What about the Easter Bunny?

 In this seventh and final book in my Erik series, Erik wrestles with how to properly celebrate Easter. Are chocolate bunnies and Easter baskets displeasing to Jesus? Or does having a good time with family and friends please Jesus. (This book has yet to be published and can only be found here.)

© Jeannie St. John Taylor

I dip a hard-boiled egg in red dye and swirl the shell in purple. “Wow!” Chuck says. “That looks way better than the orange egg.”

Todd holds two decorated eggs against his eyes, pretending they are fancy glasses. “I look cool!”

Right in the middle of all the fun, a terrible thought strikes me and I say, “I wonder if it’s bad to celebrate Easter by dying eggs since there are no Easter eggs in the Bible?”

Chuck looks worried, “I hope not.” 

Todd rolls his eyes. “Let’s go see your new bunny!” 

While we’re petting Jack I remember something else. “There’s nothing about an Easter bunny in the Bible story. The only animal in the story I can think of is the donkey Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.”

The whole time we play outside, we talk about how God feels about Easter stuff that isn’t in the Bible . . . like Easter baskets. Chuck and I worry God won’t like it. Todd says Easter eggs and the Easter bunny are in the Bible. My eyes meet Chuck’s.

When we walk past the Easter lily on Mom’s dinning room table and I say, “No Easter lilies in the Bible story.” I pinch my nose shut so I won’t accidently celebrate by smelling the lily. Chuck holds his nose, too.

Todd leans over and sucks in a deep breath. I’m shocked. Sometimes I think Todd isn’t a very good Christian.

Later, we drag our sleeping bags to the middle of the family room floor for a

Good Friday sleepover. “Want to see what the true Easter story says?” I ask. I expect Chuck will say yes, but I’m surprised when Todd does.

We huddle around my Bible and read about Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey colt no one has ever ridden before. Crowds of common people wave palm branches (not lilies) and spread robes on the road for Jesus to ride over. They shout “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” They plan to crown Jesus king.

But it doesn’t happen.

Instead, a week later while Jesus is praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, one of his best friends leads a bunch of soldiers and people with swords and clubs and torches to find him. When Jesus steps forward and says, “I AM” to prove he is God, just that one powerful word knocks the whole crowd flat to the ground. Even though Jesus has already told the soldiers who he is, Judas kisses Jesus to identify him. Jesus doesn’t even try to get away.

For the rest of the night, leaders of both the Jews and gentiles mistreat Jesus. They spit on him, hit him, beat him with clubs and make fun of him. Church leaders sentence Jesus to death – even though he never committed a single sin in his whole life!

Another one of Jesus’ best friends, Peter, denies he even knows Jesus! Can you imagine how alone Jesus feels?

When it’s almost morning, soldiers take Jesus to the governor for one last chance. But when Governor Pilate offers to free him, the common people who waved palm branches at him just the week before chant, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

So Pilate shrugs, “Okay, fine. Kill him if that’s what you want.”

Soldiers nail Jesus’ hands and feet to a cross and he hangs with criminals on either side of him. Actual criminals! And Jesus never did anything wrong in his whole life.

The very moment Jesus dies the world goes as dark as midnight and the biggest earthquake ever shakes the whole earth. It splits huge boulders and rips the four-inch-thick curtain hanging in the temple straight down the middle.

Todd interrupts the story. “Even the earth knows Jesus is God! That’s the coolest!” 

I look at Chuck and wink. “That’s not the coolest,” I say. “Jesus makes himself come alive and rises from the dead. An angel who shines like lightning rolls the stone away from the tomb to prove Jesus is gone and the tough soldiers guarding his grave are so scared they faint like sissies.”

Todd says, “Wow! Jesus comes alive?! That’s the coolest part!”

“Not yet,” I say. “The coolest part is – he is still alive and forgives our sins.”

That should make us happy, but Chuck says, “I didn’t see any eggs or baskets or bunnies. None of the ways we celebrate Easter are in the Bible.” We all stop smiling.

Mom pokes her head in the door and flips off the light. “Bed time, boys!”  We crawl into our sleeping bags.

“After everything Jesus did, I don’t want to celebrate Easter wrong.” Todd has tears in his voice. Learning more about Jesus changed him.

“Maybe what we just did is celebrating the right way.” I say. “We read the Bible

and remembered Jesus. Easter is all about Jesus.”

“I’m thankful for Jesus,” Chuck says.

“Me too,” Todd whispers.

“Loving Jesus is the best way to celebrate Easter,” I assure them.

“But is it wrong to dye eggs and hunt for baskets?” Todd asks.

Guess who wakes us up the next morning? The Easter bunny! (It’s really my dad

wearing a bunny suit.) He gives us jelly beans and Peeps, but says we can’t eat them till after dinner. We forget it might be wrong to have fun with the Easter Bunny since he’s not in the Bible.

We pile into the car and go to the big Saturday-before-Easter egg hunt at the park. We are having a fantastic time when suddenly I shout, “I’ve got it!” and my friends come running.

“As long as we remember the true meaning of Easter, there’s nothing wrong with following Easter customs,” I tell them. “We’re having fun, and Jesus wants us to enjoy family and friends.” 

“So decorated eggs are okay?” Chuck asks.

“And chocolate bunnies?” Todd adds.

 “Yes. And I can’t wait to hunt for my basket early Easter Sunday morning!” I run and do a back flip. “And I know what we’ll do after that!”

“Meet at church and really celebrate Easter,” we all shout together.

           

­­­*****

Levy, David M., The Tabernacle, Shadows of the Messiah, Bellmawr, NJ, The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, Inc., 1993

Lawrence, John L., The Six Trials of Christ, Portland, Oregon, Know Your Bible Hour, 1977