What is Easter

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> On Easter Sunday, Christians celebrate the resurrection of the Lord, Jesus Christ. It is typically the most well-attended Sunday service of the year for Christian churches.<br /> <br /> Christians believe, according to Scripture, that Jesus came back to life, or was raised from the dead, three days after his death on the cross. As part of the Easter season, the death of Jesus Christ by crucifixion is commemorated on Good Friday, always the Friday just before Easter.<br /> <br /> Through his death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus paid the penalty for sin, thus purchasing for all who believe in him, eternal life in Christ Jesus.<br /> <br /> (For a more detailed explanation about his death and resurrection, see Why Did Jesus Have to Die? and Timeline of Jesus' Final Hours.)<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u00PtK5L-MA/VoYSGvqO1QI/AAAAAAAALvQ/SL6Qa8WH7nQ/s1600/Easter-sunday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="What is Easter" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u00PtK5L-MA/VoYSGvqO1QI/AAAAAAAALvQ/SL6Qa8WH7nQ/s1600/Easter-sunday.jpg" title="What is Easter" /></a></div> <br /> <h3 style="text-align: left;"> Easter Season</h3> In Western Christianity, Easter marks the end of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting, repentance, moderation and spiritual discipline in preparation for Easter. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Sunday. Eastern Orthodox churches observe Lent or Great Lent, during the 6 weeks or 40 days preceding Palm Sunday with fasting continuing during the Holy Week of Easter.<br /> <br /> Lent for Eastern Orthodox churches begins on Monday and Ash Wednesday is not observed.<br /> <br /> Because of Easter's pagan origins, and also because of the commercialization of Easter, many Christian churches choose to refer to the holiday as Resurrection Day.<br /> <br /> Easter in the Bible<br /> <br /> The biblical account of Jesus' death on the cross, or crucifixion, his burial and his resurrection, or raising from the dead, can be found in the following passages of Scripture: Matthew 27:27-28:8; Mark 15:16-16:19; Luke 23:26-24:35; and John 19:16-20:30.<br /> <br /> <h3 style="text-align: left;"> Determining the Date of Easter</h3> In Western Christianity, Easter is always celebrated on the Sunday immediately following the Paschal Full Moon. I had previously, and somewhat erroneously stated, "Easter is always celebrated on the Sunday immediately following the first full moon after the vernal (spring) equinox." This statement was true prior to 325 AD; however, over the course of history (beginning in 325 AD with the Council of Nicea), the Western Church decided to established a more standardized system for determining the date of Easter.<br /> <br /> There are, in fact, as many misunderstandings about the calculation of Easter dates, as there are reasons for confusion.</div>

What is Easter

On Easter Sunday, Christians celebrate the resurrection of the Lord, Jesus Christ. It is typically the most well-attended Sunday service of...

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The Story of Resurrection of Jesus Christ

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: left;"> After Jesus was crucified, Joseph of Arimathea had Christ's body placed in his own tomb. A large stone covered the entrance and soldiers guarded the sealed tomb. On the third day, a Sunday, several women (Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Joanna and Salome are all mentioned in the gospel accounts) went to the tomb at dawn to anoint the body of Jesus.</div> <br /> A violent earthquake took place as an angel from heaven rolled back the stone. The guards shook in fear as the angel, dressed in bright white, sat upon the stone. The angel announced to the women that Jesus who was crucified was no longer in the tomb, "He is risen, just as he said." Then he instructed the women to inspect the tomb and see for themselves.<br /> <br /> Next he told them to go inform the disciples. With a mixture of fear and joy they ran to obey the angel's command, but suddenly Jesus met them on their way. They fell at his feet and worshipped him.<br /> <br /> Jesus then said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee.<br /> <br /> There they will see me."<br /> <br /> When the guards reported what had happened to the chief priests, they bribed the soldiers with a large sum of money, telling them to lie and say that the disciples had stolen the body in the night.<br /> <br /> After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to the women near the tomb and later at least twice to the disciples while they were gathered at a house in prayer. He visited two of the disciples on the road to Emmaus and he also appeared at the Sea of Galilee while several of the disciples were fishing.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sSBzPybSLZ4/VoYPjA1MBOI/AAAAAAAALvE/9us6yHWDGGg/s1600/resurrection-of-jesus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Resurrection of Jesus Christ" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sSBzPybSLZ4/VoYPjA1MBOI/AAAAAAAALvE/9us6yHWDGGg/s1600/resurrection-of-jesus.jpg" title="Resurrection of Jesus Christ" /></a></div> <br /> <h3 style="text-align: left;"> Why Is the Resurrection Important?</h3> <br /> The foundation of all Christian doctrine hinges on the truth of the resurrection. Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die." (John 11:25-26, NKJV)<br /> <br /> <h3 style="text-align: left;"> Points of Interest from the Resurrection of Jesus Christ</h3> <br /> There are at least 12 different appearances of Christ in the resurrection accounts, beginning with Mary and ending with Paul. They were physical, tangible experiences with Christ eating, speaking and allowing himself to be touched.<br /> Jesus' resurrected body was different from his physical body. It was no longer subject to the same laws of nature. He could transcend locked doors, and yet he could still be touched and he could eat.<br /> Before Jesus ascended into heaven he gave the Great Commission, telling his followers to go and make disciples of all nations.<br /> The stone was not rolled away from the tomb so Jesus could get out. He was able to walk through walls (John 20:19) in his resurrected body. The stone was rolled away so that everyone could see that he was risen.</div>

The Story of Resurrection of Jesus Christ

After Jesus was crucified, Joseph of Arimathea had Christ's body placed in his own tomb. A large stone covered the entrance and soldie...

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Happy Easter Sunday 2016

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> Easter, which celebrates Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead, is Christianity’s most important holiday. It has been called a moveable feast because it doesn’t fall on a set date every year, as most holidays do. Instead, Christian churches in the West celebrate Easter on the first Sunday following the full moon after the vernal equinox on March 21. Therefore, Easter is observed anywhere between March 22 and April 25 every year. Orthodox Christians use the Julian calendar to calculate when Easter will occur and typically celebrate the holiday a week or two after the Western churches, which follow the Gregorian calendar.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eRaunYbRdUQ/VoYMWPzx6dI/AAAAAAAALu4/5UdwBDmIpWo/s1600/history-of-easter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Happy Easter Sunday 2016" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eRaunYbRdUQ/VoYMWPzx6dI/AAAAAAAALu4/5UdwBDmIpWo/s1600/history-of-easter.jpg" title="Happy Easter Sunday 2016" /></a></div> <br /> The exact origins of this religious feast day’s name are unknown. Some sources claim the word Easter is derived from Eostre, a Teutonic goddess of spring and fertility. Other accounts trace Easter to the Latin term hebdomada alba, or white week, an ancient reference to Easter week and the white clothing donned by people who were baptized during that time. Through a translation error, the term later appeared as esostarum in Old High German, which eventually became Easter in English. In Spanish, Easter is known as Pascua; in French, Paques. These words are derived from the Greek and Latin Pascha or Pasch, for Passover. Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection occurred after he went to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover (or Pesach in Hebrew), the Jewish festival commemorating the ancient Israelites’ exodus from slavery in Egypt. Pascha eventually came to mean Easter.<br /> <br /> Did You Know?<br /> Over 90 million chocolate Easter bunnies are made each year.<br /> <br /> Easter is really an entire season of the Christian church year, as opposed to a single-day observance. Lent, the 40-day period leading up to Easter Sunday, is a time of reflection and penance and represents the 40 days that Jesus spent alone in the wilderness before starting his ministry, a time in which Christians believe he survived various temptations by the devil. The day before Lent, known as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday, is a last hurrah of food and fun before the fasting begins. The week preceding Easter is called Holy Week and includes Maundy Thursday, which commemorates Jesus’ last supper with his disciples; Good Friday, which honors the day of his crucifixion; and Holy Saturday, which focuses on the transition between the crucifixion and resurrection. The 50-day period following Easter Sunday is called Eastertide and includes a celebration of Jesus’ ascension into heaven.<br /> <br /> In addition to Easter’s religious significance, it also has a commercial side, as evidenced by the mounds of jelly beans and marshmallow chicks that appear in stores each spring. As with Christmas, over the centuries various folk customs and pagan traditions, including Easter eggs, bunnies, baskets and candy, have become a standard part of this holy holiday.</div>

Happy Easter Sunday 2016

Easter, which celebrates Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead, is Christianity’s most important holiday. It has been called a moveable...

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