Jesus and the Easter Bunny: How We Include the Gospel of Christ

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christianity, Easter, modernchristianity, religion, resurrection sunday

Courtesy of Ernesto E. Carrasco

Every year on the first Sunday following the full moon or the Paschal (Passover) Moon, Christians around the world celebrate Easter. The way people choose to remember the resurrection of Christ varies. That variation has many factors including culture, denomination, location, etc. In Italy, people light a cart filled with fireworks. Australians have the royal Easter show which is much like a farmer’s market where people display their crops and livestock. In Poland, Christians exchange blessings baskets filled with bread, meats and eggs. In Italy, people make effigies of Judas to burn. Christians in India exchange colorful lanterns and throw street festivals.

As I am a resident in America, I know that we also have some pretty interesting ways to commemorate the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord. We dress our children in pastels, buy them baskets of candy and toys. Some of us go all out and give live bunnies for the occasion. Some churches have special services. Families have special dinners. Again, the way the holy day is remembered, varies. But a trip to Wal-Mart a few days ago made me re-visit my questions about how we celebrate “Easter”. I didn’t dare go down any of the aisles of pastels and candy the store strategically positioned in the front. And I didn’t need to. The writing was literally on the wall.

Over the years, we Christians have incorporated so many practices in the celebration of the Resurrection that a lot of us have forgotten where these practices originated. The word Easter was actually mentioned in the Bible only once in Acts 12:4 in reference to the time of year James was killed by Herod. It was during the time of Easter or Ishtar, which was a celebration of Eostre goddess of spring or fertility.

See Jesus anywhere?

I’m not judging. I did it for years. My parents subjected my siblings and me to “Easter” traditions and rituals. I passed it on for a brief time to my children. The world has incorporated these pagan traditions and rituals into the holiest of holidays.

The truth is bunnies and eggs have nothing to do with the resurrection of Christ and in my opinion should have no part of any commemoration of His death, burial and resurrection.

It was hard for me to explain to children how eggs and candy and Peter Cottontail had anything to do with Jesus. So, I stopped associating these things with the Resurrection of Christ. Like so many others, I started calling this celebration by its name: Resurrection Day.

Now my brothers and sisters, I make no judgement against you for doing these things. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

Colossians 2:16

If we can reach more people with the gospel by being more inclusive, I am in full agreement. I do not judge those who choose to hand out Easter baskets, decorate eggs or buy bunnies for the occasion. I choose not to do so. If anything, I would advocate for baptisms on this holy weekend instead.

Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

Romans 6: 3-5

My only prayer is that we all know and believe the gospel of Christ and that this Resurrection Day is a celebration of the great sacrifice that Jesus Christ made so that we will not have to face the second death on the day of judgement.

This and every holiday or observance that may come, let’s remember that while it is good and albeit at times necessary to incorporate other’s comforts for the sake of sharing the gospel, we must also be careful not to conform to this world but share the gospel of Christ to every person in every culture in all of the world.

Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.

Romans 15:5-7

Where is Jesus?

 

 

 

I have tried many flavors of Christianity. Through years of searching for truth, I have witnessed churches in the Western world commit to all sorts of practices. Some churches believed in clapping their hands, screaming the name of Jesus while sitting on an “altar” to “get saved”. (I’ve even tried this one. It left me a sweaty mess, disappointed and with a dry mouth.)

Some churches “spoke in tongues” which was really a group of people babbling gibberish. No one knew what anyone was saying. (I was taught how to speak in tongues once. I was told to say “ba-ba” like a baby. Then, I was told to say it over and over until the Spirit came.) I remember feeling something that night. But it wasn’t because of my baby talk. I remember praying to God and apologizing for not knowing how to speak to Him in tongues. I said, internally, “God I don’t know what I’m doing but I need you now”. (You see, I was in a low place in my life at that time. I was pregnant, jobless and separated from my husband. I was desperate and willing to try anything.) I felt comfort that night. I was comforted many nights afterward, just praying to God in plain old English.

Some churches like to show off miracles by trying dangerous tricks like handling snakes or guilting their congregation into refusing medical care for serious and sometimes terminal illnesses. One preacher gave a woman dying from breast cancer some “blessed oil” (which was really a bottle of pure olive oil he prayed over) to drink and told her that if she had faith, God would heal her body. Needless to say, the woman died a few months later.

So, you get my point. I have tried several, Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal, Non-denominational, even Jehovah’s Witness. I couldn’t try them all if I wanted. A different denomination is created all of the time. With all this variety of Christian, I am still asking…

Where is Jesus?

Christians today, as I have witnessed, are more interested in chasing fortune, fame, prestigious titles and honor and reverence. Who’s interested in serving God?

I have sat in churches that take several minutes to raise an offering. And you are shamed if you don’t give. If you walk into their building with the wrong clothes on, you are lower than the dirt. (Matthew 6:19-24).

Some churches refuse to welcome people who live an alternative lifestyle (which by the way, is not alternative anymore). Gays and transgender people are not welcome. Mixed race families are not welcome.

Who placed you on the Throne of God?

When was the last time your church gave to the poor? Sheltered the homeless? Or opened your building to house the homeless at night? (God forbid you dirty up your clean sanctuary.) Where does the money in your church bank account go? Mansions, fancy cars, private plans and expensive vacations? Meanwhile the people in your own community are on welfare.

Where is Jesus?

If these churches can answer in the affirmative, you better believe that have practically hired a PR Firm to make sure people know that they’ve done a good deed (Matthew 23:1-8).

I’m no Bible scholar. But I know in my heart that this is not what Jesus intended for the church. The church (people) have compassion for others. They are kind. They are nonjudgmental. They only want to serve God through loving and sharing others. Jesus put no disclaimers on any of this. They don’t need fancy buildings and nice cars. They don’t even need a building. Jesus and his disciples had no building, tent, property or horses to get them to place to place. They literally walked by faith.

Jesus’ message was simple: Love.

³⁴ A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

³⁵ By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

John 13:34-35

These days, Christians are nothing like Jesus Christ. They just stole his name. Christians have no love for Jesus (John 13:15). If we did, we would be obedient.

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. John 13: 21

But we are not, and this is why the world is a cruel Godless place. I, for one, am waiting for the day to be rescued from this place and carried home to paradise. Many will not make it. But sadly, have no idea because they are blinded from the truth.

What is truth?

² By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

³ For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

⁴ And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

1 Corinthians 15:2-4

It’s a pity but very true. A lot of people will hear the Lord say to them “…I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:23).

Friends, don’t let this be you.

Grace and peace,

Blessings and love,