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Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday. Human Holiday – not Holy Day. 2. Jesus Christ Born: Bethlehem Died: Jerusalem Age: 33. 4. Many churches are having Special Easter Services… Why aren’t we?. Come join us for a weekend of worship, reflection, and celebration of the New Day Jesus Rose Alive!.

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Easter Sunday

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  1. Easter Sunday Human Holiday – not Holy Day

  2. 2

  3. Jesus Christ Born: Bethlehem Died: Jerusalem Age: 33 4

  4. Many churches are having Special Easter Services… Why aren’t we? Come join us for a weekend of worship, reflection, and celebration of the New Day Jesus Rose Alive! http://www.cornwallchurch.com/special_events/2003/easter.html 5

  5. THE DATE VARIES* • Easter can fall between March 22 and April 25 • The Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or after March 21 • If the full moon occurs on a Sunday, Easter is the following Sunday. For all Christians, it’s a celebration of NEW LIFE and REDEMPTION through Christ. It’s an ancient Christian festival that is the PRINCIPAL EVENT of the church year. It’s the joyful celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ * The date of Easter in some Eastern Christian Churches may vary from the Western date. 6

  6. 1 Cor. 15:4, 12-20 Acc. to Scripture Preaching is true Faith is real True witnesses Freed from your sins Dead will live Not pitiable CHRIST IS RISEN! No Scripture Unknown to NT saints Not instituted by Christ or His apostles Not in NT (not even in Acts 12:4, KJV) First historical reference is 155 AD EASTER NOT IN NT! THESE ARE NOT THE SAME! BELIEF IN THE RESURRECTION CELEBRATION OF EASTER 7

  7. Is Easter in Acts 12:4? “There never was a more absurd or unhappy translation than this. The original is simply after the Passover.” -Barnes Notes 8

  8. Easter Unknown in NT Times “There is no indication of the observance of the Easter festival in the New Testament or in the writings of the apostolic fathers. The sanctity of the special times was an idea absent from the minds of the first Christians.” -The Encyclopedia Britannica 14th ed., II:859 9

  9. First Day of the Week Worship Honors Christ’s Resurrection • Resurrected on the first day of the week, Mark 16:9 • Resurrection proclaimed and His church established on the first day of the week, Acts 2:1, 24-32, 36, 41, 47 • Regular worship is on the first day of the week, Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2 • The Lord’s day, Rev. 1:10 10

  10. First Day of the Week Worship Honors Christ’s Resurrection “The ‘first day of the week,’ the Lord’s Day, was the regular, weekly commemoration of our Lord’s resurrection. It is more than doubtful if there was an annual commemoration (‘Easter’) in Apostolic times.” (James Hastings, Dictionary of the Apostolic Church, Grand Rapids: 1973, II:133) 11

  11. Easter: Holy Day or Man-Made Religious Holiday? “The baptism of John—where was it from? From heaven or from men?” -Matthew 21:25 “The celebration of Easter – where is it from? From heaven or from men?” 12

  12. The Convergence of Three Particular Events • Jewish Passover • “Christian Passover” • Pagan festival of Spring (festival of goddess Eastre) 13

  13. Historical Addition “There is no trace of Easter celebration in the New Testament.” H. Porter International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Volume II, page 889 14

  14. Only Supposition that Easter was Always Observed “While there is reason to suppose that Easter had been honored from early in Christian history, the first definite record of its celebration is in connection with a visit of Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, to Anicetus, bishop of Rome, in 154 or 155.” (Williston Walker, A History of the Christian Church, New York: 1950, p. 64) 15

  15. When to Observe Easter? • Man-made feasts require man-made rules (Col. 2:8; Gal. 4:10-11) • Council of Nicea (325 AD) fixed the “Christian Passover” on Sunday • Rules adopted in the 7th century fixed the annual date • Differences over the date remain between the Eastern and Western Churches 16

  16. The Name “Easter” • Was first called the “Christian Passover” (cf. Col. 2:16-17; Gal. 5:3-4) • By the 8th century, “Easter” was adopted: “Originally a Saxon word (Eostre), denoting a goddess of the Saxons, in honour of whom sacrifices were offered about the time of the Passover. Hence the name came to be given to the festival of the Resurrection of Christ, which occurred at the time of the Passover.” (Easton’s Revised Bible Dictionary) 17

  17. Blend of Paganism and Apostasy “Modern-day Easter is derived from two ancient traditions: one Judeo-Christian and the other Pagan. Both Christians and Pagans have celebrated death and resurrection themes on or after the Spring Equinox for millennia. Most religious historians believe that many elements of the Christian observance of Easter were derived from earlier Pagan celebrations.” (Easter: Origins, Meanings, and Current Practices, religioustolerance.org/easter.htm) 18

  18. Blend of Paganism and Apostasy • Eastre: Saxon goddess of spring and fertility • Festival celebrated on the vernal equinox • Customs used to help new converts more easily adapt to their new faith • Customs used to offer a corresponding incentive for people to convert • The pagan influencesof the goddess Eastre and the apostate observanceof the so- called “Christian Passover” blend to produce modern-day Easter Sunday 19

  19. The Religious Holiday “Easter” is Without Bible Authority • Religious celebration of Easter is from man, Matt. 21:25 • No NT pattern (authority) for it, Col. 3:17; 2 Tim. 1:13 (Heb. 8:5) • Only pattern for it is human tradition, Gal. 4:10-11; Col. 2:20-23; Matt. 15:8-9 • It perverts the gospel of Christ, Galatians 1:6-10 20

  20. Calling on the Name of Christ Without His ApprovalActs 19:11-17 • Apostles did so with divine power and blessings, 19:11-12 • Imposters tried to invoke the name of the Lord without success, 19:13-16 • The name of the Lord was magnified (celebrated), 19:17 21

  21. Calling on the Name of Christ Without His ApprovalActs 19:11-17 • First day of the week worship is approved by heaven, Acts 20:7 • True worship celebrates the name of the Lord, Jno. 4:24 (Acts 19:17) • Easter worship is approved by men but is rejected by heaven • Easter Sunday does not celebrate the name of the Lord 22

  22. Be Content with God’s Way1 Peter 4:11 • Worship in spirit and truth, Jno. 4:24 • Distinguish between religious traditions of men and divine will of God, Prov. 14:12 • Uphold all the truth: • Resurrection of Jesus Christ • True worship • Oppose all error, 1 Tim. 4:1; 2 Tim. 4:2-4 23

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