The Easter Season celebrates the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. After His crucifixion, death, and burial, He rose from the grave on the third day. Through His resurrection, Christ conquered death and redeemed humanity from sin, offering the promise of eternal life to all who believe in Him. Easter proclaims God’s decisive victory over the grave and stands at the very heart of Christian faith and hope.

Easter Sunday is observed on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox. In Western churches, this date is calculated using the Gregorian calendar, while Orthodox churches follow the Julian calendar. Although the celebration of Easter developed within a broader historical context that included other seasonal observances, the Christian focus of Easter has always been the saving work of God accomplished through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection.

The word “Easter” appears in the King James Version of Acts 12:4, where it refers to Passover, as more accurately rendered in the Revised Version (British and American). While there is no explicit command or detailed description of an Easter celebration in the New Testament, its meaning is deeply rooted in apostolic teaching. Saint Paul hints at this connection in 1 Corinthians 5:7:

“Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.”

The Jewish Christians of the early Church continued to observe Passover, recognizing Christ as the true Paschal Lamb. Over time, this understanding naturally developed into a distinct Christian commemoration of the death and resurrection of the Lord—what became known as the Easter feast.

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ affirms the truth of everything He taught and proclaimed during His earthly ministry. Had He remained in the tomb, He might have been remembered only as another teacher or prophet. Instead, His resurrection provided undeniable proof that He is truly the Son of God, who has overcome death once and for all. For this reason, the resurrection stands at the core of the Christian gospel.

Saint Paul emphasizes this truth when he writes, “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (1 Corinthians 15:14). Without the resurrection, there would be no Christian faith, no gospel to proclaim, and no Church. The apostles themselves illustrate this reality. Before encountering the risen Christ, they were fearful and in hiding (John 20:19). After meeting Him—seeing His wounds, eating and drinking with Him—their despair was transformed into bold witness. The resurrection became the foundation of all they preached and lived (Acts 2–4), as Jesus Himself declared:

“A spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have” (Luke 24:39).

Through the resurrection, Jesus of Nazareth is revealed not only as the promised Messiah of Israel, but also as the risen King and Lord who inaugurates a new creation—a new heaven and a new earth. During the Easter Season, which extends across multiple Sundays, the Church continues to celebrate and proclaim this great mystery: Christ is risen, and in Him, death has been defeated forever.