This is the last article on religions in the spring series. Easter may be known for chocolate bunnies and marshmallow peeps but there is a happy joy behind it. The Christian Bible states that Jesus rose from the dead on Easter. It shows that Jesus had defeated death by being resurrected.
Sophomore Lee Rousseau said, “Jesus died on Good Friday. On Holy Saturday, he spent the day dead and was buried in a tomb. On the third day, he had risen from the dead.”
According to Bible and religious scholars, Jesus was killed the same time the Passover lambs were being slain to prepare for Passover. Jesus was whipped beforehand and tortured. He wore a crown of thorns and was mocked according to Luke 22:63-64. John 19:31-37 explains while Jesus hung on the cross a soldier pierced his side to make sure he truly was dead. He was buried in a tomb blocked by a large boulder, but on the third day, a Sunday, Jesus rolled the rock away and walked out alive.
Freshman Remi Jackson said, “Easter is the celebration of the fact that Jesus truly defeated death. His resurrection proves the fact that he truly was the extension of God to us in human form.”
Luke 24:1-12 explains how women went to tend to Jesus’s dead body but were surprised to see that the boulder was rolled away. An angel was there and said Jesus wasn’t there and they ran to tell the disciples the good news. The first person Jesus showed himself to was Mary Magdalene, who was weeping in the garden. Jesus showed that he was alive and told her he had big plans for the world.
Junior Aevri Harrington said, “It’s a time to remember what Jesus did. I think that everyday we should be thinking about [his resurrection]. I think Easter is a time everybody can come together and really remember because it’s a holiday.”
When people think of Easter they think of certain symbols, whether it be the Easter bunny and candy eggs or a cross for Jesus.
Harrington said, “I think of the crown of thorns he was forced to wear. That’s a symbol, and it’s a really sad symbol to me. I think It’s something that a lot of people don’t grasp that Jesus was literally tortured being nailed to the cross.”
People think about the tombstone and the sunrise for Easter. People also think about flowers and spring.
Jackson said, “When I think of Easter I oftentimes I think about light. I think about when he came out of the temple and all the rejoicing.”
The gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in the New Testament talk about how Jesus was killed. Matthew talks about the timeline in which everything happened. Mark talks more about how people rejected Jesus and his suffering as we can see in Mark 15:16-20. Luke 23:32-43 tells the story of Jesus with people and how he was able to save one of the two criminals beside him. John talks about how Jesus’s death fulfilled the prophecies from the Old Testament.
Sophomore Audrey Ehresman said, “We normally go to my grandmother’s house. We hang out with all of our family, which is a lot of us. We have a huge buffet of food.”
Easter is a time for families to get together and spend time in remembrance. Like Passover, the holiday seems like it would be very somber, but Easter is very cheerful. People make deviled eggs, sourdough, and ham. They also make crafts and origami flowers.
Junior Tyler Compton said, “My family and I attend a church service and then we keep it family based, so we’ll watch an Easter movie and stuff like that. I usually read a devotional … Normally it’s just me and my mom but that’s like one holiday my whole family goes to church.”
Some people celebrate Easter from the traditions found in Paganism. The traditions between the Pagan holiday and the Christian holiday are different. Some of the nowadays traditions may be secular, but the religious part has been celebrated since the early church was founded.
Rousseau said, “The name comes from a Pagan tradition. That was their spring celebration. It had to do with a goddess named Eostre.”
Easter egg hunts and candy can bring people who would not usually be interested in religion to church. It also brings together a community.
Harrington said, “I really like going to church and seeing new faces or having a new community. I like when everybody’s singing in church and coming together.”
