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

2 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!

3 The Easter Tradition Lent Ash Wednesday Palm Sunday Good Friday Easter 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)

4 The Easter Tradition - LENT An old English word (“lecten”) meaning Spring The 40 days from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday observed by the R.C. Church 40 Days signify Christ’s 40 days in the wilderness – Matt. 4:1-12 Observed by fasting, prayer, self-denial and attending church services Lent was enforced by the Catholic Church after 800 A.D.

5 The Easter Tradition – Ash Wednesday This day begins Lent – Wednesday, March 5 th 2014  Ended Thursday, April 17 th, 2014 Earliest reference to this day is about the 8 th century The ashes are from burned palm leaves used in the previous years Palm Sunday observances The 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”

6 The Easter Tradition – Palm Sunday The last Sunday before Easter and beginning of the “Holy Week” – April 13 th, 2014 This is to commemorate the entry of Christ into Jerusalem when the people spread palm leaves in His path  Matt. 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 4 th century

7 The Easter Tradition – Good Friday Friday, April 18 th, 2014 This is supposed to commemorate the day Christ was crucified The origin of this day is not known On this day, the altar and the priests of the Catholic Church are dressed in black

8 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 4 th  2011 – April 12 th  2012 – April 8 th  2013 – March 31 st  2014 – April 20 th  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

9 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

10 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

11 The Name “Easter” First called the “Christian Passover”  Col. 2:16-17; Gal. 5:3 The word “Easter” adopted by 8 th 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

12 What is Wrong With Observing Easter? We Don’t Oppose -  The resurrection of Christ: 1 Cor. 11:23-26; Acts 20:7  The remembrance of the resurrection of Christ: 1 Cor. 11:23-26  The 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

13 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)

14 The First Day of the Week Honors Christ’s Resurrection! Christ was resurrected on the 1 st day of the week!  Mk. 16:9 His resurrection proclaims His church was established on the 1 st Day of the week!  Acts 2:1, 24-32, st century Christians worshiped on the 1 st 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

15 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

16 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

17 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

18 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

19 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; 13:45 We 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

20 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

21 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 Christ  True Worship Oppose all error!  1 Tim. 4:1-2; 2 Tim. 4:2-4