On the night before his death, Jesus said to his faithful apostles.... “Keep doing this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19) He took a loaf of unleavened bread and a cup of unfortified wine to symbolize his sinless flesh and the blood that he was about to shed for the benefit of those who obey his teachings. He then passed these emblems around to his apostles to symbolize the fact that they would share in his death and resurrection in the same way in the future. His death would pave the way for entry into the heavenly realm when he returned as he promised, to take them "home".
As this is a memorial to the one who offered his life for us, we should honor him for his sacrifice, without which, none of us have an opportunity to gain everlasting life.
Do we know the date of this anniversary? Yes we do....according to the Jewish calendar, it is Nisan 14 the same date as the Jewish Passover which this year falls on 27th March 2021, after sundown.
Most in Christendom know this time of year as Easter....but this word is not even found in the Bible....so where does it come from and why is it associated with the time of year that Christians are supposed to honor Jesus Christ?
Both Jesus and the apostle Paul predicted that Christianity would be infiltrated by false teachings. (Matthew 13:24-25; 36-40; 2 Timothy 4:3)
After the death of Jesus’ apostles, the idea took root that it would be appropriate to hold a fast (now known as Lent), followed by a feast, at Passover season. Somehow this became thought of as a way to commemorate Christ’s resurrection....something that Christ did not command.
The 40 day fast took place when Jesus was baptized, not when he died.
Easter’s adoption as a festival thus was not Bible based. In fact, scholars claim that the very word Easter is of Anglo-Saxon origin, referring to the springtime. During that season, the ancients thought the sun was reborn after months of winter death.
Other terms for the festival, such as pâques or pasqua, are derived from the ancient Hebrew word peʹsach, or “passover.” Christendom argues that Easter replaces this Jewish festival. But this ignores the fact that Jesus replaced the Passover, not with Easter, but with his memorial supper.
Where then did these Easter customs originate? It has been said that the church incorporated these pagan customs and celebrations into the Christianity in order to attract the pagans, somehow Christianizing pagan practices, to bring the pagans to Christ....but is that what Jesus taught in the Bible?
The apostle Paul wrote....
"For what fellowship do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what sharing does light have with darkness? . . Or what does a believer share in common with an unbeliever?.... ‘“Therefore get out from among them, and separate yourselves,” says Jehovah, “and quit touching the unclean thing.”’(2 Corinthians 6:14-18)
There can be no fusion of true worship with false worship because its an unclean contamination of something that is holy to God.
So does the incorporation of these "unclean" practices really honor Christ or his sacrifice?
Easter customs—eggs, bunnies, and bonfires—are therefore not cleansed by being practiced by Christians. Rather, they defile anyone practicing them. You end up paganizing the Christianity....and what is the point of that? If the pagans do not want to come to Christ on his terms, he will not accept them on theirs.
Israel's history was filled with excursions into false religious practices and God punished them accordingly.
How will it go for Christendom adopting pagan celebrations, putting a thin veneer of Christianity over it and passing them off as acceptable to God?
Will he look with any favor on these things, given their origins?
As this is a memorial to the one who offered his life for us, we should honor him for his sacrifice, without which, none of us have an opportunity to gain everlasting life.
Do we know the date of this anniversary? Yes we do....according to the Jewish calendar, it is Nisan 14 the same date as the Jewish Passover which this year falls on 27th March 2021, after sundown.
Most in Christendom know this time of year as Easter....but this word is not even found in the Bible....so where does it come from and why is it associated with the time of year that Christians are supposed to honor Jesus Christ?
Both Jesus and the apostle Paul predicted that Christianity would be infiltrated by false teachings. (Matthew 13:24-25; 36-40; 2 Timothy 4:3)
After the death of Jesus’ apostles, the idea took root that it would be appropriate to hold a fast (now known as Lent), followed by a feast, at Passover season. Somehow this became thought of as a way to commemorate Christ’s resurrection....something that Christ did not command.
The 40 day fast took place when Jesus was baptized, not when he died.
Easter’s adoption as a festival thus was not Bible based. In fact, scholars claim that the very word Easter is of Anglo-Saxon origin, referring to the springtime. During that season, the ancients thought the sun was reborn after months of winter death.
Other terms for the festival, such as pâques or pasqua, are derived from the ancient Hebrew word peʹsach, or “passover.” Christendom argues that Easter replaces this Jewish festival. But this ignores the fact that Jesus replaced the Passover, not with Easter, but with his memorial supper.
Where then did these Easter customs originate? It has been said that the church incorporated these pagan customs and celebrations into the Christianity in order to attract the pagans, somehow Christianizing pagan practices, to bring the pagans to Christ....but is that what Jesus taught in the Bible?
The apostle Paul wrote....
"For what fellowship do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what sharing does light have with darkness? . . Or what does a believer share in common with an unbeliever?.... ‘“Therefore get out from among them, and separate yourselves,” says Jehovah, “and quit touching the unclean thing.”’(2 Corinthians 6:14-18)
There can be no fusion of true worship with false worship because its an unclean contamination of something that is holy to God.
So does the incorporation of these "unclean" practices really honor Christ or his sacrifice?
Easter customs—eggs, bunnies, and bonfires—are therefore not cleansed by being practiced by Christians. Rather, they defile anyone practicing them. You end up paganizing the Christianity....and what is the point of that? If the pagans do not want to come to Christ on his terms, he will not accept them on theirs.
Israel's history was filled with excursions into false religious practices and God punished them accordingly.
How will it go for Christendom adopting pagan celebrations, putting a thin veneer of Christianity over it and passing them off as acceptable to God?
Will he look with any favor on these things, given their origins?
