Updated April 2025
Easter is an annual celebration in which the church honors Christ resurrection in a special way.
However, in practice we end up in a special way recognizing and remembering Jesus Christ birth, life, sacrificial death, burial, resurrection, and ascension with the emphasis on his resurrection more so.
Christian holidays are considered by Christians to be special holydays. So let no one judge you as to their validity if they are intended to honor and glorify God and you do not violate any biblical sound doctrinal principles.
For Colossians 2:16-17 says “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come….”
For me Easter is really a dual celebration: (1) the killing of the lamb as payment for our sins as represented by Jesus crucifixion unto death on the cross per John 1:29, and (2) our anticipated total freedom from earthly bondage as represented by Jesus resurrection and ascension per John 11:25-26 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.
Thus, for me Easter begins with what we know as Good Friday (Memorial of Jesus Crucifixion) and ends with what we know as Easter Sunday (Celebration of Jesus Resurrection). Easter Sunday is often shortened to simply refer to as Easter.
The death and resurrection dual celebration characteristic of Easter is one and perhaps the major reason some denominations refer to Easter as some period of time (e.g., seven days) leading up to and culminating on Easter Sunday and some even go beyond Easter Sunday. Thus, it would be only partially right to refer to Happy Easter as Happy Resurrection Day.
So then Easter Sunday (or shortened form Easter) is that time period when we celebrate in a special way Christ as our Passover with respect to his crucifixion sacrifice (Lamb slain), burial, and resurrection victory (giving us hope for freedom from earthly bondage).
Some use the word Eastertime as the period surrounding Easter Sunday. So then Eastertime is the celebratory period that involves recognition of Christ final days, his crucifixion, shed blood, burial and resurrection and perhaps even representing his ascension.
Easter is a mechanism to carry out the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). Some may celebrate Easter in an unholy manner as some do their own birthdays and family reunions, etc. Christians all over the world celebrate Easter in different ways but let all those ways be in a holy manner in faith and practice. For the Lord our God is holy and he says we are to be holy even as he is holy.
Easter is a worldwide public event in which most if not all adults think about the person called Jesus at least for a moment. Just walking through the stores one sees reminders of the celebration. Children may ask what is it mother, what is it about father? Parents then can say it is about Jesus. Even if the parent is not a believer, the parent may still give the history of it. The child can then make up in his or her own mind to seek to learn more about this Jesus one day.
So even if just for that reality, Easter as a national and worldwide public celebration has value in the eyes of God and the Christian faith. For even little children get to hear about Jesus to some extent.
Now a word about Good Friday.
In Matthew 12:38-40 Jesus speaks of being three days and three nights in the heart of the earth in speaking of his crucifixion, burial, and subsequent resurrection.
It is understood that people disagree on what Jesus meant by three days and three nights. It is understood that it is controversial as to whether he meant three 24 hour periods or 72 hours, or if a part of the day would cause the whole day to be counted.
It is understood Jesus may not have been crucified on a Friday. Therefore, it is understood that Good Friday is just a day chosen to represent that day in which Jesus was crucified.
Now a word on the formula for determination when Easter occurs since it occurs in different months moving between March and April in various years.
As I understand it, Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon of Spring where the first date of spring is based on the equinox which approximates March 21 each year such that the declaration for Spring occurs on March 19, 20, or 21.
For 2025, Spring began on March 20. The first full moon is April 12 which is a Saturday in my area which would make April 13 the first Sunday after the first full moon. But the formula requires the observation to be based on Jerusalem time. So since the April 12 full moon occurs in 2025 late in the evening our time it would actually be April 13 in Jerusalem. Therefore, Sunday, April 13 is not counted as the first Sunday after the first full moon of Spring for Easter purposes. Therefore, for 2025 Easter is April 20.
Easter is not a holiday specifically established by God in scripture. It is a holiday the early church chose to honor Christ resurrection. There is controversy about how early that began. Was it begun by the apostles or after the apostles had died and subsequent church leaders started it? This determination as to when is complicated by the translation of the Greek word Pascha in Acts 12:4 as Easter. Yet, in every other place the Greek word is Pascha translated as Passover. Indeed, the context as given in Acts 12:3-4 indicates the celebration in that verse is the Mosaic Passover rather than what we know as Easter even though there was seemingly a time when the Mosaic Passover and what we know as Easter was celebrated on the same date.
Since Easter is a righteous manmade holiday, it is not important who started it or even when it occurs. That is also the principle of Christmas. There is nothing in the Bible that says Christ was born on December 25. It is just stand-in date we use to honor Christ birth. We honor his birth not the date. Likewise with Easter, we honor Christ resurrection not the date. Of course, without a crucifixion there could not have been a resurrection. Therefore, we have Good Friday as part of the Easter sequence of events. Even Good Friday is just a stand in day to remember Christ crucifixion in anticipation of remembering his resurrection.
The Farmers Almanac discusses the computing of Easter.
The Easter I discuss herein is not a feast or holiday commanded by God in the Bible. In that respect, it is similar to Christmas. It is also similar to Hanukkah, also known as feast of dedication (John 10:22). Hanukkah is not commanded by God in the Bible. Though neither Christmas, Easter, or nor Hanukkah are commanded by God, they are good and right to do.
Easter is a special annual celebration of Christ resurrection. If you are a person who do not believe you ought to participate in Easter or any celebration of Christ resurrection, that is okay. For God does not command anyone to celebrate Christ resurrection or Easter. God does not command anyone to not celebrate Christ resurrection or Easter. It is all a matter of human preference. God’s only requirement is that if you celebrate Christ resurrection, that you do so using holy behavior and activities.
Easter should not be viewed as the same as the Leviticus 23:4-8 Mosaic Passover. However, there is a relationship between Easter and the Leviticus 23 feasts as discussed in my article entitled Easter and the Leviticus 23 Feasts.
See my article entitled Legitimacy of Holydays, Holidays, & Other Celebrations.
See my article entitled Easter or Passover Controversy. for information on the relationship between Easter and the Mosaic Passover the early church wrestled with.
See my article entitled The Words Easter and Passover for more information on the word Easter as translated in the KJV (Acts 12:4).
See my article entitled Easter and the Leviticus 23 Feasts.
See my article entitled A Note on Hanukkah for a discussion of it and a more detailed look at the legitimacy of holidays not commanded by God in the Bible.
See Celebration of Easter Part 2 for more details on Easter.
To God Be the Glory!
