Is Easter Pagan?

[Vic]

(04-07-2011 02:34 PM)sari83 Wrote:  

(04-07-2011 01:38 PM)Rose of Shushan Wrote:  

Quote:Are you saying Easter is the Lord's supper? Are we really comparing a big bunny and colored eggs to Passover?

Are you saying Easter is a big bunny and coloured eggs? It seems to me that you haven't been around Christians much since as a Christian I find the question rather shallow and offensive.While these items form part of some of christianity's celebration traditions they form such a minor part that it really is a question that I wouldn’t expect to hear from a fellow believer.
Sari noone is ordered to celebrate anything in the NT we are free to praise and esteem God in the way we wish.
The longer I have been out of M the more I see what a party pooper its beliefs have been.
Celebrating our Lord's resurrection and the brirth of our saviour are the two key celebrations which usually come under attack.
So many out there seem to want to block out these events which were the culmination of what the prophets foretold across the millennia.
As a child I remember feeling really sorry for the child of one of our neighours who were Jehovah witnesses.They don’t do any celebrations as you may know, not even birthdays or anything and it seemed to me so different to what God intends for us.
Celebrations were included in the Mosaic law and to me its natural that we may want to have periods of time and reflection when Passover/ easter time comes around.Its a time when families get together to celebrate and rejoice before God in diverse ways according to their custom..
Sari did you know that in many non English countries easter is called la Pascua and it comes from the word Passover.In Spanish they are the same word even though to an english speaking christian it will mean easter and to a jew Passover.

Yes, I'm saying a huge part of Easter is the big bunny, colored eggs, and an event based on the spring equinox. It's a mixture of the pagan spring holiday and the true holiday celebrating Christ. Since, paganism is just simply any practice that came from or was part of a polytheistic religion. It's not difficult to conclude where these "extra" practices came from. And personally, I think due to the origins of the way Easter is celebrated by large, it undermines the true celebration of Christ, and the command of not being of the world. It's another attempt of humans to choose our own definitions of how we wish worship him. I have many Christian friends and attend a local bible study. Many of them are truly godly people and I truly enjoy their company. I acknowledge that I am just an imperfect person, and that I'll never be righteous through works. However, I am saddened that we have turned the narrow path Christ calls us to, and created one of ease. Where a Christian can dissolve right into the world around them and not be set-apart in all ways. "Pascha" is the true celebration of Christ's Resurrection. The early Christians and disciples did not celebrate Christ's Resurrection on Sunday, nor with bunnies or colored eggs. Pascha is similar to the original feast of Passover, but with the added dimension of Christ as the Passover lamb, and the spiritual understanding of everything the celebration truly means.

Not to burst your bubble, but Passover happens at the same time and you have just stated that the disciples were celebrating Pascha and historically it all was being celebrated at the spring equinox or thereabouts--that's why the council met, to attempt to nail down a specific date. Passover or Pesach that the Jews celebrate is also called, "The holiday is also referred to as Chag he-Aviv , (the Spring Festival), Chag ha-Matzot , (the Festival of Matzahs), and Z'man Cheiruteinu , (the Time of Our Freedom)..." [http://www.jewfaq.org/holidaya.htm]

What??? The SPRING Festival?? How could they? isn't that being pagan too because it was celebrated during the same time as Christians celebrate Pesach aka easter except the difference was---pesach became known as easter in english because it made a clear distinction between Passover which belongs to Judaism under the law--and it wasn't called passover then--it was called """Pesach" ...comes from the Hebrew root Pei-Samekh-Cheit , meaning to pass through, to pass over, to exempt or to spare. It refers to the fact that G-d "passed over" the houses of the Jews when he was slaying the firstborn of Egypt. In English, the holiday is known as Passover. "[http://www.jewfaq.org/holidaya.htm]

THAT distinction is why it was called Easter which means resurrection. There was a difference in the use of pascha in the NT before Christ died and after He died and rose again. The fulfillment of prophecy and the New Covenant, Sarah. There's a difference.

Easter may be bunnies and candy---have you ever eaten easter or christmas candy Sarah? It may be cultural for some to talk bunnies and candy, but for Christians, Jesus death on the cross, burial and having risen from the dead is what is meant by EASTER. The world recognises easter as being a Christian event. What others do about it is inconsequential to the true believer because their heart focus is on Christ. Do not lump Christians as being pagan when it has nothing to do with paganism. The word is not pagan nor the application by believers now and then.

The apostles celebrated and worshipped on Sunday. They eventually set the date so their was uniformity to the time. Nothing pagan or terrible about it. Jews were celebrating Passover and Christians were celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ at the same period of time.

Philip Schaff, a very liberal bible translator stated that Easter is the resurrection festival which follows passover and is included in the same week.

Afred Edersheim a Messianic Jew from the 19th century noted that the Last Supper was to be the last of the Old pascha's, and instead it became the symbol of the promise of the new covenant and new passover and rest in Christ.

Just as the Sabbath was a shadow of the rest we have in Christ, that is also fufilled in CHrist. Judaism still holds to the shadow. We hold to the fulfillment and rejoice in the resurrection day and the first day of the week.

There needed to be a distinction shown in Scripture that it was not the same thing being celebrated before Christ died versus after. It's that simple. And the apostles set the precedent and did worship on Sunday's.
Historical records show that.

Act 20:7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.

1Co 16:2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.

Joh 20:26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
Joh 20:27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
Joh 20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.