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It is one event that gives meaning and depth to our faith. Where would we be if Jesus did not die for our sins or wasn’t raised from the dead? In that singular act, he conquered death and raised us to an eternity with God, the Father. He granted Humanity eternal life, which is to know the Father.
Things To Know About Easter
There are some facts we need to mention about the Easter celebration: First, the date of Easter isn’t constant. That’s because the countdown to Easter begins with Lent. Lent is a six and a half weeks period of penitential preparation for Easter. This period is meant to coincide with the Jews’ preparation for Passover. And these days follow the Jewish lunar month calendar. It was after the 8th century the ‘Church’ agreed that Easter should be celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon of the spring equinox. Next, the earliest recorded observance of the Easter celebration was in the 2nd Century. Eastertide is a season that begins with Lent and ends after Pentecost. The most important part of this season is Easter Week which is also called the Holy Week. Albis, a Latin phrase (which means dawn), is designated for Easter week and the word Easter can be traced to the Greek and Latin word Pascha which means Passover.Sign up to the Connect Nigeria daily newsletter
Last, the important days in Easter week includes Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Palm Sunday signifies Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Maundy Thursday is the day of the Last Supper while Good Friday marks the Day of the Crucifixion and Death of Jesus Christ. Easter Sunday celebrates the resurrection of Jesus from the grave (i.e. His victory over death). In Nigeria, we throw in Easter Monday as a National Public Holiday for good measure. There are countries like the USA that don’t observe Easter Monday and others like Canada and most European countries that do too.
Why Celebrating Easter Is Significant
To understand the significance of Easter, you need to embrace a core belief of the Christian Faith. That Jesus, though being God (divinity), condescended to be Man and died as a sacrificial lamb to take away the sin problem of humanity once and for all. Thanks to this sacrifice of Christ, we are now all firstborn sons and heirs to the kingdom of God. It is this freedom that allows us to walk into the throne of Grace to receive mercy in time of need and relate directly with God. Contrary to popular belief, Easter should be a time of joy and celebration to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He needed to go to the cross to die, then be buried and rise on the third day for the propitiation of our sins. With Jesus’ sacrifice, we see the love of the father and how far He was willing to go to redeem us. Now we can boldly say God is not angry with humanity. We rejoice because, during his ascension, Jesus promised that he would return and at Pentecost, we received the gift of His Holy Spirit. So if you are a Christian, we’d like to say, “Happy Easter to you for Christ is risen.” Featured Image Source: CrosswalkGot a suggestion? Contact us: editor@connectnigeria.com