Computus

If we thought the Daylight Savings time change was confusing (you know I personally did!), consider Easter.

Jesus rose on the first day of the week following Passover.

Simple, right? Mankind has a way of taking the simple and making it completely un-understandable. Which brings us to computus: a medieval set of tables for calculating astronomical events and movable dates in the calendar. Computus is used to calculate Easter.

There are plenty of website results from Googling “Easter 2013.” Yes, I was trying to do a quick look up ‘cause I forgot that it was March 31 this year. I also treated myself to a brief education as to why there are two dates listed (March 31 and May 5) and why it doesn’t coincide with Passover.

No, I’m not going to go into why – there’s information and links from the Wikipedia answer, along with the list of dates for previous and coming years.

I really don’t care what date is chosen. I do care about focusing attention on Christ’s life, His acceptance of death, the reason for His death – and on His resurrection, the fulfillment of God’s prophecy and promise. No, I can’t give all the verses that give me proof – it takes the entire Bible - all the counsel of God. (Acts 20:27)

Besides, the very act of worshipping on Sunday, the first day of the week, speaks to me of Christ’s resurrection. Every Sunday, every week, I’m reminded that Jesus gave us freedom:

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. (Galatians 5:1)

It takes a study of the allegory in Galatians 4 to understand why Paul tells us to stand fast therefore in liberty. By such liberty, it is not legally essential that we worship on the exact date of His resurrection. It is not legally essential that we celebrate the exact date of His last supper, either. We are instructed to remember:

And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. (1 Corinthians 11:24-25)

It is up to each of us to examine “Why?” Why do we celebrate His birth, remember His death, celebrate His resurrection? What is in us spiritually when we hold these celebrations?

But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. (1 Corinthians 11:28-29)

We are not worthy to celebrate any portion of His life – unless He has made us worthy. It is His gift:

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Ephesians 2:8)

We become worthy only through Him. Remember that, and celebrate.