Is it wrong to celebrate Easter?

It is certainly no secret that Easter is not a biblical holiday. In fact, it's origin is largely pagan. Many Christians completely shun the very name of Easter because of its roots. Does Easter's origin mean it's wrong to celebrate it? Let's examine that.

The name Easter comes from the name of Eastre, who was considered the goddess of spring by a group of European Saxons, who were largely pagan. Each year they would hold a festival, also called Eastre, to honor her and to usher in the new season. The goddess' symbol was the rabbit, which signified rebirth and fertility. You may be thinking: "This doesn't sound like anything Jesus would want us to do!" You are correct. Keep in mind that honoring rabbits and the goddess Eastre are part of a pagan belief that some still hold onto today, however, they are not part of the Christian meaning of "Easter".

Jesus Christ fulfilled all of the Old Testament prophecies of the coming Messiah. However, for Christians, that simply is not enough. The fact that Jesus was born was tantamount, however, the death and resurrection of Christ is what makes Christians Christians. It's the basis of our salvation. With His death, Jesus paid the price for the sins of mankind. His resurrection was His proclaimation of his Lordship. Easter, therefore, is the oldest, and most important, Christian holiday.

Why keep the name Easter?

Easter is not a holiday (Holy Day) that early Jews celebrated and was created by early Christians and has been spun to fall around the time of the old pagan festival. It is not known exactly why this is. Many claim this was something that the Catholic Church had something to do with. Whether or not that is true, is a pointless argument. What's important to understand is that the Christian meaning and the celebration of Easter is 100 percent rooted in Scripture. Although the name is pagan in origin, the message is biblical. The death and resurrection of Jesus has been recorded in several writings and is a fact of history. As Christians, we are to believe in and celebrate that fact, and worship Jesus as our Lord.

Easter, regardless of from where it came, serves as a wonderful way for Christians to, once a year, gather in fellowhip and to focus on the very time Christ was crucified and resurrected. Also, what many believe to be completely by God's design, Easter also continues to be one of most important days for Christians to share the Gospel of Jesus with non-believers, who may only be familiar with the Easter Bunny and egg hunts. Sadly, children grow into adulthood without ever hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, however, they, unknowingly, celebrate Christian holidays every year. Many Christians today proclaim that they first heard the good news of Jesus at an Easter service.

Are egg hunts and images of the Easter Bunny wrong?

The practice of Easter egg hunts and decorating homes, yards and buildings with images of the Easter Bunny, again, have nothing to do with the true message of the Christian celebration of Easter. These things are part of pagan worship and have been used to commercialize the holiday, much like Santa Claus and snowmen have been used to commericialize Christmas. These secular marketing schemes, although pagan, have also allowed millions of non-believers to hear the word of God. God's truth is bigger than any pagan influence in the world. 1 John 4:4 says: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.

The world is full of pagan influence, however, nothing from any false doctrine can compare to the truth of Jesus Christ or defeat that truth.

Because of the true history of Easter, many churches have chosen to drop the name "Easter" altogether, in order to alleviate the confusion between the pagan rituals and the true meaning of the day. Some churches, therefore, now refer to Easter Sunday as "Resurrection Sunday."

Biblically speaking, God is a jealous God and commands us to not have any gods before Him. Based on that command, the act of participating in pagan rituals certainly falls into a category that God does not approve of. However, there is certainly nothing evil or spiritually-confusing for children to play games involving searching for painted eggs. There is also nothing about the image of a large bunny that will corrupt the mind of a child if the message of the true meaning of Easter becomes clear to them as they grow older.

To be sure that their children understand the true meaning of Easter, many Christian parents choose to not introduce them to eggs, bunnies and anything about Easter that's included in the old pagan tradition. This is certainly acceptable. After all, the mind is formidable when a person is very young and things learned by children determine who they become as adults. Some parents hold this very dear to their hearts. There is nothing wrong with choosing to keep everything children learn Christ-centered. However, because of the freedoms we have in Christ, it's perfectly acceptable to God for us to take part in any celebration or festival, as long as they do not cause us to lose focus on Him.

Should Christians celebrate Passover instead of Easter?

Whether to celebrate Passover instead of Easter has been an issue that several Christian denominations have struggled with. First, it's important to understand what the celebration of Passover is and how it's different from the Easter holiday.

Passover

Passover is the Jewish remembrance of the time in Israel's history when all firstborn children and animals were killed in Egypt. This was done as a final plague that God placed on Egypt to force the Pharaoh to release the Israelites from captivity. God instructed the Israelites to take the blood of an unblemished lamb and smear it on the front door posts of their homes. When the angel of the Lord saw the blood stains, he would "pass over" those homes and not harm the Israelites inside. This began the exodus of Israelites out of Egypt and has been celebrated ever since.

Passover also foreshadowed the importance of Jesus as the "Passover Lamb." Christ's blood did the same for Christians. Because of Jesus' purity, the sins of believers in Him have been covered by His blood. Therefore, the judgement of spiritual death has "passed over" Christians.

Keep in mind that Passover is a celebration of events that are part of the history of the Jewish people. It was the Jews that were led out of Egypt, not the Gentiles. However, everything that's associated with the Old Testament Passover, such as the Feasts, were all things that would be physically fulfilled by Jesus at a later time in history. When Christ was crucified, His blood replaced the symbolic Passover blood of the sacrificed lamb.

Jesus did away with the need for a symbolic sacrifice of a lamb at Passover. His crucifixion and resurrection brought Jews and Gentiles together in spiritual faith, as Christ's atonement was for the sins of all of mankind.

It is perfectly acceptable, therefore, for Chrisitians to celebrate Passover, however, it's not a requirement, just as it is no longer a requirement for Jews to do so. There are many Jewish Christian organizations, such as Jews For Jesus that still choose to celebrate Passover to honor their people's history.

By knowing these facts, it's easy to see that it's equally acceptable for believers to celebrate Passover and / or Easter.

Colossians 2:16-17 says: “let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.” In other words: Jesus Christ has fulfilled the Old Testament law, and we may now worship him in many different ways as long as our spritual focus is on Him.

Knowing this truth, some Christian denominations celebrate both holidays.

What's crucial to know in regards to the debate of whether to celebrate Easter or Passover, is the fact that choosing to celebrate either holiday is not an issue of salvation. Salvation is obtained by believing in Jesus Christ as the risen Lord and Savior, who died to pay the price for your sins. Debates about festivals, holy days, Sabbaths and worship are all trivial. Celebration and worship in any form is acceptable to God as long as the focus is rooted in the Bible and the truth of Jesus is at the forefront.