What does Easter mean?
Mar 31, 2010
WHY do we call the death of Jesus “Easter†and not “Wester?â€. There was a person called Jesus Christ, a son of a woman called Mary who was engaged to a man called Joseph. These were Jews. Jesus Christ claimed to be a son of a super being referred to as ‘God’.
By Kajabago Ka-Rusoke
WHY do we call the death of Jesus “Easter†and not “Wester?â€. There was a person called Jesus Christ, a son of a woman called Mary who was engaged to a man called Joseph. These were Jews. Jesus Christ claimed to be a son of a super being referred to as ‘God’.
Jesus spent 40 days in an isolated in Judea contemplating how he would become a spiritual and earthly saviour of humanity in Judea. This is what is called Lent — meaning, “fastingâ€. His intentions and world outlook were misunderstood, doubted, questioned, suspected of being likely to mislead the Judean society from what was considered normally correct. He was, therefore, followed up spied upon, eventually arrested and finally killed.
The method, which was used to kill him, was to hang his body on joined pieces of wood where his arms were hanged horizontally while the rest of his body hanging vertically all by means of nails.
That method of killing a person was referred to as “crucifixion†— the act of crucifying. Jesus was crucified on a Friday and is said to have spent a day in a grave while on Sunday he resurrected. All these events took place in those areas during a season called spring. But people known as Anglo-Saxons are said to have had a female god, i.e. goddess, who was the goddess of that season. Her name was Eastre. This season is named after her and is, therefore, called Easter and all the holidays that take place during this season are referred to as Easter holidays. She was the goddess of Spring. “Easter†is a festival celebrated by all those who believe that Jesus resurrected on that Sunday that followed his crucifixion. This event is the keystone of faith and hope on the part of all those who believe that Jesus Christ existed, was crucified, died and buried and on the third day resurrected from the grave.
The Jews crucified Jesus during an event when they were commemorating their success of leaving Egypt after leaving slavery under the Kushite rule in that country. This event is referred to as “Passoverâ€.
What is the meaning of “Passover?
Time came when the Jews rejected being slaves in Egypt. They developed methods of work for rebellion. One was forming an underground secret organisation for sensitising Jews against rule by the Egyptian King “Pharaohâ€. This was characterised by meetings where decisions were made that Jews should leave Egypt.
They decided that every Jewish family should slaughter a lamb whose blood should be smeared at the doorway of every homestead of a Jew, so that before they leave or, as they are leaving, wherever they find no blood stains they destroy that home because that must be Egyptian, but where the find blood stains they “Passoverâ€. They carried out genocide and succeeded in leaving Egypt. Leaving Egypt in big numbers is what they refer to as “Exodusâ€. So the Jews always commemorate “Passoverâ€, remembering it as the time they were emancipated from slavery in Egypt.
Before the celebration of Passover there happens to be an astronomical event There are two opposite points at which the sun crosses the Equator. This leads towards days and nights being equal. In spring it is about March 21 and is referred to as either vernal or spring equinox whereas during autumn it is about September 21 and is referred to as autumnal equinox because qf the autumn season. After this astronomical event, there appears a full moon. It is during this season of this full moon during spring season that the Jews celebrate “Passover’. Their feast of Passover is referred to as pascha.
The first Sunday after the full moon during which the Jews celebrate Passover is what is called Easter Sunday named after Eastre the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring.
Good Friday is the friday before Easter Sunday when Jesus Christ was crucified. The adjective “Good†describing the noun “Friday†is suspected of having a connotation for “God†who is believed to be the father of Jesus. That is why it may not be necessarily ‘Good’ Friday but ‘God’s’ Friday since the blood from the crucified son of God is supposed to save humanity from sin.
There are also week days which are connected with Easter. For example there is Shrove Tuesday before lent that is fasting. On this day people confess and meditate their sin. This is followed by Ash Wednesday when ash is sprinkled on people’s heads, again in the name of confession and repentance.
Lent is forty days before Easter. Then the seventh Sunday after Easter Christians celebrate the coming down of a “Ghost†which was believed to be “Holy†to all early followers of Christ, 50 days after his resurrection. This marks the beginning of the Christian church. Here there are two types of festivals. One is called Pentecost.
The word is Greek and means “fiftieth†because of the fifty days which are observed after the resurrection of Christ this seventh Sunday after Easter is also referred ‘to as “Whitsunday†‘meaning “white†Sunday. It is called “white†because of the white robes which are worn by persons who are recently baptised. All these put together constitute explain the phenomenon of “Easter’
Points arising from the concept of Easter
-Slavery on the part of the Jews was bad and unfortunate.
-How should a slave or a slave maid have liberated himself or herself? Was genocide the only alternative? Because whichever way liberation from the same should not and never in any way be concerned. If anything, it is an ideal, appropriate and, welcome move in favour of what should be irreversible human welfare, dignity and ideality. Slavery should not exist .
-Jesus says when one hits your left cheek let him hit your right one also. This means retaliation or revenge is wrong.
-Jesus comes across a citrus tree without fruits. He curses it and it dries up. Was it the fault of the tree not to have fruits? Should a barren lady for example be killed?
-Jesus celebrates and commemorates the Passover feast indicating that he supported Jewish genocide in Egypt.
Conclusion
The life and teaching of Christ appear with a lot of contradictions. On one hand they have a great deal of good and moral ideality. One the other, they have negative aspects and features of life both in nature and society.
Uganda’s political organisation known as the national resistance movement (NRM) has used military methods to overthrow anti people regimes, but did not carry out genocide among the population of ethnic groups from which the armed anti people forces originated. NRM only organised all masses at a national scale and level to fight against only those who are wrong, but not according to ethnic approach and discrimination.
It is not religion that can change society. It is the historically placed nature of a given socio-economic formation that changes the type of religion clearly accepted as correct.
The writer is a lecturer of philosophy at the Kyankwanzi School of Science
WHY do we call the death of Jesus “Easter†and not “Wester?â€. There was a person called Jesus Christ, a son of a woman called Mary who was engaged to a man called Joseph. These were Jews. Jesus Christ claimed to be a son of a super being referred to as ‘God’.
Jesus spent 40 days in an isolated in Judea contemplating how he would become a spiritual and earthly saviour of humanity in Judea. This is what is called Lent — meaning, “fastingâ€. His intentions and world outlook were misunderstood, doubted, questioned, suspected of being likely to mislead the Judean society from what was considered normally correct. He was, therefore, followed up spied upon, eventually arrested and finally killed.
The method, which was used to kill him, was to hang his body on joined pieces of wood where his arms were hanged horizontally while the rest of his body hanging vertically all by means of nails.
That method of killing a person was referred to as “crucifixion†— the act of crucifying. Jesus was crucified on a Friday and is said to have spent a day in a grave while on Sunday he resurrected. All these events took place in those areas during a season called spring. But people known as Anglo-Saxons are said to have had a female god, i.e. goddess, who was the goddess of that season. Her name was Eastre. This season is named after her and is, therefore, called Easter and all the holidays that take place during this season are referred to as Easter holidays. She was the goddess of Spring. “Easter†is a festival celebrated by all those who believe that Jesus resurrected on that Sunday that followed his crucifixion. This event is the keystone of faith and hope on the part of all those who believe that Jesus Christ existed, was crucified, died and buried and on the third day resurrected from the grave.
The Jews crucified Jesus during an event when they were commemorating their success of leaving Egypt after leaving slavery under the Kushite rule in that country. This event is referred to as “Passoverâ€.
What is the meaning of “Passover?
Time came when the Jews rejected being slaves in Egypt. They developed methods of work for rebellion. One was forming an underground secret organisation for sensitising Jews against rule by the Egyptian King “Pharaohâ€. This was characterised by meetings where decisions were made that Jews should leave Egypt.
They decided that every Jewish family should slaughter a lamb whose blood should be smeared at the doorway of every homestead of a Jew, so that before they leave or, as they are leaving, wherever they find no blood stains they destroy that home because that must be Egyptian, but where the find blood stains they “Passoverâ€. They carried out genocide and succeeded in leaving Egypt. Leaving Egypt in big numbers is what they refer to as “Exodusâ€. So the Jews always commemorate “Passoverâ€, remembering it as the time they were emancipated from slavery in Egypt.
Before the celebration of Passover there happens to be an astronomical event There are two opposite points at which the sun crosses the Equator. This leads towards days and nights being equal. In spring it is about March 21 and is referred to as either vernal or spring equinox whereas during autumn it is about September 21 and is referred to as autumnal equinox because qf the autumn season. After this astronomical event, there appears a full moon. It is during this season of this full moon during spring season that the Jews celebrate “Passover’. Their feast of Passover is referred to as pascha.
The first Sunday after the full moon during which the Jews celebrate Passover is what is called Easter Sunday named after Eastre the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring.
Good Friday is the friday before Easter Sunday when Jesus Christ was crucified. The adjective “Good†describing the noun “Friday†is suspected of having a connotation for “God†who is believed to be the father of Jesus. That is why it may not be necessarily ‘Good’ Friday but ‘God’s’ Friday since the blood from the crucified son of God is supposed to save humanity from sin.
There are also week days which are connected with Easter. For example there is Shrove Tuesday before lent that is fasting. On this day people confess and meditate their sin. This is followed by Ash Wednesday when ash is sprinkled on people’s heads, again in the name of confession and repentance.
Lent is forty days before Easter. Then the seventh Sunday after Easter Christians celebrate the coming down of a “Ghost†which was believed to be “Holy†to all early followers of Christ, 50 days after his resurrection. This marks the beginning of the Christian church. Here there are two types of festivals. One is called Pentecost.
The word is Greek and means “fiftieth†because of the fifty days which are observed after the resurrection of Christ this seventh Sunday after Easter is also referred ‘to as “Whitsunday†‘meaning “white†Sunday. It is called “white†because of the white robes which are worn by persons who are recently baptised. All these put together constitute explain the phenomenon of “Easter’
Points arising from the concept of Easter
-Slavery on the part of the Jews was bad and unfortunate.
-How should a slave or a slave maid have liberated himself or herself? Was genocide the only alternative? Because whichever way liberation from the same should not and never in any way be concerned. If anything, it is an ideal, appropriate and, welcome move in favour of what should be irreversible human welfare, dignity and ideality. Slavery should not exist .
-Jesus says when one hits your left cheek let him hit your right one also. This means retaliation or revenge is wrong.
-Jesus comes across a citrus tree without fruits. He curses it and it dries up. Was it the fault of the tree not to have fruits? Should a barren lady for example be killed?
-Jesus celebrates and commemorates the Passover feast indicating that he supported Jewish genocide in Egypt.
Conclusion
The life and teaching of Christ appear with a lot of contradictions. On one hand they have a great deal of good and moral ideality. One the other, they have negative aspects and features of life both in nature and society.
Uganda’s political organisation known as the national resistance movement (NRM) has used military methods to overthrow anti people regimes, but did not carry out genocide among the population of ethnic groups from which the armed anti people forces originated. NRM only organised all masses at a national scale and level to fight against only those who are wrong, but not according to ethnic approach and discrimination.
It is not religion that can change society. It is the historically placed nature of a given socio-economic formation that changes the type of religion clearly accepted as correct.
The writer is a lecturer of philosophy at the Kyankwanzi School of Science