Why Christians Don’t Observe Easter
“Easter Sunday” by Larry Ray Hafley. “I sought to find; Through the Bible I searched a lot, and though I’m not blind, try as I did, I could not. I turned many Bible pages hunting for the “Easter Holiday,” but all I found were sin’s wages for adding to God’s holy way. I am not trying to be ‘cute,’ Nor to be simply funny, but with error to refute, I may as well’ve looked for the Easter Bunny.” I’ve been yelled at, criticized, even hated just for saying, “Easter has nothing to do with Jesus’ church, nor does Jesus have anything to do with Easter”. Believe it or not, Easter is manmade, commanded to be observed by a man-made church, not Christ. Every time I hear of man’s special days like Easter, I also hear Jesus saying, “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. 9 And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt. 15:8-9). Is your heart far from Jesus? It is if, your traditions, your ways supersede His will. Like the opening poem, can you find book chapter or verse that gives authority by command, example or even inference? No!
The inspired apostle wrote, “You observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain” (Gal. 4:10-11). No, Paul wasn’t talking about Easter. How do I know that? Because it didn’t exist yet! Paul never talked about Christmas, because it had not yet been “invented”. Contextually Paul was addressing the churches of Galatia who were involved in Mosaic regulations such as sabbatical years, and jubilees, Sabbaths, new moons, and the like. All these observances, these requirements, were “wiped out…nailed to the cross”. The Lord’s work on the cross “disarmed principalities and powers”, that required these observances. Now, the “substance is of Christ” (Col. 2:14-17: See Eph. 2:15). Paul warns the church that returning to “the weak and beggarly elements,” rules and regulations of the Mosaic law, would cause them to “again to be in bondage” (Gal. 4:9). Richard C. H. Lenski correctly states: “Paul’s work would certainly be in vain if all that it would eventually accomplish would be to make the Gentile Christians exchange their old pagan elements and observances for the old abrogated Jewish elements and observances.”
The question then is are we worshiping in vain if we practice or observe made designed “holy days”? Consider Nadab and Abihu who made a little change in their worship, and “fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord…This is what the Lord spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified” (Lev. 10:1-3). The answer then is certainly yes!
As for the word “Easter” being found in scripture, it is not there. The only one of the twenty-seven versions of the Bible I have access to, the King James Version, miss-translated the Greek word PASCHA [πάσχα] as Easter. This is inconsistent as this word used some 29 times in the KJV is everywhere else translated as “passover”. The King James reads, “…intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people” (Acts 12:4). Context is that Herod the king arrested Peter and after “Easter” intended to kill him. I remind you Easter didn’t exist then, and the unfortunate use of the term by the King James translators has no connection whatsoever with the false religious observance known today as “Easter.” Arndt and Gingrich define the Greek words [τὸ πάσχα] in Acts 12:4 as simply “the Passover (Festival).” W.E. Vine says, “Pascha, mistranslated ‘Easter’ in Acts 12:4, A.V., denotes the Passover (R.V.). The phrase ‘after the Passover’ signifies after the whole festival was at an end. The term Easter is not of Christian origin. It is another form of Astarte, one of the titles of the Chaldean goddess, the queen of heaven…It was a continuation of the Jewish feast, but was not instituted by Christ. From this Pasch the Pagan festival of Easter was quite distinct and was introduced into the apostate Western religion, as part of the attempt to adapt Pagan festivals to Christianity.” Interestingly, Patti Wigington is a Pagan author and educator who holds workshops and classes on Paganism throughout the U.S., a Pagan High Priestess and licensed Pagan clergy in the state of Ohio wrote, “Eostre is a goddess associated with flowers and springtime, and her name gives us the word ‘Easter’”. The church must understand that the festival of Pasch was post-apostolic, that is, after the passing of all the apostles—and has nothing to do with Christ’s church. Are we to follow after Pagan traditions? Sadly, the flawed translation of “Passover” to “Easter”, has regretfully influenced many to falsely assume the religious observance of Easter is of divine origin, and it is not!
The observance: Since Easter is a holiday of pagan origin it cannot be observed. ‘Easter’ is a word of Saxon origin, introduces a goddess Estera and honors her with annual sacrifices about the Passover time of the year (spring).
The first celebration: Easter historically dates back to the 2nd century and it was in the 8th century Anglo-Saxons had adopted the name “Easter” to designate the celebration of Christ’s resurrection. The first definite record of its celebration is connected to a visit of Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, to Anicetus, bishop of Rome in 154 or 155 A.D. Long after doctrine was established, thus it is clear no observance could have existed in the New Testament Church, to say so would be nothing short of mere supposition.
Easter Egg: The idea of Easter eggs came to us from ancient Egypt and Persia. The eggs are a sign of new life, handed down by legend that they are laid by the Easter rabbit on Easter eve. In an article written in “Egypt Today” by Mariam Hassanien, “Bunnies and eggs were featured in the Ostara Festival and, in an attempt to Christianize the festival, Christians started to adopt its traditions. They saw the egg as a symbol of fertility and Jesus’ resurrection, according to History.” Is there any doubt that the apostle Paul denounced all unauthorized religious days and seasons such as Easter, Lent, Good Friday, Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, and Christmas? Not in the least. Remember he strongly wrote, “You observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain” (Gal. 4:10-11). This principle still applies in the church today, and any addition of a “special day” is wrong. Paul wrote to the same churches in Galatia “…but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ”, and those who do will “be accursed” (Gal. 1:6-9).
What Do We Observe? Christians observe every first day of the week, the Lord’s day, by assembling for worship and engaging in those acts which are authorized by the Lord in His inspired word (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Each of the 52 first days Christians participate “in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42), in Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:24-25; Acts 20:17), in singing (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16) giving (1 Cor. 16:1-2), preaching (Acts 20:7). But, every day of the Christian’s life is a testimony to the resurrected Christ. The fact of the resurrection is foundational to our faith (1 Cor. 15:13-14).
In closing I must emphasize that not one tiny scrap of divine authority for the practice of such an unscriptural holy day as Easter exists. I know that thousands of people throughout the denominational world observe this day with zeal. But I also know the same people reject God’s commands to obey the gospel by being baptized for the remission of their sins and living daily the kind of lives in harmony with the will of Jesus, the Son of God, and declare daily a resurrected Christ. The church bought and paid for by Jesus’ blood, doesn’t observe unauthorized days as holy days. Furthermore, what I find powerful, inviting, and refreshing are people who do not reject divine commands. Remember, it is sinful to make holy that which God did not make holy, and it is sinful to make unholy that which God made holy. Are you going to be smoke in God’s nostrils, a fire that “burns all the day”, because you hold to your way as holy (Isa. 65:5)? Let’s not forget, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Prov. 14:12).
I pray the church will never be guilty of making any day or season holy which God did not ordain as holy.
In Love
Dave Scarpino
“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body [a]and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Cor. 6:19-20)