10 Compelling Reasons Christians Should Not Keep Easter

Did you know that Easter, though a popular Christian holiday, is never mentioned in the Bible? As important as this holiday may be to Christians, you can never find a single verse that commands its celebration. In this post, let me share with you 10 vital reasons you should not keep Easter anymore.

Every year, in the spring, you celebrate Easter. But have you ever stopped and asked yourself, “Why do you keep Easter?” “Are we really commanded to celebrate this holiday?” “Is Easter Christian?”

If your answer to these questions is yes, then can you prove it through the scripture?

Strangely enough, most people don’t ask these questions. Maybe, you are one of those people who simply go with tradition and keep Christian holidays as how they were taught.

The true followers of Yahshua/Jesus Christ keep the commandments of God to “prove all things” (I Thessalonians 5:21).

That’s why in this post, let me prove to you why Christians should NOT celebrate Easter. Here are 10 surprising reasons you should know.

Are you ready?

Let’s begin.

10 Compelling Reasons Christians Should Not Keep Easter

Reason no. 1: Easter is not found in the Bible

Easter is no doubt one of the most popular Christian celebrations in our modern times. But won’t you be surprised to know that Easter isn’t mentioned in the Bible not even once? If Easter is such an important Christian festival, shouldn’t we read specific commandments to celebrate it?

Now, some of you might say, “Hey, you’re wrong. I read Easter in Acts 12:4:

“And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.”

I hate to break it to you, but that is a glaring mistranslation. History shows us that some Bible translators can’t believe that they can’t find Easter in the Bible. Thus, as a desperate move, they deliberately mistranslated the Greek word Pascha, which is properly translated elsewhere as “Passover.”

Here’s what some Bible commentaries have to say about Acts 12:4.

Albert Barnes:

There never was a more absurd or unhappy translation than this. The original is simply after the Passover. The word “Easter” now denotes the festival observed by many Christian churches in honor of the resurrection of the Saviour. But the original has no reference to that, nor is there the slightest evidence that any such festival was observed at the time when this book was written.”

Matthew Henry’s Commentary:

He would do this after Easterafter the Passover, certainly so it ought to be read, for it is the same word that is always so rendered; and to insinuate the introducing of a gospel-feast, instead of the Passover, when we have nothing in the New Testament of such a thing, is to mingle Judaism with our Christianity.

Adam Clarke Commentary:

The term Easter, inserted here by our translators, they borrowed from the ancient Anglo-Saxon service-books, or from the version of the Gospels… Other examples occur in this version. Wiclif used the word paske, i.e. passover; but Tindal, Coverdale, Becke, and Cardmarden, following the old Saxon mode of translation, insert Easter: the Geneva Bible very properly renders it the passover. The Saxon Earten, Eartne, Eartno, Eartna, and Eartnon are different modes of spelling the name of the goddess Easter, whose festival was celebrated by our pagan forefathers on the month of April; hence that month, in the Saxon calendar, is called Easter month. Every view we can take of this subject shows the gross impropriety of retaining a name every way exceptionable, and palpably absurd.

The majority of Bible translators and scholars agree that Easter is a gross mistranslation. Thus, if you read modern Bible translations today, you will read Passover instead of Easter.

Top 10 Christian Movies You Should Watch Tonight

Reason no. 2: Easter originated in paganism

So, if Easter didn’t originate in the Bible, where did we get it?

It came from an ancient form of pagan worship in Babylon. If you have thought all your life that Easter means “resurrection of Christ,” then you need to review what history and scholars have to say about this term.

The word Easter came from the ancient Assyrian goddess name Ishtar, pronounced by the Assyrians in the same way as we pronounce “Easter.” If that’s not surprising enough, the Babylonian name of this goddess includes Astarte and in Hebrew, it is Ashtoreth, the queen of heaven.

Here’s an interesting fact: Easter is actually found in the Bible but it was written in Hebrew as Ashtoreth, also referred as the queen of heaven. But instead of a festival promoted by God, it is actually a pagan worship denounced and condemned by Him.

Read the following passage to get an idea how detestable and abominable Easter is to God.

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 to other gods, that they may provoke me to anger (Jeremiah 7:18).

Thus said the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying; You and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings to her: you will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows (Jeremiah 44:25).

For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites (I Kings 11:5).

And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile (II Kings 23:13).

Moreover, notice what Easton’s Bible Dictionary has to say about Easter:

Originally a Saxon word (Eostre), denoting a goddess of the Saxons, in honour of whom sacrifices were offered about the time of the Passover. Hence the name came to be given to the festival of the Resurrection of Christ, which occurred at the time of the Passover. In the early English versions this word was frequently used as the translation of the Greek pascha (the Passover). When the Authorized Version (1611) was formed, the word “passover” was used in all passages in which this word pascha occurred, except in Acts 12:4. In the Revised Version the proper word, “passover,” is always used.

You can check any encyclopedias, books, or sources and see what they have to say about Easter. I believe I have said enough to prove that  Easter is truly rooted in paganism.

the ultimate list of 50 best Christian books of all time (leaderboard)

Reason no. 3: Easter encourages lying

Just like people lie about Santa Claus to children, it is also common for parents to lie to their children about the Easter bunny. They tell children that Easter bunnies lay eggs for them to look for.

While grown-ups might think that this is just one of those harmless lies, it is still counted as a lie. The Bible warns us about lying. Here are some of the relevant passages:

“Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another” (Ephesians 4:25).

Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices” (Colossians 3:9).

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” (Exodus 12:16).

As you can see, a lie is a lie, whether it is for fun or not.

If we are to really live up to the standards set by our Master, then we must put away all forms of lying in our lives and that includes the lies we say during Easter.

Reason no. 4: First-century Christians didn’t keep Easter

If you have been led to believe that Christians have been keeping Easter since the death of Christ, then think again.

The first-century Christians never celebrated Easter or anything that resembles any of its traditions. If early followers of Christ saw it is really important to celebrate Easter or it was commanded by Christ that they should commemorate His resurrection, then we should find a passage in the writings of the Apostles and other New Testament authors about Easter.

But we don’t.

This is another indication that Easter isn’t really a Christian celebration to start with.

Here’s another interesting fact: the pagans have been celebrating Easter thousands of years even BEFORE the resurrection of Christ!

In an effort to convert more people to Christianity, the false church incorporated the pagan celebration of Ishtar and gave it a Christian flavor, making the new religion more palatable to the taste of pagan worshippers.

However, instead of Christianity overcoming paganism, THE OPPOSITE HAPPENED. That’s why we now see Christianity as we know it today as a mixture of paganism and Biblical practices.

Reason no. 5: We are not free to add any religious holidays and celebrations

Some people argue that we are free to add religious celebrations as long as we have the “right” motivation. They further use as proof of their arguments how Christ didn’t correct the Jews in His days when they added Hanukkah and Purim to their religious holidays (John 10:22-23).


FREE BOOK

11 Irrefutable proofs Jesus wasn't resurrected on sunday v2 3d cover
Free book download

Click here to get the free PDF book copy of “11 Irrefutable Proofs Jesus Wasn’t Resurrected on Sunday.


Of course, this is a weak argument. For one, if we compare the origins of these Jewish holidays to Easter, we can immediately see the stark difference. Purim was instituted to commemorate the Jewish deliverance during the time of Esther while Hanukkah celebrates the rededication of the Jerusalem temple after it was defiled during the Syrian invasion.

On the other, Easter was rooted in paganism, which God hates and detested. Like the American Thanksgiving Day, Hanukkah and Purim, in their original form, are not against God’s commandment. However, this isn’t the case with Easter.

As long as a particular celebration does not replace, alter, or obscure God’s biblical truth, then we can deem that celebration as acceptable.

Reason no. 6: Easter Symbolisms have nothing to do with Jesus/Yahshua

If we will just be honest with ourselves, the symbolism associated with Easter does not have anything to do with Jesus Christ.

Ask yourself:

“What does the Easter bunny has to do with Christ’s resurrection?”

“What about colored eggs and hot cross buns? Are they related in any way with Jesus?”

Bunnies, eggs, and buns are undeniable remnants of the dark origin of Easter. Bunnies and eggs have long been used by the pagans to symbolize fertility. The buns or cakes are used in the worship of the “queen of heaven” mentioned in Jeremiah 7:18.

While it is true that there’s nothing inherently evil in bunnies, eggs, and buns, but it is certainly not acceptable for Christians to use pagan emblems to worship the Living God!

We DON’T see Christ, the Apostles, and early Christians using bunnies and eggs when worshiping our Heavenly Father. Then why should we do it?

Reason no. 7: Jesus wasn’t resurrected on a Sunday morning

Here’s another lie being propagated during Easter. Most Christians believe that Jesus was killed on a Friday afternoon and was resurrected in the early morning of Sunday. But is this true?

Matthew 12:40 clearly states that Jesus will be in the grave for three days and three nights. Christ wanted to be specific. He will be in the “heart of the earth” for 72 hours – no more, no less!

Now, is a Friday afternoon crucifixion and a Sunday morning resurrection constitute 72 hours? Obviously, NOT! At its best, it’s only less than 60 hours!

It is either Jesus lied and we don’t have a Messiah or we have been taught falsely by deceived pastors and teachers!

Here’s the surprising truth: Christ died on a late afternoon Wednesday and was resurrected on a late afternoon Saturday, fulfilling the 72-hour prophecy of being in the grave for 3 days and 3 nights!

I recognize this is a huge topic and I won’t be discussing it in deeper details. Here’s an informative video that you should watch if you want to find out the truth about the true chronology of Christ’s death and resurrection. You can also read this eye-opening article to learn more.

Reason no. 8: We are to worship God in spirit and in truth

We read:

“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the TRUE WORSHIPERS will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.  God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24).

Now, let us ask ourselves, “Does Easter allow us to worship God in Spirit and truth?”

If we are going to worship God, it should be on His own terms and conditions.

We are not to follow human traditions. We always need to go back to God and ask Him how He wants us to worship Him and NOT how we want to worship Him. There’s a huge difference between the two!

Obviously, Easter isn’t the truth. For one, it falsely claims that Jesus died on a Friday afternoon and rose on a Sunday morning. Secondly, Easter encourages us to lie to our children about Easter bunnies laying colorful eggs. Thirdly, Easter is a recycled ancient pagan way of worship that God hates.

Let’s read Deuteronomy 12:29-32:

“When the Lord your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ YOU SHALL NOT WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD IN THAT WAY; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.

“Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.”

God is warning the ancient Israelites that they should not add pagan worship in their religion. In the same way, God admonishes us, His followers, to not use paganism to worship Him. God considers these things as ABOMINATION.

Reason no. 9: We are to celebrate the death of Christ and not His resurrection

Do you know that we don’t read any command in the Bible to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ? Instead, we see a command to commemorate His death!

Now, don’t get me wrong. The resurrection of Jesus is highly important as it further proves His divinity and claim to be the very Son of God. His resurrection also gives us the hope that we too will be resurrected during His second coming (I Corinthians 15:7).

However, we need to understand what the Bible tells us.

The death of Christ is the primary focus of the true Holy Day of God, which is Passover. We read in I Corinthians 11:24-27:

“Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME.” In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. THIS DO, AS OFTEN AS YOU DRINK IT, IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME.”

For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the LORD’S DEATH till He comes.

So you see, it was Christ’s death that we should remember. It is not His resurrection. Easter is a counterfeit pagan holiday that masks the truth about God’s plan of salvation.

This leads us to the next reason.

The 10 Best Books that Prove Christianity is True

Reason no. 10: Christ instituted the Passover and not Easter

It is sad that the popularity of Easter overshadowed the very important Holy Day known as the Passover. It was instituted none other than by our Savior and Master Yahshua/Jesus.

Christ kept the Passover. The Apostles kept the Passover. The early followers of Christ kept the Passover.

All these are established facts. Then why do we insist on celebrating a pagan holiday, which is not found in the Bible but in fact condemned by God?

Isn’t it time for us to get our worship straight and do what God commands us to do?

It is a choice for us to make: will we celebrate the God-ordained Passover OR the humanly-devised Easter?

[Also Read: Passover versus Easter: A Brief and Comprehensive Comparison]

Final words

We just read the 10 reasons Christians should not celebrate Easter.

Now, you might think, “Does it matter? Is God really serious about how we worship Him?”

The answer is yes, IT DOES MATTER!

Now that you know the truth, what will you do with the truth? Will you continue celebrating Easter or start celebrating Passover instead?

Let us take heed the warning written in Hebrews 10:26-27:

“For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and FIERY INDIGNATION which will devour the adversaries.”

May we all have the courage to do what is right and pleasing in God’s sight. Let’s stop celebrating Easter, but instead keep the Biblical Passover.


Shocked by the Bible banner.v2

39 thoughts on “10 Compelling Reasons Christians Should Not Keep Easter

  1. Thanks for this write-up. Most Christians around me in Nigeria hate to hear this truth. They get angry & consider you a fanatic when you tell them the truth about Christmas Easter, Trinity etc. Yahweh bless you brother.

    • Yes, the truth can offend people and that’s why Christ was crucified. The people during His time can’t take the truth. In the same manner, those who stand by the truth might find themselves in an aggressive territory. Nevertheless, we are commanded to be a witness, a light, and a living testimony of the truth.

      • Your points are very good my brother. However 7 and 9 we need to visit asap. In Spirit and in truth.

    • I knew of this but thank you so much for this emphasis and clarity you have brought this new revelation to the forefront of my mind and I do thank you , as in water face answerth to face so the heart of man to man. Amen you have sharpened my countenance, brother.

  2. Acts 12:4 – “after Easter”
    “And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.”
    The Greek word pascha is translated as Passover in the KJV with this one exception where it is translated as Easter. Therefore, some point to this passage as a translation error on the KJV’s part. However, earlier English translations such as Tyndale’s NT, the Great Bible, and the Bishop’s Bible also translated pascha as Easter in this verse, showing that the understanding here dealt with something other than the Jewish Passover. Also, the translation of pascha as Passover in
    Acts 12:4 was known to the king’s translators since this is the reading of the Geneva Bible .
    The use of the word pascha in early Christian writings dealt with the celebration of Easter, and not just the Jewish Passover. [1] Dr. G. W. H. Lampe has correctly stated that pascha came to mean Easter in the early Church. The ancient Christians did not keep the Jewish Passover. Instead they kept as holy a day to celebrate the resurrection of Christ near the time of both Passover and the pagan festival celebrating the goddess Ostara. Dr. Lampe lists several rules and observances by Christians in celebration of their
    pascha or Easter. Lampe also points to various Greek words such as paschazo and paschalua that came to mean celebrate Easter and Eastertide . [2]
    Likewise, Dr. Gerhard Kittel notes that pascha came to be called Easter in the celebration of the resurrection within the primitive Church. [3]
    It should be noted that the English word Easter originally carried a meaning that would encompass the Jewish Passover. The Oxford English Dictionary states that Easter also means, “The Jewish passover” and cites examples dating to 971 A.D. Likewise, the Coverdale Bible often used the word Easter instead of Passover in its translation because the two had the same meaning to the English mind. Further, the
    Homilies of the Church of England (1563) refers to ” Easter, a great, and solemn feast among the Jewes.” [4] Therefore, we see by definition, that the word Easter is correct in the understanding of the English language.
    There is also a connection between the Christian Easter as we have it and the pagan celebration of Ostara. Early Christians in Rome could not openly celebrate the resurrection of Christ, so they held their celebration at the same time as the pagans. Dr. William C. Martin writes:
    Modern observance of Easter represents a convergence of three traditions: (1) The Hebrew Passover, celebrated during Nisan, the first month of the Hebrew lunar calendar; (2) The Christian commemoration of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, which took place at the feast of the Passover; and (3) the Norse Ostara or Eostra (from which the name “Easter” is derived), a pagan festival of spring which fell at the vernal equinox, March 21. Prominent symbols in this celebration of the resurrection of nature after the winter were rabbits, signifying fecundity, and eggs, colored like the ray of the returning sun and the northern lights, or aurora borealis. [5]
    It seems that pascha can mean more than the Jewish holy day of Passover. In fact, Greeks today who wish to send the greeting Happy Easter say,
    kalee pascha. Literally it means good Passover . However it has come to mean good or happy Easter.
    Additionally, there is a possible problem if we understand this verse to mean the Jewish Passover. Verse three of this chapter states that Peter was taken during, “the days of unleavened bread.” The next verse then speaks of Easter in the KJV. If the word is translated as Passover , we have the Days of Unleavened Bread coming before the Passover. In the Biblical use of the term, Passover came before the Days of Unleavened Bread ( Exodus 12:1-8 , 15 , 19 ; 13:7 ;
    Leviticus 2:11 ; and Deuteronomy 16:4 ). Contextually, it would seem that this pascha that followed the Days of Unleavened Bread was not the pascha that preceded the capture of Peter. Instead, it is likely to refer to the Roman celebration of Ostara, hence called Easter.
    [1] See Dr. Walter Bauer’s, A Greek-English Lexicon Of The New Testament And Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1957), 633.
    [2] G. W. H. Lampe, A Patristic Greek Lexicon (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1961), 1048-1049.
    [3] Gerhard Kittle , Theological Dictionary Of The New Testament , Vol. II. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965), 901-904.
    [4] Oxford English Dictionary , 492.
    [5] William C. Martin, The Layman’s Bible Encyclopedia (Nashville: The Southwestern Company, 1964), 204.

  3. QUESTION: Isn’t “Easter” in Acts 12:4 a mistranslation of the word “pascha” and should it be translated as “passover”?
    ANSWER: No, “pascha” is properly translated “Easter” in Acts 12:4 as the following explanation will show.
    EXPLANATION: The Greek word which is translated “Easter” in Acts 12:4 is the word “pascha”. This word appears twenty-nine times in the New Testament. Twenty-eight of those times the word is rendered “Passover” in reference to the night when the Lord passed over Egypt and killed all the firstborn of Egypt (Exodus 12:12), thus setting Israel free from four hundred years of bondage.
    The many opponents to the concept of having a perfect Bible have made much of this translation of “pascha”.
    Coming to the word “Easter” in God’s Authorized Bible, they seize upon it imagining that they have found proof that the Bible is not perfect. Fortunately for lovers of the word of God, they are wrong. Easter, as we know it, comes from the ancient pagan festival of Astarte. Also known as Ishtar (pronounced “Easter”). This festival has always been held late in the month of April. It was, in its original form, a celebration of the earth “regenerating” itself after the winter season. The festival involved a celebration of reproduction. For this reason the common symbols of Easter festivities were the rabbit (the same symbol as “Playboy” magazine), and the egg. Both are known for their reproductive abilities. At the center of attention was Astarte, the female deity. She is known in the Bible as the “queen of heaven” (Jeremiah 7:18; 44:17-25). She is the mother of Tammuz (Ezekiel 8:14) who was also her husband! These perverted rituals would take place at sunrise on Easter morning (Ezekiel 8:13-16). From the references in Jeremiah and Ezekiel, we can see that the true Easter has never had any association with Jesus Christ.
    Problem: Even though the Jewish passover was held in mid April (the fourteenth) and the pagan festival Easter was held later the same month, how do we know that Herod was referring to Easter in Acts 12:4 and not the Jewish passover? If he was referring to the passover, the translation of “pascha” as “Easter” is incorrect. If he was indeed referring to the pagan holyday (holiday) Easter, then the King James Bible (1611) must truly be the very word and words of God for it is the only Bible in print today which has the correct reading.
    To unravel the confusion concerning “Easter” in verse 4, we must consult our FINAL authority, THE BIBLE . The key which unlocks the puzzle is found not in verse 4, but in verse 3. ( Then were the days of unleavened bread… “) To secure the answer that we seek, we must find the relationship of the passover to the days of unleavened bread. We must keep in mind that Peter was arrested during the “days of unleavened bread” (Acts 12:3).
    Our investigation will need to start at the first Passover. This was the night in which the LORD smote all the firstborn in Egypt. The Israelites were instructed to kill a lamb and strike its blood on the two side posts and the upper door post (Exodus 12:4, 5). Let us now see what the Bible says concerning the first passover, and the days of unleavened bread.
    Exodus 12:13-18: “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.
    14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.
    15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.
    16 And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.
    17 And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.
    18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.”
    Here in Exodus 12:13 we see how the passover got its name. The LORD said that He would “pass over” all of the houses which had the blood of the lamb marking the door.
    After the passover (Exodus 12:13, 14), we find that seven days shall be fulfilled in which the Jews were to eat unleavened bread.
    These are the days of unleavened bread!
    In verse 18 we see that dates for the observance were April 14th through the 21st.
    This religious observance is stated more clearly in Numbers 28:16-18:
    “And in the fourteenth day of the first month is the passover of the LORD.
    17 And in the fifteenth day of this month is the feast: seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten.
    18 In the first day shall be an holy convocation;ye shall do no manner of servile work therein:”
    In verse 16 we see that the passover is only considered to be the 14th of the month. On the next morning, the 15th begins the “days of unleavened bread.”
    Deuteronomy 16:1-8: “Observe the month of Abib (April), and keep the passover unto the LORD thy God: for in the month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.
    2 Thou shalt therefore sacrifice the passover unto the LORD thy God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which the LORD shall choose to place his name there.
    3 Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it;
    seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction: for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life.
    4 And there shall be no leavened bread seen with thee in all thy coast seven days; neither shall there any thing of the flesh, which thou sacrificedst the first day at even, remain all night until the morning.
    5 Thou mayest not sacrifice the passover within any of thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee:
    6 But at the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt.
    7 And thou shalt roast and eat it in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose: and thou shalt turn in the morning, and go unto thy tents.
    8 Six days thou shalt eat unleavened bread: and on the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly to the LORD thy God: thou shalt do no work therein.”
    Here in Deuteronomy we see again that the passover is sacrificed on the first night (Deuteronomy 16:1). It is worth noting that the passover was to be celebrated in the evening (vs.6) not at sunrise (Ezekiel 8:13-16).
    In II Chronicles 8:13 we see that the feast of unleavened bread was one of the three Jewish feasts to be kept during the year.
    II Chronicles 8:13: “Even after a certain rate every day, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts, three times in the year, even in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles.”
    Whenever the passover was kept, it always preceded the feast of unleavened bread. In II Chronicles 30 some Jews who were unable to keep the passover in the first month were allowed to keep it in the second. But the
    dates remained the same.
    II Chronicles 30:l5,21: “Then they killed the
    passover on the fourteenth day of the second month: and the priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought in the burnt offerings into the house of the LORD. And the children of lsrael that were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with great gladness: and the Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day, singing with loud instruments unto the LORD.”
    Ezra 6:19,22: “And the children of the captivity kept the passover upon the fourteenth day of the first month. And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the LORD had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.”
    We see then, from studying what the BIBLE has to say concerning the subject that the order of events went as follows:
    1. On the 14th of April the lamb was killed. This is the passover. No event following the 14th is ever referred to as the passover.
    2. On the morning of the 15th begins the days of unleavened bread, also known as the feast of unleavened bread.
    It must also be noted that whenever the passover is mentioned in the New Testament, the reference is always to the meal, to be eaten on the night of April 14th not the entire week. The days of unleavened bread are NEVER referred to as the Passover. (It must be remembered that the angel of the Lord passed over Egypt on one night, not seven nights in a row.
    Now let us look at Acts 12:3, 4:
    “And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.”
    Verse 3 shows that Peter was arrested during the days of unleavened bread (April 15-21). The Bible says: “Then were the days of unleavened bread.” The passover (April 14th) had already come and gone. Herod could not possibly have been referring to the passover in his statement concerning Easter. The next Passover was a year away! But the pagan holiday of Easter was just a few days away. Remember! Herod was a pagan Roman who worshipped the “queen of heaven”. He was
    NOT a Jew. He had no reason to keep the Jewish passover. Some might argue that he wanted to wait until after the passover for fear of upsetting the Jews. There are two grievous faults in this line of thinking.
    First, Peter was no longer considered a Jew. He had repudiated Judaism. The Jews would have no reason to be upset by Herod’s actions.
    Second, he could not have been waiting until after the passover because he thought the Jews would not kill a man during a religious holiday. They had killed Jesus during passover (Matthew 26:17-19, 47). They were also excited about Herod’s murder of James. Anyone knows that a mob possesses the courage to do violent acts during religious festivities, not after.
    In further considering Herod’s position as a Roman, we must remember that the Herods were well known for celebrating (Matthew 14:6-11). In fact, in Matthew chapter 14 we see that a Herod was even willing to kill a man of God during one of his celebrations.
    It is elementary to see that Herod, in Acts 12, had arrested Peter during the days of unleavened bread, after the passover. The days of unleavened bread would end on the 21st of April. Shortly after that would come Herod’s celebration of pagan Easter. Herod had not killed Peter during the days of unleavened bread simply because he wanted to wait until Easter. Since it is plain that both the Jews (Matthew 26:17-47) and the Romans (Matthew 14:6-11) would kill during a religious celebration, Herod’s opinion seemed that he was not going to let the Jews “have all the fun.” He would wait until his own pagan festival and see to it that Peter died in the excitement.
    Thus we see that it was God’s providence which had the Spirit-filled translators of our Bible (King James) to CORRECTLY translate “pascha” as “Easter”. It most certainly did not refer to the Jewish passover. In fact, to change it to “passover” would confuse the reader and make the truth of the situation unclear.

    • Thanks for providing a counter narrative… However, it is weak logically. Additionally, the translators of the KJV did make ‘errors’. The Bible is a tool of the Holy Spirit, and jsut like a preacher, teacher, or a church building, it is not perfect, but it can be perfectly used. Bottom line: we should avoid pagan practices and focus on saving souls.

      • Not only is Easter a pagan holiday also Christmas Easter was introduced by the Queen of Egypt who claim she came down in a egg which the egg represents fertility which they practice fornication and adultery on that day and remember the Queen of Egypt Sun TAMU loved rabbits our problem is that we will not read the scriptures fully from Genesis to Revelations which tells the stories from beginning to end we would rather listen to man instead of following our father’s commandments which one commandment States do not put a god before me and the Queen of Egypt proclaims herself as a god tell me my brother when have you ever seen a rabbit laying eggs and when have you ever seen a fat man dressed in a red suit come down your chimney and leave you gifts this is part of why the world is in chaos now all because we have turned our back on the most high and are following man

    • Catholics remember the death of Jesus, as proof with the crucifix. Unlike other Christians with an empty cross.

  4. As an apostolic teacher i am you rightly divide the word of truth
    may our Lord Jesus increase you in knowledge and understanding

  5. my friend Zwane I am an apostolic teacher but the way you have divided here the word of truth is very correct. May the Lord of Revelation be upon you mightily
    won my heart

  6. Many questions raised by yr 10reasons. (1) Bible did not give the day Christ died, so how did u get the idea of Wed.(2) Without resurrection, the Christian Faith has no basis, so how can we celebrate d death only, He is no longer in d grave.(1) The Month of the year and names of days in a week has pagan origin,Christian should also have nothing to do with them as with Easter.(4) What we do at Easter is to celebrate His love and vicarious death and he is our Passover Lamb, so I will continue to celebrate just like Jews do during Passover. (5) Finaly, did Jesus or apostle command that we should visit Jerusalem as a sign of our worship?, but there are many Christian that yearly go on pilgrimage to The place.

  7. Thanks Joshua for the teaching, I would like to know actually what am being convince to accept, I do celebrate Easter every year and I refer to it as the remembrance of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and if I may ask, you did mention that, Jesus was crucified on Wednesday and rose on Saturday, but the Bible says that, in the first day of the week, is Saturday the first day? Can you help me in which way can we tell the people Christ rose from the dead without celebration, and is it a sin to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus though it is not biblical as you said? I understand you are talking sense, but what is the big problem with that?

    • Hi Samuel,

      Glad to know that you’re interested in knowing the truth.

      In Daniel 9:27, it gives a clue when Christ will be killed:

      Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;
      But in the middle of the week
      He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.
      And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate,
      Even until the consummation, which is determined,
      Is poured out on the desolate.”

      The middle of the week is Wednesday. It is worth noting that when the women found the tomb empty, the angel mentioned that he was already RISEN. So, it doesn’t automatically mean that he has risen in the Sunday morning, but Christ was resurrected earlier than Sunday.

      This gives us the idea that since there were two Sabbaths mentioned in the Bible, one is a high day and the other is the weekly sabbath, it shows us that if you count 3 days and 3 nights, Christ was resurrected Saturday afternoon.

      This is a huge topic and so, I recommend you read, When Was Jesus Christ Crucified and Resurrected?
      https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/booklets/jesus-christ-the-real-story/when-was-jesus-christ-crucified-and-resurrected

  8. Wow!!! This is makes so much sense, I have always celebrated Easter and was doing so this year untill I read this post. I actually believe this is true. There is no mention of Jesus wanting us to celebrate his resurrection. My question is what do I do now I found out this truth and my church don’t believe it,where do I go then as a single mum it’s hard, but its right I know in my heart it’s wrong to celebrate Easter it is pagan

    • Hi Lisa,

      I’m glad you were able to discover the truth, a truth that a lot of Christians don’t know and ignore.

      You can send me email to joshuainfantado@gmail.com and I’ll help you find a congregation near your place that believes and keeps the true teachings of the Bible rather than the traditions of men.

      Hope to hear from you.

      Regards,
      Joshua

  9. Wedding celebrations are also pagan celebrations and are also not a command from God. The days of the week and the months on our calendar are also pagan. Why should we abolish the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and not abolish weddings. You should even hate the fact that you were born on a day named after lesser gods.

    • Hi Karl!

      Thanks for your comment. God instituted marriage.

      Our Gregorian calendar is based on pagan way of reckoning time. There’s actually a biblical calendar that we should follow.

      We don’t abolish and deny the death and resurrection of Yahshua or Jesus Christ. You will not find that in any of my writings.

      The main point of my article is that Easter originated in paganism and we should not remember our Savior’s death using a pagan celebration.

  10. Hello Joshua!
    I have not been in your site for a while. I stopped by to ask you a question regarding your recent articles. I have seen a lot of presentations where you seek to criticize those who celebrate such holidays as Easter due to its association with paganism. Has your highly pagan culture in the Phillipines influenced your spiritual convictions, or has God convicted you through another way in believe that such holidays as Easter and Halloween are based on Pagan roots or glorify Satan in one way or another?

    • Hi Maia,

      No, it wasn’t my country’s pagan culture that influenced my belief. It is rooted in the Bible and you can find in the Bible that we must avoid paganistic way of worship.

      Regards,
      Joshua

      • Well. I have turned away from the Bible for good. I am now practicing shamanism and feel happy. Please do not judge as I no longer believe in the Christian way of life. To me it’s nonsense. Christian folks are to quick to condemn anything or anybody that goes against there book. There religion is right and every other is wrong. Who says so ? Rome back in the day. The Bible is full of pagan festivals and that’s why I now practice them

      • I live in truth and how dare you suggest differently.

        I live by being honest, charitable, kind, loving, I don’t need you telling me that I do not live in truth how dare you judge.

  11. I’ve not celebrated easter, xmas, or halloween for 9 years now. I asked God to help me find truth and asked Him about these celebrations that I have grown up learning if they are wrong for me to be celebrating. God gave me a thought and I stated researching it and I found these man made traditions were pagan and against God’s commandments to celebrate them. I immediately stopped celebrating them. I have been trying to help my friends and family members who still celebrate pagan holidays to see the truth but they stay blind and don’t want to see what the truth is. Those with children do it because it’s fun for the children and they continue to lie to them about santa and the easter bunny. The churches they attend celebrate these pagan holidays and so the lie gets put in their brains that this is the right thing to do but they aren’t going by the bible which is our guide. I stopped going to church because I was unhappy with them celebrating pagan holidays and a few other things that have gone on at the few I’ve been to. I like your post and people need to read it and I pray people find truth which is what God wants. He wants us to seek truth because satan is very good at trickery and too many people are believing his lies.

  12. Hello Joshua,
    I just reexamined your presentation and did some research into your argument regarding Easter. I highly admire you for standing firm on Biblical truth. However, I would like to offer you a helpful critique of your interpretation of some of your references. The main concern is in regarding to the queen of heaven and Acts 12:4.

    1. Your interpretation of the “Queen of Heaven” in Jeremiah 7:18 is inconsistent. You always base your argument on translations and the ways in which words were phrased in Greek and Hebrew rather than looking deep into the context of the passage and its practical application. The Queen of Heaven was actually known to be the wife of Baal, one of the false gods that Israel worshipped at the time Jeremiah wrote this rebuke. Mainly, it is a warning to the Israelites about their idolatrous lifestyle, and the punishment that would await if they didn’t repent. If you look into the historial background, there is no reference to the modern-day celebration of Easter. The queen of Heaven is also applied to as Mary, and how Catholics view her as the queen sharing the same lordship as God, which is false. This article from GotQuestions should help break it down.
    https://www.gotquestions.org/Queen-of-Heaven.html
    2. You do the same thing again in Acts 12:4, relying purely on translations rather than the broader concept and application of the passage through historical and spiritual contexts. The passage is actually referring to the persecution of the disciples, and when Peter is arrested and sent to prison. Here is a link to a commentary that can help break this down.
    https://www.bibleref.com/Acts/12/Acts-12-4.html
    Here are some other verses about the resurrection of Christ!
    https://www.openbible.info/topics/easter
    I pray that you may be enlightened by these links, and that God may reveal truth to you through my correction and through His word. Have a blessed Good Friday!
    Standing Against Satan! 🙂

    • Peace and love to all in Christ Jesus, the only name given under heaven whereby men will find salvation,

      ONLY NAME GIVEN “Jesus of Nazareth”, Amen

      2 Timothy 2:15. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

      Yeah, Easter is Pagan so are all holidays and celebration’s of man, and Easter is mentioned in the King James, there’s a few things up top falsified, Jesus was resurrected on what we call today “Sunday, then it was “The first day”!

      In sculpture Paul tells why we gather on the first day, because of Christs resurrection.

      The word of god clearly tells all truths but most what their own beliefs’ of man, they don’t want to search the scriptures’, they prefer ,and word over Gods, and are to arrogant and proud to hear either way.

      Scripture also tells any man who carries different doctrines then the bible are not Christ Jesus sheep, to mark them and have nothing to do with them, and Paul also tell they get cursed for teaching so! Galatians 1:8

      8:47 He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

  13. Call it what you like but Christians must always celebrate the victory of Christ over death and Satan.
    PS I would never subscribe to your posts.

  14. Thanks for this post… It is helping me to put together my Sabbath School lesson. While I do not take an extreme view of Easter, it is good to know the pitfalls to avoid! What the Devil means for evil, God can use for good! We can use the season as an opportunity to point to Jesus.

    Blessings

Leave a Reply