By Angry Old American
Copyright Angry Old American, April 9th, 2023. All Rights Reserved.
For the sake of non-Christians, this article will attempt to describe the significance of Easter. It will also address Easter in the context of modern Western Society.
Somewhere in the past, between the Caveman and the Modern Electro-monkey, parents taught their kids about the consequences of screwing-up. If their beloved kids screwed-up really bad, they could die. So, the elders told stories of all the family screw-ups, and how their lives subsequently turned to sh*t. Eventually those stories were written down, and the screw-ups were called “Sins.”
We need to start at the beginning. According to the story, described in a book called the Bible, the Creator of the celestial and spiritual Heaven and Earth formed humans from matter. The first of our kind to be created was a man named Adam. Why did the Creator make a Man instead of a Woman, or any of the other several dozen genders? How could this be fair? Was this the beginning of equity disparity? None of those questions were ever addressed in the story; it is what it is. The Creator then made a bunch of plants and animals. Back in those days, there were only two genders, male and female, and they were born that way without any personal choice or transitioning. God made a human woman called Eve from one of Adam’s ribs, sort of like cloning before there were test-tubes, and she had absolutely no choice in the matter. Imagine that!
All of the animals and plants that God made were driven by their own unique nature and instincts. God created Adam and Eve with the capacity of “Free-Agency;” in other words, they could make their own choice about what to do. They actually had a choice about screwing-up or not!
Adam and Eve lived in a dandy place called Eden, where they could eat all the stuff they wanted, except from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. There was a deeper allegorical meaning to that tree; but you will need to figure that out on your own. God warned them both that if they ate the fruit of that tree, they would die. This was the first consequence of screwing-up.
Both Adam and Eve were a pair of naked as a jaybird, cabbage-patch kids and pretty naive, but happy; and they both got to hang-out with God up-close and personal. Then came this slick huckster called the Serpent. Both wise and beautiful, the Serpent was an arrogant and willful critter. He did as he pleased, and nobody was going to stop him. Being a Wise-guy, and no common do-as-you’re-told flunky, the Serpent took Adam and Eve for a pair of chumps. He scammed Eve into eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and she convinced Adam to eat some too. Neither one croaked-off, so they figured God’s warning was a bunch of bull, and they would just lie about the whole event.
When God learned about all this, Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden of Eden into Dog-Patch where there was nothing but weeds, stickers and toothy nasty things that go bump in the night. Instead of roaming around a nice smelling garden and picking good-tasting food from vines and trees, they now had to work for it. They had to till the soil, plant seeds, nurture the plants, water, harvest and process the stuff. They may not have died immediately after eating that forbidden fruit, but both of them now had an expiration date. That was also the last time they would ever see or hear from God again. They were on-the-outs.
Did the Serpent get off scott-free? Nope! The Serpent (AKA Satan) got 86ed into Dog-Patch too, and would crawl on his belly at war with humans from that point onward.
Why is this Adam and Eve, Eden and Serpent stuff so important? Because it was the story of “Original Sin,” the first screw-up that led to all the rest. It also marked the beginning of Spiritual Death, or the absence of God’s divine influence in our lives.
Every story from that point onward had worse and worse screw-ups and consequences. It did not take long before the Earth became as bad a mess as it is today. Eventually, God got so fed-up with his creations that the whole shebang was destroyed by a flood; all except for a righteous fella named Noah and his family. Yet, that was not the end to the screw-ups.
That’s where God’s “Prophets” come into the picture. They were special folk who could commune directly with God, just like Adam and Eve had done, and pass on God’s messages to the rest of the people. A prophet named Mosses gave us the “Ten Commandments” that described the things that must be done to preserve a functioning society. Can you imagine that? Commandments and Laws that people had to follow? How oppressive!
Here’s something even more barbaric; humans performed animal sacrifices so they would not have to face the consequences of their own screw-ups. That’s right!
Sometimes the people followed those ten laws, and sometimes they didn’t. Seems that every time they strayed, they got their asses handed to them in a war and wound up in foreign captivity. Coincidence or Consequence?
Yet, God’s Prophets kept coming and passing on important messages. Eventually Jesus was seen as one of those Prophets; and to many followers back then and today, he was very special. Jesus is believed by many to be the “Messiah” or “Christ:” or the one and only begotten Son of God, who was sent to earth to save all humanity.
Jesus taught a whole new set of laws which are found today in the “New Testament” of the Bible. He taught about not only following God’s original commandments, but also practicing forgiveness and love. Many of his Jewish followers expected the Messiah to lead them into freedom from the Roman occupation of Judea. Jesus had other ideas. He was not there to free them from the Romans; but from Sin, and the spiritual consequences of their screw-ups. Humans probably will face earthly consequences for their errant actions, but their spiritual link with God need not be jeopardized.
Instead of being a certified prophet of the Jewish orthodox religious establishment, Jesus was a renegade and taught out in the wilderness. One of the first things that Jesus did was to violently cast out the money changers who held a monopoly on sacrifices from the Holy Temple. This raised the ire of the religious and political establishment because you don’t mess with the Good-Ole-Boy’s money. There were many miracles performed during his lifetime, and Jesus had dominion over the powers of evil (demons) that inhabited men, and he cast them out.
The Sanhedrin, which were a group of Jewish religious and political leaders, got pissed that Jesus did not follow their directions. They conspired to get rid of their opposition, just like any politicians would do today.
That leads us to the story of Easter.
On the first day of the week prior to his death, Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey, with followers placing palm fronds on the ground before him; this is the day now known as “Palm Sunday.” On Monday, the Holy Temple was cleansed by Jesus of the “Money Changers,” who bartered and traded in sacrifices at the Temple. This really enraged the Sanhedrin because you never mess with a fat-cat’s money. Tuesday, one of Jesus’ disciples named Judas bargained with the Sanhedrin to betray Jesus.
On “Holy Wednesday,” or “Silent Day” there is no record, but Jesus is believed to have spent the day in nearby Bethany. Thursday, “Maundy Thursday,” marked the Passover Meal of Jesus and his 12 Disciples, which became known as the “Lord’s Supper.” During the Passover Meal Jesus disclosed that one of his Disciples would betray him. Afterward, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus anguished because he already knew his fate. It was there that he was arrested. Judas received 30 pieces of silver from the Sanhedrin and promptly hung himself.
On what we know today as “Good Friday,” Jesus faced trial before the Sanhedrin before twilight, and was beaten and crowned with thorns. At dawn Jesus faced his second trial before the Roman Governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate. He was crucified that day at 9 AM (Ante Meridiem) on April 8th (April 3rd when gathered from astronomical evidence), 33 AD (Anno Domini “In the year of our Lord”). The earthly death of Jesus did not happen until nearly 6 hours later at approximately 3 PM (Post Meridiem).
On Saturday, the Sabbath, Pilate had guards posted at the tomb of Jesus among family and other mourners. Jesus was resurrected on Sunday, the day we now know as Easter.
Christians believe that Jesus was the Messiah, and that his death was the ultimate sacrifice of God’s Son to atone for the sins of all humans. Through belief, faith, acceptance of God’s Mercy, and adherence to the teachings of Jesus Christ, any of us can be saved from the consequences of our sins. You can be the worst screw-up in the world, and still be saved.
The story has been questioned and challenged over the years. The “Devil is in the Details.” The Julian Calendar of 45 CE (Secular “Common Era”) and Gregorian Calendar of 1752 were two sources of confusion to determine precise dates of antiquity. Christians also had the change of the original Sabbath from Saturday (the seventh day) to Sunday (the first day) under the Roman Emperor and self-appointed Catholic Bishop Constantine, with the first observance in 321 AD. Another significant event in Christianity was the Protestant Reformation led by Martin Luther, commonly dated at October 31st, 1517 in Wittenberg, Saxony.
There have been attempts to attribute the symbols of eggs and rabbits of Easter to the fertility goddess Ishtar. Yet none of these dates, days, orthodox religious institution changes, or symbolism detract from the Biblical story of Jesus Christ. Nor do they detract from the foundation of teachings found in the New Testament.
Rome was a pantheistic culture. Gods from conquered societies were encouraged to be observed, and Rome itself entertained them all. Despite the Roman persecution of Christian Martyrs, the religion flourished. Christianity dominated Western Civilization through the fall of both the Western and Eastern Roman Empires, and on through til modern times.
We now are ruled be a new Pantheistic empire; and at its heart is the old Satanic message “Do what thou will is the whole of the law.” By entertaining lawlessness, our culture embraces a belief that there is no consequence to screwing-up. We go a step further by negating God’s Laws entirely; that theft, robbery, assault, battery and even murder are justified forms of overcoming historical events of ethnic oppression. The result of releasing dangerous criminals from prison and refusing to jail repeat offenders is anarchy.
Sex is no longer related to marriage and procreation, but solely viewed as prurient gratification. Marriage vows and adultery are inconsequential in a society bereft of commitment. Hook-up culture has led to unwanted pregnancies, abortion, and a trend toward infanticide. The hermaphrodite demon Baphomet could be seen as the new god of gender fluidity. Naive and impressionable children are being groomed as sacrifices by this priesthood of anything-goes sexual fixation.
Wrong is now right, and good has become evil. We have “Truth Commissions” that judge facts and honest discourse to be “misinformation.” Lies are reported as “News.”
The books of the Apocalypse, or great Revelation, speak of times like these. It is a time of Tribulation, when the Son of Perdition, the Anti-Christ, is to establish a one world government. This will be a time when the Saints will again be persecuted and martyred. All of those who do not accept the Mark of the Beast will be prevented from buying and selling, and face death.
We find ourselves in a failing society, with a failing economy, social unrest, and on the brink of World War III. With weapons at the ready, will the nations of this world turn them skyward during the day of Our Lord’s Return?
For Christians, it is no mystery why the United States and Western World are collapsing before our eyes. It is no coincidence that this mountain of curses have befallen us. It is God’s judgment, and the consequence of our own collective screw-ups. As a society, we have turned away from the teachings of our Lord Jesus, faith in God, and the grace of God’s mercy.
There is still time to repent and grow stronger in the Word of God.
Happy Easter!
