DEMYSTIFYING EASTER MYTHS & CELEBRATING VICTORY-Bsp Obed Bett

By Bishop Obed Bett Chelogoi-MA;ThM

[Edited from the original sermon for clarity and abridged for brevity, but everything is in Bishop Bett’s own words.]

“You are the salt of the earth,” Matt 5:13.

Today I want to demystify the hypotheses that have surrounded Easter Holiday.

Advocates of Paganism have been faulting Christianity for practicing syncretism in the name of Passover. Skeptics label this day a pagan day, blaming Christians of celebrating a pagan god of Easter.

On the contrary, this occasion is not only very popular within Christian circles but also an important period in the Christian calendar. Christians lay claim and rightful ownership of Easter, celebrating it with weeping and joy in equal measure.

Majority governments have ingrained this date in their calendar of events as one of Christians’ public holidays the world over.

IS EASTER PAGAN OR BIBLICAL?

My quick answer is that it is biblical but [it has been] hijacked by advocates of paganism. There is a school of thought that associates Easter with pagan traditions arcane to Ashtar the goddess of fertility whose symbols were a bunny and colored eggs.

I have a problem accepting this thinking. I would rather rely on evidence as opposed to facts. There is no proper written documentation in support of this. Therefore I find it a derailment and the Devil’s ploy to confuse true worship.

In Judges 2:13 the Ashtoreth or Ashtar was the female consort of Baal who was the general Canaanite god. Baal was worshipped as secondary deity after God (Yahweh). His worshippers tried to indoctrinate people to worship Baal so that they forsake worshipping Yahweh. God warned the children of Israel that as they enter the promised land they should destroy pagan worship and the shrines including Baal, Ashtoreth/ ashtar/Ostara.

“Be careful to do everything I have said to you. Do not invoke the names of other gods; do not let them be heard on your lips….“Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in that month you came out of Egypt….“

Do not bow down before their gods (Baal, Ashtoreth, ashtar, etc) or worship them or follow their practices. You must demolish them and break their sacred stones to pieces. Worship the LORD your God…” Ex.23:13, 15, 24-25.

Demolishing is a show of strength. It means stamping authority over Baal! The children of Israel were to show the Canaanites that the Sovereignty had shifted from Baal their god to the God of Israel who is the true God. Many people may wear celebratory dressing like a hare and carry a basket of colored eggs but the history behind it betrays Christians leading to a general assumption of conformity and spiritual defection.

The practice of colored eggs and bunnies during Easter associated with the pagan traditions maybe alien to African Easter celebration. But there are practices that do not glorify God that people do during this time. Many indulge in some activities that cause others harm and even death. Others go to drinking sprees engaging in all manner of evil and sin in the name of Passover celebrations. Stop doing this!

When the Gospel of Jesus Christ was brought to Africa by Missionaries, Easter celebration was taught as one of the Christian holidays without the introduction of traditional Easter celebrations we see in some Countries and Churches today. Let us maintain the sanctity of this celebration.

If these traditions, then, were not universally adopted, my quick observation would be that the Churches practicing these traditions are conforming to the patterns of this world, maintaining the status quo to coexist. This is dangerous.

God’s Church MUST NOT compromise.
The Devil wants to be worshipped during this period nonetheless, but should he be allowed? Will you allow him misuse you? Are you his agent? If you compromise you are committing a spiritual sabotage and it is an abomination before God.

With the right intentions Easter becomes meaningful if we turn around the purported pagan worship concept into a meaningful holiday of commemorating the biblical Passover.

Let us not play the defeatist attitude. If our forefathers did not correct this, let us fix it because the word Easter is widely used and accepted in Christianity. We should love and embrace this occasion. This momentous period of time also referred to as Resurrection Sunday is the backbone that holds together all the canonical books. Easter is about God’s redemptive plan on the fallen man.

THE PASSOVER (EXODUS 12)

This occasion dates back to over 3000 years ago in Egypt. Earlier during a drought season in Canaan, Joseph who was then Prime Minister in Pharaoh’s government brought Jacob’s entire family to settle in the northern part of Egypt at a place called Goshen.

Goshen was fertile and it best suited the Israelites for they were livestock farmers. They stayed in Goshen for 430 years (Ex 12:40). When the divine time dawned for them to go back to their ancestral home where their father Abraham had been buried, Pharaoh resisted. He wanted them to continue being slaves and work for him and his government.

God made a way of escape for the Israelites in His own wisdom and sovereignty over humanity. He decreed a plague over all first born male children and livestock. The first born children of Pharaoh down to the prisoners were slain except Abraham’s offspring.

God gave Moses an assignment to instruct all Abraham’s children to slaughter lambs each for his family and sprinkle the blood of the animals on top and on both sides of their door frames as a seal and protection from impending death (Ex 12:22). This day when the LORD passed over the houses of Israel and killed the Egyptians was to be a day that the children of Israel would commemorate for generations to come (Ex 12:14).

CHRIST OUR PASSOVER.

The lives of slain animals in the Old Testament narrative are a type of Christ in the New Testament (John 1:29; Rev. 5:12). On the night before Christ was betrayed He took his 12 disciples to an Upper Room to partake of the PASSOVER (also known as The Lord’s supper or Last Supper) together before he suffers (Luke 22:14-20; Matt 26:20ff; Mk 14:17ff).

Jesus in the New Testament summons his disciples the same period of time as we saw in the Old Testament [which was the month of Abib].“Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John saying, Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.” Luke 22:7-8.

The lamb in the New Testament is Jesus Christ who was and slain for us. He reiterated the need to practice Passover and this has remained one of the Christians’ major ordinances since then. Jesus said “do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19-20).

But for how long do we celebrate this ordinance? The Bible says, “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes”. (1 Corinthians. 11:26). In other words Jesus is telling us to preach or proclaim like this until He comes.

SHOULD WE OBSERVE PASSOVER TODAY?

The answer is yes! Until He comes (1 Corinthians. 11:26). Some people are skeptic about the dates.

The Gregorian calendar which is popularly used the world over keeps alternating dates between late March and April, but it has never reduced it to January or pushed it to August. These calendar years cannot be ignored for they play a vital role in Christianity, and since we derive our teachings from both The Tanakh (Hebrew OT) and The Greek New Testament which correlate and interpret each other.

In hermeneutics we say Scripture interprets Scripture therefore there is scriptural harmony on this subject. (Hermeneutics is the study of the principles of Bible interpretation).

THE ESSENCE OF EASTER

Good Friday and Easter Monday are two major occasions in the calendar of Christianity that are very opposite in approach. The former is a relatively sad day and the latter is victory over death. Let me explain it.It is called Good Friday because Jesus Christ is shedding His blood for the redemption of mankind. It is a painful process. The cup mentioned in (Matt 14:39) describes the overwhelming overflow of agony Jesus was going through that night at the upper room.

The betrayal and arrest at the Mt of Olive was approaching. The purpose of His mission on Earth to buy back mankind from destruction and hell is being fulfilled on this Good Friday, a day after his arrest on Thursday evening (John 3:17).On the rugged Cross He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30).

The ransom has been paid for in full! We can now cry and sing Hosanna (save us) to the King. His blood and bruised body on the Cross restored our broken relationship back to an everlasting relationship with God.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16).

On Easter Sunday He resurrected pointing out the finished work on the Cross and Victory over eternal death and separation from God. We also celebrate Easter Monday which I call “Victory Day” because it is an extension of Easter Sunday resurrection celebration.

Christianity would be a religion of lunatics if this event failed to take place. It is our VICTORY DAY. Christianity is the only religion whose leader resurrected. The only religion in the world!! How much should we proudly display VICTORY over death and tell others about this Good News!

HOW TO CELEBRATE EASTER

Easter celebration should not be about indulging, dressing, drinking and partying. This is conformity to the world and Easter will loose its meaning. Instead as a Christian, add more meaning to this Easter by doing the following:

Take a moment to Thank God for the blood of Jesus Christ which was shed on the Cross to redeem you.

Celebrate the event, not the day.

Receive Christ as Savior and Lord of your life today. Go to church and give thanks to God for saving you. Sing songs of praise and worship.

Go tell someone about his death, resurrection and his second advent.

Avoid bunnies, dropping eggs, indulgence, drinking, funny decorations and other traditional ways which are used by Skeptics to accuse us of pagan worship.

Show Christ’s love to all especially to those of the household of God and the less fortunate. Buy them food, clothes amongst other basic amenities. Donate money for the advancement of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Forgive those who in one way or another hurt you.

Sing this beautiful hymn by Charlotte Elliot: “Just As I Am, Without One Plea. But That Thy Blood Was Shed For Me”

EDITOR’S NOTE: God bless His Servant Bishop Bett. I found this message most enlightening, an exegetical piece worth sharing. The core purpose and meaning of Easter needs to be understood by all and sundry. Kindly share this link with your contacts.