Most people follow along as they have been taught, assuming
that what they believe and do is right. They take their beliefs for granted.
Most do not take time to prove why
they do the things that they do. ~David C. Pack~
Top left is a picture of me (60 years ago) and two of my
cousins. It was Easter of 1955 and there was a good chance we were the best
dressed kids on the block and at church that Sunday. You see, that’s what
Easter was all about for me and my family—new outfits for church—dyed
eggs—baskets full of chocolate, jelly beans and marshmallow peeps. And a big
family dinner, with all the trimmings!
Where was Christ in all of this?
Hum, I guess He was somewhere in the church sermon.
Easter Sunday was a day (and still is) many were dragged to
church by well meaning mothers, grandmothers and wives! There was a level of
noise that usually wasn’t present (we were taught to sit and be quiet) from all
the children and babies not used to being in church. My biggest memory for
years was wishing the preacher would hurry up so I could get home to my Easter
basket full of goodies, have a hardboiled egg and some of my aunt’s wonderful
potato salad!
There really wasn’t anything special or out of the ordinary concerning
Jesus on this day.
Eventually the passing of the torch came and I became part
of the preparation for the dinner feast. I started baking strawberry short
cakes with homemade whipped cream and cheery cheese cakes to compliment my
mother’s roasted leg of lamb. By then, I had to purchase my own “Easter
outfits” if I wanted to be dressed for the occasion. It was then I stopped
going to church on Easter and just showed up for the dinner—I just didn’t see
the point!
No one complained that I hadn’t attended the morning service.
There would have only been a problem if I didn’t show up with my homemade
desserts.
When my oldest daughter was born, I embraced the tradition
of dressing her up for Easter. Why? Well, for one, I knew I wouldn’t hear the
last of it if I showed up for the dinner with her in an everyday outfit. And
there were a couple of times my mother took her to church with her. I must note
it was often the only time my mother went herself.
As time has passed, people no longer dress up as much to go
to church; they buy new casual outfits to go to Easter brunch, the zoo, movies
and down to the shore.
Truth is, people are not getting saved because of the
celebration of Easter. Why should they? It is difficult to see Christ and the
Cross in the midst of the Easter parade, Easter bunnies, Easter candy, colored
eggs, Easter outfits and Easter shoe sales. And worst of all—the Easter egg hunts
that a lot of church congregations have. None of it has anything to do with the
death and resurrection of the Messiah on the Cross.
Once I became serious about my life in Christ, I began to
grow (still am) in the Word of God. And what happens to any of us when we do
this, the Holy Spirit begins to enlighten us in the Holy Scriptures and truth.
For the past few years, I’ve been studying my Jewish roots as
a Believer. Our Savior was born a Jew and was raised by Jewish parents. Yes, He
was God, but He thought it not robbery to give that up to come into the world
as a man to save the world.
My studying has led me to the Jewish feasts and what they stand
for. For instance, what many Christians refer to as “The last Supper” was
really a Passover feast or “Seder”. Do we really understand what it means that
Christ became our Passover lamb? The
more I began to study what this Passover means for us, the more I began to
question the Easter celebration and its origin. I could not find it in the
Bible.
With some understanding of how the Jewish calendar is
calculated, and remembering that God started a new day at sunset, it made me
question even more Good Friday. How is it, there’s a Good Friday every year?
That is impossible? If something happened on a Friday one year, even though it
might be the same date the following year it would not be the same day? The
Jewish Passover never is. In 2014, it started Monday, April 13th and
ended Tuesday, April 21st. This year it is Friday, April 3rd
(at sunset) and ends April 11th (at sunset).
I began to have a sneaky suspicion we were making stuff up?
And as I researched, I found out we have taken on traditions whose roots are
steeped in pagan celebrations.
Probably at this point, some of you are annoyed and ready to
stop reading. I ask that you don’t…please!
Here is a link to the booklet, “The True Origin of Easter” by David
C. Pack. It is a lengthy read, but well worth the time. I’m not asking anyone
to take his word at face value, but I am asking you to get into the Bible and
see for yourself. Question God—ask the Holy Spirit for truth and revelation
concerning the matter.
Over the years I’ve encountered the argument that the Sunday
Easter celebration is good because it is the one time in the year that people
come to church. I know that to be true from my own upbringing and family, but what
does that mean?! If we as Believers do our job and disciple folks (not drag
them to church) there would be no truth to this. And I’ve heard the defense for
the Easter egg hunts on church grounds is a way to involve families and is an
outreach to children in the community.
As a Believer, do you really think it brings joy and honor
to God to have kids on their hands and knees looking for eggs in the name of
the Son? Do you have any idea where this tradition came from?
If we pick up the Cross every day, love our neighbors as we
love ourselves, give to those in need, take care of the widows and fatherless,
forgive and live each day to please God and deny Him nothing—folks would be
flocking to get to know Jesus from the overflow of His love through us.
Sisters, it is time to hanker down in the unadulterated Word
of God and let traditions go.
Easter does not look anything like Christ to the world. This
past week, Wal-Mart commercials were singing here comes peter cottontail (to
the point my 10 year old granddaughter was singing it), Burlington Coat Factory
has affordable Easter outfits for the entire family, Payless is having a huge
Easter shoe sale, Dairy Queen has frozen cakes you can have “Happy Easter”
written on. This is just a small sampling of what is being projected for
Easter. But yet, we hardly hear much about how our Christian brothers and
sisters are being killed daily for Christ.
Yesterday morning it was reported that 147 were massacred at
a Kenya college. Somali Islamist militants killed all who were not Muslims.
When asked, “Who is a Christian?” many stood up and were shot, but there
were those who were afraid and were killed only after they could not recite
from the Quran. We want our children to be able to stand for Christ, even if it
means death, but planting seeds of tradition in their hearts versus truth, puts
us in murky waters.
You like dying eggs with the kids? Don’t stop. Do it for fun
after Easter, and buy all the peeps, jelly beans and chocolate bunnies (which will
be 70% off) you want the day after Easter.
Christ has forewarned us that there will be a great falling away,
the world will be in such a position that if possible even the elect would be
fooled. And last but not least, on Judgment Day, many who cry out “Lord, Lord!”
shall be told by our Savior, “I never knew you.” and will be placed with
the goats.
This is something to really meditate on. Are you sure you
will be counted as the “elect” or will you be one who is fooled and led astray?
If gunmen were to storm the mall you were Easter shopping in and asked, “Who is
a Christian?” would you stand tall knowing they are going to kill you or would
cower?
Until next week...
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