Like many holidays, Easter has become a commercial giant. The National Retail Federation says consumers will spend about $24 billion this Easter season. Most families will spend nearly $200 apiece on things like baskets, chocolate, and other gifts.
As with Christmas, the spiritual implications of Easter are often lost. So we thought we’d share some little-known facts about Easter, some of which you can find right in your Bible.
The stone was rolled away for you and me, not for Jesus to escape.
The angel at the tomb was there for you and me. There is no mention of Jesus coming out of the tomb, but the angel hung around for everyone to see — and talk with. “His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.” (Matt. 28:3-4). The next verse says the angel spoke to “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary.” The angel gave them a message for Jesus’ followers. No mention of Jesus other than “He is not here…”
Jesus wasn’t the only one who was resurrected.
Interestingly, and often overlooked, there was an earthquake at the crucifixion. As you can see in the scripture below, tombs were opened then, and those people came to life too.
“At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people” (Matt. 27:51-52 NIV).
An earthquake started and ended the most important events in history.
When Jesus “gave up his spirit” at the crucifixion, the Bible says, “…the earth shook, the rocks split…” and when the resurrection occurred, it began with a “violent earthquake.” Since earthquakes played such an essential part in the resurrection, is it any wonder that earthquakes will also be a part of the end times (“…earthquakes in divers places…”)?
Good Friday is not a national holiday, but …
Twelve states — Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Texas, and Tennessee — do consider it a holiday, and state offices and businesses are closed. Banks, the post office, and other federal offices are open on Good Friday.
Unlike Christmas or other holidays, the date of Easter changes every year.
Yes, it’s always on Sunday, but it usually occurs from mid-March to mid-April. Typically, Christians celebrate Easter near the time of Passover. Around 325 AD, the Council of Nicaea determined that Easter would fall on the first Sunday after the full moon on or after the spring equinox. If the full moon falls on a Sunday, then Easter is the following Sunday. If you’d like to learn more about this aspect of Easter, you can go here.
Lillies are the official flower of Easter.
Lillies are mentioned throughout the Bible; Jesus suggests we are to “consider the lilies of the field” in Matthew 6. The lily is a trumpet-shaped flower that often adorns churches on Easter Sunday. The white color of the flowers represents peace, hope, and purity. There are several theories about the Easter lily, and you can read about them here.
Easter is the oldest holiday.
Though Christians celebrated the resurrection often, Easter originated in the second century.
Why is it called Good Friday?
What many thought to be at the time a “bad” day — the day that Jesus was crucified — the Friday before the resurrection is actually the day that began the atonement of our sins. It is called Good Friday because of the significance of the events and the ultimate sacrifice. The name Good Friday is thought to be used first around 1295.