Happy "Easter"?

This post may be controversial... but since when has that stopped me from posting?!

I want to avoid a long post like yesterday's, so that hopefully people will actually read it. So, to the point: Is it ok for Christians to refer to this coming Sunday as "Easter"? Also, is it ok for Christians to practice the traditional "Easter" activities, like coloring eggs, chilling with the Easter Bunny, and stuff like that? I am going to try to answer these quickly, and if you have any disagreements or discussion points, I would answer more thoroughly in comments.

Ok, the name "Easter" comes from an Anglo-Saxon word "Eastre." This was the name of an Anglo-Saxon goddess during the Spring time. The tradition has it that this goddess was either another name for, or simply a similar goddess to Queen Semiramis. This queen is supposedly the wife of Nimrod. God says:

Exodus 23:13 And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.

I know, I know... that's Old Testament. However, we look at what God says in the Old Testament and we learn about Him. We learn from that verse that He does not like people talking about other gods, even mentioning their name. I can not believe that God is happy when people call the day, in which His Son rose from the dead, conquering death and hell, after the name of a pagan goddess. I just can't accept that. So, No, we Christians should not call this Sunday "Easter." How about we use "Resurrection Sunday" instead? Say that to your lost acquaintances, and you'll have opportunity to start a spiritual discussion - be prepared!

Ok, how about the practices associated with Easter? I mean, yeah, Eastre is recognized by Christians and non-Christians as the fertility goddess. The rabbit is known for its exceptional breeding capabilities, and the egg is also a symbol for fertility in pagan religions. So, we talk about the Easter Bunny, and we color eggs - both symbols associated with the goddess Eastre, which we already learned we're not supposed to even talk about... I really just have a hard time believing that God would be pleased when Christians participate in those activities.

Let me answer the first argument that will be made against me: "But, Andy, you celebrate Christmas, and that's all associated with Santa Clause, and the date used is the date of a pagan festival..." First of all, it still is called "Christmas" meaning "the birth of Christ." Christ is preached whether in pretence or not, so I'll rejoice (Philippians 1:18). And I understand that the date we celebrate is the date of a pagan festival. But, we don't know the date He was born, so why not try to compete with a pagan festival to try to get it to disappear (by the way, it seems to have worked!). And, Santa Clause... Unlike some zealous preachers would say, Santa is not just "Satan" with the letters mixed around. Santa actually means Saint in most languages, and Santa Clause specifically comes from the Dutch: Sinterklaas, which means Saint Nicholas. I have no problems with Nick. I understand the Roman Catholics have made more of him than he would have of himself, but historically, he seems like a pretty nice guy - so do Valentine and Patrick by the way.

So, I don't think I'm being two-faced about "Easter" vs. Christmas. I just think it would be well-pleasing to the Lord if we were to put away the pagan name for the day that Christ rose from the dead -- the Gospel of Jesus Christ -- and truly call it something that is at least Christian.

I failed... I made this longer than I wanted to... sorry!

Just a thought...

It Was Thursday

Now, I know that this really doesn't matter. It's not that big of a deal. I can still have Christian fellowship with you, even if you erringly disagree with me... But the fact is that the Bible really points to Jesus having been crucified on Thursday of that week, not Friday - and not even Wednesday.

Ok, some givens:

• The Jewish day started at sundown - around 6:00pm
• The day after the crucifixion was a sabbath day
• Jesus was risen from the dead by Sunday

The traditional day for the crucifixion is Friday. That is, because the sabbath day was the next day, and the sabbath day is the 7th day of the week, then He must have been crucified on the 6th day of the week which is Friday.

However, Leviticus 23:32 demonstrates that when the word "sabbath" is used in the Bible it does not exclusively refer to the 7th day of the week, but rather it can mean the beginning of one of the feasts. Jesus was crucified on the Passover, which means the very next day was the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The first day of that feast was one of these sabbaths (Leviticus 23:7).

Ok, so the Bible does not say that He was crucified on Friday, only that He was crucified the day before a sabbath. So, let's see what it says about when He rose from the dead.

Matthew 28:1 says that in the end of the sabbath (this would be the weekly sabbath), as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week (proof that we're talking about the weekly sabbath here), that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to the tomb (Matt 28:1). The earthquake came and the angel rolls the stone away. Jesus had risen from the dead. It could be He rose at that very moment, or that He had risen a little bit earlier, but by Sunday at the break of dawn, He was no longer dead -- Hallelujah!

Next, let's look at how long Jesus was in the grave. First, we find Jesus prophesying about rebuilding the temple (they thought He was talking about Herod's temple, but He really meant His body). He said that if they destroyed this temple, He would rebuild it in three days. Ok, that's a good start. He also compares His time in the earth to the time that Jonah was in the belly of the whale: Matthew 12:40: "For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." Can Friday work?!

If Jesus was crucified on Friday, I can understand saying "Friday, Saturday & Sunday - there, three days." However, Jesus was more specific and said, "three days and three nights." If we take that any part of the 6:00 am to 6:00 pm is the day, and any part of 6:00 pm to 6:00 am is the night, we can't fit three of each in the time that Jesus was in the earth. Friday (before sundown) He is put in the tomb, so we have Friday day (1 day). When sundown hits, that's Saturday night (1 night). When the next day came, which was the 7th day sabbath it was Saturday day (2 day). When the sunset and it became the first day of the week, we have Sunday night (2 night). Well, Jesus rose before the dawn of Sunday day, but even if He did wait until after sunrise, we're still short a night! I don't see how Friday is possible, if we're going to take Jesus exactly.

Some will say that He was crucified on Wednesday. This allows more time to get the three days and three nights. Wednesday He's crucified before sundown, so that night, Thursday night is the first (1 night). Then the next day comes, which Wednesday people will say is the sabbath of the 1st day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (1 day). That night comes, Friday night (2 night), and the next day, Friday day comes (2 day). The following night (3 night) and day (3 day) are Saturday, and the weekly Sabbath. Sunday night comes, and before Sunday night finished, He rises from the dead - thus giving three full days and three full nights. I can buy this... with a couple of problems.

Why didn't Mary Magdalene and the other Mary come on Friday to see the sepulchre? I understand if they couldn't go on the sabbath day, but Friday wasn't a sabbath either way. It was in-between the two sabbaths if there was a Wednesday crucifixion.

Also, if Jesus was crucified on Wednesday, then how can the men walking on the road to Emmaus say, when talking about Jesus being crucified, "...and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done." Today is the third day? If Wednesday was the day of crucifixion, then Thursday would be the first day since it happened; Friday would be the second day since it happened, and Saturday would be the third day since it happened. But, Jesus was walking with the men on the road to Emmaus, making it Sunday. Only Thursday (or Friday) makes the statement make sense that "to day is the third day since these things were done."

So, if we look at all the Scriptures involved, it seems pretty straightforward that Jesus was crucified on Thursday. But, is this something worth arguing about?! Is it something that should distract people when there's bigger battles to fight?! No, it's not. So, just agree with me, and let's move on!

Just a thought...

A Glorious Church

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

I know all the husbands get excited when reading Ephesians 5 and it says, "Wives submit yourselves unto your own husbands as unto the Lord." Then, we take a step back and are floored (hopefully) when we read, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church..." That is, in the way that Christ loved the church, so ought we to love our wives! Ok, I've got work to do.

But, as I was thinking on the verses following, a new perspective became strong in my mind. Why did Christ love the church and give Himself for it? So that He could sanctify and cleanse it - to make the church pure and holy, clean. Husbands, we ought to love our wives, by soaking them in the word (washing of water by the word). Which will cleanse them, make them holy (Psalm 119:9, John 15:3).

And the reason that we want to soak them in the word, and make them holy and without blemish - vs. 27 - that we can present them as glorious! Christ did it so that "he might present to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." Husbands, as we love our wives and desire to have a sanctified and clean bride through the word, then what we are doing is making her glorious. She looks wonderful; she is admired; she is praised by those that see her.

Husbands, love your wives.

Of course, this post doesn't apply to me, because my wife is already as glorious as can be!

Just a thought...

Memorials

Well, I owe this day to Aaron Putney. You see, I woke up with this kind of like blurred vision that I get right before I am hit with a migraine. Now, when I get hit with a migraine, I'm laid up in bed for a solid 24 hours. Well, when Aaron and I were a part of a missions trip to Zambia about 4 years ago, I got my blurred vision and he introduced me to Excedrin Migraine medicine. I just pop some of those in when I get that, and the migraine is stayed off. So, even though I'm not 100% today, thanks to Aaron at least I have made it to work!

Anyway, thinking of that trip reminded me of a thought that I've had recently. You constantly see throughout the Old Testament that God was telling His people to setup memorials of great things that He had done in their lives. One example that comes to mind is when they crossed the Jordan River, they were to take 12 stones and build an altar to remember the crossing.

I think God would have us do the same thing in our lives. When He does a miraculous work in our lives in some way, I think He'd be pleased if we were to make something, or bring something around that would remind us in the future of the way that God worked. It also gives us the opportunity to share that with anyone else that asks about it - like our kids. I'm really not sure what kind of memorials would be good, but I think the principle is sound.

Just a thought...