The Road to Easter
Summer Neal
By: Dr. James Harper
Edited by: Summer Neal
Almost everyone knows something about Easter.
Unfortunately for too many non-Christians and even some Christians, Easter is a time for chocolate bunnies, colored eggs and egg hunts. People spend tremendous amounts of money for new “Easter” outfits to be shown off at church, or friends and family gatherings.
Easter is probably the most important day within Christendom and is observed with great thanksgiving and joy. It is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus.
Without the miracle of Christ’s resurrection, our belief as Christians becomes just another myth or fairy tale.
The Council of Nicea (325 A.D.) determined that Easter should be observed and celebrated on the first Sunday after the spring equinox (March 21). The Equinox occurs when the sun is exactly above the equator, and day and night is of equal lengths. It marks the beginning of spring. Easter could be on any Sunday between March 22 and April 25. This ends the science lesson.
Easter was linked to the Jewish observance of the Passover. This was the remembrance of the Angel of Death visiting every house in Egypt and passing over homes had blood painted on the door post. Without the blood, the first born in the house died. Pharaoh’s house was no exception. (Exodus 12:21-28)
At the “last supper” (Mark 14:18-26), Jesus gave new meaning to the Passover. He took bread and wine and showed us a new, spiritual understanding. The bread was symbolic of his body and the wine was symbolic of his blood.
Early Jewish Christians observed the Passover, which was later replaced by communion.
But how did we get to Easter? The spiritual road to Easter began in the mind of God. In His eternal NOW simultaneously as Jesus was “slain from the foundation of the world.” (Revelation 13:8)
From the birth of a virgin mother who was overshadowed by the Holy Ghost to His childhood being taught by his parents to becoming a teacher in the synagogue, the road to Easter was already in place.
The literal road went from Bethlehem to Bethany, Bethsaida, Cana, Capernaum, Caesarea, Gadara, Nazareth, Phoenicia, Samaria and finally Jerusalem.
And on that road, there would be miracles:
Changing water into wine. (John 2:1-10)
Exorcising a legion of demons out of a man in a graveyard. (Mark 5)
Cleansing lepers. (Luke 17:11-19)
Raising Jarius’ daughter from the dead. (Matthew 9:18-26)
Feeding 5,000 (Matthew 14:13-21), then 4,000 (Matthew 15:32-39)
Walking on the sea. (Matthew 14:22-23)
Calming the storm on the sea. (Mark 4:35-41)
Restoring the sight of a blind man. (John 9:1-12)
Causing the deaf and dumb to hear and speak. (Mark 7:31-37)
Raising Lazarus from his tomb. (John 11:28-44)
And many other miracles that were not even recorded.
The road led to the Council of the High Priests, to the courts of Pontius Pilate and Herod, into the hands of cruel Roman soldiers, to Gal Gatha (Mt. Calvary) on a cross between two thieves and finally to the borrowed tomb of another man. There Christ would await three days until His resurrection. (Matthew 26-28, Mark 14-16, Luke 22-24 & John 18-20)
The path to Mt. Calvary was one of sacrifice.
A sacrifice shows submission, reverence to God and thankfulness for His blessings. It could also show the desire to be reconciled with God if the worshipper feared that by his improper actions or lack of proper actions had caused him to lose favor with God.
Sin had caused man to be spiritually removed from the relationship with God that began in the Garden of Eden and only the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ could redeem mankind and reinstate that relationship.
God performed the first sacrifice (Genesis 3:21) to provide animal skins as coverings for Adam and Eve after their sin was revealed. He could have just spoken and clothing would have appeared upon their bodies, but God chose to initiate the principle and act of the sacrifice.
This was a foreshadowing of the sacrifice that would be made by the crucifixion of Jesus. His sacrifice would “cover” any who would come to him, repent and be born again of water and of Spirit. (John 3:5)
God had instituted the sacrifice as a principle of offering, worship, praise and reconciliation. Even before God gave specific instructions about sacrifice, the idea of a sacrifice to God was somewhere within the spiritual mind of man.
There was an amazing hold that sacrificial services had upon the people of Israel. The rites and ceremonies of ancient Israel are often glossed over as only actions that were executed on a repetitive basis as just some types of rituals.
For thousands of years, the sacrificial ceremonies were the main manifestations of their religion and beliefs. The Tabernacle, and later, The Temple, was the spiritual home and centerpiece of the Hebrews. The Rabbis saw the institution as a mark of divine love from God unto his people.
A BLOOD SACRIFICE
Why must there be a sacrifice that came from something that is living to obtain the blood?
Abel’s offering to God was the first born of his flock which implies a sacrifice of death of that animal. Moses offered a blood sacrifice upon a stone altar for Israel. Abraham offered animal sacrifices to God. Blood was placed upon the door posts of the houses of the Hebrew slaves before the Angel of Death moved across Egypt taking the lives of every first-born male not covered by the blood.
“For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to maketh an atonement for the soul”. - Leviticus 17:11
“And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without the shedding of blood there is no remission”. - Hebrews 9:22
The most important sacrifice for Israel was the one performed on the Day of Atonement.
Once a year, the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies with blood from a male goat, as perfect as could be found, and sprinkle that blood upon the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant. This act would push the sins of Israel forward for one year. But it would never completely absolve them.
Thousands of years later, there would be one final sacrifice which would be inclusive of all regardless of race, nationality or religious beliefs. There would be a “perfect” Lamb who would give his life and his blood to take away the sin of the world.
God would now supernaturally put his laws in their minds but more importantly, in their new hearts that would no longer be made of “stone.”
What does this mean to us?
The road to Easter didn’t stop at the resurrection of Jesus. The next place the road takes us is to the day of Pentecost.
On this day of the Jewish observance of the feast of Pentecost, the New Testament church was born and man could be born again of water and of Spirit. The words Jesus gave to Nicodemus were not just a message for him, but for the entire world.
God had already made arrangements for humanity to participate in the Gospel. The Gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.
How can we participate?
Repentance is not only telling God that you are sorry for your sins but it is the dying out to and turning away from sin. It is the changing of the mind which results in a changing of actions.
“About face” is one of the commands used when teaching service members how to march in the United States military. It means to turn around from the direction one is marching in. In the British military, this command is “repent.”
Repentance is our death.
We are spiritual “dead” by our repentance and “buried “with Jesus through water baptism in his name.
“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?” - Romans 6:3-4
“Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in the newness of life.”
“It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:” - II Timothy 2:11
When we are buried with Christ, the old carnal man is totally dead.
The spiritual resurrection is found in being born again of water and of Spirit (John 3:1-7; Acts 2:38) As we live consecrated and committed lives, we may then partake of the physical resurrection as found in Hebrews 9:24-28; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Corinthians 15:50-59.
The road to Easter leads us to salvation, newness of life and our final destination which is being with Jesus through eternity.