Easter forum at Alton April 20 2003 James E Elliott

The Christian celebration of Easter marks the death and resurrection of Jesus

This death and resurrection cycle is a common feature of primitive religions.

In Egypt, the earth mother, Isis, was worshipped.

Osiris was her consort. He was killed by his brother.

Isis weeps and the Gods help her find him. She resurrects Osiris.

The Saxons celebrated the return of spring with an uproarious festival

They were celebrating their goddess of offspring and spring, Eastre

Christian missionaries taught that the spring celebration should

commemorate the resurrection of Christ.

Over time the modern name, Easter, replaced the old Eastre

People had been exchanging eggs in the spring since long before Easter

It was a symbol of rebirth

If you were rich, you wrapped the eggs in gold leaf.

If poor, you dyed the eggs with the leaves or petals of flowers

All four gospels tell the story of Passion Week, the week Jesus died and was resurrected. They differ in significant details. The following is a discussion of Passion Week in Marks Gospel. It was the earliest Gospel and I suspect most historical.

Passion week per Mark

Jesus tells his disciples that he is going to Jerusalem.

He will be killed and rise after three days 10:34

He will give his life as a ransom for many 10:45

Jesus’ disciples procure an colt for Jesus to ride as he enters Jerusalem 11:4

The crowd cries out as he enters Jerusalem –Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is coming! Hosanna in the highest 11:10 Jesus goes to Bethany

The next morning, Jesus is hungry and looks for figs. The tree has no figs and Jesus curses it.

11:12-14

Jesus enters the temple and upsets tables of the money changers and sellers of pigeons. 11:15

Jesus returns to Bethany for the night

Next morning, the disciples notice that the fig tree that Jesus had cursed has withered. 11:20

In the temple, the chief priests, elders and scribes questioned Jesus

By what authority do you teach 11:27

If a woman marries 7 brothers in turn, whose wife will she be in heaven 12:23

What commandment is the first of all? 12:28

Jesus asked, How can the scribes say that Christ is the son of David? 12:35

Jesus tells his disciples that the temple will be destroyed. 13:1-2

This generation will not pass away before these things will be fulfilled. 13:30

But no one knows the day or hour except God Himself, not even the Son 13:32

When it was time to celebrate the Passover, Jesus sent two of his disciples into Jerusalem.

They were told to follow a man with a jar of water who would guide them. 14:13

During the Passover meal, Jesus tells the disciples that Judas will betray him. 14:20

Jesus identifies the bread and wine as his body and blood. 14:22

Jesus goes to the garden of Gethsemane with Peter, James and John.

Jesus prays-All things are possible to thee, remove the cup from me; yet not what I will, but what thou wilt. 14:36

Judas arrives with a crowd of men. He kisses Jesus to identify him as the man they wanted. 14:43

They seize Jesus.

An unidentified disciple takes his sword and cuts off the ear of a slave of the high priest 14:47

Jesus is taken to the High Priest. 14:53

A false witness charged that Jesus had said he would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days

14:58

Jesus remained silent 14:61

The chief priest asked, Are you the Christ, son of the blessed 14:61

Jesus replied: I am and you will see the son of man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming with the clouds of heaven. 14:62

The High Priest said this was blasphemy and he was condemned to death 14:64

Peter denied Christ 3 times before the cock crowed twice, as Jesus had predicted. 14:72

Jesus taken to Roman official, Pilate 15:1

Pilate asks: Are you the King of the Jews. 15:2

Jesus replies: You have said so. 15:2

Jesus made no further replies 15:5

Pilate released one prisoner during Passover celebrations. Pilate asked what he should do with Jesus 15:12

The chief priests stirred up the crowd to ask Pilate to crucify Jesus and release Barabbas, a man who had committed murder in the insurrection: 15:11 and 15:7

Pilate asks: What evil has Jesus done. 15:14

The crowd called: crucify him. Pilate orders Jesus crucified to satisfy the crowd. 15:15

Jesus was dressed in fine clothing, a crown of thorns was placed on him and he was scourged and mocked 15: 17-20

A passerby, Simon of Cyrene was compelled to carry the cross to a place called Golgatha, the skull 15:22

They offered Jesus wine mingled with myrrh, but he refused it 15:21

At the 3^rd hour, the soldiers crucified Jesus between two robbers and then cast lots for Jesus’ clothes 15:24 15:25

The inscription of the cross was "King of the Jews" 15:26

Passersby and the two robbers mocked Jesus, telling him to save himself. 15:31-32

There was darkness over the land from the 6^th to 9^th hour 15:33

Jesus cried out- My God why hast thou forsaken me. 15:34

Jesus was given a sponge with vinegar 15:36

Jesus died after uttering a loud cry. The curain of he temple was torn in two from top to bottom 15:38

A centurion said: Truly this man was the Son of God 15:39

Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body. Pilate agrees after the centurian confirmed that he was dead. 15: 43:45

Joseph bought a linen shroud for Jesus, placed him in a tomb and rolled a large stone over the entrance. 15 46

When he Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jesus and Mary the mother of James bought spices to the tomb to anoint Jesus 16:1

They went to the tomb when the sun had risen on the day after Sabbath. 16:2

They found the stone had been rolled away. They entered and found a young man sitting on the right side. The man said: Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified. He has risen. 16:5-6

The man told them to go to the disciples and tell them that he is going before them to Galilee, there you sill see him 16:7

The women fled from the tomb and told no one. They were afraid. 16:8

Verses 9-19 are not found in the earliest texts of Mark.

Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene. She told the disciples Jesus had risen, they did not believe her, 16:9-11

Jesus appeared in another form to two of the disciples. When they told the others they were not believed. 16:12

Jesus appeared to the 11, and upbraided hem for not believing what he had told them. Then he told them to go into the whole world and preach the gospel 16:15

These signs will accompany those who believe. They will cast out demons, and speak in new tongues. Serpents and poisons will not hurt them. When they lay hands on the sick, they will recover. 16: 15-18

Jesus was taken up into heaven and sat on the right hand of God. 16:19

The disciples went out and preached everywhere. The lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended them 16:20

PROBLEMSWITH MARK

Mark says that Jesus would rise after 3 days. This would put the resurrection on Monday, rather than Easter Sunday. This problem was corrected by Matthew who wrote possibly 10 years after Mark. Matthew wrote that Jesus would rise on the third day.

Jesus gave his life as a ransom for many, according to Mark. It is impossible to know what Mark meant by this. In fact the phrase, ransom for many, may have been added by a later writer. Early Christians used this statement as a basis for their theory of the atonement. Atonement (at-one-ment) is the process by which mankind became at-one with God. All mankind was thought to be subject to Satan after Adam sinned. Pope Gregory (c 600) ( The Story of Christian theology, Roger Olson, page 323) believed that God had tricked Satan using the death of Jesus as the bait. Under this theory, Satan was led to believe that Jesus, the Son of God, would be in his power if he, Satan, released mankind from his control. Thus Jesus was the ransom but the ransom was never paid. Jesus did not become subject to Satan. But Satan kept his part of the bargain, by releasing mankind from his control.

Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a colt procured by his disciples. Jesus told his disciples they would find a colt near the gate. The language in Mark suggests that Jesus had foreknowledge of where to find the colt. The Interpreters Bible suggests Jesus had supporters in Jerusalem with whom he had made advance arrangements. Matthew 21:2 is an interesting variation Marks narrative. Matthew says the disciples procured an ass and a colt of an ass, and implies that Jesus was able to ride on them both. The entry into Jerusalem on an ass and a colt proclaimed Jesus to be the Messiah, The Old Testament book of Zechariah 9:9 reads :

Lo your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on an ass, on a colt the foal of an ass.

As Jesus entered Jerusalem he was reenacting Zechariah. The people responded with enthusiasm. They put their garments and leafy branches on the ground in front of Jesus and shouted

Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is coming; Hosanna in the highest. This fulfills Psalm 118:27 Blessed is he that enters in the name of the Lord….Bind the festal procession with branches…. .Christians today call this event Palm Sunday

Jesus curses the fig tree because it had no fruit. This has been interpreted as teaching that Christians must produce fruit, that is, things that benefit the Kingdom of God. But it makes Jesus seem irrational. Fig trees never bear fruit in the spring, the time of Passover and Easter.

Jesus’ words about marriage in heaven are of interest to me, coming from the Mormon background. Jesus said those who rise from the dead are not given in marriage, but are like angels, that is servants. Mormons teach that if you want to be with your spouse in heaven, you must be married in a Mormon temple with the prescribed ceremony. Shakers use the same words of Jesus to ban marriage during life on earth. Their justification is that if there is no marriage in heaven, then the ideal condition would be no marriage on earth.

Jesus continues with the statement "He (God) is not God of the dead, but of the living..12:28

Does this undercut the Christian concept of an afterlife in heaven?

The genealogies of Jesus tell us that both Joseph and Mary were descended from King David. This was important because Old Testament prophecy had said that the Messiah would be a descendant of David. Mark 12:35 brings this into question. It refers to a Psalm that says that David was a Son of God. Christian theology taught that Jesus was the anointed one, the Son of God. How could David be a son of God and at the same time the father of God? Psalm 110:1. The interesting question is, why would Jesus or Mark make this point which undercuts an important tenet of Christianity?

The disciples ask what will be the signs preceding Jesus’ second coming and the close of the age. Matt 24:3 Jesus lists the signs and then adds that the current generation will not pass away before these things happen. It was on statements such as this that early Christians thought that Jesus would return and a new age would begin soon. We are still waiting after nearly 2000 years.

Jesus says that only God knows when the end of the age occurs. The Son, Jesus, does not know.

Elsewhere in the Bible, Jesus is said to be fully human but also fully divine. Jesus is said to have the ability to walk on water, raise the dead and perform other miracles and predict the future, all Godlike characteristics. So why wouldn’t he know the time of his return?

Jesus’ prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane are recorded. But he was alone and his disciples nearby were sleeping. How is it possible that we have the words of Jesus prayers? And the words themselves raise questions. Jesus seems to know that he will be crucified, but prays that God will "remove this cup from me, yet not what I will, but what thou wilt". These words suggest that Jesus had knowledge of his fate as ordained by God by virtue of his divine nature , but his human nature dreaded his fate on the cross.

Jesus refused to answer some of the charges against him. This may be another instance in which the gospel writers used passages from the Old testament to show that Jesus was the suffering servant prophesied by Isaiah. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth (53:7)

But he did open his mouth. The Chief priest asked him if he was the son of he blessed and Jesus replied that he was.

Jesus told Peter that he would deny him three times before the cock crowed. This implies that Jesus was displaying his divine nature by knowing the future.

Pilate was not interested in theological squabbles among the Jews but only to threats to the Roman Empire. Proclaiming oneself a king in an area controlled by Rome was a capital offense When asked if he was king of the Jews, Jesus did not deny it. Roman law required a placard to be placed at the site of an execution naming the crime. The cross of Jesus read "Jesus Christ King of he Jews". This was his crime and a valid one under Roman law.

Outside of the Gospels there is no evidence that Pilate customarily released a prisoner at Passover time. It is unlikely that he would want to release Jesus. He had entered Jerusalem to the cries of supporters who identified him as son of David. The people expected their new king to be a descendant of David. Jesus entered Jerusalem in the manner associated with kings. He had not denied he was king of the Jews. The Jews demanded the death of Jesus. According to matthew, Pilatewashed his handsto show that he was not guilty in killing Jesus. But the Jews answered that Jesus’ blood would be on them and their children (Matthew 27:25). This statement has been used to the present era by militant Christians to justify persecuting Jews as God killers.

According to mark, a passerby, Simon of Cyrenne, carried the cross. John tells us that Jesus carried he cross.

Jesus was on the cross only a few hours. Death by crucifixion comes when the condemned man can no longer breathe. It was common that men would not die for several days. This fact was the basis some people used to assert that Jesus had not really died The book,The Passover Plot, is based on this idea.

There was darkness for 3 hours. No Roman or Jewish writer mentions this phenomenon.

Why would Jesus cry out, My God why hast thou forsaken me. We forget hat Jesus was a Jew and steeped in Old Testament literature. Psalm 22, begins with these words. They were recited when one was in trouble.

The four gospels describe the Easter events and the participants differently. In Mark, 3 women come to the tomb. When they found the tomb was empty and were spoken to by an unidentified man, they ran away and spoke to no one because they were afraid. In John, only one woman comes to the tomb and she ran to tell the disciples.

The oldest copies of Mark end with 16:8. Some later writer who was dissatisfied with Mark’s ending probably added verses 9-19. These tell of appearances of Jesus. The so called great commission is added. This tells the disciples to go into all the world to preach the gospel of Jesus.

The Gospels tell us that Jesus died and was resurrected during the Jewish Passover

In Catholicism and some other religions, members prepare for Easter during a period called Lent, a period of fasting and penitence before Easter

It begins with Ash Wednesday, forty days before Easter.

Vatican ll lightened the requirement by limiting fasting to Ash Wednesday and Good Friday

What is the significance of Easter to Christians?

The Trinity has been describes as a riddle in an enigma. I think atonement is about as difficult to understand. The Catholic church has developed many theories to explain it but after 2000 years it is still being debated.

Although Paul wrote about the atonement, he wasn't sure about it.

He wrote in Romans 11 32 and 33,

For God has consigned all men to disobedience, that he may have mercy to them…How Unsearchable are his judgements

And how inscrutable his ways

Notice the Hebrew poetry. First line unsearchable judgements and second line inscrutable ways.

I think it was Pascal who said he had to believe in the teachings of the Catholic church because they were so unbelievable.

To my way of thinking, none of these atonement theories make sense. They all start with events in a mythical Garden of Eden. They assume that a God who created the universe would prepare an idyllic garden for two humans but include in it a potential for sin that would have dire consequences for later generations.

Paul wrote: For as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, And so death spread to all men because all men sinned --- Romans 5:12

Some Christians try to rationalize the idea that Adam's sin condemned all future generations by noting that if a child grows up with evil parents, he will be evil. The children have inherited the sins of their parents. But Paul taught that there was something magical in this. Before Jesus died on the cross, men were unable to escape their evil heritage from Adam. But the death of Jesus on the cross washed away their sin.

Why did the Jewish hierarchy want to see Jesus killed?

So what do I think about Easter? I think it is just one of the many festivals to mark the end of winter and the coming of spring. And I, for one don't need it.