The Easter Bunny and Jesus!

On Easter Sunday a couple years ago as a family was walking out of church the daughter walked up to me and handed me a piece of paper with a drawing on it. 

Her drawing sketched the Easter Bunny hanging on the cross. Really-I’m not making this up.  Her parents were chuckling and I held back my own laughter as I thanked her for her gift.

Later I thought that her picture captured exactly how so many children try to make sense of Easter.  We spend the Lenten season talking about Jesus’ suffering on the cross and then at Easter we celebrate Jesus raised from the dead and the cross empty.  And, then the whole Easter bunny image is  thrown in the mix of Easter along with all the candy. 

When you have a chance to talk with your children or the children of friends or relatives this Easter, what would you say happened at Easter?  You could tell them what a happy day Easter is compared to all the sadness of the cross.  You could tell them how much God loves them because of the cross and resurrection.

With holy week coming this next week, may our Lord prepare you for the celebration of Jesus raised from the dead.    May you be surprised and amazed at what God has done for all of us!

-Pastor Durk K. Peterson