As Christians, Should We Celebrate Easter?

Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.

Sermon notes of Ronald on March 31, 2013

Many celebrate Palm Sunday and Good Friday with the remembrance of Christ crucifixion.

As Christians, should we celebrate Easter? The word celebrates can be done secularly or/and religiously.

These are the two questions we should answer, should we celebrate Easter secularly or religiously?

First we should know the history and why it is celebrated today.

What We Must Remember:
Christ’s death and resurrection is important! It’s spoken of in the Bible. We remember every first day of the week. Not just on Easter. Not just the gospels writer’s talk about the death of Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:12-19

What it means to a Christian. The events on which we base our faith.

It took Christ to die, raise from the dead to have our sins redeemed. If Christ is not raised, our preaching is empty. His crucifixion is everything to a Christian. The proof in Romans 1:3-4 …

Romans 4: 24-25 – Raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead… delivered up because of our offences… raised because of our justification…

Acts 17:30-31… because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world

2. What we must realize Christ’s death on the cross must be remembered.

I Corinthians 11:22-26 God commanded us to remember His death. Know how his body suffered. We don’t just do it one time a year. Every first day of the week is important. Acts 20:7 is where Paul gave us that example.  In God’s great wisdom, he remind us.

Should we celebrate Easter as a religious holiday? “Easter” is mentioned once in the New Testament.

Acts 12:1-4 Passover is also translated for the same word. What do we need to see that they are talking about? The holiday; or Jewish Passover? The Easter like today, then those involved was celebrating Easter. He didn’t put Peter to death because Easter was coming. He asked Peter and intended to kill him because he was a follower.

The Greek word is pascha. The Passover, the meal, day, festival, special services. Passover wasn’t just one day. It was a week event and things leading up to the event. Matthew 26:17 Same Greek word.

Luke 22:7 Other translations use “Easter” as “Passover”

These passages are a poor translation and shows they are not celebrating a modern day Easter. The Presbyterian Barnes says “never more absurd or unhappy translation… no evidence that a festival observed by Christians should be in honor… ”

Easter originated in the Pagan world. It is derived from the word “Eastre”

The Catholic church turned it into a religious holiday in 325 AD.

Pagan holiday to a religious holiday.  In the 7th Century, Catholics declared exact day. The only authority we have to celebrate is from the Catholics!

I’m not Catholic an is not an authority from the Lord. They came up with it and adopted it in their practices.

Acting without divine authority. Galatians 1:6-9; Matthew 15:9

Following man’s authority or Gods?

Making a day have religious significance when God did not. Read Galatians 4:10-11

Should Christians celebrate Easter at all?

Many say no because it was a Pagan holiday. If we took everything Pagan out of our lives, we wouldn’t even be able to say the day of the weeks or even the Planets. Months of the year, etc.

If we don’t think of it as Pagan, then some think it as religious holiday. People may be confused as that it’s a choice you must make.

I don’t see it wrong to celebrate it as a family holiday.

Secular is up to the individual, family, hiding Easter eggs, the Easter bunny, dressing up, etc.

We need to be careful and know how their family celebrates. We must make up our own minds.

We decide whether to celebrate it as a secular holiday or not. We must make sure our celebration has no religious significance. I Corinthians 8:7; 10:25-27

If your conscious bothers you if it was. Like if it was offered for an idol, then don’t do it. Don’t let your conscious stop you.

Remember Christ everyday of your life. Remember what Christ has done for you.

Believe, Repent, Confess, be Baptized, and live Faithfully to the Lord.

Listen to more sermons of Ronald at www.thesouthsidechurch.com