Easter is not a Christian word, originally. It comes from an old English word referring to an Anglo-Saxon goddess of fertility associated with the renewal of life. But as Christianity spread, people would often simply transfer meanings of old pagan names and/or rites into Christian Biblical meanings, sometimes encouraged by church leaders, sometimes not.
Take the Easter egg, for example. Ancient pagan spring festivals associated the egg with new life. Chickens hatching from what appeared to be a lifeless dead object made eggs a symbol of rebirth. Thus, Christians adopted the egg as a symbol of the resurrection of Christ. During the early Middle Ages, meat, eggs, and other dairy products were forbidden during the Lenten season. Because of this, people would decorate eggs at the end of Lent to celebrate, they could be eaten again. It was an Easter celebration of new life and the Resurrection.
Rabbits have also been fitting symbols of fertility and new-life ritual traditions because of their ability to multiply so fast. In short, many cultures around the world celebrate new-life and fertility rites during spring when life springs-forth anew, awakening from winter’s “death sleep,” using various symbols and objects to depict rebirth, renewal, and reawakening.
However, whether we speak of Easter eggs or the Easter bunny, and whether we send our kids on an Easter egg hunt and reward them with chocolate candy and jelly beans, for the Christian, the real celebration of Easter is more than mere symbolism for the arrival of spring and the blossoming of color in our flower gardens. Jesus died and arose from the dead. He is Risen!
No symbolism, no fairy tale, no trick photography, no special effects, no “let’s pretend and make believe.” Those who bore testimony to the fact that Jesus rose from the dead and LIVES after having been put to death, did so with the firm intention that their hearers understood that they were speaking of a real, matter of fact, down to earth, physical and spiritual truth statement—Jesus physically died, but now He is very much ALIVE again. He is raised from the dead. For Real!
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eye, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.” (The Apostle John in 1 John 1:1-2.) “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me, as to one untimely born. (Paul the Apostle in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8.) “After Jesus’ suffering [death], he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.” (Dr. Luke in Acts 1:3.)
We can deal with the testimony of these witnesses in only one of three ways: (1) they lie; therefore we should dismiss them with no further thought. (2) They were bamboozled and confused and were simply fooled into thinking Jesus was raised from the dead; therefore we should ignore them. Or, (3) they know of what they speak, having seen it with their own eyes and are therefore telling the absolute truth.
If the latter is true, we cannot afford to ignore or dismiss them, for a resurrection of this kind becomes the most important and most significant message to all of humanity. If Jesus has truly risen from the grave, then Jesus is truly a person of great power and authority, one who has conquered death and has power over life and death. If this is real, all of humanity will one day have to reckon with this truth.
In other words, the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus has far more implications for this world than most of us would like to admit. If Jesus is truly raised from the dead, then He is truly Lord and has authority to judge as well as the power to save. Many believers and witnesses to the resurrection of Christ have died bearing testimony that Jesus has indeed been raised from the dead. No unbeliever has ever or can ever prove that he has not.
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