We are at the end of one of the holiest weeks in the church calendar. This is the week we celebrate the fact that God stepped down from His throne so He could have a personal relationship with us – me and you. Do you know of another god who wants to be your friend, who would leave his palace, his throne, his kingdom so he would walk among his subjects and become intimately acquainted with them, and they with him?

We have already remembered the fact that his life on earth ended in a cruel crucifixion. (Maundy Thursday) It seems not everybody was in agreement with God’s perfect plan- sending His Son to earth to show us the way to heaven. So they killed Him!

He didn’t stay in the grave very long. Tomorrow we celebrate His resurrection.

We “celebrate” something else too. We celebrate Easter. Easter has nothing to do with Jesus resurrection!

“What!” you say. “I didn’t know that!”
Easter was an ancient mythological character worshipped in Babylonia long before Christ. The fact that Easter is mentioned at all in the Bible may have to do with the fact that the Hebrews, who were once slaves in Babylon, probably brought back the name, Easter, and referred to Easter when referring to a day on the calendar, like, “I believe we will see you on Groundhog Day.”


So, in Acts when the word "Easter" was mentioned in the King James Bible, it simply was used to refer to a day on the calendar. On this particular day it was very probable that two or three festivals shared the same day. The spring equinox, a pagan celebration commemorating the stages of the sun and moon, Passover, and Holy Week often fall at the same time. So, in Acts 12:4, “Easter” is simply used as a day on the calendar stating that King Herod intended to bring Peter out for public trial after Easter or Passover.


Before her name evolved to “Easter” her name was Ishtar. Ishtar had a son named Tamuz. He was attacked by a Boar and carried off to the underworld. He became trapped under the earth so his mother had to go rescue him. When she did so, and “resurrected” him, the whole earth broke forth in celebration. This is the story the ancient pagans told to explain spring.

Ishtar’s myths spread throughout the world. Those who worshipped her called her “mother of gods, queen of heaven, fertility goddess” – credited for giving new life.

Today Easter rightfully is celebrated with Easter eggs because Ancient Babylonians believed that Ishtar hatched from an egg that fell from heaven.

Doesn’t have anything to do with the resurrection of Jesus.

We have combined a pagan festival with God’s holiest day! As cultures and religious celebrations evolved so did the festival of Easter. The egg became the focal point as “a symbol of fertility and of renewed life going back to the ancient Egyptians and Persians, who had also the custom of coloring and eating eggs during their spring festival.” -- "Easter", Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th ed.

Decorating eggs came about to honor their pagan gods and were often presented as gifts to other families to bring them fertility and sexual success during the coming year. Also, they were highly worshiped and celebrated during the winter solstice.

So where did the reverence to rabbits surface? The Egyptians and the Persians (Babylon) held rabbits in high esteem because they believed that rabbits first came from the divine Phoenix birds, who once ruled the ancient skies until they were attacked by other gods in a power struggle. When they were struck down, they reincarnated into rabbits, but kept the ability to produce eggs like the ancient birds to show their origins .

Rabbits were worshipped and sacrificed because of their short reproductive cycle and large litters. People have long regarded the rabbit (or hare) as a symbol of fertility.

Visit this site to see what this goddess looked like.

This site gives a much more detailed history of Isthar.

I’m struggling with this knowledge. When Solomon began to “collect” foreign wives, God instructed, “Do not marry them because they will turn your hearts to other gods.” (I Kings 11:2) Solomon disobeyed and soon idols representing other gods began to appear throughout Israel.

I am in constant contact with immigrants who have come to the US. These dear Hispanic women want to know about the bunnies and the Easter eggs. I have to tell them that they have nothing to do with Jesus’ resurrection. We have allowed pagan symbols to contaminate the Word and the Truth! This surprises my friends. They came here thinking we were a Christian nation, pure, holy, and dedicated to the One true God.

I know it may seem that I have just preached a sermon. These are just some facts that surfaced while I researched eggs and bunnies and easter.

WOW – talk about a can of worms.

Until I can get a grip on what I have learned I will simply say,

Have a blessed Resurrection Sunday!