Passover, Easter, and the True Lord's Supper

We do not need to observe the traditional Jewish Passover today, because Christ, our true Passover Lamb, fulfilled this ancient festival when He died on the crossDA 652.2+1. In its place, Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper and the ordinance of foot-washing for His followers to observe throughout all agesDA 652.2.

The Fulfillment of the Passover 🩸

The original Passover was a national festival for the Israelites, pointing backward to their deliverance from Egyptian bondage and forward to the coming of Christ, the Lamb of God1SP 201.1+1. When Jesus was crucified, the slaying of the paschal lamb met its ultimate fulfillment, and the typical, national festival of the Jews passed away foreverDA 652.2+2. The Scriptures confirm this beautiful truth by declaring that Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us 1 Corinthians 5:7PP 278.1.

The Lord's Supper: The New Memorial 🍞🍷

Just before His crucifixion, while eating the last Passover with His disciples, Jesus established the Lord's Supper to take its placeDA 652.2+1. This new service was designed to be a permanent memorial, observed by His followers in all lands and through all generationsDA 652.2. To partake of this memorial properly today, we are to follow the specific steps Christ established:

• The Ordinance of Humility: Before partaking of the communion emblems, believers are to participate in the washing of one another's feetDA 650.4+1. Jesus instituted this practice as an example to wash away selfishness, clear up any misunderstandings, and teach the beautiful humility of serving our brothers and sisters John 13:14-15DA 650.4.

• Unleavened Bread: We are to partake of unleavened bread, which is the only correct representation of the pure, broken body of the Son of God3SG 227.2+1. Just as leaven was strictly forbidden during the ancient Passover, the leaven of sin, malice, and wickedness must be completely put away from our hearts 1 Corinthians 5:7-8PP 278.1.

• Pure Grape Juice: We drink the pure, unfermented juice of the grape, which symbolizes the precious blood of Christ shed for the cleansing of our sins3SG 227.2+1. Nothing fermented or decaying should ever be used or placed upon the communion tableRH June 22, 1897, par. 11+1.

The Purpose of the Communion Service 🕊️

By participating in this sacred ordinance, we commemorate our Redeemer and continually show the Lord's death until He returns 1 Corinthians 11:26PTUK May 19, 1898, page 311.2. It is a solemn, glorious time for self-examination, contrition of heart, and deep gratitude for the immense sacrifice Jesus made to rescue us from the bondage of sinPP 278.1+2. Through faith, this holy service reminds us of our continual dependence upon His blood for salvation and fills us with the lively hope of eternal life with Him in the earth made new3SG 227.2+1.

We do not observe Easter, as it is a festival of purely pagan origin and has absolutely no foundation or command in the Holy ScripturesSITI May 19, 1887, page 304.3. While it is widely celebrated today in the Christian world, history and the Bible reveal that it is a tradition of men rather than an institution of GodPTUK April 22, 1897, page 246.3.

Here are the important truths regarding the origins and nature of Easter:

Pagan Origins 🌸

• A Heathen Goddess: The name "Easter" is not a Christian term; it bears a Chaldean origin and is identical to Astarte or Ishtar, the ancient queen of heavenHBS 160.4. It is directly derived from the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre (or Ostara), a pagan deity of the spring and the rising sun to whom sacrifices were offered in AprilSBBS 147.1+1.

• Sun Worship: These ancient spring festivals celebrated the annual resurrection of nature after the dark winter and were deeply rooted in the idolatry of sun worshippersPTUK April 20, 1893, page 119.1+1.

• The Season of Lent: Even the forty days of fasting preceding Easter (Lent) is a relic of Babylonian idolatry, originally observed by the worshippers of the Babylonian goddessPTUK July 27, 1893, page 263.4.

How it Entered the Church 🏛️

• Compromise with the World: As the early church drifted from its pure apostolic foundation, church leaders sought to increase their numbers by making Christianity more appealing to the pagan worldTTR 213.4. Instead of abolishing the heathen festivals, the church adopted them, simply rebranding the festival of Eostre as a celebration of Christ's resurrectionPTUK May 3, 1894, page 288.7+1.

• The Sunday Connection: Originally, many early Christians commemorated Christ's death using the biblical timing of the Passover, but the Church of Rome pushed to have this celebration moved exclusively to the "venerable day of the sun" (Sunday) to align with heathen customs and distance themselves from the JewsTTR 213.4. In A.D. 325, the Council of Nicaea officially decreed that Easter must always be kept on a SundayGEP 484.2+1.

The Biblical Stance 📖

There is absolutely no trace of an Easter celebration anywhere in the New TestamentSBBS 147.1. While the King James Version of the Bible uses the word "Easter" once in Acts 12:4 this is an incorrect translation of the Greek word for Passover, and the original text has no connection whatsoever to the pagan holiday Acts 12:4SBBS 147.1.

Jesus Christ never gave even the remotest hint that His followers should observe a yearly anniversary of His resurrectionPTUK April 22, 1897, page 246.3. Instead of adopting pagan ceremonies disguised with a Christian cloak, God's people are called to reject these worldly compromises and faithfully keep the true commandments of God and the faith of Jesus Revelation 14:12EVRR457. We honor His death and resurrection not through a rebranded heathen spring festival, but by participating in the Lord's Supper and walking daily in the newness of life He provides 1 Corinthians 11:26.