Easter Symbols

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5-7

Easter is coming soon! Stores are filled with jellybeans, peanut butter eggs, and chocolate crosses. Little girls choose new shoes, small boys wear crisp new jeans (with or without holes), and water balloons and giant bubble blowers are squeezed into superhero and unicorn themed baskets. All these things direct our attention to the Messiah who “ascended into heaven and sits on the right hand of God.” Or do they?

How did the modern symbols of Easter evolve from the Biblical scenes involving stones being rolled from caves, disciples touching the Savior’s hands to witness the scars of crucifixion, and the desperate pleas of Jesus’ female believers searching for their Messiah’s body? When Jesus was tried and executed, the great wind and storm that signaled his death on the cross was a momentous message from God; the prophecy has been fulfilled. The human portion of Jesus’ life has ended. As the words of the powerful gospel hymn say, “The strife is o’er, the battle done. The victory of life is won. The song of triumph has begun. Alleluia!” The Savior came to Earth in the form of a human, and he left this human life in pain and agony. Behind him, he left three arduous years of recruiting, teaching, and proselytizing that laid the foundation for the spread of God’s word.

For many centuries, Nordic and Germanic families celebrated the arrival of spring as a new life. Rabbits were used on gravestones to symbolize birth and rapid regrowth. Just as the grass pops to life and turns green, rabbits spread across the fields and new baby bunnies appear. After the long dark winters of northern Europe, the rabbits cheerfully become active and reproduce quickly. Celebrating the return of bunnies to the meadows reminded these nature loving people to find hope of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

Nothing in the Bible refers directly to new clothes, jellybeans, or candy crosses, but as the ages have passed since the original crucifixion of Jesus, believers have found ways to recreate and represent the symbolic rebirth epitomized by Jesus’ resurrection. Turning in our old appearance for a new, spiffier style and celebrating the good news of the Messiah’s rebirth with candy treats, egg hunts, and early morning worship is our modern way of recreating the joy experienced by the witnesses to Jesus’ return from death. So go ahead, enjoy your new clothes, and treats with an understanding that they are symbolic of Christ dying for your sins and ascending into Heaven.

Prayer: As we approach the holy day when you resurrected your son to sit with you in Heaven, help us to be mindful of the ultimate gift you gave us. We will celebrate Easter with all the finery and treats that represent the promise of a human messiah that you fulfilled. We take comfort in another of your promises that our sins will be forgiven at the end of our lives, and we will be invited to dwell eternally with you in heaven. Amen 

Carol McClain (who still feels it’s somewhat sacrilegious to eat a chocolate cross)