Resurrection Sunday

Many Christians call this day "Resurrection Sunday". It is believed by many that Christ was crucified on what is termed "Good Friday" and resurrected on "Easter" or "Resurrection" Sunday. As is the case with many of the customs and traditions the West has adopted from ancient pagan civilizations, such is this one.

The problem with this belief is that it actually is diametrically opposite of what Jesus revealed to us as proclaimed in the gospels. It seems that many believe in Jesus, but few actually believe most of what he said.  He spoke on many occasions about his imminent death, burial and resurrection. Matthew 12:38-40  "Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, Teacher, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given it but the sign of Jonah the prophet. for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Also, read Matthew 15:32, 26:61, 27:40, 63, Mark 8:31, 9:31, 10:34, 14:58-59, John 2:19-20.

You would think, as it is a major theme in the teachings of Jesus, it would demand our attention. Yet our entire religious system today is based on a Good Friday, Resurrection Sunday theology. How can this be? I have yet to find one person who can come up with three days and three nights in this scenario. Where does this concept come from? I asked that very question in a Sunday School class on Easter Sunday once and, after some uneasy moments of silence on the part of our teacher, I was told it made no difference.

Well, if you have ever taken the time to contemplate this seeming contradiction and feel it matters to you to know the truth, take heart. There is an answer, but it cannot be found in most, if not all, Christian denominations. It lies in the Old Testament, the part of the bible Christians have been taught has been nailed to the cross. It is, however, found in the teachings of the Spring feasts of God given to Israel; specifically Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

I would think that most Christians would be somewhat familiar with these, especially Passover, through the story of the children of Israel being released from Egyptian bondage. I would also dare to think that it has not escaped most of us that the lamb sacrificed on Passover represented our savior, who we are told in scripture is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The duality is inescapable.

Jesus is indeed our Passover and, as such, was crucified on Passover. That year, Passover fell on a Wednesday. The following day was the first Day of Unleavened Bread, a high Holy Sabbath. That is why Jesus had to be removed from the cross before sundown, for the Sabbath drew nigh. He was in the grave Wednesday night, all day Thursday, Thursday night and all day Friday, Friday night and all day Saturday, rising at the end of the weekly Sabbath right before sunset. When the women approached the tomb early Sunday morning, they found it empty. He had already risen,

For those who are interested in embracing truth rather than tradition, there is so much to be learned from studying the Festivals of God. They contain the entire plan of God for mankind and how Jesus is at the center of each one in their seasons. The bible cannot be fully understood without this knowledge, for they open up scripture in ways the traditional teachings of Christianity can never satisfy. The symbols and customs of ancient paganism have so infiltrated the Church that it has obscured the clear teachings of our bibles and kept millions of sincere Christians from the faith once delivered to the saints.

The Origin of Easter

Today is the day Christians around the world celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Some call it the holiest day of the year. Multitudes attend religious services, reliving the events surrounding the final days and hours of their savior's life here on earth. Many attend sunrise services and read the biblical account of the early morning discovery of the empty tomb. Beautiful and moving songs are sung in churches throughout the world proclaiming "He Is Risen".

There is, however, another celebration being rehearsed on this day, originating thousands of years before the birth of Christ. Many Christians celebrate it alongside their celebration of the resurrection of Christ, although it is also very popular with non-Christians as well. It is "Easter", the worship of the fertility goddess and wife of Nimrod, the great-grandson of Noah, the founder of Babel (Babylon).

Whereas Easter has become closely associated with the resurrection of Christ, nothing could be further from the truth. They have nothing remotely in common. The origins of Easter are rooted in Babylonian sun-god worship, Easter herself being worshipped as the queen of heaven. She became known by various names as peoples migrated from Babel after the confusion of the languages; Semiramis, Ishtar, Ashtoroth, Ashrtoreth, Eostre, Ostera and Eastre, You may recognize some of these names from the Old Testament, always associated with abominable practices. No matter the name, the core worship remained the same, fertility rituals associated with the worship of the mother goddess.That's why, even today, Easter is celebrated with colored eggs, rabbits, and baby chicks. Christians participate in many of these practices, totally oblivious to their pagan origins. They innocently gather with their children to dye Easter eggs, unaware that they are doing that which ancient priests of Easter did annually when they dyed eggs in the blood of sacrificed babies on the alter of Easter. The egg was a sacred symbol in all the ancient mystery religions and still is in some parts of the world today.

Many, when confronted with these facts, will loudly proclaim "That's not what it means to me". That is between you and your God. As for me, I personally had to face these facts many years ago and it shook me to the core of my being. I had been raised with these customs and traditions and passed them down to my daughter. As God dealt with me I will not pretend it was easy for me to give these practices up. I had to face the same things you, no doubt, are thinking at this very moment. How could you possibly turn from that which has become such an important part of your life? Your celebrations have become an integral part of your very being. They define you in so many ways. What would your family think, your friends, your co-workers, your church? I can tell you what they would think, for I have lived it. I can tell you, not only what they will think, but what they will whisper behind your back and worse, what they will say to your face. I will not share the names I have been called, the lies, the looks, the separation, friendships lost, church fellowship removed. I have former friends today that will turn and go the other way when they run into me in public.

It was difficult at first, but no longer bothers me. I am not afraid of truth. I do not feel guilty because I once was ignorant of that truth. God knows I was deceived, as we all have been. His concern for me was what I would do when confronted with truth. Would he have to say to me, as he said to the Pharisees of his day, that tradition was more important to me than truth?

I am not going to share here the origins of Easter. It has been proclaimed, debated and ignored by modern Christianity for centuries. This morning I googled "The Origins of Easter" and found 13,100,000 results. For those who care, you have access to the information. For those who don't, it doesn't matter. What I have written, I do for one reason. I want to witness, before my God and my King, that I believe His word, that I have repented and come out of Babylon. I pray you join me.