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The Easter Season
Resurrection of the Lord
Dennis Bratcher
Easter or Resurrection Sunday is the day Christians celebrate the
resurrection of Jesus the Christ from the dead. Even before theologians
explained the death of Jesus in terms of various atonement theories, the
early church saw his resurrection as the central witness to a new act of God
in history and the victory of God in vindicating Jesus as the Messiah. This
event marks the central faith confession of the early church and was the
focal point for Christian worship, observed on the first day of each week
since the first century (Acts 20:7; Sunday was officially proclaimed the day
of Christian worship in AD 321). Easter as an annual celebration of the
Resurrection that lies at the center of a liturgical year has been observed
at least since the fourth century. Even in churches that traditionally do
not observe the other historic seasons of the church year, Easter has
occupied a central place as the high point of Christian worship.
Origin and Significance of Easter Observance
Prior to the fourth century, Christians observed
Pascha, Christian Passover, in the Spring of the year. Adapted
from Jewish Passover, Pascha was a festival of redemption and commemorated
both the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus as the vehicle for God’s
grace. While historical records are not clear, it is likely that early
Jewish Christians observed both Passover (Pesach) and Pascha. However, many
Gentile converts were hesitant to adopt the Jewish festival, especially
since the Jerusalem Council had decided that Gentile converts to
Christianity did not have to observe Jewish religious practices (Acts 15).
Gradually by the fourth century, with an increasing emphasis on Holy Week
and Good Friday, Easter moved into a distinctively Christian celebration of
the Resurrection, with Good Friday commemorating Jesus’ crucifixion and
death.
Easter, like Passover, is a movable feast.
That is, the date of Easter (and Passover) is not fixed but is determined by
a system based on a lunar calendar. The date for Easter was adapted from a formula decided by the
Council of Nicaea in AD 325. In this system, Easter is celebrated on the
first Sunday following the first full moon after the Spring equinox (the day
when the sun’s ecliptic or apparent path in the sky crosses the equator,
thus making days and nights of equal length). This usually occurs on March
21, which means the date of Easter can range between March 22 and April 25
depending on the lunar cycle. Since Jewish Passover is calculated
differently, the dates for Passover and Easter do not correspond, although
often the first Day of Passover falls during Holy Week. Much of the calendar
of the Church year is determined by the date of Easter (see
The Hebrew Calendar of the Old Testament).
In the Christian church year, the two major
cycles of seasons, Christmas and Easter, are far more than a single day of
observance. Like Christmas, Easter itself is a period of time rather than
just a day. It is actually a seven-week season of the church year called
Eastertide, the Great Fifty Days
that begins at sundown the evening before Easter Sunday (the Easter Vigil)
and lasts for six more Sundays until Pentecost Sunday (some traditions use
the term Pentecost to include these
Fifty Days between Easter and Pentecost Sunday). These seven Sundays are
called the Sundays of Easter, climaxing
on the seventh Sunday, the Sunday before Pentecost Sunday. This is
often celebrated as Ascension Day
(actually the 40th day after Easter Sunday, which always falls on Thursday,
but in churches that do not have daily services it is usually observed the
following Sunday). Ascension Day marks not only the resurrection of Jesus
from the dead, but his exaltation from servanthood to Ruler and Lord as the
fitting climax of Resurrection Day (Eph 1:20-22).
These special days and seasons are a means to shape sacred time, a
structure in which to define what it means to be Christian and to call God’s
people to reverent and faithful response to God. Easter encompasses a time
of preparation (Lent;
Advent for Christmas) as well as a following
period of reflection on its significance for the life of God’s people (Pentecost;
Epiphany for Christmas). However, while Epiphany
following Christmas focuses on the mission of God’s people to the world, the
Pentecost season following Easter focuses on the church as the witness to
the resurrection. In anticipation of this emphasis at Pentecost, the
Scripture readings during the Sundays of Easter are different, with readings
from the Acts of the Apostles replacing readings from the Old Testament.
This emphasizes that the church, as empowered by the Holy Spirit at
Pentecost, is the best witness to the resurrection and the work of God in
the world in Jesus the Christ.
The Colors of Easter
Color used in worship is especially important during the season of Easter
(see Colors of the Church Year and
The Meaning of Church Colors).
The changing colors of the sanctuary from the purple of Lent to the black of
Good Friday provide graphic visual symbols for the Lenten journey. The
change of colors for Easter and the following Sundays helps communicate the
movement of sacred time as well as personal faith journeys.
The Sanctuary
colors for Easter Sunday and Ascension Day are white and gold, the colors of
sacred days throughout the church year. For the Easter season, white
symbolizes the hope of the resurrection, as well as the purity and newness
that comes from victory over sin and death. The gold (or yellow)
symbolizes the light of the world brought by the risen Christ that
enlightens the world, as well as the exaltation of Jesus as Lord and King.
The sanctuary color for the other five Sundays of Easter is usually also
white and gold, although some churches use Red, the color of the Church, for
these Sundays as well as for Pentecost Sunday.
During this time worshippers are called to celebrate God's ongoing work in
the world through his people, and to acknowledge and reflect upon the their
purpose, mission, and calling as God’s people, which makes Red an
appropriate color for this season.
There are a variety of ways to celebrate Easter and various emphases that
can be placed on the season. But from the early days of the church, the
Easter Vigil was the primary means by which Easter was observed.
This practice has evolved in modern observance into the Easter sunrise
service that many churches observe, but its history is much richer.
From the earliest days of the church, the Easter Vigil was primarily a
means of preparing new converts for baptism into the Christian Faith, which
was normally done on Easter Sunday as the focal point of the entire year.
This preparation traditionally arises from a set of Scripture readings
from the Old Testament that recounts the unfolding of God’s creation of a
people in the Exodus, and a promise of restoration from Zephaniah (see
Readings for the Easter Vigil). Following the lead of the Gospels
themselves, this provides a crucial link between the revelation of God in
Christ and the creation of the church with God’s past revelation of himself
and the creation of his people Israel. This important emphasis on the
continuity of the church with the Old Testament’s witness to God also helps
define the nature of the church and its mission in the world, thoroughly
grounding it in the ongoing work of God in history. The Gospel readings at
the Vigil are not normally read until after sunrise on Sunday, or at the
very end of the Easter Vigil.
The Vigil itself can begin at any time after sundown on Saturday,
although there has been a tendency in Protestant churches to begin just
before sunrise on Sunday and conclude the service just after the Gospel
readings while singing praises at sunrise. In more temperate climates, this
is often an outdoor service.
In church traditions that observe a
Service of Shadows on Good Friday, the Easter Vigil begins in darkness
as a flame is lit. This can either be the Christ candle returned to
the sanctuary or to the worshippers, or a "new fire" lit amid the darkness.
From this "new fire" all the other candles in the sanctuary are lit. Some
churches use a special Paschal Candle as the focal point for this part of
the service. All the worshippers light individual candles from the Paschal
candle as they sing a song of praise.
This return of light symbolizes the resurrection of Jesus from the grave
and the light of salvation and hope God brought into the world through the
resurrection, the triumph of the light of God’s grace and salvation over the
darkness of death and sin. If celebrated in a sanctuary, the lights are then
either turned on all at once or in stages as the Scriptures are read, thus
reversing the effects of the Service of Shadows and dramatically symbolizing
the "true light that enlightens everyone" (John 1:9). Of course, if this is
done as an Easter sunrise service outdoors, the spreading dawn serves the
same purpose. In any case, the service intends to celebrate the newness, the
fresh possibilities, new beginnings out of old endings that Jesus’
resurrection embodies.
In the early church, the Easter Vigil concluded with the baptism of new
converts, celebrating not only Jesus’ resurrection from death to life, but
also the new life that God has brought through the death and resurrection of
Jesus to individual believers. Those baptized changed into new white clothes
to symbolize their new life in Christ, which is the origin of the tradition
of buying new clothes at Easter. Although Easter baptism is rarely practiced
today among Protestants, the Anglican practice of renewing baptismal vows
during the Easter Vigil is becoming popular.
An ancient tradition from the early centuries of the church intensifies
the fasting of Lent, so that no food of any kind is eaten on Holy Saturday,
or for forty hours before sunrise on Easter Sunday. The breaking of the
fast is the Eucharist or Communion that is celebrated at Easter sunrise
at the end of the Easter Vigil.
Ways to Observe Resurrection Sunday
Probably the most traditional way of celebrating Easter among Protestant
and evangelical churches is the Easter musical or cantata, or a series of
special music and song. This has a revered history in the Western church.
Given the important place of music among most churches that tend to shy away
from liturgical worship, it is easy to understand why music emerged as a
primary means of worship for Easter. But even with music at the heart of
many Easter services, there are still other symbols and activities that can
be equally important and creative in communicating the message of the
resurrection.
 This is an especially striking and beautiful way to symbolize the new
life that emerges from the death of Good Friday. There are many adaptations
of this symbol, but they center on a very rough-cut wooden cross, often of
cedar since it easily retains a rough texture. This cross can be of various
sizes but a full sized cross six to seven feet high is most impressive (and
most expensive to decorate!). For added effect, there can be three metal
spikes driven into the wood at the arms and feet. This cross is usually
erected at the front of the sanctuary on Ash
Wednesday or on Palm Sunday. If it is
erected on Ash Wednesday, it can also be used as a Prayer Cross
throughout Lent (see The Journey of Lent).
Sometimes it is draped with the purple of Lent and a crown of thorns made of
thorny vines, but is often left bare throughout Lent until Good Friday. On
Good Friday, the cross is draped in black, the color of mourning for the
death of Jesus.
Before the Easter Sunday service, the spikes and black drape are removed
and the cross is covered with real flowers and the top draped in white.
There are various ways to do this. Some churches use a chicken wire mesh
over the cross and have worshippers each place flowers on the cross as part
of the Easter Vigil service or as they arrive at church on Easter morning.
For this to be effective, there must be enough flowers to cover all of the
front and sides of the cross. Another approach is to have small holes
drilled in the wood to accept florist-type vials that hold cut flowers. The
entire cross is covered with the flowers and is placed prominently at the
front of the church to greet worshippers as they enter the sanctuary on
Easter Sunday. Or worshippers can place the flowers on the cross as part of
Sunday worship. The contrast between the starkly bare cross that worshippers
have seen for 40 days and the living flowering cross of Easter Sunday
dramatically and visually represents the new life that they are celebrating
as thy witness the very instrument of death and endings transformed into
life and new beginnings.
Easter Garden or The
Empty Tomb
This is a small model or symbolic representation of the tomb in which
Jesus was placed. It can be constructed very simply from several hand-sized
rocks stacked to make an enclosure, with a single rock at the front to serve
as a closure for the tomb. If possible, a light is placed inside the tomb or
a white candle placed near it, or both. If a candle is used, this can be the
Christ candle that is removed from the sanctuary at the end of the Service
of Shadows.
The tomb is usually placed at the front of the church in a visible
location, often beside or near the communion table in Protestant churches.
It is usually put into place on Ash Wednesday as a visible symbol throughout
Lent of Jesus’ impending death, although some churches only use it during
Holy Week. It is normally left open during Lent, but with no light inside.
On Good Friday as the last action at the end of the
Service of Shadows, the tomb is closed by placing the rock in front of
the opening. A loud sound usually accompanies the closing of the tomb to
symbolize the feeling of finality that the disciples experienced on Good
Friday.
On Easter morning before worshippers arrive for service, the tomb is
opened and the light inside is turned on or the candle is lit. Often flowers
are placed over and around the rocks to symbolize the new life that has
sprung from death.
Symbols of
Easter
The origin of the English name "Easter" is not certain, but many think
that it derived from the Teutonic or Anglo-Saxon goddess of Spring,
Eostre or Eastre. This fact, and other aspects surrounding Easter
observance such as eggs and bunnies, has generated considerable debate
concerning the origin of some traditions used in Easter observance, mostly
since the Reformation and especially among evangelicals and low church
traditions. Some argue that Easter is little more than an adaptation of a
pagan fertility festival and has little to do with Christian tradition.
There is little question that many symbols of Easter have been adopted
from various cultures. But this is true for almost all Christian symbols,
including the cross (the sign of the fish is the most unique and original
Christian symbol). But this has always been the case since the days of
Abraham and Moses. That is, God’s people have always used symbols with which
they were familiar from the surrounding culture, and then infused them with
new meaning to commemorate and worship God. In the process the symbols are
radically transformed into a means to express faith in the only true God in
spite of their "pagan" origins. Such sacred Old Testament institutions as
animal sacrifice, circumcision, temple worship, the priesthood, and
prophets, even names for God like El, were all adapted from preexisting
counterparts in Canaanite religious practice. Even the rituals of Passover
itself were adapted from two preexisting Canaanite festivals associated with
fertility, one celebrating the Spring birthing of livestock (the day of
Passover) and the other celebrating the early barley harvest (the week long
Feast of Unleavened Bread that begins on Passover; see
The Festival of Passover)
This simply suggests that the origin of the name Easter or other aspects
of the Easter celebration are probably not as important as how those symbols
have been transformed by a worshipping community or what is actually
celebrated by the symbols and event. That does not mean that all elements
should automatically be accepted uncritically or without question as to
their Christian connection. And it certainly should encourage us to
emphasize clearly, especially to children, what we are actually celebrating
and the meaning of the symbols, and to do so deliberately and with purpose
(Easter it is not a celebration of the coming of Spring!). But
neither should it allow us to adopt a negative or hypercritical attitude
toward the event so that people who should be hearing our witness to the
grace and power of God at work in the world bringing hope and the promise of
renewal amid endings, only hear grumbling and carping.
Easter should be the most openly joyful time of celebration of the church
year. Celebrated against the background of the shadows and darkness of Lent
and Holy Week, this season truly becomes a living expression of the hope
that God has brought into the world through the death and resurrection of
Jesus. Since this hope of renewal and new life, both present and future, is
at the heart of the Good News that the church is commissioned to proclaim
and live in the world, every possible avenue of proclaiming that Good News
should be utilized. No doubt that is why many traditionally non-liturgical
churches are increasingly recovering the value of the various traditions of
the Easter Season as a means of bearing witness to their Faith. Seen as
Proclamation, the various aspects of worship during this season can become
vehicles for God’s grace and transforming work in the world, and among his
people.
An Easter
Prayer
(Adapted from The Book of Common Prayer)
O God, who for our redemption gave your only
begotten Son to death on the Cross, and by his glorious resurrection has
delivered us from the power of our enemy: Grant that we who celebrate
with joy the day of our Lord’s resurrection, may be raised from the
death of sin by your life-giving Spirit. Grant us so to die daily to
sin, that we may evermore live with him in the joy of his resurrection,
empowered and transformed by your grace in and among us.
O Lord, so stir up in your church, indeed in each
of us, that Spirit of adoption and reconciliation that is made possible by
your grace revealed in Jesus the Christ, that we being renewed in both
body and mind, may worship and serve you in sincerity and truth. We pray
this in the name of the same Jesus Christ our Lord who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
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2001- April 15 |
2011 - April 24 |
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2002 - March 31 |
2012 - April 8 |
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2003 - April 20 |
2013 - March 31 |
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2004 - April 11 |
2014 - April 20 |
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2005 - March 27 |
2015 - April 5 |
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2006 - April 16 |
2016 - March 27 |
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2007
- April 8 |
2017 - April 16 |
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2008 - March 23 |
2018
- April 1 |
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2009 - April 12 |
2019 - April 21 |
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2010 - April 4 |
2020 - April 12 |
-Dennis Bratcher, Copyright
©
2018, Dennis
Bratcher, All Rights Reserved
See Copyright and User Information Notice
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Related pages
Resurrection
Easter Readings
The Season of Lent
Daily Readings Menu
Pentecost
A moving story
illustrating the simple truth of the Resurrection:
What Was in Jeremy's Egg?
The Dates
of Easter, 2001-2020
Lectionary Commentary:
Year A
Year B
Year C
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