The Great Easter Verse Hunt
Most Bible-professing Protestants are quite shocked when they eventually discover that “Easter” isn’t even in the Bible. It is never found in any of the more modern, dependable, strictly literal translations, and actually only occurs once in the King James version (Acts 12:4), wherein the word is a 1611 substitution — not translation — for the original Greek word “pascha;” a word which that very same version correctly translates as “Passover,” in every other verse wherein it occurs in the N.T.!
Additionally, that same passage (Acts 12:1–4) states that this was during the “days of unleavened bread” (verse 3), a Jewish celebration intimately linked with the Passover. King Herod, in an effort to please the Jews (verse 3), was waiting until after “pascha” to kill the apostle Peter. In his attempts to persecute the Lord’s church and please the antagonistic Jewish leadership, Herod was certainly not delaying Peter’s execution in support of a Christian celebration, but was instead honoring the Jewish celebration of “pascha” (the Passover), by waiting until it was over to present Peter to the otherwise-occupied Jewish celebrants of “pascha,” “Passover” — not “Easter.”
Even the New King James translators corrected the previous 1611 version’s “Easter” error, by correctly placing “Passover” back in Acts 12:4. Hence, “Easter” is not legitimately ever found in the word of God anywhere. And therefore, precisely because “Easter” is never legitimately found anywhere in the scriptures — ever, it cannot be religiously celebrated “by faith,” according to those very same scriptures: “So then, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God…for whatever is not from faith is sin” (Romans 10:17 & 14:23b).
Although one cannot legitimately find “Easter” in the Bible, if one delves into secular history they will quickly find that most of today’s “Easter” celebrations are actually of pagan origin, having originally been a celebration of the pagan goddess of fertility, “Eastre” (from whence we most likely get the word “estrogen”). Hence, the very popular fertility symbols of eggs, bunnies, and yes, what would’ve been the absolute darling of Darwin’s deluded and God-denying evolutionary dreams: the genetically-confused and corrupted crossover: the egg-laying bunny. He which millions of Biblically-unaware Protestants unknowingly purchase, perpetuate, and participate in distributing each spring, in what is actually more of a celebration of a non-existent, idyllic, pagan fertility goddess than our one and only Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Furthermore, as so very few Protestants are apparently and additionally aware, the early Constantinic Catholic Church was completely responsible for seeking to re-create this then-pagan celebration into its own image, centuries after Christ and His apostles lived and delivered God’s divinely-inspired commands as to how we were to remember the Lord’s death, burial and resurrection.
These “Eastre” facts are easily obtainable from countless encyclopedic resources, but obviously not from God’s Word, as “Easter” and its modern-day celebratory events simply do not exist therein. And if so, where are the “book, chapter, and verse” references wherein Jesus commanded His disciples to have Easter Sunrise services and Easter egg hunts “in remembrance” of Him? Where are the “book, chapter, and verse” references wherein the apostles commanded, or the first century church participated in such remembrances of His death, burial and resurrection? No, these modern-day “Easter” festivities are truly, simply, and every inch and iota, nothing more than the “doctrines and commandments of men.” And do you recall what the Lord Himself said about the practice of such in Matthew 15:7–9? If not, might I lovingly and humbly suggest that you take a moment to check that passage out right now?
Jesus clearly told His disciples (John 8:31–47), precisely how He wanted them to remember Him instead (Luke 22:14–20); which is exactly what His one New Testament church specifically comes together to do, “on the first day of the week” (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26) as the Scriptures instruct. This, in accordance with Christ’s commandment, simply because they love Him alone, and above, everyone, and everything else on earth (John 14:15–24; Matthew 10:34–39, 22:37).
So how exactly does almighty God actually view his people’s participation in pagan deities’ days of celebration? Well, do you remember the very first and foremost of the Ten Commandments for His O.T. people? “You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments” (Exodus 20:3–6). Do you recall what God did to people such as Jeroboam, who sought to substitute worship he had devised in his own heart for that which the Lord had specifically commanded in His word (See I Kings 12:25–13:10, 33–34)? Do you remember what the Lord did to King Solomon for his idolatry (I Kings 11:4–11), and what He further did to His own people who dragged pagan deities’ worthless and man-made idols and worship into His Holy Temple (See II Chronicles 33:1–11)? And so, these examples beg the question: “What is the difference between what they did in those O.T. instances and what those people do today who drag the idolatrous and unbiblical man-made traditions originating in the worship of the false goddess “Eastre” into their churches — even in ignorance (Acts 17:30)?”
While there’s nothing any more wrong with giving a child a chocolate bunny to eat than a chocolate cartoon character or fairy tale creation, the problem arises when religious organizations claiming allegiance to Christ and submission to His Lordship, seek to attach religious or biblical significance to such unscriptural events as Easter Sunrise Services and Easter Egg Hunts — a proverbial landslide of which are usually announced in most local papers from the denominations each April around “Easter.”
We desperately need to let our bible-professing Protestant friends and neighbors who claim to honor God’s Word know to beware that “Easter” as they may know and celebrate it, simply isn’t there in the word of God, because it was apparently never in the mind of God for mankind to celebrate as a Christian holiday (II Timothy 3:16–4:4)! And in fact, “Easter” has absolutely nothing in common with how the Savior Himself exclusively commanded His disciples to specifically remember Him (Luke 22:14–20; 6:46). Instead, “Easter” is ultimately, intimately, and purely the product of corruptly combined paganism, Catholicism, and commercialism; a vain event invented in the minds of men (Matthew 15:7–9) instead of the mind of God. But please don’t take my word for it — just try to legitimately find “Easter” in God’s Word instead! You’ll find that it’s harder to locate than a legitimate, real-life, living, breathing, egg-laying bunny — or than a sinner saved, forgiven, and added to Christ’s N.T. church simply by saying a prayer and ‘welcoming Jesus into his heart!’ Simply put: ‘Taint there!