• Easter
• Rabbit
• Easter Egg
• Traditional Easter Ham
• 40 Days of Lent (no-meat)
Stay with me for a quick lesson in the origins of the pagan Easter:
It starts way back in Genesis following the flood during the time of the tower of Babel. The Babylonians were corrupt and were worshipping the sun-god and the moon-goddess. The legend comes that Nimrod (Gen. 10:8-10) was elevated among the people as a god-man following his marriage to his own mother, Semiramis. When he died, they believed that he became the sun-god, Baal. His wife/mother took advantage of her position and claimed that she was a goddess who had been immaculately conceived and was born out of a moon egg during the first full moon of the spring equinox. Out of this deception, she gained the title “Ishtar” (pronounced “Easter”). The egg that she was born out of was labeled Ishtar’s Egg (pronounced “Easter’s Egg”). She begot a son named Tammuz who had a fascination with rabbits and was later killed by a wild boar. When he died, his mother Ishtar claimed that he was now with his father Baal and called for a time of mourning every year for 40 days prior to the date of his death. During this 40 day period, the people were not to eat meat. The empire that Ishtar built continues to evolve and the Babylonians now claim her to be the “Mother of God” and “Queen of Heaven”. She set up a schedule for the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox to be named “Ishtar Sunday” (pronounced “Easter Sunday”). During this celebration there were rabbits and eggs and a pig was slaughtered and eaten (in respect to the wild pig that killed her son).
It’s disheartening that we as the church blindly follow along with the culture and out of the risk of offending those that came before us or standing apart from the norm we continue to celebrate Easter. The Bible doesn’t even use the word Easter in reference to Christ’s resurrection! After gaining this knowledge, my family will work hard to refrain from using the word Easter when talking of this season and we will avoid the satanic symbols that have so deceptively taken over the true meaning of Resurrection Sunday.
Will we alienate those around us or shun them if they happen to use the word “Easter” or celebrate with the bunny or eggs? Absolutely not. It wasn’t until recently that I became enlightened as to the origin of this and it is my belief that the majority of those participating in it have no idea that the practice has bad roots. For those that are afraid that I am robbing the fun, keep in mind that I have no problem with doing a scavenger hunt, eating chocolate or even creating food art. I just don’t want these activities to be associated with Resurrection Day. There are plenty of other days for this without having to distract from the wonder of Christ’s resurrection.
What do we do? We celebrate! Jesus died on the cross for our salvation. That in and of itself is reason to get excited, but He didn’t stop there- He rose from the grave! How awesome is that? One of my favorite activities is making Resurrection Cookies or if I am short on time, Resurrection Rolls (http://www.dltk-kids.com/recipes/resurrection_rolls.htm). Here’s the directions for the cookies along with a Bible lesson:
Resurrection CookiesIf you are interested in researching this topic out more for yourself, visit http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/edn-t020.html for more information.
• 1 cup whole pecans
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 3 egg whites
• pinch salt
• 1 cup sugar
• Plastic baggie
• Wooden spoon, rolling pin
• Tape
• Bible
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. (Do this before doing anything else.)
• Place nuts in baggie and beat them with a wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested and He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3
• Open the vinegar and let everyone smell it. Put 1 teaspoon into the mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, all He was given to drink was vinegar. Read John 19:28-30
• Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11
• Sprinkle a little salt into each person’s hand. Let them taste it, then brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus’ followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27
• So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Sprinkle a little sugar into each person’s hand. Let them taste it, then brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16
• Beat with mixer on high speed for 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents our purity in God’s eyes because our sins are cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18
• Fold in nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60
• Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and TURN THE OVEN OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door shut. Explain that Jesus’ tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66
• You’re done! Explain that you cannot eat the cookies tonight, but that you have to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. That might not make anyone too happy. Explain that Jesus’ followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22
• The next morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the third day, Jesus followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matthew 28:1-9
• Enjoy the cookies and relate to life’s daily blessings through God’s love and grace – noted especially on this holiest of days!
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