Easter is a Christian festival commemorating the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  There are, however, so many things about the celebration of Easter which have nothing to do with the death and resurrection of Christ.  Does God really want us to worship Him by celebrating Easter?  Let’s investigate.

How to Worship God

When ancient Israel was about to enter the Promised Land, God gave them some instructions on how they were to worship Him.

Deu 12:29  “When the LORD your God cuts off before you the nations whom you go in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land,
Deu 12:30  take care that you be not ensnared to follow them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods?—that I also may do the same.’
Deu 12:31  You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the LORD hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods.
Deu 12:32  “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.

God told them to worship Him in the way He commanded, and not by copying the traditions or customs of other nations.  Let’s keep this in mind as we delve into Easter.

Easter Eggs and the Easter Bunny

Easter eggs and bunnies clearly have nothing to do with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

Sunrise Services

The sunrise service on Easter Sunday supposedly honours the resurrection of Jesus Christ at sunrise.  However, Jesus was neither resurrected on a Sunday, nor at sunrise.  See “Was Jesus resurrected on Sunday?” for more information.

Friday Crucifixion and a Sunday Resurrection

The traditional teaching of Easter is that Jesus was crucified on a Friday and resurrected early Sunday morning.  As shocking as it may sound, this teaching is wrong, and lacks Biblical understanding.  This teaching has Jesus in the grave for two nights and one day (about 36 hours).  However, Jesus was very clear about how long he would be in the grave.  When some of the Scribes and Pharisees wanted a sign from Jesus that He was from God, Jesus said that He would not give a sign except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

Mat 12:38  Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”
Mat 12:39  But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
Mat 12:40  “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Jesus was very clear that He would be in the grave for three days and three nights, which is a period of 72 hours.  This makes a Friday crucifixion and a Sunday resurrection impossible.  See “Was Jesus resurrected on Sunday?” for more information.

What Encyclopedias Say

The customary ways of celebrating Easter do not have any Biblical foundation.  Where do such customs come from?

According to dictionaries, the word “Easter” comes from the Germanic goddess Eastre (also known as Eostre), associated with dawn and fertility.  The Proto-Germanic root for “Easter” is “austron”, which means “dawn” or “toward the sunrise.”

Eggs are a symbol of fertility.  So hunting for Easter Eggs at sunrise is really worshiping the Goddess of dawn and fertility.

Likewise, rabbits are a symbol of fertility (because they breed so quickly).

The Encyclopedia Britannica states:

As at Christmas, so also at Easter, popular customs reflect many ancient pagan survivals—in this instance, connected with spring fertility rites, such as the symbols of the Easter egg and the Easter hare or rabbit.

The Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs states:

The origin of the Easter egg is based on the fertility lore of the Indo-European races, (p233).

The Easter bunny had its origin in pre-Christian fertility lore.  Hare and rabbit were the most fertile animals our forefathers knew, serving as symbols of abundant new life in the spring season, (p236)

Does Celebrating Easter honour Jesus Christ?

Many people believe they honour Jesus Christ by celebrating Easter.  However, nowhere in the Bible does God command us to worship Him by celebrating Jesus’s resurrection with fertility symbols (eggs and bunnies), nor with a sunrise service on a Sunday.  Jesus was not resurrected on Sunday at sunrise.  A sunrise service on a Sunday has its origins in pagan sun worship.

We read earlier in Deuteronomy 12:29-32, that God says He doesn’t want us to worship Him in the way that pagans worship their gods.  So if we think we are honouring God by celebrating Easter with all its pagan originated customs, we are deceiving ourselves.

Jesus said:

Mar 7:7  AND IN VAIN THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE COMMANDMENTS OF MEN.’

Mar 7:9  He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.

Easter observance is a tradition of men.  In keeping it, people reject the commandment of God and do not honour Jesus Christ.

How should we honour the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ?

The Bible teaches that we should keep Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  Passover commemorates Jesus’s sacrifice for our sins.  The Feast of Unleavened Bread pictures coming out of sin.  For more information see “What is the meaning of the Feast of Passover?” and “What is the meaning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread?”.

Conclusion

Should you celebrate Easter?  No, because celebrating Easter does not honour Jesus Christ.