Easter and it's Meaning

Easter is the most significant observation in the Christian liturgical year.

In English, "Easter" is derived from the name of an ancient Pagan Goddess Eostre.

In Hebrew: פסח; transliterated as pesach or pesah". In most of the remaining languages in countries with a Christian heritage, the name for Easter is derived from "Pesach." the name for Passover. The children of God (Israelites) were enslaved by the Egyptians and were tired of being mistreated. They started to cry out to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; he hears their call and appoints Moses to lead them. This was around the year 1446 B.C.

"Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats" [Exodus 12:5 KJV]

"And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it." [Exodus 12:7 KJV]

"And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt." [Exodus 12:13 KJV]

Above is what God told Moses to tell the Isrealites to do to protect themselves from the tenth plague. Passover is when the children of God (Israelites) were commanded by God to sacrifice a perfect lamb(no defects), than to put it's blood on the posts around the door of their houses so that the angel of death would pass over them, but those that did not do this, allowed God to take the first born son of the household. This would make pharaoh finally let the Israelites start their exodus out of Egypt.

"The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." [John 1:29 KJV]

John the baptist who is a prophet of God sees Jesus and realizes who he is immediately. The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world! This is around the year 26 A.D.

And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. [Numbers 21:9 KJV]

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." [John 3:14-17 KJV]

This is when Nicodemus, who was a man of the Pharisees and a ruler of the Jews who was talking to Jesus. Jesus was explaining what had to be done to redeem the world from sin. He was explaining that just like the brass serpent that Moses used to save the Isrealites (who have repented) from the poisonous snakes in the wilderness; that he himself would have to be lifted up on a tree to save those who have repented and accepted Jesus as their Lord and savior. This story about Moses, by the way, is the source of the medical symbol of a snake on a pole.

"In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof." [Exodus 12:46 KJV]

"The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced."[John 19:31-37 KJV]

And just like the animals sacrificed during the passover the Israelites were not permitted to break any of its bones, just like the Lamb of God who was dead before the Roman soldiers could break his legs. Jesus the Christ was that perfect sacrifice who had never sinned and was put on a tree so that those who believed in him shall not die but have life eternal!

"Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said." [Matthew 28: 5-6]

This took all most 1500 years for these prophecies to come to pass, it just goes to show that the Bible is God's word and it confirms itself. Jesus conquered death and opened the way to the Father. If you accept Jesus as your Lord and savior and cover yourself in his blood, death will passover you as well! Hallelujah, glory to the Lamb of God!

Have a Happy Easter all, peace be with you and yours!