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The Meaningful Chocolate Company, producer of the eggs, includes a pamphlet with the resurrection story and activities for children in each Real Easter Egg box, which is marked with crosses. All profits from the sale of the product go to charity. David Marshall, who heads the company, said they want "to change the Easter egg market forever by making it more spiritual, more generous and more faithful."
Despite having sold a million Real Easter Eggs in the last five years, Marshall said they "wonder at times if there is an anti-Christian agenda from some of our supermarkets ... as if some feel Christianity is politically incorrect or the Easter story, which mentions Jesus, might put people off." He added that "one buyer asked us what Easter had got to do with the church."
Archbishop of York John Sentamu, alarmed to learn that a third of British children thought they were celebrating the Easter bunny's birthday on the spring holiday, urged the stores to reconsider their decision.
Former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey described alternatives sold in various supermarkets, featuring popular icons such as Darth Vader and Postman Pat, as "rubbish." Such eggs "have nothing to do with Easter," said Carey, adding that they are just trying to "get more money out of people. They have no meaning. I think it shows ignorance on the part of these supermarkets. By not offering an alternative to secular Easter eggs they are really undermining the real message of Easter. It saddens me because we are living in a land that is completely losing contact with its religious roots and is out of touch with the Christian message."
After the darkness, cold and dormancy of winter, people across the centuries have universally longed for the newness of life that the season of spring represents. Many cultures have spring festivals that utilize some of the same symbols Christians use to celebrate the resurrection of Christ. For many, those symbols represent fertility, hope for the safe birth of babies and farm animals, and the wish for a good crop.
A particularly significant symbol of renewal and life common to many ancient cultures is the simple egg. For Christians, eggs have special meaning that is reflected in some of the traditions that have developed over the years. Here are a few examples:
During the 40 days of Lent, many Christians in various times and places would refrain from eating meat or dairy, including eggs. On Easter Sunday, Christians broke their vegetarian fast by consuming eggs again. The chance to eat such a delicacy was anticipated with eagerness and relished with delight that was meant to mirror the Christian's joy in the salvation God provided through Jesus, our risen Lord.
Children may play egg-rolling games, in which they re-enact the rolling away of the stone from the entrance of Jesus' grave; the hard shell of the egg represents the sealed tomb of Jesus, while cracking the egg open represents the bursting forth of Christ from the grave. Just as a chick might hatch from an egg which does not appear to be living, the risen Lord emerges alive from the place of death.
Chocolate or plastic eggs available today may be filled with surprises that reflect the biggest surprise of all: that out of death and darkness, God created light and life for all humanity! So theologically, the egg symbolizes the new life Christ obtained for those who trust in him.
Eggs are also dyed and decorated with various meaningful colors (e.g., red for the blood of Christ redeeming the world, represented by the egg), symbols (crosses, a dove for the Holy Spirit, a lamb for Christ the Lamb of God, etc.) and messages ("Christ is risen!").
More on this story can be found at these links:
Archbishops' Anger as Supermarkets Snub Easter Eggs Featuring Jesus in Favour of Darth Vader. Daily Mail
At Last, the 'Religious' Easter Egg: Major Supermarkets to Stock Christian Product with Jesus on the Packaging for the First Time. Daily Mail
The Easter Egg, Its History and Origin. The Holiday Spot
Easter Eggs: History, Origin, Symbolism and Traditions. Huffington Post
Easter Egg. Wikipedia
The Big Questions
1. Some church leaders seem to assume shopkeepers who did not want to sell The Real Easter Egg were "anti-Christian." What other reasons might a merchant have for not carrying products with explicit Christian messages? Must we assume that the removal of the eggs from stores was a religious decision or can it have simply been a matter of sales?
2. What place (if any) should Easter-specific foods have in the way Christians practice their faith?
3. Whose fault is it if children believe that Easter is the Easter bunny's birthday? Is it the job of the secular culture to safeguard the Easter story? Whose role is it to teach the Christian faith to children?
4. What do products like The Real Easter Egg really teach children? Do such products help people refocus on the real meaning of Easter? Do they contribute to the commercialization of the season? Might they cause some people to view the gospel message as "tacky" or as a fairy tale for kids? Explain your answer.
5. If the objective of The Real Easter Egg is to educate young people and their elders about the Christian origins of the day and to raise money for charity, is there a better way to accomplish those goals than to use what some might call pagan symbols such as bunnies, eggs, etc.?
Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:
1 Corinthians 15:3-5, 17, 20
For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. ... If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. ... But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. (For context, read 15:1-8, 12-28.)
Many people in Paul's day did not believe in the resurrection. In their minds, once a person died, that was it. Paul says, if that's true, then Jesus also didn't come back from death, and in such a case, our faith is all a waste of time.
Questions: Why does Paul highlight these particular events "as of first importance" for Christians? If Christ had not risen, what would be the point of church? What problem would remain unresolved if Jesus had not risen from the dead?
John 11:23-27
Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" She said to him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world." (For context, read 11:1-44.)
Martha's emotions are raw, as she and her sister Mary have recently buried Lazarus, their beloved brother. Yet she makes one of the most astounding confessions of faith despite her sorrow.
Questions: Does believing that Jesus is the resurrection help Martha in her sorrow? If so, how? During your own times of sorrow has someone made a statement similar to what Jesus said? How did you receive it? Was it helpful at the time? How can holding onto the truth that Jesus is the resurrection and the life help us in our own times of grief?
Acts 1:21-22
So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us -- one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection. (For context, read 1:15-26.)
After Jesus has ascended to heaven, Peter addresses the need to fill the place among the Twelve apostles vacated by Judas, who had taken his own life after betraying Jesus. Here Peter describes qualifications for an apostle.
Questions: Why were these qualifications essential for the apostles who would be the first to build upon the foundation Christ had laid for the church? In what sense are all believers to become witnesses with the apostles to the resurrection of Jesus? How does that description fit you? Who passed on the good news about the resurrection to you? How did you receive it? To whom have you passed on this news? How did they receive it?
Acts 4:1-2, 33
While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came to them, much annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming that in Jesus there is the resurrection of the dead. ... With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. (For context, read 4:1-2, 32-37.)
Peter and John did more than pass along the ethical teachings of Jesus. They declared the word of eternal life that was revealed to them by God, which they had heard with their own ears, seen with their eyes and touched with their hands (1 John 1:1-3). Referring to the experience Peter, James and John had when Christ was transfigured before their eyes upon the mountain, Peter said they were "eyewitnesses of his majesty" (2 Peter 1:16-18). John tells us in his gospel that Jesus appeared to them multiple times after his resurrection (John 20:1--21:14).
Questions: Why did the proclamation that "in Jesus there is resurrection of the dead" annoy the priests, the captain of the temple and the Sadducees? Who would that message annoy in our time, and why? Why is the message of the resurrection of Christ more unacceptable to many people than the idea of Jesus as a great teacher or just one among many prophets?
Romans 1:1-4
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord. (For context, read 1:1-7.)
Here Paul outlines the gospel of God concerning Jesus Christ, who is both human ("descended from David according to the flesh") and divine ("declared to be Son of God").
Questions: What does the resurrection of Jesus reveal to us about his identity? Why does the resurrection provide such powerful evidence regarding who he is? What difference does it make in the way you live your faith when you believe Jesus rose from the dead? How should we live in light of the resurrection?
A Quiz for Holy Week and Easter
1. Who was the first person to speak to Jesus after his resurrection?
2. Why is Thursday of Holy Week called "Maundy" Thursday?
3. Why is the Friday of Holy Week called "Good" Friday?
4. Where does the word "Easter" come from?
5. Which disciples ran to Jesus' tomb on Easter morning? Which one got there first? Which one went into the tomb first?
6. How many angels do each of the gospels say the women encountered at Jesus' tomb?
7. How many of the gospels say Mary Magdalene came to Jesus' tomb?
8. According to Mark, whom did the women tell about the empty tomb?
9. Why did the priests and elders give a large sum of money to the soldiers who had been on duty at Jesus' tomb?
10. Are the differences in the four gospel accounts about Easter significant? If so, why? If not, why not?
11. Theologically speaking, is Easter or Christmas more important?
12. In the early church, which event became an annual Christian celebration first: Christmas or Easter?
Answers:
1. Mary Magdalene (John 20:14-17)
2. "Maundy" is a reduction of the Latin mandatum, the first word of Jesus' command (or mandate) in the Latin version of John 13:34 -- "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another" -- which he told to the disciples at the Last Supper. At that meal, Jesus symbolized the command by washing the disciples' feet.
3. Although very bad things happened to Jesus on that Friday -- flogging and crucifixion -- the term "good" was first applied during the Old English period when it meant "holy." In some languages, the day is called Holy Friday. But it is also good in the sense that with his death, Jesus showed his great love for humankind and made our salvation possible.
4. It's not certain where the word "Easter" comes from. The word never appears in Scripture. In some places today, the day is called Pasch, which comes from the word "Passover," because Jesus was crucified during the Jewish Passover. Others call it Resurrection Sunday. Some scholars think that the church absorbed the word "Easter" from pagan roots, since the goddess of spring, Eostre, was celebrated around the same time as Passover. More recently, some scholars have suggested the word was derived from an old Latin phrase referring to the white robes traditionally worn by those being baptized on the Sunday that celebrates Jesus' resurrection.
5. According to John 20:1-9, Peter and an unnamed disciple ran to the tomb. The unnamed disciple outran Peter and got there first, but did not enter the tomb. Peter entered the tomb when he arrived.
6. Matthew says there was one angel (28:2). Mark says there was one "man" (16:5) whom he doesn't call an angel, but who, from the context seems to be an angel. Luke says there were two men (24:4). John tells of two angels, seen by Mary Magdalene after Peter and the unnamed disciple had left to tell the others the news (20:11-13).
7. All four.
8. According to Mark 16:8, the women told no one, "for they were afraid." Matthew, Luke and John say the women told the disciples, and Luke adds that they also told "all the rest" (24:9). Mark probably meant that the women initially told no one.
9. The money was to bribe the soldiers to say that Jesus' disciples stole his body (Matthew 28:11-15).
10. The differences are not significant. All four gospel writers agree that Jesus died on Friday, was entombed and rose on Sunday. The differences in details are typical of the kinds of discrepancies that creep into accounts that are retold from one person to another. (For more on this, see "Do the Resurrection Accounts in the Four Gospels Contradict Each Other?" Bible Gateway.)
11. Easter is more important theologically. Jesus' death on the cross and his resurrection on Easter opened a new way into relationship with God. Somehow, in those actions, Jesus atoned for human sin and gave us hope that God has something more for us beyond death. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:17, "If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins."
12. Since stories of Jesus' birth appear in the gospels, the early Christians probably knew them, but aside from the gospels, the rest of the New Testament books -- all of which date from the time after Jesus' ascension -- say little about his birth (for two non-gospel references, see Galatians 4:4 and Philippians 2:7). There are many references in the New Testament books to his resurrection, however, and clearly, Jesus' resurrection was the driving force behind the explosive growth of Christianity in those early years. Easter as a once-a-year celebration appears to have been adopted about A.D. 135, but the church didn't began observing Christmas until A.D. 336.
Creative Ways to Share the Message of the Resurrection
Here are some links to activities for Easter that you can use in your home and community. You may want to brainstorm other creative ways to share the message of the Resurrection.
Easy Easter Garden DIY - Empty Tomb. GodVine
Resurrection Rolls Recipe. GodVine
DIY Resurrection Eggs & Easter Story Book Printables. Life Your Way
Making Resurrection Eggs to Tell the Easter Story. Faith Gateway
Ideas for Teaching Teens About Jesus' Resurrection. Live Strong
Bring Christian History Alive Through Easter Egg Traditions. CrossWalk
Closing Prayer
We rejoice, O God of our salvation, that by your great mercy, you have caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Fill us with the power of his resurrection, that our lives may bear witness to his living presence among us. Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen!
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2015 Communication Resources
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