Easter Sunday

No one who reads the Bible and who follows it as his divine guide book, as his rule of faith and practice, would ever know that today is “Easter Sunday.” No, by following the teaching of the word of God alone, one could never learn about “Easter Sunday.” Notice some other things one could never know about “Easter Sunday” by reading the Bible and by being guided and governed by it alone.
(1) The fact of it. “Easter Sunday,” as it is celebrated by Catholic and Protestant churches, is unknown to the New Testament. There is no such annual day to commemorate and celebrate the Lord’s resurrection in the Bible. There is a day given for us to remember the Lord’s death, but we are asking for a notice of the annual day known to us as “Easter” (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 11:23-26). Open your Bible and find the Easter tradition as men observe it today. Can you do it?
(2) The worship services connected with it. With great pomp, various and sundry plays, pageants, and parades, accompanied by children’s games and festive social events, will be staged today. However, none of it will be patterned after anything found in the New Testament. Despite the fact that we are all to walk and worship according to the same rule, in conformity with what the Bible teaches, no church today will worship and celebrate Easter according to the plan of the word of God, for no such plan exists (Matt. 28:20; 1 Cor. 4:17; 11:2; Phil. 3:16, 17; 2 Thess. 2:15; 2 Tim. 1:13). Take your Bible and find the Lord’s arrangement for the events of Easter as they are being carried out today. Can you do it?
(3) The time of it. Why today? You say there is a way to calculate Easter and where it will fall during any given year? Yes, there is, but you did not get this information from the Bible, did you? No, you learned it from the traditions of men (Matt. 15:8, 9). We simply ask that you cite the Scriptures which show when Easter is to be noted. Can you do it?
(4) The purpose of it. Why do men and churches celebrate Easter as they do today? What is its purpose? What is it supposed to exalt or encourage? What benefit or blessing is to be derived from being a part of its trappings and traditions? Since the New Testament is our only authority in religious matters, and since we are to observe and do only those things commanded by the risen Redeemer, please provide the passages of Scripture which tell us the purposes and promises of Easter (Matt. 15:8, 9; 28:20; Col. 3:17; 2 Jn. 9). Can you do it?
Conclusion: Since neither the fact of Easter, nor information regarding its worship, time, and purpose can be supplied from the Bible, why should Christians today keep it? Why should they take part in it? Get your Bible and answer those questions. Can you do it?
–Larry Ray Hafley

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