He is Risen

What is Easter? Without a doubt one of the most important celebrations in the Christian calendar, Easter is a holiday that celebrates the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. After his crucifixion, death, and burial, three days later, he arose from the grave. In doing so, he conquered death and redeemed us from sin if we believe in Him.

As we'll explore in this article, Easter did coincide with some pagan holidays. Because the church didn't celebrate Easter until a certain point, owing to the persecution the church experienced for the first few centuries, the Christian creation of the holiday did happen around the same time as another pagan celebration was in full swing. Nevertheless, on this holiday, we strive to celebrate God's victory over the grave. In this article, we'll explore the meaning of the word Easter, pagan associations of the holiday, and what the holiday means for Christians today.

Definition of “Easter”

According to dictionary.com, Easter is “an annual Christian festival in commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, observed on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox, as calculated according to tables based in Western churches on the Gregorian calendar and in Orthodox churches on the Julian calendar. Also called Easter Sunday. the day on which this festival is celebrated.”

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia gives the biblical references of "Easter" stating,

"The word does not properly occur in Scripture, although the King James Version has it in Acts 12:4 where it stands for Passover, as it is rightly rendered in the Revised Version (British and American). There is no trace of Easter celebration in the New Testament, though some would see an intimation of it in 1 Corinthians 5:7. The Jewish Christians in the early church continued to celebrate the Passover, regarding Christ as the true paschal lamb, and this naturally passed over into a commemoration of the death and resurrection of our Lord or an Easter feast."

The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the core of the Christian gospel. Saint Paul says that if Christ is not raised from the dead, then our preaching and hope are in vain (1 Cor. 15:14). Certainly, without the resurrection, there would be no Christian preaching or faith. The apostles of Christ would have continued as the disheartened group which the Gospel of John depicts being in hiding for fear of the Jews. They were in total despair until they met the risen Christ (John 20:19). Then they touched Christ's wounds of the nails and the spear; they ate and drank with Him. The resurrection became the foundation of everything they said and did (Acts 2-4): “...for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I have” (Luke 24:39).

The resurrection affirms Jesus of Nazareth as not only the prophesied Messiah of Israel but as the King and Lord of a new Jerusalem: a new heaven and a new earth.

What Is Easter? Christian Meaning and Celebration Explained (christianity.com)

Why Is the Color Purple Associated with Easter?

The color purple is, therefore, a somber visual reminder of the color worn by the true King before His ultimate sacrifice for us and prompts us to take action to repent of our sins, ask God for forgiveness, and renew our faith in Christ.

Why Is the Color Purple Associated with Easter? (christianity.com)

What Happened During Jesus’ Last Hours Before His Death?

What happened during Jesus’ final hours was agonizing, heartbreaking — and necessary. And the fact that it happened, that Jesus gave Himself willingly as a gift and sacrifice so we all could live in eternity with Him, shows God’s great mercy, compassion, love, and capacity for forgiveness.

As Scripture reminds us, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:16-17).

Because of Jesus, we are saved.