Easter is one of the most significant holidays in the Christian calendar, along with Christ's birth. It occurs when Christians praise and express gratitude for Jesus Christ's Resurrection. Three days after being crucified, dying, and being buried, Christ rose from the dead. Christ did this to defeat death and atone for our sins.
The Easter holiday did fall on the same day as some pagan holidays. Due to the persecution the church endured in its early decades, the church did not begin to celebrate Easter until a specific point; yet, the Christian establishment of the holiday did take place at the same time when another pagan celebration was in full swing. We make an effort to observe this Holy Day by honoring God's triumph over death.
What Easter Means for Students and Teachers at Emmanuel Lutheran School
One of the most significant days in the Christian calendar is Resurrection Sunday, but when competing with chocolate-selling bunnies and egg hunts, it can be challenging to include Easter's importance in school activities. This article will describe what Easter means for students and teachers at Emmanuel Lutheran School.
1. The Definition of Easter
The definition of Easter is “the most important and oldest festival of the Christian Church, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ and held (in the Western Church) between March 21 and April 25, on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the northern spring equinox.”.
The biblical reference to Easter, as The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia explains is this:
"The word does not properly occur in Scripture, although the King James Version has it in Acts 12:4, where it stands for Passover, as it is rightly rendered in the Revised Version (British and American). There is no trace of Easter celebration in the New Testament, though some would see an intimation of it in 1 Corinthians 5:7. The Jewish Christians in the early church continued to celebrate the Passover, regarding Christ as the true paschal lamb, and this naturally passed over into a commemoration of the death and resurrection of our Lord or an Easter feast."
2. The Christian Meaning of Easter
Easter is significant because of Jesus Christ's victory over death. Everyone who puts their faith in Him is given eternal life, which is symbolized by His resurrection. Easter has the objective of fully confirming everything that Jesus said and did during His three-year ministry.
Christ would have been regarded as just another teacher or prophet if He had not either died and been resurrected or just perished. The fact that He rose from the dead, however, refuted all of that and gave definitive, indisputable evidence that He was the Son of God and had conquered death once and for all.
The central message of the Christian gospel is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. If Christ is not raised from the grave, according to Paul, then our preaching and hope are in vain (1 Cor. 15:14). There would undoubtedly be no Christian preaching or faith without the resurrection.
The discouraged group that the Gospel of John portrays as hiding out of dread of the Jews would have remained as the apostles of Christ. Before they encountered the risen Christ, they were in complete despair (John 20:19).
They then ate and drank with Christ while touching the wounds He had received from the spear and nails. All they said and did was based on the resurrection (Acts 2-4): “...for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I have” (Luke 24:39).
Jesus of Nazareth's resurrection validated him as the promised Messiah of Israel as well as the King and Lord of a new Jerusalem, a new heaven, and a new earth.
What Easter Means for Students and Teachers at Emmanuel Lutheran School
At Emmanuel Lutheran School, we observe Easter because it acknowledges that we can put an end to our old way of life and rise to a new life in Christ. Dying to self is a necessity for living a life for Christ. But we have good reason to celebrate both the spiritual resurrection we have already experienced and the bodily resurrection we will soon witness.
In accordance with our guiding principles at Emmanuel Lutheran School, we will incorporate the Christian meaning of Easter in our curriculum and daily activities around the season of Easter. The guiding principle is:
- Integrating God’s Word – ELS’s faculty and staff strive to lead by example, believing that by demonstrating Christ-like love, our students will grow up more confident and eager to do the same.
In the same way, we will celebrate the resurrection of Christ to fulfill our beliefs and values as outlined in the Christian faith.
Lutherans Believe:
- The Bible is the inspired Word of God – it is absolute truth;
- God is one God in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit;
- God the Father sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for all people. When He rose from the dead, Christ overcame sin, death, and the devil and made possible eternal life in Heaven for all who believe in Him;
- God sent the Holy Spirit to empower all believers to live their lives according to His Word.
Lutheran Core Values
- Scripture Alone – God’s revelation of Himself, through the inerrant Word of His Law and Gospel in the Bible, to His most loved creation-man.
- Grace Alone – Only by the empowering grace of God can we hope to approach and understand our Creator. His greatest evidence of grace to us is found in His Son, Jesus Christ.
- Faith Alone – Having begun to see the greatness of God’s love for us as understood in His Word through the gracious intention of His will, our faithful response comes in areas such as:
- Our belief in the saving death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
- Our realization of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit
- Our foundation that life is of God and, as such is always precious
- Our worship of God is active through both corporate fellowship and daily devotions and prayer, and our giving back to God with all that we have and do
- Our relationships with each other are extensions of God’s love
- Our excitement over His love for us compels us to make disciples of all
- Our integrity is seen in every one of our actions
For additional information about our school or to get information about enrolling your child, contact us today. We would be glad to answer any questions you may have.