What's it got to do with Easter? Part 7: Lambs

 

What has it got to do with Easter? Part 7: Lambs

What did you eat this Easter Sunday? Roast lamb by any chance? The supermarkets have all their best lamb offers on at this time of year, and it’s a great time to eat what is a slightly more expensive roast dish.

But what has it got to do with Easter?

The tradition of lamb at Easter is probably the oldest of the traditions we have looked at in this series.

The story of the Passover, as described in Exodus, describes how Moses instructed all the Israelites who were enslaved in Egypt to slaughter a lamb, and to paint onto their doorways with the blood. They were to then roast the lamb and eat it, along with various other symbolic foods. This sacrifice acted as a sign for God’s judgement to ‘pass over’ their homes, whilst the homes of the Egyptians would lose a firstborn, including the Pharoah.

Moses also instructed the Israelites to follow these same instructions once they entered the promised land, as a lasting ordinance, a reminder of how God had saved his people. This ceremony has been followed throughout the past 3000 years in remembrance of that, and in the Gospels we see Jesus addressing his disciples at the last supper, the Passover meal. Add to this the fact that Jesus himself is referred to as ‘The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world’ in John 1 and he becomes our own Passover lamb. With a lamb we can remember Gods deliverance of the Israelites in the escape from Egypt, but as those living in the light of what Jesus accomplished for us on the cross, we also remember his own blood being poured out as a sacrifice for our sin.

We remember that God’s judgement will ‘pass over’ us, for those who have come to Jesus for forgiveness, and grant us eternal life not because we have earned it, but because of Jesus’ sacrifice. We've eaten some lamb this Easter and have remembered the sacrifice it reminds us of in Jesus.

What's it got to do with Easter Part 6: Daffodils

 Spring flowering bulbs such as daffodils, lilies and tulips have become a symbol of the Resurrection throughout the Christian world.  The daffodil has even been called the Easter Bell, or Lent Lily. Tradition has it that the daffodils open on Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, and die on Easter Sunday, but this is mainly anecdotal, depending on when Easter falls.

 However, the cheerful yellow and white of the daffodil is a welcome warmth during the Lenten season, the bulbs, having lain dormant for months, springing to life and signifying rebirth. 

So let us proudly display daffodils in our gardens and homes this Easter (A heads up, if you want to plant them in your garden the best time to do it is in the autumn!).

 Let us talk to our friends and family about how cheerful and hopeful they are, and how they represent the time Jesus was in the tomb, dead, and yet waiting for his coming resurrection, when he would demonstrate how he has conquered sin and death, and offers the hope of this resurrection to all who will trust in Him.

What's it got to do with Easter? Part 5: Good Friday

 

It’s Good Friday. But what exactly is good about it? 

Well if you’re lucky, an extra day off work might make you think it’s pretty good, but when we think about what happened on good Friday, why on earth isn’t it called bad Friday, or black Friday? (and not the shopping type!). 

The Friday before Easter Sunday is the day on which Jesus was crucified. Falsely accused, given a sham trial, and then mocked, whipped and crucified. Not sounding good. 

For 6 hours he hung on the cross, for 3 of those hours the sky went dark, and then Jesus died. The disciples believed this was it. Their leader, their Lord, dead. 

Not a good day.

But, the cross wasn’t a mistake. Jesus hadn’t lost control of the situation, this was the way it had to be. God takes sin seriously, and this was the only way that we could be brought back into relationship with him. 
The sacrifice of animals was only ever a temporary solution, but the sacrifice of Jesus is a permanent one. Once, and for all.
 This is why it’s Good! Without this day, without Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf, we could never approach God, as we have all done wrong things, we’ve all sinned. So the best news for us is that Jesus has made it possible for us to have forgiveness, and an eternal relationship with God. That means it’s not just a good day, it’s an amazing day!

Have you thanked Jesus for his sacrifice? Have you come to him and asked for forgiveness? Make this good Friday the best ever by coming to Him today.

What's it got to do with Easter? Part 4: Hot Cross Buns

My husband loves hot cross buns. Every year at the first sign of them in the supermarket we buy a few packs, ready to be replenished at every opportunity. There is something indulgent about a hot toasted bun with a good helping of butter. But what have they got to do with Easter? There are a variety of explanations for the origin of the hot cross bun.

Some believe they have pagan origins, with the cross signifying the four seasons, or 4 quarters of the moon.

Others believe their origin is distinctly Christian, with the cross literally representing the cross of Christ.

Records from the 14th century describe a monk who distributed them, and by the 1800’s it was almost considered a religious duty to eat them to mark Good Friday!

But in 2021, what meaning can we take from them?

It’s true many people will eat them as they would any other baked food, simply because they’re delicious, and not for any religious or other significance.

As Christians we can take the opportunity they afford us to discuss the symbolism: The white cross symbolising the pure and sinless Christ who went to the cross for our sins. The spice can be said to reflect the spices which were taken on Easter Sunday to the tomb, ready to anoint Jesus’ body, although he had risen and the tomb was now empty.

So the next time you have a hot cross bun, as well and enjoying their deliciousness, think about how they can remind us of the forgiveness we can have through Jesus’ death on the cross, and the hope of eternal life through our resurrected saviour.

What's it got to do with Easter? Part 3: Chocolate

 

Which came first, the chocolate or the egg?

 Well in this case definitely the egg! Eggs had been used for hundreds of years as a symbol of Easter, starting out as real eggs, then being a paper mache shell in which you could hide a gift, and finally a confection.

 The first chocolate eggs appeared in France and Germany in the 19th Century, but they were bitter and hard. Cadbury’s first chocolate egg was made in1875 and they very quickly became popular and remain a favourite tradition with chocolate-lovers today. But over the last 50 years we weren’t content with just having chocolate eggs, and so all sorts of chocolate shapes are now given at Easter time. You can get a chocolate bunny, dinosaur, sloth or unicorn, chocolates of every size and design. 10% of the chocolate produced each year is given at Easter. But what has this got to do with Jesus?

For those who choose to fast during Lent chocolate is often one of the rich indulgent dairy items that is off limits, meaning that when Easter Sunday arrives people are excited to once again treat themselves.

For those who don’t fast during Lent, Easter Sunday is still a feast day in celebration of Christ’s resurrection, and the giving of celebratory chocolate is one way of marking this. 

What's it got to do with Easter? Part 2 -Eggs

 

What's it got to do with Easter? Part 2: Eggs

A lot of us may associate eggs with Easter. Chocolate eggs, or decorated eggs, but where does the link between eggs and Easter originally come from?

There are a couple of different theories depending on who you ask. Some will say eggs are the pagan symbol of fertility, and so in spring time, which falls around the same time as Easter, eggs were celebrated. Then others will say that the tradition of eggs at Easter is due to them traditionally being forbidden during lent (along with all meat and dairy). Obviously, hens don’t adhere to lent and will keep laying eggs, so some would be nested and little chicks be born, and then later in lent the eggs would be hard boiled and decorated ready to break the Lenten fast on Easter Sunday. Some were dyed with natural dyes and intricate patterns added, others more simply dyed red to symbolise Jesus’ blood, some with the words ‘Christ is Risen’. Chocolate eggs have only been around for around 150 years, but for hundreds of years eggs (the real kind, not chocolate) were a symbol of easter Sunday.

Wherever this tradition did originate, how can we use it to focus on Jesus?

Well, eggs represent new life, and new life for us is secured in the death of Jesus on Good Friday. The shell is like the tomb where Jesus’ body was laid for 3 days, or even perhaps the egg can represent the stone, which was rolled away to allow Jesus, in his resurrected body to re-emerge into the world. Let’s celebrate this Easter, eat an egg or two (chocolate or otherwise!) and remember all that Jesus has done for us.

What's it got to do with Easter? Part 1: Bunnies

 I haven't posted here for such a long time, but I have thought a number of times I should come over. Not that I think anyone is particularly interested in what I have to say about anything, but on the off chance anyone is, I've decided to try and start posting again. My life has very few card making projects recently. In fact, most of my craft supplies are boxed up and in storage as we had hoped to move house in 2020. Alas, COVID 19 put paid to that idea! 

Baking has also been on a very sporadic basis, but I will try and do some posts on that theme soon!

I'm here today to start a series of posts about Easter!

I am super picky about Christian celebrations, and don't like to have them derailed by insignificant, or incorrect activities. So when I was approached by a lovely presenter at UCB 2 who I have done some previous segments for on the Nativity, I was excited to research the themes that are often highlighted at Easter. Bunnies, eggs, chocolate and the like!

So we start today with bunnies!

The story of the Easter Bunny is thought to have become common in the 19th Century, but writings from the mid 1600’s in Germany describe the tradition of a Hare (not a rabbit) who judged the children’s behaviour, bringing eggs to good children, like an Easter version of Santa. But why did he bring eggs? Rabbits don’t lay eggs after all, so it’s a good question!
It’s unclear if pagan traditions of celebrating fertility in the spring months led to this unlikely duo, or if the tradition of giving eggs linking back to the Lenten fasts overlapped.
Did you know in some parts of Switzerland Easter eggs are delivered by a cuckoo, and in parts of Germany by a fox?

So if the Easter bunny isn’t at all part of the true Easter story should Christians encourage it? With over a quarter of 8-15 year old children surveyed believing the bunny is part of the Easter story, it’s important what we teach our children, and be clear that the Easter bunny isn’t part of the true Easter story. That doesn’t mean we have to shun it completely, but, as with Christmas, we must keep the main thing the main thing. Chocolate, eggs and bunnies are fun, but nothing should take the place of Jesus, and the sacrifice he made.

Do let me know in the comments what your thoughts are about Easter bunnies, or what you choose to do to celebrate Easter!