Easter 2019: Importance and significance, check out quotes, images, pictures and messages for your loved ones

Resurrection Sunday or the Easter Day is finally here and it’s time for everyone to indulge in festivities and enjoy delicacies. It is the day when Jesus Christ rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. Everyone cheered saying ‘He is risen!’. The day is celebrated with full enthusiasm by Christians all over the world as it marks the resurrection of the Lord. The story goes like this- Lord Christ was crucified and buried on Good Friday, however, on the third day when his disciples visited his grave, they found it empty. While the crucifixion of Christ came as a news to mourn for his people, Easter is celebrated as a Christian feast day as it marks the resurrection of Christ. Easter has no fixed date and is decided by the lunar calendar. This year, Easter falls on April 1.

HISTORY

In the beginning, Easter was not connected with Christ's resurrection from the dead. It was originally a pagan celebration of rebirth that used to happen in early spring. It honoured the pagan Saxon goddess Eastre. After the missionaries converted the Saxons to Christianity, the celebration fell during the same time as that of Christ's resurrection from the dead. Hence, it was merged with the pagan celebration and it came to be known as Easter.

Easter marks the victory of Christ over death. Christ sacrificed his life for mankind. As per Gospel, Christ was found guilty of blasphemy, he proclaimed himself to be the King of Jews. Jesus was betrayed by one of his 12 disciples Judas Iscariot and he was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. When interrogated, Jesus answered nothing. He was sentenced to death by a Roman prefect, Pontius Pilate at the behest of the Isreali priests.

His resurrection is a proof of his divinity. All the four gospels in the New Testament say that those who believe in Jesus's resurrection are blessed with ''the gift of eternal life''.