What is Easter?

What Is Easter? Meaning, History, and Why Christians Celebrate the Resurrection

Every year millions of Christians across the world celebrate Easter.

Churches gather for worship. Families share meals together. Songs celebrating hope and resurrection are sung across cultures and languages.

Across Australia and across the world, Easter weekend becomes a moment where faith, tradition, and community intersect.

But what exactly is Easter?

For Christians, Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. According to the New Testament, Jesus was crucified, buried, and then rose from the dead on the third day.

“The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.’” — Matthew 28:5–6 (NIV)

For nearly two thousand years Christians have gathered each year to remember this event.

At Divergent Church, we join the wider Christian church — across traditions, cultures, and generations — in remembering and celebrating Christ’s death and resurrection each Easter.

Easter is not simply a cultural holiday. For Christians, it sits at the very centre of the Christian faith.

Why Easter Is the Most Important Christian Celebration

Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus.

Good Friday remembers his crucifixion.

But Easter celebrates the moment that changes everything, the resurrection.

The Apostle Paul writes in one of the earliest Christian texts...

“And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” — 1 Corinthians 15:14 (NIV)

That is an extraordinary statement. Paul is saying that Christianity ultimately stands or falls on one claim: that Jesus rose from the dead.

Christians believe that through the resurrection:

• Jesus is confirmed as the Son of God

• sin and death have been defeated

• forgiveness and reconciliation with God are possible

• new life begins for those who follow Christ
  

The resurrection is not simply the happy ending to the Easter story. It is the moment that confirms everything Jesus claimed about himself.

Earlier in the Gospel of John, Jesus makes a remarkable declaration:

“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.” John 11:25 (NIV)

For Christians, Easter is the celebration that this promise proved true.

The Events of Easter Weekend

The Christian Easter story unfolds across several days often referred to as Holy Week.

While different Christian traditions observe these days in slightly different ways, the central events remain the same.

Palm Sunday

Holy Week begins with Jesus entering Jerusalem as crowds welcome him.

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” Luke 19:38 (NIV)

People hoped Jesus might be the long-awaited king who would restore Israel.

Yet the kind of kingdom Jesus came to establish was far deeper than political expectations.

Good Friday

Good Friday remembers the crucifixion of Jesus.

According to the Gospels, Jesus was arrested, tried under Roman authority, and executed by crucifixion.

Crucifixion was one of the most brutal forms of execution used in the Roman world.

Yet Christians believe Jesus’ death was not merely a tragic miscarriage of justice.

It was part of God’s redemptive plan.

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.” 1 Peter 2:24 (NIV)

The cross becomes the place where Christians believe God dealt with sin and opened the way for reconciliation.

Easter Sunday

Three days after the crucifixion, the Gospels record that the tomb where Jesus had been buried was found empty.

The first witnesses were women who had come to prepare the body.

Instead, they were greeted with a startling announcement:

“He is not here; he has risen!” Luke 24:6 (NIV)

Over the following weeks, the New Testament records that Jesus appeared to many people.

Paul later summarised these appearances:

“He appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time.” — 1 Corinthians 15:5–6 (NIV)

These encounters transformed fearful followers into bold witnesses whose message eventually spread throughout the Roman world and beyond.

Easter and the Jewish Passover

The timing of Easter is deeply connected to the Jewish festival of Passover.

Passover commemorates the moment when God delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 12).

During the final meal Jesus shared with his disciples — often called the Last Supper — he celebrated the Passover meal.

But he gave it new meaning.

“This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” — Luke 22:19 (NIV)

Early Christians began to understand Jesus’ death through the imagery of Passover.

Paul writes:

“For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” 1 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV)

In other words, just as the original Passover marked Israel’s liberation, Christians believe Jesus’ death and resurrection mark the beginning of a deeper freedom — freedom from sin and death.

Early Christians referred to Easter as Pascha, the Greek and Latin word connected to Passover. Many languages still use this term today.

Where Did the Word “Easter” Come From?

The English word Easter has an interesting history.

Most languages use words derived from Pascha, but English and German use a different term.

Some historians trace the word “Easter” to early Germanic language traditions referring to springtime.

However, the historical evidence is limited, and the earliest detailed reference comes from the 8th-century historian Bede.

Regardless of the linguistic origin of the English word, the Christian celebration itself has always centred on the resurrection of Jesus.

For nearly two millennia Christians across the world have gathered each spring (in the northern hemisphere) or autumn (in the southern hemisphere) to celebrate this defining moment of the Christian story.

Is Easter a Pagan Holiday?

A common question that surfaces online each year is whether Easter has pagan origins.

The short answer is no.

The Christian celebration of Easter developed directly from the events surrounding Jesus’ death and resurrection and from the Jewish Passover context in which those events took place.

The earliest Christians celebrated Easter long before any modern cultural traditions developed around the holiday.

Over time, different cultures have added seasonal customs and family traditions — just as Christmas celebrations include cultural elements beyond the biblical story.

But the core of Easter remains unchanged.

Christians gather to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.

What Easter Means for Christians Today

Easter is not only about remembering something that happened two thousand years ago.

Christians believe the resurrection of Jesus continues to shape life today.

The New Testament repeatedly connects the resurrection to new life.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 1 Peter 1:3 (NIV)

The resurrection means that hope is not simply wishful thinking.

It means death does not have the final word.

It means forgiveness and restoration are possible.

And it means that the kingdom Jesus began continues to grow.

Easter at Divergent Church

At Divergent Church, Easter is a moment where we join the global church in remembering the centre of the Christian story.

Across cultures, languages, and traditions, followers of Jesus gather to celebrate the same truth:

Christ has died.

Christ is risen.

Christ will come again.

Easter reminds us that Christianity is not simply a set of ideas or ethical teachings.

It is rooted in the life, death, and resurrection of a real person, Jesus of Nazareth.

And Christians believe his resurrection changed the course of history.

Explore the Easter Series

This blog is the first in a series exploring the meaning and history of Easter.

In the coming posts we’ll explore questions such as:

• Did Easter come from pagan traditions?

• What do the Easter bunny and eggs actually represent?

• What really happened on Good Friday?

• Did Jesus really rise from the dead?

  
  

Whether you are exploring Christianity for the first time or have celebrated Easter for years, our hope is that this series helps you understand the deeper story behind one of the most significant celebrations in the Christian calendar.

Because for Christians, Easter ultimately points to a simple but profound claim:

Jesus died.

Jesus rose again.

And because of that, hope is alive.