Easter is just around the corner and many are excited to celebrate. While Easter is a fun time with egg hunts, pretty pastel colors and chocolate bunnies galore, it is much more important as a religious holiday.
Some of my favorite Easter traditions growing up included dying eggs, opening Easter baskets on Sunday morning, and participating in a church-wide Easter egg hunt on Saturday. I never quite understood the correlation between eggs, bunnies and Christ’s resurrection.
Eggs and bunnies began as pagan symbols of spring and rebirth. However, over time, these symbols merged with Christian tradition. Many say that Easter eggs are representative of Jesus’ emergence from the tomb. Others say they represent the stone that was rolled over Jesus’ tomb. Regardless of which things they could represent, these symbols can still remind us of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.
One thing we should never lose sight of is the original story of Easter. For those who grew up in church or were told Bible stories, the story of Christ’s death and resurrection is well-known. However, the story will never become outdated or irrelevant. It is our living, active testimony. In Matthew 27, we are given the account of Jesus’ crucifixion. The Bible says:
28They stripped him and dressed him in a scarlet robe. 29They twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on his head, and placed a staff in his right hand. And they knelt down before him and mocked him: “Hail, king of the Jews!” 30Then they spat on him, took the staff, and kept hitting him on the head.
Jesus was brutally mocked and whipped before he was taken to the cross. While on the cross, Jesus cried out,“Elí, Elí, lemá sabachtháni?” which is translated as “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus took his final breath, was taken off the cross, and buried. We receive so much blessing from this sacrifice, and this type of love is unfathomable. However, that was not the end.
Mary and Mary Magdalene went to visit Jesus’ tomb on the third day and the stone was rolled away. The men said, “Why are you looking for the living among the dead? He is not here, for he has risen, just as he said!” God’s promise to the world had been fulfilled through Jesus. This may have happened over 2,000 years ago, but this sacrifice is for all time. It will never fade. This Easter, we have the opportunity to celebrate our risen Savior and rejoice that he stands for all time.