Easter is celebrated by people around the world as a day to relax and spend time with family and friends. Today its about Easter egg hunts, Easter bunnies, parades, eating, and relaxing. Easter is from the English name Easter, and the German Ostern. Both are derived from the name of the Teutonic goddess Ostera. Also the goddess of love meaning Venus of the north, in honor of whom a festival was celebrated by our pagan ancestors in April. For this reason the month was called Easter month. Easter is supposed to be the Astarte of the Didonians.
Today it is celebrated as a festival of the Christian church, observed in commemoration of our Savior’s resurrection, and occurring on Sunday, the third day after Good Friday. It answers to the pascha, or Passover of the Hebrews, and most nations still give it this name, pascha, pask, paque.
So what does the Bible say concerning this holy festival given by God to Moses and the people to honor and keep to their memory?
Easter, Passover, meaning to spare, or immunity, from, to pass over, to spare. Septuagint usually for “Pass over.” And the Lord said to Moses,
Exodus 12:13-23, “The LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.”
Also, 2 Chronicles 30:15, 35:1-11, “They killed the Passover = (Passover lamb) on the fourteenth day of the first month.”
The Passover, the great sacrifice and festival of the Jews, was instituted in commemoration of God’s sparing the Hebrews when He destroyed the first-born of the Egyptians; it was celebrated on the 14th day of the month Nisan, which began with the new-moon in April, or, according to the Rabbin’s in March, between the evenings. For the institution and particular laws of this festival, see
Leviticus 23:4, “These are the feasts of the LORD,” sequel to follow,
Numbers 9:1-2, “Let the children of Israel also keep the Passover at his appointed season: according to all the rites of it, and according to all the ceremonies thereof, shall ye keep it,” sequel follows.
The later Jews made some additions; in particular they drank at intervals during the paschal supper four cups of wine, and the third of which was called, the cup of benediction,
1 Corinthians 10:16, “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?” comp. with,
Matthew 26:27, “He = (Jesus) took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, (the disciples) saying, drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”
In N.T. Easter or Passover is spoken both of the victim and the festival. As the paschal lamb meaning lamb, or kid of a year old, slain as a sacrifice,
Exodus 12:27, “It is the sacrifice of the LORD’S Passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt,”
between the evening of the 14th of Nisan. According to Josephus the number of lambs provided at Jerusalem in his time, was 256,500 which were slain between the 9th and 11th hour, as in from 3 to 5 o’clock, in the afternoon before the evening or commencement of the 14th day of Nisan.
Past particle, expressing completed action. To eat the Passover, as to keep the festival,
Matthew 26:17, “the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the Passover?”
Mark 14:14, Jesus said, “Wheresoever he = (a man bearing a pitcher, verse 13) shall go in, say ye to the goodman = (master) of the house, the Master (Teacher, meaning Jesus) said, “Where is the guest-chamber, where I shall eat the Passover with my disciples?”
Luke 22:15, Jesus said, “unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer — I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” John 18:28.
Septuagint, Exodus 12:43, “the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the Passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof.”
Ezra 6:21-22, “the children of Israel, — separated themselves unto them from the filthiness = (uncleanness) of the heathen of the land, to seek the LORD God of Israel, did eat, and kept the feat of unleavened bread ten days with joy,” compare with,
2 Chronicles 30:18, “a multitude of people, — had not cleansed = (purified) themselves, yet did they eat the Passover otherwise than it was written,” to make ready the Passover for eating etc.
Matthew 26:19, “the disciples — made ready the Passover.”
Mark 14:16. Luke 22:8-13, “He sent Peter and John, saying, go and prepare us the Passover, that we may eat. And they went, and found as He had said unto them: and they made ready the Passover.”
To kill the Passover, Mark 14:12, “And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the Passover.”
Luke 22:7. Septuagint, Exodus 12:21, “Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the Passover.”
Deuteronomy 16:2-5-6, “thou shalt therefore sacrifice the Passover unto the LORD thy God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which the LORD shall choose to place His name there. You may not sacrifice the Passover within any of thy gates, which the LORD God giveth thee: But at the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place His name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the Passover at even at the going down of the sun, at the season = (at that time) that you came forth out of Egypt.”
Used as a Metaphor of Christ,
1 Corinthians 5:7-8, “For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast.”
As the paschal supper, the festival of the Passover, on the eve of the 14th of Nisan, which was also the commencement of the seven days’ festival of unleavened bread,
Ex.12:15, “seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul = (person) shall be cut off from Israel,” seq. Leviticus 23:6 sequel follows.
Past particle. Of the paschal supper alone,
Mark 14:1, “After two days was the feast of the Passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how thy might take Him = (Jesus) by craft = (trickery) and put Him to death.”
Matt.26:18, Jesus said, “Go into the city = (Jerusalem) to such a man, and say unto him, the Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at the house with my disciples,” as in keep, celebrate.
Hebrews 11:28, “By faith he kept the Passover” as in Moses kept, and instituted the Passover.
Septuagint, Exodus 12:48. Numbers 9:4, “Moses spake unto the children of Israel, that they should keep the Passover,” sequel follows.
b-3. In a wider sense including also the seven days of unleavened bread, the paschal festival,
Matthew 26:2, Jesus said, “Ye know that after two days is the feast of the Passover.”
Luke 2:41, “Now His = (Jesus) parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover.”
Luke 22:1, “the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover.”
John 2:13-23, “The Jews’ Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. — When He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast day, many believed in His name.”
John 6:4, 11:55, “the Jews’ Passover was nigh = (near) at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves,” John 12:1, 13:1, 18:39, 19:14.
Acts 12:4, “when he = (Herod) had apprehended him = (Peter,) he put him in prison, and delivered him — intending after Easter = (Passover) to bring him forth to the people.”
Phil LaSpino www.seekfirstwisdom.com