The Festival of Easter is commemorated to remember and celebrate the occasion of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day following his crucifixion on the cross. Not many people of other religions are aware of this festival as it falls on a Sunday and is not celebrated with that gusto and joy as is done for Christmas. Besides, since it succeeds the 40 days of fasting and penance ending on Good Friday it does not carry the fun element that is part of Christmas. But for the Christian community and the Believers the festival of Easter carries more significance and meaning than the festival of Christmas.
Agnostics and rationalists naturally have their own disbelief on the truth of this Christian belief. The bible itself covers only a small part of the life of Christ appearing to the disciples after the resurrection. One cannot prove or rationalize faith on this matter. It is a question of either you believe or you do not believe. When Christ was put to death on the cross, all his closest disciples ran and hid in fear. When he breathed his last on the cross there were just four people who were close to him who remained till the end. They were Mary his mother, John his closest disciple, Mary Magdalene and another lady also Mary by name. None of the others were around. But the Bible says that after the disciples were convinced that Christ has indeed resurrected and become one with God in divine form, they came out of their feared selves and spread His message and willingly gave up their lives in persecution and death for Him. Remember these were the very same people who had hid in fear before that. What made them give up their fear and come out openly to sacrifice their life for Him.
Jesus Christ was put to death by the Jewish authorities for the following reasons:
1. 1. He questioned the status quo of the Jewish religious law and practices. He preached that all men were equal before God whether they were Jews, Gentiles or Samaritans. This did not go well with the Jewish authorities of that time as they considered themselves more superior by race and God’s preference
2. 2.Christ said that the Love, compassion and forgiveness were of more value than the Laws framed by the Jewish authorities. He said that the Law was for the man and not the other way around. The Jewish high priests did not like him going and healing people and praying over them on the weekly Sabbath day as it was a day of complete rest according to them. Christ questioned them asking in return whether they would not save their sons if they fell in a well on the Sabbath Day.
