I want to start off this post by greeting everyone a very Happy Easter! Oh, and this is also going to be one of those short personal posts.
Every year during Easter, we tend to get all warm and fuzzy and excited because of the thought of the Easter Bunny coming and giving us tons and tons of chocolate in exchange for the eggs that we will be hunting. This just confused me growing up because the Easter Bunny isn’t even in the Bible, and why does he gives us chocolates, and bunnies don’t even lay eggs. I mean, come on? Where did this myth come from?
I have done my research and it turns out that the Easter Bunny came to America in the 1700’s along with immigrants from Germany who settled in Pennsylvania, and who transported their tradition of an egg-laying hare called “Osterhase” or “Oschter Haws”.
Okay, I get it. This bunny makes the children (and sometimes, adults too) excited about Easter, but the thing that gets to me is that it isn’t even the reason why we’re celebrating this wonderful celebration. Let’s not forget the real reason of the season is the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made almost 2,000 years ago on that cross by dying to give us salvation and life eternal in Heaven with Him and the Father.
Easter is such a wonderful thing, and a bit of fun is good, but overshadowing the real reason for the celebration is not right–for me, at least.
“Tetelestai,” that’s what Jesus’ last words on the cross according to John. It means, “It is finished.” What a beautiful thing to know that we don’t have to suffer any longer because Jesus suffered on our behalf, and isn’t that such a wonderful gift? Also, in the Philippines, people who are mainly Catholics tend to sacrifice themselves during the Holy Week because they think that these forms of torture can cleanse themselves of their sins. They walk long miles with larges crosses upon their backs and they literally nail themselves to the cross. No offense, but I think that is a pretty stupid thing to do. What is the point of doing that? Didn’t Jesus already say that is it finished? Didn’t Jesus already paid the price for our freedom and for our salvation? Didn’t Jesus already bore the cross on his back with the thoughts of having us in Heaven for the whole eternity? Didn’t Jesus, the one who was with no sin, became sin himself in order for us to live? I don’t think people who do these form of torture to themselves know what they’re doing is wrong. We cannot be like Jesus because he is blameless, he is born without sin, and lastly, he is God. I am pretty sure that this ‘tradition’ in the Philippines will continue on for years, and I guess it will be something that I will never understand and will never see the point of.
So there’s that.
Happy Easter, everyone! Remember that this season is not to celebrate the bunny but to give glory and praise to the Lamb.
“He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.”
Matthew 28:6 NIV
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