I am always happy when the world talks about Jesus. Much of the year the most His name is heard is as a by-word, but in this time of year, for a week or so, people talk about a resurrected Savior. Of all the Catholic holidays, this one is at least most closely oriented to the right time of the year. This year, as most years, Easter is placed on their schedule and not the Jewish passover schedule.
Easter is not a Biblical celebration—never mentioned by inspiration (II Pet. 1:20-21). The King James translators mistranslated passover in Acts 12:4 placing Easter instead. It may be that the translators were under pressure from the Anglican Church to do so because of both their and the Catholic celebration of Easter mass. Whatever the case may be, that word (Acts 12:4) is passover in the original text. History reveals that some folks will change whatever needed to advance their doctrine.
Neither I nor you are here to advance our doctrine. Mine is to advance the doctrine [gospel] of Jesus Christ (Matt. 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-16). Just as Paul the apostle, we are to deliver to the world that which we have received (I Cor. 15:3), “how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.” That’s it. We have no other liberty or authority past that which God the Holy Spirit has delivered to us through His word the Bible (Col. 3:17).
Then comes the absurd—bunnies, eggs, and the Easter outfit. Where would you find that in scripture? This of course is what happens when the secular world gets involved, but the door is opened by false teaching.
Was Jesus raised from the dead? Yes, on the first day after passover (John 20). He was seen by Mary (v. 14), by Peter (I Cor. 15:5), by His disciples and afterward over 500 at one time, many of whom were alive able to corroborate this great event (I Cor. 15:6). Without His victory over death, we would have no hope (I Cor. 15:13-19). Should Christians rejoice in the resurrected Savior? Every day! But to assign a special day where God Himself has not assigned one is to go outside God’s authority. How far outside of His authority does one have to go to be wrong? By changing one thing, the purity of the doctrine is lost, and that comes with a very powerful warning (Gal. 1:8; Rev. 22:18). Some say, “Well I just can’t see any harm in it.” That might be right, but God must have because He did not institute Easter.
God did establish a day of celebration and a memorial feast, that day is every first day of the week (Acts 20:7). From the very beginning of the church (Acts 2), God’s people partook of the memorial feast [Lord’s Supper] and rejoiced in the risen Savior (Acts 2:42). There is a special day and time authorized by God to celebrate, yet some who will rise early and stand in a graveyard with others and partake of a memorial feast this Sunday, will be absent from the scriptural feast next Sunday, and the Sunday after that, and so on. Some will partake of the Lord’s Supper this week and not again for months. Did they get such instruction from God’s word? No. They have been misled by manmade tradition which has no value in the eyes of God (Col. 2:22).
Am I happy to hear my Lord spoken about as the Savior of the world? Yes indeed, but would to God that all who will talk about Him this week would come to a knowledge of the Truth (I Tim. 2:4). As to what to wear Sunday, put on your very best this Sunday and every Sunday, you’re worshipping the King of kings and the Lord of lords!
-David Hill, President of Tennessee Bible College
