Easter or Resurrection Day?

 
I grew up always calling it Resurrection Discovery Day, or just Resurrection Sunday, not Easter. Instead of telling you why you shouldn’t call it Easter, I’ll just explain why I don’t.

For my family, and I know many others, we try to learn the background of stuff instead of taking on something just because it’s popular or the normal thing. When you take the time to look up the word ‘Easter,’ you see that it’s derived from the goddess associated with Spring, Eastre.

If you Google, “what is easter?”, it will read, “the most important and oldest festival of the Christian Church, celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and held (in the Western Church) between March 21 and April 25, on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the northern spring equinox. The period in which Easter occurs, especially the weekend from Good Friday to Easter Monday.”

I really haven’t done an in depth research of how the word easter was coined and became popular, but the word itself has nothing to do with the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

One thing I personally like to do with many things, even if people have many words or phrases for it, is go with the word or phrase that more closely speaks the truth, or speaks to the very essence of that given thing, so in accordance with this topic, I personally prefer, Resurrection Discovery Day, over Easter.

Partly due to the fact that I grew up saying it, and I was given the understanding of why, but also because using that particular phrase speaks and paints the true picture of what the day is all about, versus saying easter. I really think the word Easter automatically paints the mental picture of everything that our culture associates with it - the easter bunny, egg hunts, candy, etc.

It’s interesting to note that even though all of that is a major part of people’s Easter, many attend church and know that the day has something to do with Christ rising from the dead. Many people really do have that truth in the back of their minds, even if they’re not a born again believer, or even if they never ever attend a church at all.

Jesus Christ - He is the reason for it all. He was born of a virgin, He died, was buried, and rose again on the third day, with all power in His hand. Praise be to God.

I hope your past weekend was full of celebrating Jesus, and remembering His sacrificial gift and love for us, even while we were yet sinners and separated from Him. Way before we were even born, or our parents, or great grandparents for that matter. He knew us from the foundation of the world, and He wanted a relationship with each of us.

I’m so grateful that He died for me and rescued me out of darkness. I’m also grateful that we now have access to Him, and His presence. That is truly a privilege.

Always Remember What Christ Did On Calvary, For The Whole World. What He Did For A Wretch Like You And Me. It's Amazing.

Have A Wonderful Week, And Be Blessed. 

*the image is not mine, but was found on Google*