Easter

Published by: Editor on Wed, 07 April 2004 04:09:00 | (3201 Reads)
Originally Written by: Elder Vaughn Winslett on

An article about the day we call Easter

Easter is a day which men, probably with good intentions, set or designated to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The day and the feast vary due to man's inability to formulate an accurate calendar of time, time which God created. Calendars have changed several times due to the thoughts of different men about calendars.

Easter, the so-called Christian festival, embodies many pre-Christian traditions. Many ask why Old School Baptist are opposed to change, and man's ideas in the church. This is a good time to use an example of the traditions of men corrupting the truth.

The word Easter is derived from the name Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon name of a Teutonic goddess of Spring and fertility.

God is our Father, male not female; God, not goddess. God gives fertility; He gives increase. Jesus is the corn of wheat which was planted: in His death and burial. Life, fertility and increase are only in Christ. We see in the Spring life budding from dormant plants. Nature shows the work of God. The blooming of the dogwoods shows the arrival of Spring. This would be a good time to think about the legend of the dogwood and the crucifixion of our Lord. Each bloom is a white flower and has crimson, blood-colored spots on the outer edge of each petal.

The pagan goddess's festival was celebrated on the day of vernal equinox. Traditions associated with the festival are the Easter rabbit, a sign of fertility and colored eggs which were painted with gay colors to represent the sunlight of Spring. Christ is the true light. He is the Light which lights the children of God.

The feast should be the feast of unleavened bread. This shows the sinless body of our Lord who died for our sins. We observe this today in communion as we break unleavened bread and drink the red wine which typifies the blood of our Lord.

The Passover was when God passed over the children of Israel whose houses had the blood of the lamb, and shows the blood of Jesus who paid the sin debt for god's children.

God passed over their houses when He slew the first-born of Egypt. God will pass over the house with Christ's blood when the everlasting fire of hell is revealed.

We celebrate not only the resurrection of our Lord, but His death and His resurrection. He was delivered for our offenses. He died, as the sacrificial Lamb of God, for the sins of God's people. He was raised for our justification. His resurrection gave us life, both here in this world and in eternal glory.

As we celebrate, let us keep our worship pure, and in Spirit and Truth, as God enables. To be pure it must be Scriptural.

Do not misunderstand my intention, I love holidays and time spent with Church and family in the Spirit of Christ. Consider the reason; consider the truth; give the glory to God.

We should live every day in celebration of our Lord. Present your body as a living sacrifice to God. Study the Scriptures daily. Pray daily. Walk in the old paths in humble adoration of our Lord.

Elder Vaughn Winslett

Note :

Taken from In The Master's Service