The word “Easter”

Apply the blood of Christ

By Craig C. White

As you will soon see, the translators of the King James Bible couldn’t tell the difference between Easter or Passover. Still they weren’t too far from the truth. As it turns out that Easter and Passover have the same application.

Act 12:4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

The word “Easter” appears in the King James bible only once. Now this word is a little misplaced. Easter is a word that the old English speaking “King James Bible” translators chose. For them Easter was a familiar holy-day. But Easter was not what the original Greek text had in mind. The original Greek word is pascha. It means “The Passover”.

Here is the definition of pascha from the Strong Greek dictionary.

pascha
pas’-khah
Of Chaldee origin; the Passover (the meal, the day, the festival or the special sacrifices connected with it): – Easter, Passover.

Passover celebrates Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. God sent a plague of death among the firstborn of the Egyptians. God told Israel to put the blood of a sacrificed lamb on the doorposts of their homes. The applied blood caused the death angel to “pass over” the homes of the Hebrews, sparing the firstborn child of each family.

According to Leviticus 23:5 Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of Nissan (March or April) and lasts seven days (Leviticus 23:6). The Feast of Unleavened Bread begins on Nissan 15.

Here are the instructions for the first Passover along with its dramatic results.

Exodus 12:21-30 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover. 22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. 23 For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. 24 And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever. 25 And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service. 26 And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? 27 That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD’S passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped. 28 And the children of Israel went away, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they. 29 And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle. 30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead.

Without applying the blood of the lamb the first born among the Egyptians died. Only by applying the blood did death pass-over their homes.

According to 1 Corinthians below, Jesus Christ is our passover (pascha). When we apply his blood, death passes over us. We may die once, but we will one day be raised to everlasting life; and we will be raised in our bodies! Christ defeated the power of sin and death. Just as Jesus could not be held in the grave; death can no longer keep those who are covered by Jesus blood. So in both Easter or Passover you must apply the blood in order to live.

1Corinthians 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

For all believers Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from death. Because he rose we can be certain that we will rise likewise (Act 17:31).

Be certain that you have applied the blood of Jesus Christ on this Passover, or Resurrection Day, or as King James would say “Easter”.