Contemplating Easter

A close friend once asked…”What is the history of Easter celebrations?
Who introduced the concept into Christainity?
What was his motive at the time?
Why did Christians adopt it?

This is very interesting ask and it did seem that my friend knew somethings about these questions.

Well, the KJV translation, one of the earliest English translations, translates the Greek “Pascha” (Passover) festival in Acts 12:4 as “Easter.” Wycliffe, seen as the first English translation, captured it correctly. Almost every other translation has it as Passover.

The word Easter is foreign to the Bible in its original languages.
An ancient Hebraic Rabbinic Poet once said, “Reading the Bible in translations is like kissing your bride through the veil.”

Translations lead us to faith, but they are not quite like the original.
I also have not come across any explicit or implicit command(s) calling followers of Yeshua to celebrate Easter.

Rather, Jesus changed the meaning of the ancient OT Passover “Pascha” (Exodus 12:24-28; Deut. 16:1-7), appropriating same to himself as the Passover Lamb (Luke 22:1-2; 7-20).

From church history, our early Christian brothers and sisters continued to keep the feast of Passover but associating it with the crucifixion and resurrection of Yeshua Mashiach (the true reality of the OT shadow).

Paul recalls Jesus as saying to do “this” as often as you do it (1 Cor. 25-26) in remembrance of me (Luke 22:19.).

Paul also writes that “For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
In conclusion, Yeshua’s apprentices are called to eat the bread and drink the cup to proclaim his death and resurrection until he comes.

The churches of the NT appear to have done this in their weekly assemblies (Acts 20:7).
Easter, therefore, is NOT a Christian term & command. There is a lot more to write from church history, but….

Do you have any thoughts?