"On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures". It is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead that we celebrate on Easter Day.
The date on which we celebrate it varies from year to year. This is because it is always held on the Sunday after the full moon which follows the vernal equinox (March 21st). On that day, the sun is overhead at the equator, and the length of day and night are equal, hence equinox. The Jewish Passover, when Christ was crucified and rose from the dead is held on the day of the full moon. The church decreed, that as Christ rose on Sunday, so Easter should always be on Sunday. Hence Easter falls on the first Sunday after the full moon.
The moon goes around the earth every 28 days. In the course of the year, there are about 12½ times the moon circles the earth. In devising the calendar, twelve months were chosen, as a month is roughly the time of the moon's cycle. When the moon is directly opposite the sun, and on the side away from the earth, we have the full moon. Sun and moon are directly opposite each other, so for one day only we see the whole of the moon (a full circle). As the moon goes round the earth, the sun is shining on the moon, but we cannot see some of the light because it is on part of the moon away from the earth. The full moon this year is on Saturday 11th April, so the 12th is the Sunday after, hence it is the date of Easter.
The word Easter is said to come from Old English. Literally, the dawn goddess (or rising in the east). It is a very fitting word, concentrating as it does on the rising. Sunday became the holy day for Christians, because of the resurrection. The sabbath which had been Saturday was transferred to Sunday. It is the first day of the week.
In our present secular age, it is very sad to see some calendars and diaries putting Monday as the first day of the week, as if going to work was more important than the Christian faith. Sunday is not just the second day of the week-end.
There seems no reason to doubt that the followers of Christ believed that they encountered a living Christ at Easter. Cynics try to suggest that it was their imagination. Even today, some say that Jesus only fainted on the cross and recovered in the tomb. But everything points to the fact that he was really dead. The gospels record many stories of the Resurrection. From the empty tomb, to the many encounters with the Risen Christ. The words of Mary Magdelen, as she recognised Jesus, 'Rabboni!' Doubting Thomas who had said "Unless I see the marks of the nails, I will not believe!" But he was to kneel before the Risen Christ with the words "My Lord, My God!!"
Paul in one of his letters, talks of an appearance of the Risen Christ to over 500 brothers and sisters at once. He talks of an appearance to James, possibly Christ's brother. Sadly we have no details of these appearances, yet they add to the sightings of our Risen Lord.
When the women came to the grave on Sunday morning, they all wondered how they would remove the stone in front of the grave. But when they arrived, the stone had been rolled away. A famous book was called Who moved the Stone? The writer concluded that the soldiers who had been told to guard the tomb in case the disciples came to steal it away (Matt.27:4—6) were disturbed by the Resurrection, and rolled the stone away. Seeing the grave empty (apart from the grave clothes) they fled in terror. A better explanation than the earthquake and the angel rolling it away (Matt 28:2)
Christ is Risen. He is Risen indeed. Alleluia.
written by Fr Ron Bowles
Return to the Easter 1998 Features page
return to Home page and main index
page last updated 1 APRIL 1998