"He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay." – Matthew 28:6 (NIV)
While walking through the store the other day, a kind lady smiled at my son and asked, “Is the Easter Bunny coming to your house? Is he bringing you lots of candy?”
He looked at her, puzzled—just as I did.
His confusion came from innocence—he’s only three and we’ve never taught him about a bunny that delivers candy. Mine came from realization. That was the second time in just a few days that someone asked me about a bunny hiding eggs rather than about the Savior who rose from the grave.
Now don’t get me wrong—yes, we’ve participated in egg hunts, and yes, my children will receive a little basket after church on Sunday. Growing up, that was part of our tradition: getting dressed up in our best for Easter Sunday, reciting our speeches in front of the congregation, enjoying a family meal (with ham, of course), and then collecting our baskets and finding hidden eggs. Honestly, many of us as children memorized our speeches just for the treats at the end!
But as I’ve grown in my faith, I’ve become more aware of how easily Easter gets diluted. In our culture today, Easter is widely celebrated—but rarely for what it actually means. Public references almost never mention Jesus. Instead, we see commercials for chocolate bunnies, colorful eggs, and pastel-colored candy. The sacred has been commercialized. The cross replaced by cuteness.
Yet, in our home, while we might dye a few eggs and take part in community events, our children know the truth.
They know Jesus went to Calvary.
They know He was crucified, that He hung, bled, and died—for us.
They know no bunny ever bore the weight of the world’s sin.
They know that early one Sunday morning, He rose again, just as He said.
That’s the story we cling to.
That’s the story we teach.
That’s the story that saves.
Easter—better yet, Resurrection Sunday—is not just a tradition. It’s a declaration:
That Jesus is alive.
That death has no sting.
That sin has no hold.
That grace has won.
In the Old Testament, atonement required the blood of a spotless lamb. But Jesus became the final sacrifice—the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He bore our guilt, though He was blameless. He died once and for all, so we could live eternally.
God’s love was poured out on a cross, not in a candy wrapper.
So as we celebrate this Resurrection Sunday, let us ask ourselves:
Is our focus on the bunny… or the Blood?
Are we more excited for the basket… or the empty tomb?
Let us never forget—Jesus is the reason, not just for the season, but for our salvation.
Original Written and published April 13, 2013
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