Jehovah's Witnesses and Easter
The above title combines two concepts that are not usually found in the same sentence. Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate Easter—and rightly so. No New Testament Scripture authorizes Christians to observe a special Sunday of the year to honor Jesus' resurrection from the dead. This practice arose from human traditions which came into being after the first century. That is not to say that Jesus' rising from the dead is not important; it is the ultimate proof of His Deity. Paul wrote that Jesus was "declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead" (Rom. 1:4). However, the fact remains that no Bible writer authorized Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, or Easter Sunday, as various religious groups practice.
However, at least they believe that Jesus' crucified body was raised from the dead. Jehovah's Witnesses do not. They teach, according to the Internet, that "Jesus was 'put to death in the flesh' but resurrected 'in the spirit' as a mighty, immortal spirit son." What, then, happened to His physical body? It "was removed by God and disposed of." What about His appearances to His disciples? Oh, uh, He just materialized in various bodies. What happened to them when He was through using them? Silly. He probably just dematerialized them.
Recently, one of our members received an invitation from Jehovah's Witnesses to participate in a MEMORIAL OF JESUS' DEATH. The leaflet says, "At this important event, Jehovah's Witnesses commemorate the death of Jesus just as He commanded. —Luke 22:19." The sister who received this invitation wondered what they are celebrating since they do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God. They believe Jesus was a created being and therefore not part of the Godhead, and they do not believe His body was raised from the dead. But somehow He died for mankind's sins anyway. So, they will remember His death. But why did they only cite Luke 22:19, where He commanded His disciples to eat in remembrance of Him—but not add verse 20, where the cup is mentioned? Hmm.
What about the churches of Christ? We do not observe the manmade traditions involved in "Easter," but we do remember the Lord's Supper—each week, as brethren in the first century did (Acts 20:7). And we take of both the bread and the fruit of the vine, as Paul also described it in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26. And, yes, the Scriptures teach that Jesus' physical body was raised up from the dead. He showed Thomas His nail-scarred hands and the wound made by the spear in His side. These were not fake wounds to impress someone. They were the real thing. Thomas saw them and believed.