[B-Greek] Easter question

James Ernest j.d.ernest at bc.edu
Mon Apr 2 00:09:12 EDT 2007


George has already pointed out the synchronism of the death of Jesus
with the Passover sacrifice in John's gospel. See also 1 Cor. 5:11,
KAI GAR TO PASCA hHMWN ETYQH CRISTOS (Christ our Passover was
sacrificed for us).

A look through the headings in the Lampe Patristic Greek Lexicon might
answer the original question:  . . . I. Passover . . .  C. as type 1.
of sacrifice of Christ . . . D. Christ as Christians' Passover . . .
H. Eucharist as Christian Passover . . . II. Easter . . .  It seems a
straightforward enough evolution. Melito of Sardis (or whoever wrote
the Peri Pascha) invented neither the typology, though he certainly
rang the changes on it, nor the annual observance. As far as I know,
when the eventual victors in the Quartodeciman controversy wanted to
separate the timing of the Christian Pascha from that of the Jewish
Pascha, because the Christian feast should always fall on the first
day of the week, they didn't suggest *calling* it something else. "Day
of resurrection" is an alternative formula at least by the fourth
century but not a substitute indicating rejection of the usual
"Pascha."

As to how long it too early Christians to separate out distinct
commemorations of the events of the crucifixion-resurrection
complex--that's a different question, but it seems the Gospel of Mark
either already reflects the observance of Holy Week or else inspires
it.

As to why some modern languages use derivatives of Pascha (e.g.,
French Paques, with circumflex over the "a" representing the lost
"s"), and other don't, and where the Easter bunny came from, etc., --I
don't expect our moderators would see those as questions for this
list.

James Ernest



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