Pascha, Passover & Easter

As King James Bible believers we know the debate from ‘TR Men’, Pseudo King James Onlites and bible agnostics about the word Easter centers on the underlying Greek word Pascha.  As we stated in a previous post in this Easter series, not only did the word Pascha mean Easter in English before it meant Passover, but Easter (then spelled ester) was used every place in the New Testament that is now rendered Passover.  This lack of study into the true history of the word has led many a ‘good’ Christian to simply parrot the lie that Easter is Ishtar started by Bible corrector Alexander Hislop.

Since the AV1611 is our only authority we only need to heed the spiritual words of this Book (John 6:63) and compare spiritual things with spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:13); that is compare scripture with scripture.  The Greek word in question is translated in 26 verses in the New Testament: 1 verse as Easter and 25 verses as Passover.  Read the following verses and see what you notice about the verses that say Passover as compared to the verse that says Easter.

(Matthew 26:2)  Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.

(Matthew 26:17)  Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?

(Matthew 26:18)  And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples.

(Matthew 26:19)  And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover.

(Mark 14:1)  After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death.

(Mark 14:12)  And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover?

(Mark 14:14)  And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?

(Mark 14:16)  And his disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.

(Luke 2:41)  Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.

(Luke 22:1)  Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover.

(Luke 22:7)  Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed.

(Luke 22:8)  And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat.

(Luke 22:11)  And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?

(Luke 22:13)  And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.

(Luke 22:15)  And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:

(John 2:13)  And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,

(John 2:23)  Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.

(John 6:4)  And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.

(John 11:55)  And the Jews' passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves.

(John 12:1)  Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.

(John 13:1)  Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.

(John 18:28)  Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover.

(John 18:39)  But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?

(John 19:14)  And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!

(1 Corinthians 5:7)  Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

(Hebrews 11:28)  Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.

(Acts 12:4)  And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

Notice anything peculiar about the verses?  Ask yourself a question: is the Jewish Passover still a valid feast/celebration?  No.  The Passover feast, as we know, was a shadow or type of the perfect Passover, the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Obviously, God has closed the Book on the Jew and they are in partial blindness (Rom. 11:25) as of right now to this fact.  However, with THE Passover was fulfilled on the cross by the shed blood of Jesus Christ, this makes the Old Testament Jewish Passover feast of none effect or vain.  Therefore, because it has been fulfilled it should have a new name since technically it doesn't exist anymore, shouldn’t it?

Now look back at the previous verses:  Notice that Acts 12:4 is the only time in the New Testament that the word Pascha is referred to in a post-resurrection context.  This fact would demand that Passover be called something else since it is technically a vain celebration by the Jews; hence the English rendering Easter (ester).