Galatians 4:16 says, “Have I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?” Perhaps you’re wondering why I started out this article with the above Scripture. Well, I’ll tell you why: because when you tread on the ground I’m about to tread on, a lot of people get down right upset with you. Nevertheless, if you truly love someone, you’ll tell them the truth. As Christians, we need to understand that all scripture is given by the inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. So let’s see what the Scripture has to say about Easter.

The word Easter is only found once in the entire Bible in Acts 12:4. The Greek word is “Pascha”, which is always translated “Passover” - with the exception being this verse. Because of that, many have said that the King James translators got it wrong. However, I disagree. Passover and Easter occurred around the same time, and in the past have sometimes been used interchangeably. For instance, “Turkey Day” is often used today in place of Thanksgiving; but they are still the same day. That being said, I believe in light of Leviticus 23:5-6, that Easter is the correct rendering. You see, if they were already in the days of Unleavened bread, then that means Passover had already Passed over J . So if Herod waited until Passover to kill Peter, he would have to wait an entire year. Obviously, that was not his intention.

In the first century, Easter was a pagan festival that occurred around the time of Passover. Neither Jew nor Christian celebrated the rites of this fertility cult celebration. I’ll probably get in trouble for this, but here it goes: What does Easter and the resurrection of Jesus Christ have in common? Nothing - except the time of the year they occur. I hear Christians getting upset and saying, “Easter is not about Jesus anymore. It’s just about bunnies and eggs now.” Well, the truth is, that is what Easter has always been about. Easter has nothing to do with Jesus. We’ll look at history and the Bible in a moment, but let’s just look at the average store today during Easter. What do you find? Ten tons of bunnies, chicks, eggs, and candy. Perhaps a chocolate cross here or there - but nothing compared to the rest of the stuff. So, what exactly is Easter?

I don’t have near enough space to give the history of the Babylonian mystery religion, but that is where Easter started. Way back at the Tower of Babel, “Ishtar” or “Easter” was the name of the Babylonian fertility goddess, a.k.a. Semiramis (Nimrod‘s wife) , who supposedly fell from heaven in a giant egg into the Euphrates river (kind of sounds like Mork and Mindy). This “Mother Nature” goddess was celebrated in the spring through various perverted fertility rights. What does the bunny have to do with Easter? A symbol of sex and fertility (ever wonder why the playboy “bunny”?). What does the egg hunt have to do with Easter? You may not believe this, but think about it for a moment: an egg hunt is nothing more than an attempt at pregnancy! That’s where that practice comes from.

Were there bunnies hiding eggs outside the tomb of Jesus for the Apostles to look for on Sunday morning? Of course not. They are not in the Bible. They have nothing to do with the resurrection story. I’m not God and I’m not your judge. I’m just telling you what the Bible says, or doesn’t say. You’ll stand before God and give an account of yourself to Him, not to me. However, because of all the confusion, I personally would like to hear Christians use the term “Resurrection Sunday” instead of Easter. Isn’t that what it’s all about? Shouldn’t our focus be on Jesus Christ? How do bunnies and eggs exalt the Lord Jesus, or help tell the resurrection story? I know it’s fun for the kids. I know it is done in innocence. I’m not trying to condemn anyone or be mean. However, as a preacher, I sure would like to see the attention and focus of Christians to be on the Resurrection of Christ this time of year, and that this most important and glorious event be not upstaged by magic rabbits and the constant proclamation of the name of a pagan, idol worshiping woman who died over 4,000 years ago. Read my article from last week if you want to know what this time of year is really all about. Let Colossians 3:17, 23-24 be your guide as a Christian, and be at peace. Until next time, rejoice in The Lord!