Dub McClish
The “Easter” season involves much more than one Sunday. Mardi Gras (1) is French for “Fat Tuesday,” referring to the day before the beginning of the traditional season of “Lent,” (2) which begins on “Ash Wednesday,” (3) the “Lenten” season, (4) then spans the 40 days (46 including the 6 Sundays involved) preceding “Easter,” (5) “Easter Sunday” is allegedly the anniversary of the resurrection day, (6) of Jesus, which occurs 2 days after “Good Friday,” (7) preceded by “Maundy Thursday,” (8) Lenten season, celebrated by Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and many Protestant churches, is a time to deny oneself, (9) and to repent, (10) of some vice(s) or pleasure(s). Mardi Gras is the Lent-observer’s last chance to engage in excess before the self-denial of Lent limits his behavior.
All of the above are practiced in the name of the religion of Jesus Christ, which, if genuine, must ever seek its authority from His New Testament. Which, if any, of these ten items are even mentioned in the Bible? All of them? Seven of them? Two of them? None of them? The correct answer: Four of them.
-
The Bible emphasizes forty-day periods numerous times
-
Jesus arose from the dead (Matt. 28:1-10; et al.)
-
Jesus requires self-denial of His followers (Luke 9:23)
-
Jesus requires men to repent of their sins (Luke 13:3-5)
“Easter” in the King James Version (Acts 12:4) is an unfortunate interpretation rather than a correct translation. The passage refers to the Jewish Passover feast, rather than to Jesus’ resurrection, as subsequent versions correctly translate.
As sincere as many people are in their observance of Lent, Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter—not to mention Mardi Gras—none of these has any Biblical origin or basis whatsoever. Rather, they reflect a blend of Paganism and the corrupted traditions of what became the Roman Catholic Church, centuries after the close of the apostolic era.
The extremes to which some have gone in observing “Lent” may be seen in some religionists who have been seduced by the left-wing political hoax of man-made “climate change.” One group has offered a “Lenten Carbon Fast” Calendar, urging such self-sacrifices as turning down one’s thermostat a degree, checking windows/ doors for drafts, checking one’s auto tire pressure, and buying “renewable energy credits.”
The entire Lenten/Easter “system” is totally devoid of Biblical example or precept—even without the “climate change” absurdity. It is difficult to understand how millions of people can profess to follow Christ while they thus disdain His Word!
