how others see this. Do you think the cultural version of Easter still points people toward its original meaning, or has it mostly become something else?

2

I feel people have made it into what they want I’m not sure God is upset about that as for my belief is the lord feels this is this most important time of the year and the Lent seasons, some of the most important messages and their is a real chance of something that is necessary for advancement of society. You would be probably surprised about my true thinking though about what is preferred importance and who and I’m not sure why I’m not concerned about how others celebrate this season take part in this season. Many things about it is adorable to me the eggs and the symbolism of children and different eggs and simple and mystery just everything. Yet also the very real violence and I feel it pointed too. I’ve had thoughts their is a whole book missing about this and it would possibly change many religions as we know it completely change and or only for certain people it’s to be something else perhaps

3

Interesting observation. Why is it that most people cannot even tell you the true meaning of the Holidays? Halloween is dressing up and getting candy from strangers. Christmas is about a Fat Guy in a Red Suit and about getting stuff. Easter has colored eggs, more candy, and a bunny hopping down the Bunny Trail.

BILLIONS are made on the Holidays. BILLIONS of dollars. Halloween over $6.0 billion, Father’s Day $10.2 billion, Easter $14.02 billion, Mother’s Day $14.88 billion, Valentine’s Day $17.60 billion, Thanksgiving $30.5 billion, Christmas $135.16 billion.

In all this spending and all this receiving, it is no wonder that the Holidays are so important to business. Easter is all about His ultimate gift to us. His laying down of His life for us. Yet rather His resurrection from the Grave.

"The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.

Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. So they ran both together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came first to the sepulchre. And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie," John 20:1-6

You know the rest of the story. Jesus was risen from the grave and appeared to the Disciples. However, although there is a Peter in the current Easter Story, it is not the same Peter. No, our new Peter has a fluffy white tail. He is a giant bunny, hopping down the Bunny Trail, bringing colored eggs and chocolate to all the kiddies.

All the holidays, including Easter, are still here because we still have enough believers sharing the Truth. Sharing Jesus. Although they are trying REALLY hard, and have been for a long time. The truth that this is not the true meaning of Easter. It is all about Jesus. The greatest gift you will ever receive. The gift of forgiveness and Salvation. The gift of eternal life. He did all these things and suffered all things, so that you can enter into Heaven. So that you will not die, but have everlasting life. He paid the ultimate price, so you do not have to. The greatest and final sacrifice, ever. Yet? We turned Him into a Bunny.

Never forget, try as hard as they may, they really cannot remove God. For God is in everything. Yes, that includes the Holidays. Make sure that you remember that. Look at the Holidays from a God perspective, and you will find the true meaning. Share its true meaning. God will do the rest.
Peter

4

Hm. I like that living more focused on God for the holidays but in my community it doesn’t happen. I am into living for God but my experiences are not others and I find it interesting I had a life ending experience I wouldn’t be here without modern medical interventions so what that says I don’t know . I’m quite religious at the core my family very religious and actually in a true sense gave me to God as a child their is a lot of violence they lived and my life is quite disturbing to many and they don’t want to hear it and it’s difficult for me and told me that I may feel alone when I’m older I think they knew about the reality that most people don’t seek this aspect of life but anyways I sure was surprised when one day when I was older I realized they don’t know me at all and we have no common values in this aspect. I definitely feel a longing to be more in the Lord maybe one day with another and celebrate this and create from this but it doesn’t bother me others lack of religion or God and I don’t share usually these reminders like you do thanks for being you , everyone has their place. I’m not even sure I’m Christian and I wonder if all this holiday events is a sign to them they are not Christian either but yet God is thrilled people want to celebrate the Lord on a subliminal level, I have felt this many times they are not Christian or Catholic and that’s another story because of persecution is very real the entire story is deep and believe that I cannot wear a cross God will take if from me and this is my moms favorite holiday but they don’t wear crosses either it’s only for the bedroom wall. don’t know I just wanted to share with you. This is the first year that I did not celebrate in any way no decorations no food no nothing just prayer. I really wonder as Jesus was Jewish as well. The mysteries. And just as an added some in my family visited the Vatican and were told specifics thing how I don’t know .Happy Easter. I also know someone who works for the Archdiocese and they call me to tell me when the baby Jesus is in the manger​:heart:

5

happy easter to every one

6

true facts bout that

7

What do rabbits and colored eggs have to do with the Lord’s resurrection? Nothing. And what do evergreen trees have to do with the Lord’s birth? Nothing. Why do we call it Easter? Because that is the Anglicization name of the Babylonian goddess Ishtar and what we call Easter was the marriage of her pagan festival to the Lord’s death and resurrection.

I worked alongside a Hindu woman who just loved Christmas. She loved the lit up tree and decorations. She loved the gift giving and the family meal. What she loved was the Santa Claus Christmas and it had nothing to do with our Lord. It’s the same with Easter. Chocolate bunnies and an egg hunt. A ham or turkey dinner. Jesus has no part in that either.

For the first 400 to 500 years, no self respecting Christian celebrated either of these events. You won’t find them in the Bible. There’s no suggestion to make these days a holiday. Today, these holidays are for everyone. You don’t need Jesus to mark the day. He’s got nothing to do with it.

So we Christianize them and give it our own meaning. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that, but we should know what it is we’re doing. We all grew up with it. It would feel strange not to have a tree or a chocolate bunny. The bunny and egg are fertility symbols, by the way.

The mall I used to work in part time is closed 3 days a year - Christmas day, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. They wanted to change that and open on those days, but didn’t get approval. When it first opened, there was a church on the lower level. That’s long gone. Happy holidays has replaced Merry Christmas. Santa shows up every year. You would be hard pressed to find any reference whatsoever to Jesus in that mall.

1 Like
8

Correct brother.

The key term to understand in this discussion is the Greek word πάσχα (pascha). This word is used throughout the New Testament and corresponds directly to the Hebrew פֶּסַח (pesach), meaning Passover.

In the Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Old Testament, πάσχα consistently translates the Hebrew pesach, as seen in Exodus 12:11[1]. This establishes its fixed lexical meaning as Passover, not as a distinct Christian feast.

When we move into the New Testament, the usage remains completely consistent. For example, Matthew 26:2[2] and John 18:28[3] both use πάσχα in its standard sense of the Jewish Passover.

There is no lexical shift in meaning. Therefore, when the King James Version translates ~Acts 12:4 using the word “Easter,” it is not reflecting a different Greek term, but the same word πάσχα, making it an inconsistent translation choice when compared with all other occurrences.

Theologically, the New Testament makes a direct and explicit connection between Passover and Christ. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 5:7[4], identifying Jesus not merely as associated with Passover, but as its fulfillment. The Passover lamb in Exodus functioned as a substitutionary sacrifice through which judgment was averted, and this finds its fulfillment in the cross, where Christ is offered for sin.

The resurrection, while not designated by a separate feast name in Scripture, is inseparably connected to this Passover fulfillment. Luke 24:6–7[5] establishes the necessary sequence of crucifixion followed by resurrection. The cross and resurrection together form one unified redemptive act, with the cross accomplishing atonement and the resurrection confirming and vindicating that work.

In terms of practice, Scripture does not command an annual celebration of the resurrection. Instead, the early church gathered on the first day of the week, reflecting the ongoing significance of the risen Christ rather than instituting a yearly festival. The later historical development of a formalized celebration, often called “Easter” in English, arose within the church as an extension of what was originally known as Pascha. The Council of Nicaea addressed the issue of dating this celebration, not its theological content, and Constantine the Great played a role in unifying its observance across the empire.

In conclusion, the term “Easter” is not a scriptural designation, and there is no biblical command instituting such a feast by that name. However, the reality it seeks to commemorate, namely the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is central to the gospel. Scripture consistently frames this within the category of πάσχα, showing that Christ fulfills Passover through His crucifixion and resurrection.

J.

  1. It is the LORD’s Passover - ESV ↩︎

  2. You know that after two days the Passover is coming and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified - ESV ↩︎

  3. so that they would not be defiled but could eat the Passover - ESV ↩︎

  4. For Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed - ESV ↩︎

  5. He is not here but has risen Remember how he told you while he was still in Galilee that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise - ESV ↩︎

1 Like
9

i love you. an agnostic guy recently rejected me because i dont celebrate these things. so funny. but i guess these truly pagan holidays are for such people. wonder if ill ever find anyone again. thank you for making me feel less alone. hard thing is that i only find your type of viewpoint online and never in person. doesnt even have to be the opposite sex, i just cant find a single person like you in this way in real life to relate to on this.

1 Like
10

You might enjoy this. It’s an 40 min audio but there is also a transcript.

The Truth About Easter – Grace thru faith

1 Like
11

thank you so much, thats the most in-depth explanation i can remember. i have saved it. really appreciate you.

12

That’s a nice thing to hear, so thank you very much. I really like the site this article is on. It’s taught me quite a bit. I’m friends with Jack’s wife. I would encourage you to explore it.

1 Like
13

This from One for Israel.

How the split occurred
In the first centuries after Yeshua, the early disciples naturally remembered his death and resurrection every Passover, which was when it happened. And rightly so, since the Passover feast was designed from its outset to foretell the redemptive sacrifice of the Messiah. It is laden with symbolism all pointing to Yeshua, and how his death and blood would purchase our freedom, forcing death to “pass over” us as it did for the faithful Israelites who daubed the blood of the lamb on their door frames. But as the years went by, the Messianic community became more and more Gentile, and Gentile leaders grew weary of liaising with, and depending upon, the rabbinic authorities for the right date on which to commemorate this important event. Relations between the Rabbinic Jewish community and the Christians had deteriorated significantly by this point, and there was a lot of hostility in both directions. So the church leaders decided, at the Council of Nicea in 325, to take matters into their own hands:

“It was declared to be particularly unworthy for this, the holiest of all festivals, to follow the custom [the calculation] of the Jews, who had soiled their hands with the most fearful of crimes, and whose minds were blinded. In rejecting their custom, we may transmit to our descendants the legitimate mode of celebrating Easter…

We ought not, therefore, to have anything in common with the Jews, for the Savior has shown us another way…. We desire, dearest brethren, to separate ourselves from the detestable company of the Jews.”2

If these words are not shocking to you, they should be! The Nicean Council decided that they would celebrate a separate festival on the first new moon after the Spring Equinox (the Spring Equinox is always March 21st in the Gregorian Calendar) to make a deliberate break with the people of Israel. Easter doesn’t feature even once in the Bible. The King James Version erroneously translates the word Pascha (from the Aramaic for Passover) to Easter in Acts 12:4, but that is the closest we get. The English word “Easter” comes from “Eostre”, and was co-opted for the name of the new festival to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus—which was decidedly NOT Passover.

The implications, and the situation today
It’s heartbreaking that such animosity had developed between the Jewish and Christian communities, and it led to a ripping away of Yeshua’s followers from the roots of the tree that they had been grafted into. Christians decided to separate themselves not just from the people of Israel, but also from God’s festivals, which were deliberately created to help us appreciate more about God’s plan of redemption. Passover was God’s initiative, and he devised each detail of it on purpose. We are not judged for not celebrating the Passover, but we miss out on many treasures that God placed in his word for us to learn from. Sadly, the Nicean Council decided on behalf of all Christians from that time onwards that Passover had no relevance for them.

Not only were Christians cut off from the roots of their faith—their heritage, God’s own feasts, laid out in their own Bible—but also the message of Yeshua became more and more obscured and alien to the Jewish people. The church became a foreign, gentile “no-go-zone” for Jews. The two were severed apart, and the evil root of anti-semitism crept into Christianity. Sadly, for much of church history, Jewish people were persecuted, tortured and murdered at the hands of Christians for simply being Jewish. This happened especially at Easter times, when angry mobs would rage against those they considered to be “Christ killers”.3 Most Christians have no idea about the scale to which this sad statement is true—it’s not something that is taught in Sunday School or even church history classes. There is a real gap of information between the people of Israel and the church, and we’ve been separated so long that we have a lot of catching up to do!

Jews and Gentiles draw together in Yeshua
However, we live in exciting days and the last century has seen some colossal steps forward in healing the terrible rift between Jew and Gentile. More Jewish people have come to believe in Yeshua as Messiah in the last 19 years than in the previous 19 centuries combined! And many Gentile believers are now taking more interest in the Jewish foundations of their faith. Many churches now hold Passover seders, explaining more about the feast, and there has been much more appreciation of the people of Israel since the Bible became widely translated and published in the last few centuries.

We are destined to become “One New Man” in Messiah, and this is a destiny that God will make absolutely sure we arrive at. His Son, Yeshua, will have only one bride, not two! It’s important to remember what Yeshua’s death and resurrection actually accomplished and meant. As Paul urges us in Colossians 2:14-17,

“When you were dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with Him when He pardoned us all our transgressions. He wiped out the handwritten record of debts with the decrees against us, which was hostile to us. He took it away by nailing it to the cross. After disarming the principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in the cross.

Therefore, do not let anyone pass judgment on you in matters of food or drink, or in respect to a festival or new moon or Shabbat. These are a foreshadowing of things to come, but the reality is Messiah.”

https://www.oneforisrael.org/why-are-passover-and-easter-celebrated-at-different-times/#:~:text=WHY%20ARE%20PASSOVER%20AND%20EASTER%20CELEBRATED%20AT%20DIFFERENT%20TIMES%3F

J.

2 Likes