Why No Special Easter Service?

By Bryan Gibson (edited by Dave Brown)

Did you know that there are some churches that do not have a special Easter service?  This is probably surprising to many since millions of people commemorate the resurrection of Jesus on this day.  Since Easter is considered “the most holy” of all religious holidays, why would these people not be consistent with what is generally accepted?

The reason is really quite simple. Christ did not give us the authority to create this (or any other) holiday.  The local churches in the New Testament, who serve as our pattern today, did not participate in a yearly observance of the Lord’s resurrection.  To put it another way, this practice was started by man, not by Christ.  There are no annual religious holidays given to us in the New Testament.

The word “Easter” is found only one time, and only in the King James Version of the Bible, in Acts 12:4.  However, the word in the Greek is actually Pascha, which is properly translated “Passover.”   This is how it is translated in all other cases in the King James Version.  Even in Acts 12:4, it is translated Easter in no other scholarly translation.  If Easter were celebrated in the first century there would be some reference of it in the New Testament, since the scriptures furnish us with every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

The word “Easter” actually comes from “Eastre,” the Anglo-Saxon name of a Teutonic goddess of spring and fertility.  Why would such a name be applied to the observance of the resurrection of Jesus?  Can we have any assurance at all that God is pleased with our applying a pagan goddess’ name to a holiday that is supposed to honor Jesus?

We would like to challenge our readers with the following questions.  Where in the Bible do you find a command to observe the resurrection of Christ on a yearly basis, a day known as Easter?  Where in the Bible do you find a example of such being done?  Where in the Bible is it even implied that we should have a day like this?  Listen to what Jesus said about teaching as doctrine something that originated with man (Matthew 15:9): “But in vain do they worship me, Teaching (as their) doctrines the precepts of men.

While the first century Christians did not observe Easter, they did do something else that was quite special not only on this day, but on every first day of the week.  They commemorated the Lord’s death by eating the Lord’s Supper, something the Lord clearly both authorized and commanded (Matthew 26:26-28; Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 11:23-30).  Can it ever be wrong to follow exactly what Jesus has commanded?