Easter: Jesus Lives Again!

aster was celebrated at the Glassport Memorial Stadium in Pennsylvania in a most unusual and bizarre way a few years ago. Reportedly, a church celebrated Easter by whipping an Easter bunny during a drama about Jesus’ crucifixion. Chicken eggs were also broken as performers attempted to teach the audience about Jesus’ death. The youth pastor stated that the performance “wasn’t meant to be offensive.” But parents were offended, and one child cried as the bunny was being whipped.[1] His mother reported later, “He was crying and asking me why the bunny was being whipped.”

In April 2004, the city council of St. Paul, Minnesota removed Easter bunny decorations from the lobby of the city council because they were afraid some non-Christians might be offended at the sight of a toy rabbit, some pastel-colored eggs, and a sign with the words “Happy Easter.”[2] “As government, we have a different responsibility about advancing the cause of religion, which we are not going to do,” said council president, Kathy Lantry.[3] What is Easter about?

What Is Easter? What do Easter bunnies and pastel-colored eggs have to do with Jesus Christ? Why did the city council members of St. Paul think that baby rabbits, baby chickens and colored chicken eggs are symbols of the Christian faith? Why did the youth pastor include those symbols in her Easter drama? Are bunnies and chicken eggs symbolic of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ?

Some are quick to say that the Roman Catholic Church invented the Easter eggs and bunnies. One person has asked, “Have you ever wondered where the celebration of the Christian holiday commemorating the resurrection of Christ acquired its unusual name and odd symbols of colored eggs and rabbits?” She offered the answer, “The answer lies in the ingenious way that the Christian church absorbed pagan practices. After discovering that people were more reluctant to give up their holidays and festivals than their gods, they simply incorporated pagan practices into Christian festivals. As recounted by the Venerable Bede, an early Christian writer, clever clerics copied pagan practices and by doing so, made Christianity more palatable to pagan folk reluctant to give up their festivals for somber Christian practices.”[4] She is both correct and wrong. The Roman Catholic Church did adopt some pagan festivals but baby rabbits and colored eggs do not capture the meaning of Easter.

If bunnies, pastel-colored eggs, green grass, chocolate eggs, little chickens, and ribbons do not represent Easter, then what is Easter all about? The answer cannot be found in the chambers of the city council of St. Paul, Minnesota. It is clear that they did not understand the Christian faith.

Events Before The Trial. The answer is found in an event that occurred two thousand years ago - the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ death occurred on a Friday afternoon in March/April A.D. 33. The historic gospels tell us that the Jewish leaders wanted to have Him put to death because they did not like His teachings, His works of power, and His claim that He was God.

For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God. (NASB) John 5:18

Soon after Jesus ministry began, His popularity among the Jewish people increased. He quickly became more popular than John the Baptist. Eventually, the jealous and angry religious leaders desperately wanted Him eliminated. (John 7:1, 19-20, 25; 11:53).

Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council, and were saying, “What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs. If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation. (NASB) John 11:47-48

The chief priests and the scribes were seeking how they might put Him to death; for they were afraid of the people. (NASB) Luke 22:2

The tensions reached a peak after about three years. Finally one evening they discovered how to secretly capture Jesus. Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus’ close disciples, offered to betray Jesus. Judas was like a special Christmas gift to them! They must have rejoiced. The Jewish leaders planned to capture Jesus at night in the dark, in an isolated place when the crowds were not present. Judas agreed and he was given thirty pieces of silver (Matt. 27:3-10). Sometime later after Jesus and His disciples shared the Passover meal, Judas found Jesus in the isolated Garden of Gethsemane and there betrayed Him with a kiss of friendship (John 18:1-11). That was the signal to the solders.

Then the solders asked Jesus if He was “Jesus the Nazarene.” After He said that He was, the solders collapsed to the ground.

He said to them, “I am He.” . . . when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground. (NASB) John 18:5-6

After they picked themselves up, Peter cut-off a servant’s ear. Jesus responded by telling Peter to put his sword away and healing the servant’s ear (Matt. 26:47-56). Then Jesus explained that He (Jesus) was in control of the situation and allowed the soldiers to take Him to the Jewish leaders.

Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? (NASB) Matt. 26:53

The Trials. The soldiers took Jesus to a trial that would be conducted by seventy Jewish religious leaders - the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin was composed mainly of Pharisees and Sadducees. The trial was a mockery. The charges and sentence had already been determined before Jesus arrived. The Jewish religious leaders were just waiting for the victim to arrive. Many false witnesses (Matt. 26:60) were brought before the Sanhedrin court in search of two people who would say the same condemning thing about Jesus (Matt. 26:60-65; Mark 14:57-59). Finally, Jesus gave them what they were failing to obtain from their false witnesses. He gave them His own testimony that He was God (compare Matt. 26:63-64 with John 10:33, 36).

The high priest stood up and came forward and questioned Jesus, saying, “Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?” But He kept silent and did not answer. Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” And Jesus said, “I am . . . (NASB) Mark 14:60-62

2. FoxNews (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,189238,00.html ); Mainstream Iowan Blog (ttp://mainstreamiowan.blogspot.com/2006/04/st-paul-minnesota-and-easter-bunny.html)

3. Wikinews.org (http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Council_pres._removes_Easter_bunny_from_St._Paul,_MN_city_hall)