Which Jesus Does Easter Celebrate?
A commentary by Jerold Aust
Good News Senior Writer
 Ten-year
old Jack, curious about the trappings of Easter, asks: "Mom, why
do we have Easter sunrise services?"
His mother answers, "Easter sunrise services honor the risen
Jesus Christ."
"Why do we color eggs?" he asks. "Because eggs represent
life," his mother replies.
"Then why Easter bunnies?" continues Jack. "Because
rabbits are very fertile" his mother responds.
Jack probes deeper
Ten years later Jack is still searching for answers. He now wants to
know: Is Easter really about the Jesus described in the Bible? And what
do sunrise services, eggs and bunnies have to do with the Jesus the
apostles served?
He is shocked when he discovers that pagan deities were worshipped
with Easter-like celebrations 2,000 years before Jesus' birth.
But even more so by admissions from highly esteemed church leaders that
Jesus never observed Easter or any of the holidays of today's
Christianity.
Festivals the early Christian observed
In the New Catholic Encyclopedia Jack finds this candid admission: "The
earliest Christians did not immediately disassociate themselves from
the observance of the Jewish feasts. Many references in the NT [New
Testament] indicate that Jesus and His disciples, as well as
the early Palestinian Christian communities, observed the Sabbath and the
major annual festivals" (New Catholic Encyclopedia,
Early Christian Feasts, 1967, Vol. 5, p. 867; emphasis added throughout).
Jack then finds in Deuteronomy 16:1-16 a list of the actual biblical
days that Jesus and the early Christians kept.
He also finds from historical sources that the "Easter" egg
tradition can be traced to ancient Egypt. And hot cross buns are traceable
to the founding of Athens (Alexander Hislop, The Two Babylons,
1959, Easter, p. 108).
Even the names Easter, Ishtar (Assyrian) and Astarte (Chaldean)
were connected to the mystical mother-goddess of the cultic deity Tammuz,
an ancient counterfeit Messiah (ibid, p. 105; Ezekiel 8:14).
Why Jack decides to copy Jesus
Upon further study, Jack confirmed from the New Testament that
Jesus faithfully kept the biblical Passover and the associated Feast
of Unleavened Bread (Matthew 26:17).
He also found that Easter is never mentioned in the Bible (except as
wrongly rendered in one translation where the word Pasha, meaning
Passover, is improperly translated "Easter" in Acts 12:4).
So Jack now chooses to do as Jesus did, to follow His example by observing
the biblical festivals.
Holy Day links to Jesus
With further study Jack has learned from Bible that God established
His Holy
Days as explicit reminders of His spiritual truths. They foreshadow things
to come in His plan for mankind. Each festival highlights a specific
role which Jesus, as of now, has already fulfilled or eventually will
fulfill in God's salvation plan (Colossians 2:16-17).
But Easter customs can all be traced back to pagan practices such as
the Tammuz worship condemned in Ezekiel 8:14-16. These cultic customs
on which Easter and the other holidays of traditional Christianity are
based gradually replaced the biblically established ways of worship
that Jesus and His apostles practiced.
They also corrupted how Jesus and His gospel message are perceived
by most people. The early replacement of biblical Holy Days with celebrations
rooted in paganism led not only to a different gospel but also
to a distorted perception of the historic Jesus.
According to the apostle Paul, there is only one true gospel. And to
adopt or support any other message claiming to be Jesus' gospel
is a serious offense with potentially devastating consequences (Galatians
1:6-7, 2 Corinthians 11:1-4).
The real Jesus
The
Jesus of the Bible did not die on Friday evening or rise on Sunday
morning. He died on a Wednesday and was buried in a tomb just before
sunset. He lay three nights and days in the grave (Matthew
12:40).
He was resurrected near the end of the weekly Sabbath (late on Saturday
afternoon), 12 hours earlier than the Easter sunrise services of today.
Easter sunrise services deny this historical truth—the only sign
that Jesus gave to prove His identity as the Messiah (Matthew 12:40).
Jesus kept and taught early Christians to observe the biblical Passover,
not Easter.
Check it out like Jack did!
Follow Jack's example
As a boy, Jack asked questions. He accepted truth and rejected false
beliefs carried over from the past—some from as far back as ancient
Babylon. He responded to the command: "Come out of her [Babylon
the Great, which represents our confused world], my people,
lest you share in her sins …" (Revelation 18:4). How about
you? Will you search out the truth as Jack did?
 You
can embark on your fact finding search for the true Jesus and His teachings
by requesting, downloading or reading online our free and helpful booklet:
Holidays or Holy Days: Does It Matter Which Days We Observe?
Related Resources
The
Easter Charade
Have you been deceived about long-held and highly-valued Christian beliefs and
traditions? Learn the real truth about Easter!
Christians
Who Don't Keep Easter
Why would some Christians not observe a celebration that is considered
highly sacred? Learn surprising answers.
Christians
Who Don't Celebrate Easter: What Do They Know?
Easter is the most important holiday for hundreds of millions of believers
around the world. Yet thousands of Christians don't observe it. Do they
know something that others don't?
Easter:
Masking a Biblical Truth
In contrast to the general public, which considers Christmas the most
important Christian holiday, many theologians regard Easter as the preeminent
celebration because it commemorates Jesus' resurrection. As with Christmas,
we find that the popular customs associated with the Easter celebration—rabbits,
Easter-egg hunts and sunrise services—have nothing to do with
the biblical record of Christ's life, in this case His rising from the
dead.
The
Resurrection Connection
How did worship of an ancient god and goddess come to be associated
with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ? Although the details
are lost in time, a closer look at the ancient mythology surrounding
their worship will help us understand how pagan practices have survived
in popular Easter customs.
Fertility
Symbols: Beneath the Dignity of God
Because reproduction in nature is critical for food and perpetuation
of life, mankind has long been intrigued by fertility. Have you ever
wondered why eggs and rabbits–the popular hallmarks of Easter–were
selected as symbols of fertility?
The
Chronology of the Crucifixion and Resurrection
The chronology of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Would
Jesus Keep Easter?
For millions of people Easter Sunday is the most important religious
observance of the year. But, if Jesus walked the dusty roads of Galilee
today, would He keep Easter?
What
Are the Real Origins of Easter?
Millions assume that Easter, one of the world's major religious holidays,
is found in the Bible. But is it? Have you ever looked into Easter's
origins and customs and compared them with the Bible?
Does
Easter Really Commemorate Jesus Christ's Resurrection?
What do rabbits and eggs have to do with the death and resurrection
of Jesus Christ? Where did the name Easter originate? This holiday isn't
even mentioned in the Bible—so where did it really come from?
The
Good Friday—Easter Sunday Question
How do the biblical three days and three nights after Jesus Christ's
crucifixion fit between Friday afternoon and Sunday morning? Or do they?
Does
God Allow Us to Choose Our Own Religious Holidays?
Many think that under the New Covenant they have freedom to worship
God however they want, including deciding on their own days of worship.
But what does the Bible say?
Easter
Exposed
What do colored eggs, baskets, bonnets and sunrise services have to
do with the Bible? Nothing! Discover the truth about Easter.
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