Wisdom from my 5 year old.
In recent years I have become more uncomfortable at how the time we set aside to celebrate Christ’s resurrection has been usurped by commercialism and symbols of Ishtar/Eoster. The Baskets, the fertility eggs and rabbits – really find no identity based in Jesus rising from the grave. I’ve looked in all four Gospels. And interestingly enough I have heard from more than one person that they disbelieve the resurrection the same way they disbelieve the Easter bunny.
On the flip side companies have marketed chocolate crosses. Some filled with caramel. What? I can think of nothing more repulsive than a chocolate cross. An instrument of humiliation and excruciating torture and death...yum! Do we market chocolate handguns? Chocolate nooses? Electric chairs? But I digest...digress...whatever.
I will admit however, that I love the taste of those chocolate rodents. Especially if Dove makes them.
This year I decided to get my kids chocolate bunnies and give them these treats today – a full 2 weeks before what’s commonly called “Easter.”
“Kids,” I said, “you know how at Christmastime we have eggnog? It has nothing to do with Jesus, but we enjoy it as a treat? Same thing with these bunnies. They’re yummy and remind us of springtime – but they have nothing to do with Jesus’ resurrection.” They nodded, wide-eyed and salivating.
note to self: one more reason chocolate crosses are a bad idea.
As my daughter was 'nom nom'-ing her way through the bunny, she said, “it’s dark in there.”
“Yep” I said. “What else? Is there anything in there?
"It's empty" she quipped.
"Like the tomb on the day Jesus rose from the dead: dark and empty,” said I.
Make the most of every opportunity, I thought.
A few moments passed.
“I just swallowed the tomb.” My daughter piped up – unprompted.
“Yeah,” I said chuckling. “That’s what the Bible tells us that God did when Jesus rose from the dead,” trying to simplify from 1 Cor. 15:50-57 which speaks of the reality of what Jesus accomplished and will one day be fully realized.
In the NIV it says:
“I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true:
“I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true:
"Death has been swallowed up in victory."
"Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?" (from Isa. 25:8 & Hosea 13:14)
"Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?" (from Isa. 25:8 & Hosea 13:14)
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
What a neat way for God to interrupt her treat with a reminder of amazing Hope and profound Truth; empty, dark and profoundly sweet.
Does this mean I will go ‘back’ to buying these bunnies and plopping them into a basket on ‘Easter’ morning?
Nope. I’d rather have my kids thrill to the knowledge that Jesus is real and that He is really alive – not anxious to be ‘done’ with church to race home for candy, eggs, trinkets and that horrid ‘Easter’ grass – all mysteriously left in a basket by some mythical representation of an equally mythical deity.
I am, however, thankful for a chance to once again let an unplanned moment direct my daughter to Jesus. One more Deut. 6 moment. Thankful that when Resurrection Sunday rolls around she may remember this brief lesson… but that it will point her to Jesus, not vainly trying to steal her affections away from Him.
Now, let’s see if she notices the few nibbles I’ve taken out of her confectionary rabbit while she’s been away from the table.
Jesus is alive!
He is risen!
He is risen indeed!
Death has been swallowed up in victory!
