In a recent Bible study, the question was asked: “What is the connection between Easter eggs and bunnies and the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ?” Someone suggested that the ‘egg’ represents life. I found that mildly interesting, but then another person exclaimed, “But rabbits don’t lay eggs!” We all laughed, knowing that many of us have participated in Easter egg hunts with children and grandchildren and have enjoyed the excitement of the ‘hunt’ as much as the kids. But then the mood changed as we contemplated the comparison of the two ways of celebrating Easter. Where did the idea of bunnies and Easter eggs come from? I’m confident there is an answer out there somewhere, but frankly, I think it’s irrelevant and a great distraction from the reason for this season.
From Da Vinci’s The Last Supper to Michelangelo’s Pietà much has been written, drawn and documented in various ways 
about the death and resurrection of Jesus. At the risk of appearing redundant or attempting to enlarge on the Christian perspective of what Easter really is all about, I’d like to share a few of Oswald Chambers’s thoughts from My Utmost for His Highest, (1935), a book considered to be the most popular book of daily devotions ever published.
Gethsemane
“We can never fathom the agony in Gethsemane, but at least we need not misunderstand it. It is the agony of God and Man in one, face to face with sin … Gethsemane and Calvary … are the gateway into Life for us.”
As I’ve read through the devotional readings these past days, I’ve come to realize that Jesus didn’t fear death on the cross. As stated in Revelation 13:8, “the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world,” Jesus knew He came to die, and He would die on His terms, not on man’s: “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again” (John 10:18). Chambers points out that Jesus feared He “might not get through as the Son of Man.” Jesus knew Satan couldn’t touch Him as the Son of God; “but Satan’s onslaught was that He [Jesus] would get through as an isolated Figure only; and that would mean that He could be no Saviour” (emphasis added). But Satan lost his final onslaught against our Lord in the Garden! “The agony in Gethsemane is the agony of the Son of God in fulfilling His destiny as the Saviour of the world.” That’s the reason for this season!
The Cross
“The Cross of Jesus is the revelation of God’s judgment on sin. Never tolerate the idea of martyrdom about the Cross of Jesus Christ. The Cross was a superb triumph in which the foundations of hell were shaken…. The Cross did not happen to Jesus (emphasis added) … The Cross is not the cross of a man but the Cross of God … the gateway whereby any individual of the human race can enter into union with God.”
Over the past couple of days, my husband and I have watched The Passion of the Christ, a difficult movie to digest in one sitting. The scene of the crucifixion of Jesus is graphic and moving, so much so that I found myself sitting quietly, wiping my eyes. It is beyond comprehension, inconceivable, unfathomable to understand what Christ endured. He could have called down ten thousand angels and dealt with all the evil, but He chose not to…for us! About Jesus Christ, John Stott called Him, “the Lamb once slain, now glorified.” Billy Graham said, “God proved His love on the Cross. When Christ hung, and bled, and died, it was God saying to the world, ‘I love you.’” That’s the reason for this season!
We may find ourselves getting caught up in the frivolity of the season and forgetting what Christ did for us. Oh, there’s nothing wrong with a fun-filled egg hunt or giving (or receiving!) a stuffed bunny. There’s nothing wrong with buying a new dress or hat, as was done for me as a child. I’m all for that; but we must remember to always include and focus on the true meaning of Easter, the most holy celebration in Christendom.
A closing prayer was shared at the end of a Good Friday service we attended. It was shared in unison, but I’ve chosen to reproduce and modify it slightly to make it personal, offering it as a suggestion on how we each can remember the reason for this season!
The King of glory came down, not to take the throne,
but the cross so that I might have new life.
Thank you, Jesus for providing everlasting life for my soul.
I pray that through the Holy Spirit, my words and works
may serve you better and that I will love you more.
Grant that I may go into the world in the strength of your Spirit,
to give myself to others in the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord.
Amen
Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example,
that you should follow in his steps…
“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross,
so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness;
“by his wounds you have been healed.”
(1 Peter 2:24)
Have a blessed Easter Sunday!
He is risen, indeed!
If you find a quiet moment over the holidays, take a listen to Paul Harvey and the Legend of the Dogwood Tree
Follow Me!