THE HISTORY OF EASTER ACTS AFTER THE ACTS

WHERE DOES EASTER GET ITS NAME?

The English word for Easter derives from the old High German plural word for ‘dawn’ which is “eostarum.” It’s interesting that the word dawn is used in conjunction to Easter. It is as if it conveys that this holiday, celebrating the resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ, is a new dawn for humanity. The Venerable Bede, an eight century English monk and historian, speculated that the word for Easter in fact came from ‘Ēostre,’ the name of the Germanic goddess of spring and fertility. However, he is the only source to mention it and therefore his theory is inconclusive and highly debated. Many other languages refer to Easter as a variation of the Latin 'Pascha' (Pasqua in Italian, Pâques in French, Pascua in Spanish, Påsk in Swedish etc.), based on the Hebrew word for Passover, ‛ Pesach.’

WHEN DID CHRISTIANS START CELEBRATING EASTER?

The exact date when Christians began celebrating Easter is uncertain. Although the Church of the New Testament may not have celebrated Easter as an established holiday, there were ways in which they remembered Jesus’ sacrifice. The Epistles mention that the early Church partook of Communion, which remembers the wonderful new covenant we now have because of the shed blood and broken body of Christ. “For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when He was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then He broke it in pieces and said, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, He took the cup of wine after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant between God and His people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.’ For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until He comes again.”

– 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Also, New Testament Christians, especially Gentiles, gathered to worship on Sundays rather than the traditional Sabbath (Saturday) in order to honor the day on which Jesus had risen.

“Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight” – Acts 20:7

The development of Easter as a more established celebration in the early Church seems to take off in the midsecond century (100-199 AD). One of the earliest sources referring to Easter is a mid-2nd-century Easter homily (commentary that follows a reading of Scripture) attributed to the bishop Melito of Sardis ,which characterizes the celebration as a well-established one. From then on, we see a more formalized and established celebration within the Church for Easter, developing more into what we know and are familiar with. However, many traditions and customs began to be added over the years that are not Scripturally compatible.

In conclusion, Easter is one of our most cherished celebrations in the Christian faith. We remember that Jesus humbled Himself, left the glory of heaven, died, and rose again so that we may enjoy life abundant, now, and forever.

“WHEN HE APPEARED IN HUMAN FORM, HE HUMBLED HIMSELF IN OBEDIENCE TO GOD AND DIED A CRIMINAL’S DEATH ON A CROSS.THEREFORE, GOD ELEVATED HIM TO THE PLACE OF HIGHEST HONOR AND GAVE HIM THE NAME ABOVE ALL OTHER NAMES, THAT AT THE NAME OF JESUS EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH AND UNDER THE EARTH, AND EVERY TONGUE DECLARE THAT JESUS CHRIST IS LORD, TO THE GLORY OF GOD THE FATHER.”

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PHILIPPIANS 2:7B-11