A Superstitious Easter?

For many people, superstition is associated with black cats, broken mirrors, or lucky pennies. Even in an age of so-called scientific advancement, many still knock on wood, avoid walking under ladders, or believe certain numbers bring fortune or doom. Superstition has a place in many cultures around the world, often blending folklore, religion, and personal habits. Some view it as harmless fun; others see it as a genuine force that influences lives.

Biblically, superstition is more than quirky behavior—it’s spiritual distortion. It's the belief that certain actions, objects, or traditions carry spiritual meaning and significance when God himself hasn't made that connection. In the Areopagus, the Apostle Paul criticized the Athenians for being "very religious" or "superstitious" because their worship was directed toward the unknown – their worship was shaped by ignorance rather than the revelation of God.

Our hearts can harbor that kind of superstition when we: teach as doctrine the commandments of men (Matt. 15:9), attribute godliness to man-made regulations (Col. 2:21-22), or try to please God by ways other than what he has revealed in Scripture. All of these are examples of thinking something carries spiritual meaning when God hasn't said so.

That can be hard for us to acknowledge. Why? Because it means admitting that we all believe and practice certain things that have the appearance of being "very religious" but actually lack spiritual truth and power. When that's done in the context of worship, superstition becomes a form of idolatry. If you want to be a mature and discerning Christian, then the Bible calls us to renounce it – not merely as irrational, but as something that is potentially spiritual dangerous.

Now to apply this where it might hurt. In a couple of days, myriads of people will flow into churches for the celebration of "Easter Sunday." Easter, as we all know, is an annual commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave. Some who cross the threshold will not have been in church since last Easter, and I suspect there will be a few who won't return until next Easter. In our broader culture, this day is esteemed as "very religious" – even by the irreligious!

Easter superstition is a very real thing. By that, I don't mean that a belief in or celebration of the resurrection of Jesus is superstitious. But the man-made setting apart of one Sunday (from the other 51 in the calendar year) and believing it carries extra spiritual weight or has implicit divine expectations or binds conscience to tradition, is, at least functionally, superstitious.

Growing up in an evangelical context, I was told by some that Easter was the most important day of the year – more important than Christmas. Of all the Sundays in the year it was the only one when church should not (could not!) be missed. I was encouraged by a mentor to make it my "favorite day" because it was the day Jesus rose from the dead. It was also the day that required me to dress my best and, in fact, was the one time I thought wearing a suit and tie to church was non-negotiable. As a young man, I believed God required more of me on Easter than any other day of the year. I did my best not to sin and dishonor him – especially by not being more excited about Easter eggs and chocolate than singing with gusto "Up from the grave He arose!"

I even remember sensing offense the first time I learned that some pastors don't preach an "Easter sermon" focused particularly on the historical fact and meaning of the resurrection. It was unthinkable to me that anything else could – or should – be preached. That wasn't simply because everyone was thinking and talking about Easter and I thought a pastor would be wise to accommodate his cultural context. It was more than that to me. To me, it was as unthinkable as not wishing my parents a happy anniversary or my best friend a happy birthday. To not preach particularly on the resurrection, I thought, was ungrateful and unholy – as if God himself was displeased with any other biblical truth being preached on that day. To be honest, even though I don't often preach specifically on the resurrection on Easter, to this day I feel a bit of self-imposed discomfort when I don't.

The discerning Christian is commanded in the Bible to "test everything" (1 Thess. 5:21). We should be willing to test the esteem, excitement, and expectation our hearts often put on Easter Sunday. Does God esteem this one day as something special? Is God more excited about this one day than other Sundays? Does God have certain and unique expectations about what's to be said and done on this day? How would you biblically answer those questions? And if the answer is "No," ask yourself: "If not God, why do I?"

The truth is, it's superstitious to treat Easter Sunday as the day-of-days. As significant as the resurrection of Jesus Christ is (and it is!), there's not a shred of biblical evidence that God expects an annual celebration of it on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox. There's no biblical basis to think that this one Lord's Day is more important or special than the other fifty-one. There's no biblical rationale to believe we need to please God – or that he is more pleased – with a new outfit, man-made rules, or a tailored message on the empty tomb. It's superstitious to believe there's unique spiritual significance attached to Easter Sunday, because however "very religious" it may appear to be, it's a tradition that stands outside of the revelation of God.

In my own experience, it took a long time to unwind my attitude and heart from the superstitions that almost universally accompany Easter Sunday. It's not that I'm ungrateful for the resurrection of Christ, there's no hope without it! As a pastor, there isn't a Sunday that passes where our congregation isn't reminded of this central fact of the gospel. But our worship is to be directed by the revelation of God – by what God himself has said in the Bible. We don't get to assign spiritual significance to traditions, practices, or expectations where God hasn't. As the Westminster Confession of Faith rightly says: "God alone is Lord of the conscience, and hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in anything contrary to his Word, or beside it, in matters of faith or worship" (20.2).

We may not like asking ourselves the question, but we need to: "Is God pleased with the unique religious significance given to Easter Sunday?" The only right way to answer that question – to discern what is and is not pleasing to God – is to answer it by the Bible. And the Bible doesn't say God treats Easter Sunday with singular importance. Therefore, to do so is to assign spiritual significance to what God has not, and that's superstitious.

There's something better than setting aside Easter to commemorate the resurrection. To treat one Sunday as if it carries greater spiritual significance isn't to honor the resurrection more, but to misunderstand how God has appointed it to be remembered. What many people concentrate into an annual remembrance, God has distributed to every Lord's Day of the year. He intends it to set the rhythm of every week as we gather on the first day to remember Jesus Christ raised from the dead, and to orient the week ahead on his accomplished work.

(A version of this article was originally published April 2025)