Atos 12:4
Just what is Easter? There are always lots of things going on - - dressing up
for Easter Sunday service in our new Easter outfits, big dinners with relatives
or at church, even Easter egg hunts for all the children. But, just how much of
all this and anything else that may take place to celebrate Easter really honors
Christ? Why do we have all this confusion anyway?
1. THE FIRST MENTION OF EASTER
Easter is mentioned only once in the Bible, and this is in
connection with the Spring Festival of the pagan or non- Christian world long
before the time of our Lord Jesus Christ. It had nothing to do with Him or His
resurrection. It was to celebrate Spring, the coming of new life after the long
winter.
2. THE EVENTS CONNECTED TO EASTER
Evely year in April, and very near to the same time as the Spring Festival, the Jews celebrated the Passover. This was a celebration of their deliverance from Egyptian bondage. Now it also happened that at this same time of year Jesus was crucified, buried, and rose again. In A. D. 325, the church council of Nicaea met and decided that Christians would hold Easter each year as the celebration of the resurrection of Christ. It would always be the first Sunday after the first full moon after equinox, or March 21. This can be as early as March 22 or as late as April 25.
3. THE CHRISTIAN MEANING OF EASTER
As Christians - - those who know Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and living Lord - - we should not concern ourselves with celebrating the day of Easter. We celebrate an event on Easter. Jesus arose from the dead, thus proving Himself to be the Christ, the Son of God. Yes, He arose just as He said He would, and He ascended into heaven where He has prepared a place for us to go and be with Him. He will soon come again and transport us to live with Him forever. Let us use Easter today as an advertisement and opportunity to tell the world what Easter means to us.
Jesus Christ came into the world to die as a sacrifice on the cross for our sins, and He did just that. He was killed by crucifixion, nailed to a cross. They took His blood-soaked body down from the cross and buried Him in a tomb hewn out in a rock cliff. They rolled a large stone over the entrance and set a Roman guard there to make sure that no one stole His body away. Everyone thought that He had failed in His mission to earth. But, it was through His death that His mission was accomplished, and three days after He was buried, He arose from the dead.
Mini-Sermon by Rev. Billy Bryant
Somente use Bíblias traduzidas do Texto Tradicional (aquele perfeitamente preservado por Deus em ininterrupto uso por fieis): BKJ-1611 ou LTT (Bíblia Literal do Texto Tradicional, com notas para estudo) na bvloja.com.br. Ou ACF, da SBTB.