Why is Jesus not Enough for Resurrection Sunday?<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
We are beginning to see a trend that isn't new, but it is showing up at almost every church this year for Resurrection Sunday. Some of you may be more familiar with this day as Easter.
However, the name of Easter originally comes from Ancient Egypt. The worship of Astarte, the Phoenician name for Egypt's goddess of fertility, and in time spread throughout Europe. "Ostara" became the Old English word for this now Anglo-Saxon goddess. During the 2nd century, early Christians attempting to convert pagan worshippers called their Christian celebration "Ostara" which later became "Easter."
As you can see, the original origins of this word Easter has nothing to do with Christianity. You never see the word Easter in the Bible, you see the word Resurrection, the time when our Lord Jesus Christ was resurrected after three days defying the chains of death and burial and revealing that He is Risen. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" 1 Peter 1:3
But what is going on in the churches today is a far cry from pointing us to that truth. We are seeing not just in our state but across the nation a sweeping of this idea of celebrating Spring rather than celebrating Christ. Over 90 Baptist churches and at least 50 other denominations if not more just in Oklahoma are having something else besides Jesus to celebrate on Easter. By this, we mean the promotion of churches here in our community are having Easter Egg Hunts, free family portraits in the lobby, fun activities, food, drinks, bunnies, and this is straight out of a church bulletin "And OKC Thunder's very own Rumble the Bison" will be there for their festivities. We drove past a Disciples of Christ church that said "church at the lake this Easter," so they are not even going to have church in their sanctuary but rather at the lake so they can already be there for the Easter egg hunt. One bulletin for a church we saw said "The Life and Times of Jesus", performance times, and then proceeds to list out several opportunities to catch the "performance", meaning the sermon.  In addition to all these attempts at promoting Easter, there is another church that is offering a showing of The Passion of The Christ movie on Good Friday. A movie that was written and directed by a Catholic, and portrays Jesus with an actor who is Catholic - and they are showing this in a "Christian" church.
Churches have turned Resurrection Sunday into an Easter celebration of festivities for the family rather than pointing them to the story of the Gospel. What is happening in evangelicalism? Could it be that they are turning up the heat on the bait and switch program? "Come for the family portrait and NBA mascot....stay for Jesus." Or could it be that we are watching more and more the decline of truth fall down the drain as Seeker Style churches influence even so-called orthodox churches on this most important of days for Christians. The Seeker Style model has been doing this program for years now. "Come to our At the Movies series" or the latest sexual sermon series to bait in the goats and then stay for the Jesus message at the end where they are going to tie it all together.
Sadly, we now see churches all over city, state and even nation as we did further research, that are buying into the Easter egg hunt, pancake breakfast before service, greedy candy searching, pictures with bunnies scam. That is why they can have "Easter" if that's what it means to celebrate "Easter." Satan has, and is; successfully doing everything he can to divert people's attention away from the risen Savior.
However, for us, we will be celebrating Resurrection Sunday and it being strictly about our Lord's conquering of death so that we might be saved through his blood, death, burial, and resurrection for our sins. Once and for all.