Traditions of Men
It seems that each year at this time the topic of "traditional vs. Biblical" always seems to come to mind. It's interesting to note that most Christians adamantly celebrate traditional holidays such as Easter but do not celebrate Biblical holidays such as Passover. Easter is not a Biblical celebration; it is a tradition of man. It is not mentioned once in the Bible1. What is mentioned in the Bible, however, is how the Lord detests the traditions of men.
From the beginning, man has always tried to add to, take away from, or change the word of God. In the garden, Eve added to what God had told her regarding the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Later, Balaam told Balak how to "get around" the word of God. Both Paul and Peter spoke of those who distort the Scriptures and use them to their own advantage. Through this kind of progression comes traditions. Since it is "that time of the year", let's examine the Biblical feast of Passover in its relation to the tradition of Easter.
Passover as Compared to Easter
God declared the Passover to be His appointed feast (Leviticus 23:4). It's to be celebrated by the congregation of Israel forever (Exodus 12:24). Paul tells us that we are grafted into the commonwealth (i.e., congregation) of Israel (Romans 11:17; Ephesians 2:12-13; 19), so we can see that these Scripture also apply to us. Note that God states that these feasts listed in Leviticus 23 are His feasts, not Jewish feasts.
Matthew, Mark, and Luke all relate how Yeshua told His disciples to go prepare the Passover (Matthew 26:17-19; Mark 14:12-16; Luke 22:7-13). This is not a Scripture that needs much interpreting. It states very clearly: "Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it" (Luke 22:8). Yeshua and His disciples were Jews. They were commanded by God through Torah to eat the Passover. If they were to have done anything other than this they would have been in sin! In the description given, we see many elements of the Passover feast: reclining at the table, dipping in the bowl, the cups of wine, the unleavened bread, the singing of the Hallel. To say that this is anything other than the Passover feast would be in complete error and a total disregard for the Scriptures.
The Institutional Church calls this gathering the "last supper". The term "last supper" is never used in Scripture. The only accuracy in this is that it was the last supper that Messiah Yeshua ate; He was crucified the next day.
In the celebration of Passover by Messiah, we see the continuity of the Scriptures. We see Messiah's complete obedience to the Father, the promise of redemption, the sacrifice of the true Passover Lamb; in fact we see the fulfillment of the shadow of promise given to Israel in Egypt.
Easter stems from the pagan festival honoring the Babylonian/Assyrian fertility goddess Ishtar. In Sumeria she was known as Inanna, the Egyptians called her Hathor, Quaddesha and Aset, to the Phonecians she was Astarte, to the Hebrews Ashtoreth and Ashera, and to the Philistines Atergatis. Ishtar is also referred to as "the Queen of Heaven" (Jeremiah 7:18). Interestingly, worshipers of this pagen diety believed that she died and was resurrected in three days. All of this began centuries before the birth of Messiah Yeshua.
The festival of Ishtar ("Easter") is celebrated in the spring according to the vernal equinox. The festival is a commemoration of the renewal of life; this is why it is connected with rabbits and eggs. Even the Easter parade can be traced back to ancient Germany, Greece, and even India.
The sunrise service goes back many centuries as well. God even condemns it in the Scriptures: "Then He brought me into the inner court of the Lord's house. And behold, at the entrance to the Temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs to the Temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east; and they were prostrating themselves eastward toward the sun" (Ezekiel 8:16).
According to the Encyclopedia Britannica:
The egg as a symbol of fertility and of renewed life goes back to the ancient Egyptians and Persians, who had also the custom of colouring and eating eggs during their spring festival.... Like the Easter egg, the Easter hare came to Christianity from antiquity. The hare is associated with the moon in the legends of ancient Egypt and other peoples.... Through the fact that the Egyptian word for hare, UM, means also "open" and "period," that hare came to be associated with the idea of periodicity, both lunar and human, and with the beginning of new life in both the young man and young woman, and so a symbol of fertility and of the renewal of life. As such, the hare became linked with Easter... eggs.
Easter is celebrated by the Church as the commemoration of the resurrection of Messiah Yeshua but it's clearly a tradition of man. There is nothing to validate the institution of the celebration of the resurrection by the disciples or the early Church. That's not to nullify that which was accomplished by His resurrection; however, God had already instituted the celebration of First Fruits during Passover in anticipation of the resurrection of Messiah (Leviticus 23.10-14).
The Biblical View of Tradition
God does not care too much for the traditions of man. In fact, His patience is tested with traditions. Before the dispersion in 586 BCE, Israel's relation to God had become a "tradition learned by rote" (Isaiah 29:13/Messiah quotes this same passage in the writings of Matthew and Mark). This is translated from the Hebrew meaning literally the "commandment of rulers". Israel only honored God with their actions, not with their hearts. God's appointed feasts had become Israel's appointed feasts (Isaiah 1:14/Hosea 2:11). The people had begun to walk in their own way and in the desires of their own heart. They did not listen to God, instead their evil increased. It became so bad that God told Jeremiah not to pray for them (Jeremiah 7:8-34). When men transgress the commandments of God and go beyond what He has planned, their hearts become filled with evil. This is the exact pattern which Ha'Satan fell into in the beginning (Ezekiel 28:12b-17). It's only by following the commandments of God that we know what is right and what is wrong.
Yeshua rebuked the Pharisees and scribes regarding the traditions of men:
"neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men." (Mark 7:8)
"and why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?" (Matthew 15:3)
"thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that." (Mark 7:13)
They were so caught up in tradition, they could not see the coming of the Messiah they had been waiting for; they did not know the time of their visitation (Luke 19:44).
John speaks of those who had gone too far in the teaching of Messiah; he says that they do not have God (2 John 1:9). Traditions put men in bondage; the commandments of God make men free. Paul directs us not to follow the traditions of men lest we be taken captive (Colossians 2:8). It is the things of the world that hold us in bondage (Galatians 4:3). The word of God is truth and this truth will set us free (John 8:32).
"To the law and to the testimony? If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn." (Isaiah 8:20)
- 1 Some versions interpret the word in Acts 12:4 as "Easter"; this, however, is an incorrect translation. The Aramaic word is "pascha" which means the Passover supper or lamb. This same word appears in 26 other places in the Scriptures in reference to the Passover celebration.
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