The Easter Bunny

 

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:16-19 ESV).

 

It's always a bit interesting when a preacher uses the symbols of Easter to illustrate a passage like our reading today. However, as you may have surmised by reading Morning Devotionals, I am not the kind of preacher that shies away from a challenge! Today’s reading from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Corinthians is one that emphasizes the incredible miracle that comes through the work of Jesus. He says, “the old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (v. 17). It is emphatically declaring the new life that is ours in Christ. And that is the principle woven into the tradition of the Easter Bunny by the ancient Church.

 

The Bible makes no mention of a long-eared, short-tailed creature who delivers decorated eggs to well-behaved children on Easter Sunday; nevertheless, the Easter bunny has become a prominent symbol of Christianity’s most important holiday. The exact origins of this mythical mammal are unclear, but rabbits, known to be prolific procreators, are an ancient symbol of fertility and new life. According to many sources, the Easter bunny first arrived in America in the 1700s with German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania and transported their tradition of an egg-laying hare called “Osterhase” or “Oschter Haws.” Their children made nests in which this creature could lay its colored eggs. Eventually, the custom spread across the United States and the fabled rabbit’s Easter morning deliveries expanded to include chocolate and other types of candy and gifts, while decorated baskets replaced nests. Additionally, children often left out carrots for the bunny in case he got hungry from all his hopping.

 

Of course, this is more myth than truth; although the focus is correct. In their effort to teach their children the incredible truth of new life in Christ, they appropriated the understanding of the prolific ability of rabbits to bring life into the world. The life generated from a pair of rabbits is temporary; the life Jesus grants to His followers is eternal. Without getting stuck on the symbol, I hope you can see that great truth. Our old way of life was death; our new way of life is an eternity of blessedness in the presence of God! That’s the whole point of the resurrection!