Egg Hunts and Bunny Rabbits

Of course I felt the need to write something about Easter, and of course it is going to be cynical and expose truths and fallacies in the holiday tradition. This is, after all, the holiest of holy holidays. This, is the celebration of Jesus' death. The day we were set free of death and all sin was forgiven. However, like all other holidays (both Holy and not), the secular world has adopted it for its own purposes and completely strips the meaning from it.

Easter falls one week after Palm Sunday. This holiday, while possessing a silly name, is also a very important day. This is the day Jesus came into Jerusalem in which He was to be put forth on trial, sentenced, and killed. The reason it is called Palm Sunday is because as Jesus rode into town on his lowly and humble donkey, people lay forth palm leaves in front of Him as a makeshift walkway. Like an everyman's 'red carpet'. This day was a very important one in the life of Jesus; it was the culmination of everything he worked and lived for. It was the second to last prophecy He fulfilled and it opened the eyes of thousands of people who otherwise never would have known about Jesus.

During this week Jesus spent His time in and out of Pilate's chambers, conversing with Him and letting him know how it is. He also prepared for what was to come. The last supper falls on this week, and finally, His crucifixion. It was only recently that I figured out how it is considered three days when Jesus was hung on Friday and rose on Sunday. It is not a literal, 72-hour period. Rather, it is the Jewish traditional method in which days are counted by sundowns rather than sunups. Full details can be found (here). Scripture prophecy never says how long the three days are which in Jesus would visit Hell, only that it would fall on three different days. If He was hung on Friday afternoon, consecrated on Saturday, and disappeared Sunday morning-that would make it three days regardless of the time.

Now, Jesus is risen and He begins appearing to His disciples, friends and family, and some serious disbelievers. Don't forget that two other major miracles happened during His death and resurrection. The temple curtain was torn apart, symbolizing mankind's new covenant with God, and a few dozen holy men rose from their graves as well. While the latter only appears in Matthew's gospel and is most likely an urban legend from the time, it is based on some truth.

Another miraculous thing occurred on Saturday, though. All the rabbits in the area-including the dead ones which all resurrected-stole the eggs from all the chickens, dipped them in whatever dyes they could find, and began hiding them throughout the city. People were amazed by this and on Sunday morning while Jesus was being discovered as "missing" the children were all busy finding these wonderful eggs. This account, as well as others like the Mardi Gras celebration and Christmas traditions can be found in the missing Second Book of Acts which described what the disciples told the Pagans to do on the holidays which they wanted to partake in but could not celebrate religiously.

All kidding aside, Easter is to Christians what Yom Kippur is to Hebrews and it is sad to see even it has suffered the secular treatment. I have realized the American church is part to blame in these atrocities but that is a blog for another day.