Spoiler Alert: Easter Gets Scrapped in the End
Easter is one of the most important days in modern Christianity. But this holiday is nowhere mentioned in the Bible. Does it meet God’s standard of worship?
If you believe that the Bible is truly the inspired and inerrant Word of God, then you should think twice about keeping Easter ever again.
And by thinking twice, I mean study the Bible to see just what God’s standard is for how we worship Him.
(Spoiler alert: This may affect your Easter plans this year.)
The problem with Easter
Actually, there is more than just one problem with Easter. The holiday’s incorporation of pagan symbols is one problem. Another reason to not observe this day is its obvious contradiction of the words of Jesus Christ, who stated that He would be entombed for three days and three nights (Matthew 12:40). Easter and Good Friday disagree with Christ’s words by portraying His entombment as one day and two nights. To learn more about this issue, read “Sign of Jonah: Did Jesus Die Good Friday, Rise on Easter?”
The root of the problem with Easter is the idea that God gave men authority to add to or adapt His standards of worship.
But at the root of it all, the problem with Easter is the idea that God gave authority to men to add to or adapt His standards of worship.
It’s a historical fact that Catholic leaders adopted Easter (and other holidays) in the third and fourth centuries A.D. to differentiate Christian worship from Jewish worship and to appeal to the pagan masses to convert to Catholicism. To learn more of this history, read “Origin of Easter.”
But what’s the problem with that?
The bottom line is that only God has authority to establish His law, which defines the way He desires to be worshipped and obeyed. That law does not, indeed cannot, change without God’s say-so. Where did God declare that the holy days He established were superseded by holidays devised by men?
Nowhere.
In fact, His Word says the opposite: “Assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled” (Matthew 5:18). Jesus Christ dogmatically stated that His coming was not to change His law or how God would be worshipped.
Adding and subtracting
The Bible’s final verses echo this statement: “If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book” (Revelation 22:18-19).
The seriousness of these consequences should tip us off to the importance of doing what God says. To learn more about this issue, read “Was Christianity Designed to Evolve?”
So what does God say about worshipping Him at this time of year?
Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread
A major part of the controversy surrounding the adoption of Easter was the Roman church’s wish to break away from the spring festivals of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. These were believed to be too Jewish.
Here’s the thing: Neither of these are Jewish feasts—the Bible declares them to be God’s feasts (Leviticus 23:2). The fact that Jews observe these days doesn’t negate the fact that God declared ownership of them.
The Bible reveals that throughout history God’s chosen people have kept the feasts that God outlines in Leviticus 23. These correspond to important steps in His plan to save humanity from the penalty of sin and establish His Kingdom on earth. Even after Christ came and was crucified, the true Church faithfully kept these days, understanding their deep significance to the plan God is accomplishing through Jesus Christ.
- Passover: Jesus instructed His disciples to observe the Passover to commemorate His death for humanity’s sins. The sobering symbols of the wine and unleavened bread picture His sacrifice to pay for our sins (Matthew 26:26-28).
- Feast of Unleavened Bread: Having removed leavening from the home beforehand, Christians are instructed to follow God’s commandment to avoid leavened bread and eat unleavened bread during this weeklong festival. This practice represents putting out sin (pictured by leavening such as yeast) and putting in righteousness (pictured by unleavened bread).
Easter is said to picture the resurrection of Jesus. Even though Christ’s resurrection was a very important event in God’s plan, it did not occur on Easter Sunday morning, and there is no biblical command to celebrate it as a holiday.
Easter gets scrapped in the end
The Bible also makes clear that in the future, pure worship will be restored as God’s Kingdom is established. Under the reign of Jesus Christ, all people will keep the weekly seventh-day Sabbath as well as the festivals found in Leviticus 23, not holidays like Easter or Christmas (Isaiah 56:2-7; 66:23; Ezekiel 45; Zechariah 14:16-19).
Now is a good time to rediscover how God wants us to worship Him!
To learn more about Easter vs. God’s true holy days, read:
- Bunnies Don’t Lay Eggs and Other Reasons to Ditch Easter
- Holy Days vs. Holidays
- Holy Days: Who Makes Them Holy?
Date Posted: March 31, 2015
