IS EASTER A BIBLICAL CELEBRATION?
Easter is celebrated all over the world by Christians and non-Christians, even atheists. But, is Easter a Biblical celebration? “Jesus” was “resurrected” by “God” (Acts 2:32 HCSB). But are we commanded to celebrate it? Was Easter celebrated by early Christians? How about Easter bunnies, baskets, bonnets, etc.? How about Easter egg hunts?
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Historically, was Easter celebrated by 1st century Christians?
“Easter, a much earlier development than Christmas, was simply the gradual Christian reinterpretation of Passover in terms of Jesus’ Passion. Its observance could even be implied in the New Testament (1 Corinthians 5:7–8: “Our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the festival…”); it was certainly a distinctively Christian feast by the mid-second century C.E., when the apocryphal text known as the Epistle to the Apostles has Jesus instruct his disciples to “make commemoration of [his] death, that is, the Passover.”—Biblical Archaeology Review, December 17, 2024