As I begin to write this piece today (Easter Sunday), I wonder how we ever got to this place. Meaning, why do we proclaim this pagan celebration as the top Christian event of the year. Jesus started the church but Jesus never celebrated Easter, Jesus did however observe certain annual feasts and Holy days. Did you know that most professing Christians observe none of those?  Once more, how did we get to this place?

We must not forget that Jesus was the Lord of the Old Testament and he is responsible for creating everything we see including us.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:1-3 KJV)

He also implemented the Sabbath day (Saturday) which most professing Christians ignore in favor of the first day of the week. In addition to the Sabbath he specified 7 annual Holy days which include three feasts, the feast of Unleavened Bread, the feast of Weeks (Pentecost), and Tabernacles. The annual Holy days include the first and 7th day of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement, the first day of Tabernacles and the day following Tabernacles, known as the Last Great Day. Most of those who profess Christianity never heard of most of these and observe none of them. The 23^rd chapter of Leviticus lists all of them in order of their occurrence and specifies when to observe them. So here we have a record of a specific command from God (Jesus) that almost everyone ignores.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts. (Leviticus 23:1-2)

 Some will argue they are not one of the children of Israel but Paul disagrees.

Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. (Galatians 3:7)

 Others will argue that was the Old Testament and all that changed with Jesus….Huh? One more time, Jesus was Lord God of the Old Testament. Jesus is God the Son and he does not change.

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. (Hebrews 13:8)

 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. (Malachi 3:6)

 The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations. (Psalm 33:11)

 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. (James 1:17)

 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? (Numbers 23:19)

 Jesus (God of the Old Testament) said his annual observances were to be observed for ever!

He emphasized this four times as he gave the command for these observances.

And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. (Leviticus 23:14)

 And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations. (Leviticus 23:21)

 Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. (Leviticus 23:31)

And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month. (Leviticus 23:41)

At the beginning of this piece I said Jesus never observed Easter and that was true, but he did talk about its observance. To Ezekiel he said the following:

He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do. Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD’S house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz. Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these. And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD’S house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east. (Ezekiel 8:13-16)

(things have not changed much since that early sunrise service)

God (Jesus) made the following comments to Jeremiah.

Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee…The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger. Do they provoke me to anger? saith the LORD: do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces? Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched. (Jeremiah 7:16, 18-20)

(many today still bake Hot Cross Buns as a part of the Easter observance)

It’s worth noting here that Tammuz was the son of Nimrod and Ishtar (pronounced Easter and known as the Queen of Heaven). Tammuz’s (known as Mithra by the Romans) birthday was December 25^th; Romans celebrated this day and tried to Christianize it by claiming it was the Birthday of Jesus. Easter sprang from Ishtar as the fertility God going way back to ancient Mesopotamia. Rabbits and eggs represented fertility.

Obedience to God is the key to salvation……, Who qualifies?