What is Easter Sunday All About according to the bible?

1.   What is Lent

Lent is a season of 40 days, not counting Sunday, which some say begins on Ash Wednesday, and ends on Holy Saturday.  Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word Lencten, which means Spring.  THe 40 days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness being tempted by Satan in preparation for his ministry.

 

2.   What does holy week mean?

a.   Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday which celebrates Jesus ride into Jerusalem. Even though Jesus was welcomed with celebration, not long after he is tortured and sentenced to death on a cross after a betrayal from one of His disciples. Jesus’ death on a cross is commemorated on the day known as Good Friday. 3 short days later, and at the end of Holy Week, we celebrate Easter.

 

3.   What is Maundy-Thursday

a.     (Maundy Thursday, also known as “Holy Thursday,” is the Thursday of Passion Week, one day before Good Friday (the Friday before Easter). Maundy Thursday is the name given to the day on which Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples, known as the Last Supper.

 

4.   What does Good Friday mean?

a.          Why do we call Good Friday “good,” when it is such a dark and bleak event commemorating a day of suffering and death for Jesus? For Christians, Good Friday is a crucial day of the year because it celebrates what we believe to be the most momentous weekend in the history of the world. Ever since Jesus died and was raised, Christians have proclaimed the cross and resurrection of Jesus to be the decisive turning point for all creation., that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and was raised to life on the third day.

b.          

5.   What is Easter Sunday?

a.   Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus from the tomb on the third day after his crucifixion. Easter is the fulfilled prophecy of the Messiah who would be persecuted, die for our sins, and rise on the third day.

b.   Remembering the resurrection of Jesus is a way to renew daily hope that we have victory over sin. According to the New Testament, Easter is three days after the death of Jesus on the cross

 

 

 

6.   Where did Easter Come from?

a.   THe earliest Christians celebrated the resurrection on the 14th of Nissan, or March or April, on the day of the jewish passover. Some of the gentile Christians began celebrating Easter in the nearest Sunday to the Passover, since Jesus arose on Sunday.

 

7.   Why do we call it Easter?

a.   The origin of the word easter isn’t certain. The Venerable Bede, an eighth-century monk, and scholar, suggested that the word may have come from the Anglo-Saxon Eeostre or Eastre – a Teutonic goddess of spring and fertility. Recent scholars haven’t been able to find any reference to the goddess Bede mentioned and consider the theory discredited.

b.   Another possibility is the Norse eostur, eastur, or ostara, which meant “the season of the growing sun” or  “the season of new birth.” The word east comes from the same roots. In this case, easter would be linked to the changing of the season.

 

 

8.   Was Easter a Pagan Holiday First?

a.   Most historians, including Biblical scholars, agree that Easter was originally a pagan festival. According to the New Unger’s Bible Dictionary: “The word Easter is of Saxon origin, Eastra, the goddess of spring, in whose honour sacrifices were offered about Passover time each year. By the eighth century Anglo–Saxons had adopted the name to designate the celebration of Christ’s resurrection.” However, even among those who maintain that Easter has pagan roots, there is some disagreement over which pagan tradition the festival emerged from

9.   Why is Easter Monday a Holiday?

a.   Easter Monday is the day after Easter Sunday and is a holiday in some countries. Easter Monday in the Western Christian liturgical calendar is the second day of Eastertide and analogously in the Byzantine Rite is the second day of Bright Week.

 

 

b.   In the Eastern Orthodox Church and Byzantine Rite Catholic Churches, this day is called “Bright Monday” or “Renewal Monday”. The services, as in the rest of Bright Week, are quite different from during the rest of the year and are similar to the services on Pascha (Easter Sunday) and include an outdoor procession after the Divine Liturgy; while this is prescribed for all days of that week, often they are only celebrated on Monday and maybe a couple of other days in parish churches, especially in non-Orthodox countries.

Where did the Easter Bunny come from

c.    The exact origins of the Easter bunny are clouded in mystery. One theory is that the symbol of the rabbit stems from pagan tradition, specifically the festival of Eostre—a goddess of fertility whose animal symbol was a bunny. Rabbits, known for their energetic breeding, have traditionally symbolized fertility.

d.   Eggs are also representative of new life, and it’s believed that decorating eggs for Easter dates back to the 13th century. Hundreds of years ago, churches had their congregations abstain from eggs during Lent, allowing them to be consumed again on Easter. According to History.com, in the 19th century Russian high society started exchanging ornately decorated eggs—even jewel encrusted—on Easter.

 

10.        What does Easter Sunday mean to you?

a.   John 14:6-Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by m It means we have a God that is alive and well. No other faith gives you a god who conquered death and lives today.

b.   1 Corinthians 15:55-O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The story of Easter is a great reminder that even when things look grim, victory is right around the corner. When Jesus dies, the disciples thought all was lost. They forgot that Jesus said He would die, but rise again on the 3rd day.

c.    Romans 6:4-Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Easter is in the spring time, a time when new life is all around us. When we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we have new life in Christ. His mercies are new every morning. Every day is a new opportunity to serve Him. Let’s remember these three words, and rejoice in their meaning. Christ is risen!