It is that time of year, the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and the stores are decorated with beautiful pastel eggs & Easter bunnies. Stop! Is that what Easter is about? No way! No how!

Easter is supposed to celebrate Jesus rising from the dead after he was crucified for our sins. What a wonderful gift Jesus has given to us. Can you imagine? First your people decide that they want you crucified rather than a murderer. Then you are stripped of your clothing, whipped and beaten, made to wear a crown of thorns, and forced to carry a cross through a city and up a hill. Finally, you are nailed through your hands and feet to a cross and left in the sun to die in front of everyone. Can you imagine the pain?  And yet he did it just for us. He did it for us!

"So, what is with the Easter bunny and all that candy?" You say.

Easter eggs and bunnies are originally from a pagan holiday that originated in Germany in the 1600s. Both the egg and bunny (or hare) are symbols of fertility. The egg is obvious, the bunny or hare is not. The bunny is likely represented because during the Vernal Equinox or Spring, the hare is known to produce large litters.  

Since the 1600s the eggs have been colored and the bunnies have been made into chocolate and the whole idea has turned into a commercial holiday that has been since exploited by retailers. Don't get me wrong, I think the holiday is fun, and yes, we color eggs at our house and find the hidden Easter baskets. But, at the same time, our children are well informed that it is just for fun. We go to church together as a family, we pray, and thank Jesus for dying on the cross for us. We also come home and have a wonderful meal and enjoy fellowship with our family and friends.

The important thing to remember is that the holiday is really not about the eggs and bunnies and all that candy. It is about Jesus' death and resurrection. He died for you so that you may live.