Here on my blog, I normally write posts concerning our physical health whether it be with nutrition, alternative medicine, toxins being used in our foods and personal products….etc and have also touched on mental health with tips on how to get a better night’s sleep, contentment or how to overcome the stress that surrounds holidays.
But what about spiritual health?
It is important to nourish our bodies and our minds with all that is good, but not too many people think about their spirituality and how that is the MOST important part of us that we need to nourish and grow as human beings.
With Good Friday and Easter Sunday fast approaching, I thought it best to write something that tells the true meaning of Easter and how it directly affects our spiritual health.
And if you are not spiritual, well, maybe it is time you listen very carefully.
I am sure when most people think of “Easter” they think about bunnies, candy, Easter baskets, Easter egg hunts, pastel colors, spring and spring recitals,….etc. And while all of that is fun and cute, it is really the superficial side of Easter and not the spiritual and holy side of the holiday.
There are several theories about how the Easter bunny came to be a symbol of the Easter holiday:
Pagan Tradition: the festival of Eostre, a goddess of fertility whose symbol was a rabbit. Rabbits are associated with extensive breeding so they have long been symbols of fertility
German Immigrants: in the 1700s when they settled in Pennsylvania, they brought their own tradition called “Osterhase”, also known as an egg-laying hare. Children would create nests so that the hare could lays its colored eggs.
For those wondering, the Easter bunny has NOTHING to do with Christianity. It is really just a story told that hides the true meaning of Easter.
So what is the true meaning of Easter?
Easter marks the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, three days after his crucifixion (death) on the cross. As Christians, it is a time of joy to celebrate our Lord and Savior’s Resurrection.
In fact, the whole week prior to Easter is considered to be important. I saw this on Facebook that demonstrates clearly the timeline of this holy week:
The Resurrection is important to everyone as:
- the witness of God’s immense power; by resurrecting Jesus from His grave, God reminds us that he has complete sovereignty over life and death – 1 Corinthians 15:54-55
- it validates who Jesus said He was which is the Messiah and Son of God – Matthew 16:1-4 and 1 Corinthians 15:3-8
- it proves Jesus’ sinless character and divine nature – Psalm 16:10 and Acts 13:32-37
- it validates Old Testament prophecies that foretold Jesus’ death and resurrection – Acts 17:2-3 and Mark 8:31 and Mark 10:34 and 1 Corinthians 15:14-19
- it solidifies the fact that there is no resurrection apart from Christ and no eternal life without Christ – John 11:25 and 1 John 5:11-12 and 1 Corinthians 15:53-57
- it shows Jesus led the way for life after death – 1 Corinthians 15:20 and Hebrews 10:12
- it shows the Resurrection is a victory for every believer – 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Now for skeptics and/or unbelievers out there who claim the Bible is just a book written by men (although these men were indeed inspired by the Spirit to write the words of the Bible) and there is no proof out there about Jesus, I want to share something I saw on YouTube on @PraisePath’s channel. The topic was Prove God is Real Without a Bible Verse.
Jesus died around 30-33 A.D. The book of Genesis happened about 3,000 years BEFORE Jesus’s death on the cross.
If you look at Genesis 5, which is a written account of Adam’s family line, here are the Hebrew names and meanings listed:
- Adam – from “adomah” which means “man”
- Seth – means “appointed”
- Enosh – the root “anash” which means “mortal” or “frail”
- Kenan – means “sorrow” or “dirge” or “elegy”
- Mahalalel – from “mahalal” which means “blessed”; “El” is the name for God so “Mahalalel” means “blessed God”
- Jared – from the verb “yaradh” which means “shall come down”
- Enoch – means “teaching” or “commencement”
- Methuselah – comes from two roots: “muth” which means “death” and “shalach” which means “to bring” or “to send forth”
- Lamech – means “despairing”; the English word we use today is “lament” or “lamentations”
- Noah – from “nacham” which means “to bring relief” or “comfort”
If you take those Hebrew names and list their meanings:
- Man
- Appointed
- Mortal
- Sorrow
- The Blessed God
- Shall Come Down
- Teaching
- His Death Shall Bring
- The Despairing
- Rest or Comfort
In sentence form, it reads: Man appointed sorrow. The blessed God shall come down teaching. His death shall bring the despairing rest or comfort.
How amazing is that? Three thousand years ago the Bible predicted Christ’s death and resurrection.
Still not convinced?
The Bible is confirmed by archaeology! AnsweringGenesis.org gives examples of how we have proof the Bible and its events are real:
The Tel Dan Stele: A stele is an upright stone that is inscribed and used as a monument of an important event or achievement. Rulers and peoples from Egypt, Israel, and across Mesopotamia used these steles to commemorate great victories and accomplishments. This particular stele is extraordinary because carved on its stone face is the expression, “House of David.” This stele affirms that the United Monarchy under King David existed in history and flatly contradicts the long-held opinions of skeptics who denied that David ever existed.
The Meesha Stele: Popularly known as the Moabite Stone, it records the revolt of Meesha, King of Moab, against Israel. This incredible stele mentions Omri, King of Israel, and David of the United Monarchy. It even refers to Yahweh, the unique name of the God of Israel! Together with the testimony from the Tel Dan Stele, we have a powerful external witness that the Bible records the true history of the kings of Israel and their interactions with foreign kings.
The Nabonidus Cylinder: King Nabonidus of Babylonia left a magnificent cuneiform cylinder (wedge-shaped letters inscribed on a clay cylinder) mentioning his elder son, Belshazzar by name. Critics of the Bible had claimed for many years that the account in the book of Daniel was wrong; they said Belshazzar was never a king in Babylon and that Nabonidus was not his father. The discovery of this cylinder clearly showed that these scholars were dead wrong. Indeed, we can now understand the meaning of Daniel 5:16 more precisely where it says, “Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom”. This text now makes perfect sense because Nabonidus was in a coregency with his son Belshazzar, who was the crown prince of Babylon. So that would make Daniel the “third ruler in the kingdom.”
Caiaphas Ossuary: An ossuary was a box constructed to hold the bones of the dead after decomposition. In 1990 a startling discovery was made that shook biblical scholars and archaeologists alike. In the Peace Forest section of Jerusalem was discovered a burial cave containing twelve ossuaries, one of them being none other than that of Caiaphas, the high priest who presided at the trial of Jesus. This amazing discovery provides us with a powerful historical connection to the events described in the Gospels.
Pilate Dedication Stone: In June 1961 an inscription on a limestone block, found at a Roman amphitheater in Caesarea Maritima, rocked the scholarly world. The block, which was once used as a dedication stone of a nearby temple and now reused for seating at the local amphitheater, had an extraordinary inscription. It read: “Tiberieum, (Pon)tius Pilatus, (Praef)ectus Iuda(eae).” Those scholars who questioned Pilate’s existence (and the gospel accounts generally) were silenced with this amazing discovery!
Furthermore, Biblical prophecy is coming true in today’s world, but I will talk about that in a future post.
Also, be wary of stories about how ancient Biblical items have been “found”. Not all have been verified or been seen or proven to be real and most of these stories are based on legends and here say. Some examples of these claims of Biblical items being found are:
The Ark of the Covenant: a golden chest that housed the Ten Commandments given to Moses by God, a golden pot filled with manna and Aaron’s budded rod. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church claims to have the Ark in Axum. The South African people claim the Ark is hidden in the deep caves of the Dumghe Mountains. Rome claimed the Ark was kept in the Basilica of St. John Lateran, but then lost when the basilica was burned. Irish nationalists claimed the Ark was hidden in Egyptian Princess Tea Tephi’s grave as the Princess came to Ireland in the 6th Century to marry Irish King Erimon.
Noah’s Ark: archaeologists in Turkey have claimed to find the remains of a vessel resembling Noah’s Ark. The findings were in the district of Agri, Turkey. The have claimed to have discovered clay materials, marine materials and seafood within the remains which would indicate “human activities” from 5500 to 3000 B.C. Further investigation and testing is still pending and nothing has been confirmed.
Sodom and Gomorrah: archaeologists have claimed to have found the remains of Sodom and Gomorrah near the Dead Sea. They found melted rooftops, disintegrated pottery and unusual rock formations that are associated with intense heat. It has been argued back and forth amongst scientists and Biblical scholars and because of discrepancies in timing and natural science, it has yet to be proven to be the real Sodom and Gomorrah.
If you ask any Christian they do not need hard evidence to know the Bible is real, God is God and Jesus is our Savior and without believing in Him, you will not have eternal life in heaven but in hell. As Christians, we feel His presence; we can hear Him and we can pray to Him no matter if it is in good or bad times. The Bible is also a gateway to God as it is His Word and its verses can offer consolation, hope and healing.
As with the Christmas holiday, churches will be packed with people on Easter Sunday. But how many of these people attending church truly have a relationship with Christ? Are they true believers or do they feel obligated to go to church just because it is Easter?
Are you a true believer? If not, I strongly encourage you to search deep within your heart and feel that piece of your spirit that is missing. The only person who can fill that void is Jesus Christ.
If you want eternal life in Heaven with God, you need to ask God to forgive you of your sins and profess with your tongue that you believe Jesus is the Son of God, who died on the cross for your sins and rose again. Here is the Sinner’s Prayer you may recite:
“Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins and surrender my life. Wash me clean. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. That He died on the cross for my sins and rose again on the third day for my Victory, I believe that in my heart and make confession with my mouth, that Jesus is my Savior and Lord. Amen”
In closing, as we get busy preparing egg hunts, Easter feasts and shopping for Easter outfits, always keep in mind the true meaning of Easter.
Happy Resurrection Day, everybody!
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