Next week begins Holy Week. We refer to it as such because it contains several memorable events. First, Jesus enters Jerusalem in triumph. He then cleanses the Temple for the second time. He argues with the Pharisees regarding His authority. He preaches about the end times and teaches many other things, including the signs of His second coming. On Thursday, Jesus eats His Last Supper with His disciples in the upper room, then goes to the garden of Gethsemane to pray and waits for His hour to come. In Gethsemane, Jesus, having been betrayed by Judas, is arrested, and taken to several sham trials before the chief priests, Pontius Pilate, and Herod.
After being convicted with perjured testimony, Jesus was scourged buy Roman soldiers, forced to carry His cross and finally crucified at Golgotha on the day before the Sabbath. His body was buried in Joseph of Arimathea’s family tomb and remained there until Sunday, when He was gloriously resurrected. All these events are critical to Christian faith. And, although, there is no biblical festival to commemorate these events, it is important for us to remember them.
Now, how we got from celebrating the resurrection of Jesus on Easter, to a six-foot bunny who leaves chocolate eggs for us, I have no idea. Eggs, however, are different. There actually is a connection. In fact, at the Passover Seder meal, a hard-boiled egg dipped in salt water symbolizes both new life and the Passover sacrifice offered at the Temple in Jerusalem. Early Christians, recognizing the power of the egg as a symbol for new life, connected eggs to the new life found in the resurrection. Eggs are a perfect Easter symbol, and a symbol of new life in Christ. Consider the following famous verse by Paul, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). The egg is an illustration of the resurrection itself. A chick emerging from its shell represents Jesus emerging from His tomb on Easter.
There is an Eastern Orthodox tradition related to Easter and eggs. According to legend, Mary Magdalene, after the ascension of Christ, went to visit the Roman Emperor Tiberius and greeted him with “Christ is risen!” Whereupon, pointing to an egg on his table, Tiberius replied, “Christ has not risen no more than that egg is red.” It is said that as soon as the emperor made this statement, the egg immediately turned blood red. Mary then began preaching Christianity to him.
Yes, the egg is symbolic of the grave and life renewed by breaking out of it. A symbol of the resurrection – while being dormant it contains a new life sealed within it. So, enjoy your eggs this Easter, whether hard-boiled or chocolate. But remember also what they represent. Easter eggs remind us of the words of the angel at the tomb who said to Mary Magdalene, Salome, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, “He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen” (Matthew 28:5).
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