March 23, 2013

From Gary V. Womack...Easter - Where it Began




Easter - Where it Began

1 Cor. 5:6-8
                  After Jesus had spoken to His apostles 
                  on the Mount of Olives (on Tuesday), 
                  His disciples would prepare & observe 
                  the Passover on the following Thursday.

Mt. 26:1-5 Jesus tells His apostles when He will 
                 be "delivered up" - on the Passover.

The Passover commemorated Israel's freedom from Egyptian bondage on the night of the death of the first-born in Egypt.

Ex. 12 It marked the beginning of their year.
Passover observed on 14th. day of the first month at twilight.

Feast of unleavened bread was the following 7 days (15-21)

Lev. 23 God specifies the feasts Israel was to observe.

Ex. 12:14 "So this day shall be to you a memorial; 
                and you shall keep it as a feast to the 
                Lord throughout your generations. You 
                shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting 
                ordinance."

Ex. 12:26-27 "And it shall be, when your children 
                     say to you, 'What do you mean by this 
                     service?' (27) that you shall say, 'It is 
                     the Passover sacrifice of the Lord, 
                     who passed over the houses of the 
                     children of Israel in Egypt when He 
                     struck the Egyptians and delivered our
                     households.'..."


This was the Passover that Jesus & His apostles were about to observe Its purpose was to "Remember"

Mt. 26:17-30 Jesus, after the Passover, instituted the Lord's Supper.

Later, after Jesus' death, burial & resurrection, He instructed His apostles regarding His authority & what they were to teach others:

Mt. 28:16-ff "teaching them to observe all things   
                    I have commanded you."

Later, we find the church at Troas observing this memorial on Sunday

Acts 20:7 "Now on the first day of the week, when  
                the disciples came together to break 
                bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, 
                spoke to them and continued his 
                message until midnight."

Before going to Troas, Paul had gone to Corinth. Later, he wrote to them rebuking them for their abuses in observing the Lord's Supper:

1 Cor. 11:23-26 "For I received from the Lord that 
                         which I also delivered to you: that 
                         the Lord Jesus on the same night in 
                         which He was betrayed took bread; 
                         (24) and when He had given  
                         thanks, He broke it and said, 'Take, 
                         eat; this is My body which is broken 
                         for you; do this in remembrance of 
                         Me.' (25) In the same manner He 
                         also took the cup after supper, 
                         saying, 'This cup is the new 
                         covenant in My blood. This do, as 
                          often as you drink it, in 
                          remembrance of Me.' (26) For as 
                          often as you eat this bread and 
                          drink this cup, you proclaim the 
                          Lord's death till He comes."

We are to remember Christ's death, burial & resurrection weekly

Almost 300 years later, we find the beginnings of an annual observance of Christ's resurrection. There was much confusion regarding the time of its observance.

The reason for such confusion was because there was no scriptural teaching or authorization to be found for it- either by command, example, or necessary inference

At the council of Nicea (325 AD) it was decreed that "Easter" be celebrated on Sunday, but did not fix the particular Sunday.

This was the first such world council - It as called by Roman emperor Constantine. The only mention of "Easter" is in the older King James version:

Acts 12:1-4 "Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. (2) Then he killed James the brother of John
with the sword. (3) And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of
Unleavened Bread. (4) So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after (Easter) Passover."

"Passover" [pascha ] appears 29 times in the NT - Why not here?

By 1611 this observance was deeply entrenched - It is said that translators used the then-familiar name "Easter" so English speaking people could more easily identify when Peter's imprisonment took place.

"Easter" = The name is derived from the pagan goddess of the spring or dawn & was associated with the accompanying pagan festival that was
celebrated in the spring.


Not until the 7th. century was that determined (due to no scriptural authority) 1st. Sunday after 1st. full moon following 1st. day of spring (March 21st.)
(So it can fall between March 22 - April 25)

The church has no legislative authority - but is subject to Christ

Eph. 5:22-24 "Wives, submit to your own husbands,  
                      as to the Lord. (23) For the husband 
                      is head of the wife, as also Christ is 
                      head of the church; and He is the 
                      Savior of the body. (24) Therefore, 
                      just as the church is subject to Christ
                      so let the wives be to their own 
                      husbands in everything."

Paul warned about a "falling away" 
(2 Thess. 2:3) also (Acts 20)

1 Tim. 4:1-3 "Now the Spirit expressly says that in 
                    latter times some will depart from the 
                    faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits 
                    and doctrines of demons, (2) speaking 
                    lies in hypocrisy, having their own 
                    conscience seared with a hot iron, (3) 
                    forbidding to marry, and commanding 
                    to abstain from foods which God 
                    created to be received with 
                    thanksgiving by those who believe and 
                    know the truth."

Gal. 1:6-9 The Galatian Christians were already 
                 turning away.

Gal. 4:9-11 They were going back to observing 
                  OT holy days - Passover?

Jeroboam's presumptuous sin of changing the worship of God to something similar is a lesson that we must not repeat:

1 Kings. 12:25-ff (32) "Jeroboam ordained a feast  
                               ...like the feast... in Judah."
                               Jeroboam set in motion the 
                               eventual downfall of Israel 
                               as a nation.

Nadab & Abihu offered "unauthorized " fire in worship to God - and died.

Lev. 10:1-4 "Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of 
                   Aaron, each took his censer and
                   offered profane fire before the Lord, 
                   which He had not commanded them
                   (2) So fire went out from the Lord and 
                   devoured them, and they died before 
                   the Lord. (3) And Moses said to Aaron, 
                   'This is what the Lord spoke, saying: 'By 
                   those who come near Me I must be
                   regarded as holy; And before all the 
                   people I must be glorified.' So Aaron 
                   held his peace."

Lev. 16:12 specified the fire to come from the alter of God.

People become upset about such matters - even as Cain killed Abel because his worship was rejected by God and Abel's was accepted. (Gen. 4)

But we must be subject to Christ

Col. 3:17 "And whatever you do in word or deed, do  
               all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving 
               thanks to God the Father through Him."

We must give an accounting of our submission to His will

Mt. 7:20-21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, 
                   Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of 
                   heaven, but he who does the will of My 
                   Father in heaven. (22) Many will say to 
                   Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not 
                   prophesied in Your name, cast out 
                   demons in Your name, and done many
                   wonders in Your name?' (23) And then I 
                   will declare to them, 'I never knew you; 
                   depart from Me, you who practice 
                   lawlessness!' "




Christ is indeed our Passover & we must glorify Him in obedience.

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