EASTER FESTIVITY

During the Easter gala, Christians across the world celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. It is typically the most attended Friday and Sunday service of the year. 

Before the death of Jesus Christ, Jesus had promised eternal life to those who followed Him. If the story ended at His death, Jesus would have been no more than a religious figure with a finite life span. But the fact that Jesus Christ resurrected demonstrated He has the power over death, and only through Him can people have hope for eternal life.  Jesus said, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

Through his death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus paid the penalty for sin, thus purchasing for all who believed in him, eternal life in Christ Jesus.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the centerpiece of the Christian faith and the Apostle Paul went on to say that if Jesus Christ had not been resurrected then the Christian faith was worthless and futile (1 Cor. 15:14-17). Therefore, without Easter there is no Christianity.

The season is the most joyful and festive of the Christian calander. Worship during this time features the prominent return of the Gloria in Excelsis ("Glory in the highest") and the Alleluia ("Praise the Lord"), expressions of joy and praise that were removed from the liturgy at the beginning of Lent. Hymns and organ music are often reinforced with trumpets and trombones, adding to the celebratory nature of the season.

An old custom that is observed in some churches is people kneeling down on Easter Sunday but now it has changed. People now prefer to stand instead of kneeling which is the posture for the confession of sins and the reception of Holy Communion and a symbol of rising and resurrection.

The foundation of the Christian faith is the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christ lived the righteous and perfect life that we, because of our fallen and corrupt nature, cannot. He suffered the penalty for our sins by taking our guilt upon Himself and dying horribly on the cross.

He rose bodily from the dead on first Easter morning ensuring that we who have been baptized into His death and resurrection will rise again in glorified bodies on the Last Day. This is the great paschal mystery that Christians have celebrated since the earliest days of the church. 

As the apostle Paul joyfully declared...Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive... "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gave us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! (1 Corinthians 15:20-22 and 55-57).

But after the three day celebration of Jesus, most families and friends troop to various beach sides across the country, on Easter Monday to have a smooth relieve of their resolution or to have fun either positively or negatively.

Some hold the perception that the meaning of Easter was derived from Estre, an Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring. 

Ostern is a German word which had the same derivation with Easter, but most languages following the Greek term was used by the early Christians and some of them were pascha, which was from the Hebrew word pesach meaning Passover. 

In Latin, Easter is Festa Paschalia (plural because it is a seven-day feast), which became the basis for the French Pâques, and the Italian Pasqua,

Because of Easter's pagan origins, and also because of the commercialization of Easter, many churches refer to the holiday as Resurrection Day.

Aside that, Easter day celebration is enthralled with floral beauty, enchanting fragrance, vivid verdure, vibrant hues, clear skies and the birds chirping.

Did you know that, Easter day can also be associated with certain colours that carry their own meaning?

Yes, Every Easter color has a story to tell and bears a special relevance. If one is indicative of brightness, the other represents the darkness of our sins. 

Red color is associated with the blood that Jesus Christ had shed for mankind which symbolize love and sacrifice for goodness of humanity. The Easter colour that signifies purity and grace is White.

The colour green brings ray of hope and is also known to be the color of grass. Purple is indicative of royalty. It is said that the color purple brings wealth. The colour yellow is related to the brightness of sun. It's a color that brings joy and happiness.

Easter colour pink indicates fresh beginning and the royal blue colour symbolizes birth of Jesus. 

In many ancient cultures, eggs were a common symbol of new life. In medieval times, Eggs came to represent the Lord's resurrection. Just as Christ broke out of the tomb on Easter morning, the yolk of the egg breaks out of its shell when cracked.

 

Easter Sunday is the day of rejoicing that follows the sorrow of Good Friday and Holy Saturday. For most of us Christians, Easter is the celebration of Christ's resurrection from the dead. It bears witness to God's enduring promise of eternal life. As the climax of Holy Week, Easter is a time of hope and assurance. It is humanity's turning point from destruction to glory and salvation.

So as we celebrate this Easter, let’s do it with some caution and know that we have died with Christ and have resurrected with him and not to use alcohol for his glorification. Loving one another is the paramount key.