I highly recommend a short, but important book, God is the Issue by Brad Bright. Brad explains the purpose of the book on page 17:
“This book is written to the person who ardently desires to bring about wholesale change within the American cultural mindset. It is written to the person who wishes to help frame the message that could ultimately allow us to win the war, not just individual battles.”
You can get an overview of the content of the book by reading this CBN interview of Brad Bright.
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March 30, 2010 at 8:51 pm
C.T
What is your belief on what easter stands for, and what is the meaning of rabbits and eggs and easter candy? In the bible Jesus clearly states not to celebrate his birth but to commemerate my death, for he died so we could have ever lasting life and forgiveness for our sins..
April 2, 2010 at 5:39 pm
mikeandsus
First , I’m pretty busy right now so Jenn and Spencer helped me compose a reply for you. I wanted to give them credit.
Jesus didn’t give us a ceremony to commemorate his birth, certainly, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have Christmas. We need to be careful not to be sucked into the commercialization of Christmas and Easter.
Rabbits come from a Germanic tradition that commemorates the coming of spring, and the origin of eggs isn’t clear, but is related to spring. I’m not sure where the candy comes in, but I’ve watched the Easter decorations go “over the top” these past few decades. Many people have forgotten why we celebrate.
These extra traditions aren’t bad…Christmas trees, e.g. are extra traditions…as long as we don’t lose sight of the purpose of Easter: a reminder that Christ paid the ultimate price for our redemption, as you mention.
Of course Jesus didn’t celebrate Easter (a pagan fertility festival of spring – hence all the rabbits and eggs), He celebrated a Passover Seder with his disciples and instructed them to “do this in remembrance of me” – meaning from then on they should celebrate the Seder with a different meaning. No longer was it to be a celebration of freedom from slavery in Egypt for the Israelites, but rather a celebration of the new covenant born of His broken body and blood – salvation.
Jesus fulfilled three feasts that first Easter weekend: Passover (crucifixion), Unleavened Bread (death-burial), and First Fruits (resurrection). Pentecost (harvest) was later fulfilled with the giving of the Holy Spirit. Three more to go: Rosh Hashanah (trumpets – rapture), Yom Kippur (day of atonement – tribulation/judgment), and Tabernacles (kingdom).
You might be interested in another blog of mine: The Sovereign.
Thanks for writing!