Dub McClish
The “Easter” season, involves much more than “Easter Sunday.” It begins with…
1. “Mardi Gras” (French for “Fat Tuesday,” also called “Shrove Tuesday”), referring to the day before the beginning of the traditional season of “Lent,” which is called…
2. “Ash Wednesday” (observers are often marked by an ash “cross” on their foreheads), which continues for 40 days (46 including Sundays), ending at “Easter Sunday.” Six weeks later…
3. “Maundy Thursday” arrives, which, in turn, precedes…
4. “Good Friday,” the alleged day of Jesus’ crucifixion (an ironic name for the day of the Lord’s terrible suffering), and is followed by…
5. “Holy Saturday,” which then leads to…
6. “Easter Sunday,” the supposed anniversary of the Lord’s resurrection.
The “Lenten season” (celebrated by Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and many Protestant churches), is a time during which celebrants are urged repent of and abstain from some vice and/or make some “sacrifice.” Mardi Gras is the Lent-observer’s last chance to engage in excess and uninhibited behavior before the self-denial of Lent limits his or her behavior.
All of the above are practiced in the name of Christianity, which, if genuine, must ever seek its authority from its Founder and Namesake—His New Testament. Which, if any, of these items are even mentioned in the Bible? All of them? three of them? Two of them? None of them? The correct answer is four of them, but not in any way pertaining to any of the foregoing practices.
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The Bible emphasizes 40-day periods numerous times
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Jesus arose from the dead (Mat. 28:1–10, et al.)
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Jesus requires self-denial of His followers (Luke 9:23, et al.)
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Jesus requires men to repent of their sins (Luke 13:3, 5, et al.)
Easter appears in the King James Version (Acts 12:4), but as 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 (certainly so of Mardi Gras!), none of these has any Biblical origin or basis whatsoever. They rather reflect a blend of post-apostolic traditions and Paganism of the Roman Catholic Church, centuries too late to be Scriptural.
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 altering one’s thermostat setting, stopping window/door 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.
