Easter Practices
In the Christian church,
Easter is the celebration of the triumph of life over death in the Resurrection
of our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. It interesting though that many
of the traditions that we practice to celebrate Easter are pagan. The
word Easter is not even used in the bible to denote the celebration of the
resurrection. Easter is derived from the Greek word pascha which is
derived from the Hebrew word pesach which means Passover. When Martin
Luther translated the Bible into German (New Testament 1522), he chose the word
Oster to refer to the Passover reference before and after the
resurrection. The Roman Catholic Church had a practice of incorporating
pagan festivals and putting Christian names on them. This was to make
Christianity more appealing to the heathen worshippers in order to recruit them
to join the church.
 |
| https://www.history.com/news/martin-luther-might-not-have-nailed-his-95-theses-to-the-church-door |
Over the years, it has naturally progressed that the egg, which represents spring and fertility, were incorporated into the Easter celebration that originated from the pagan springtime festival. The Catholic church even reinforced this with the dying of red Easter eggs to symbolize the blood of Christ. When the egg was cracked it represented the resurrection of Jesus as he broke out of the tomb. Pagan rituals and Christian creative reasoning has incorporated eggs, bunnies, lent, sunrise services, baby chicks, candy and baskets into this day of triumph in the Christian church.
As I was researching the
origins of Easter, I transitioned through many emotions concerning this
important holiday. The question that came to my mind was, "Can
Easter be kept in honor of Christ and how do I do that?" I do not
want to lose sight of the Resurrection of Jesus. What came to me is that
I need to stay in the Word of God, know that Jesus is my Savior, reflect the
glory of God in my actions, and always have Faith, Hope and Love. God is
good all the time!
Resurrection Eggs to Honor and Symbolize Jesus Christ
Purple: (royalty) Jesus is the King of Kings. John
1:1-3
Orange: (earth) He was fully man. He came and lived on earth. John 1:14
Red: (blood of Jesus) Jesus is Saviour; His blood brings forgiveness for our sin when we acknowledge Him as our Lord and Saviour. John 3:16
Green: (nature) Jesus gives new life; eternal life. 1 John 5:12
Blue: (air and sky) Jesus is always with us through the Holy Spirit. John 14:16-17
Yellow: (sun/the SON) Jesus is preparing a home for believers in Heaven. John 14:1-6
Orange: (earth) He was fully man. He came and lived on earth. John 1:14
Red: (blood of Jesus) Jesus is Saviour; His blood brings forgiveness for our sin when we acknowledge Him as our Lord and Saviour. John 3:16
Green: (nature) Jesus gives new life; eternal life. 1 John 5:12
Blue: (air and sky) Jesus is always with us through the Holy Spirit. John 14:16-17
Yellow: (sun/the SON) Jesus is preparing a home for believers in Heaven. John 14:1-6
Comments
Post a Comment