I recently realized that the Easter Egg hunts of my youth, were truly about finding eggs – hard boiled chicken eggs. 

We were excited about the hunt, but I can’t remember why?  There were no plastic eggs filled with cheezy arcade quality toys or mini-Reese cups.  In fact, the gaily adorned Easter baskets looked more appetizing.

And what did I do with a basket full of 12 hardboiled eggs?  Add them to my sibling’s haul and we had 5 dozen.  That is a lot of egg salad, which I happen to despise.    

I was recently surprised to find that they had been doing hunts like that for a long time.

Early Christians connected with the idea of an egg.  The shell spoke of Christ’s tomb, and broken, it became a picture of the resurrection and new life.    

In the days of the knights, egg consumption was forbidden during Lent but they egg-citedly ate them on Easter Sunday in celebration. 

In 1290 A.D. King Edward of England, had 450 eggs colored and trimmed with gold and then distributed to his household

But what about the hunt?  It is believed that the fun dates to the 16th century when Martin Luther organized egg hunts for his congregation.  This was his way of honoring the resurrection story.

The practice was picked up by the German born- Duchess of Kent who put on a hunt for her little girl – the future Queen Victoria.   The succession of royals continued the tradition which eventually filtered down to the humble folk, which then crossed the ocean with the English colonists, until it reached my house in the 1950’s   

Its’ 65 years too late, but now I understand.  And now I wonder if the kid with the Ikea bag, scooping up plastic goodie filled eggs has any idea of the connection to Jesus. 

Much like Christmas, our culture has done a lobotomy with Easter.  The significance was surgically removed leaving only the fun.

So maybe we need a reminder.  Paul wrote, “For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received—that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures.”  1 Cor 15:3-4 NETBible.com ®

Paul believed in the resurrection and so do I.  Here’s why.

-The Scripture is peerless.  

There is no written record that is more trustworthy, has been better authenticated or has greater level of integrity than the Scripture.   

Scores of Old Testament prophecies concerning Christ have been precisely fulfilled (Isaiah 53) And the unity of the Gospel accounts gives us confidence in the Bible.

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John gave great detail about the resurrection.  If it were a hoax, then you would expect to find huge discrepancies.  Yet, each Gospel account agrees on the fine details.

– The disciples were fearless

If the resurrection was a hoax, it would have been a very, very big lie – in a very tiny part of the world.  To perpetrate a lie of that sort – would have required a coordinated conspiracy by Christ’s disciples.   

But people will not die for something that they know is a lie.  What we find instead are the disciples moving out to every corner of the inhabited earth and all but John were martyred for their message. 

– I experience His nearness.

Those who question the resurrection, question the existence of someone I personally know.   I met Him when I was 19.   He is as real to me as is my wife.  If I were to doubt her existence, she might slap me.   Answered prayers remind me that my Jesus lives

Our current Easter celebration is not all that it’s cracked up to be.  So this year make sure to include a genuine grade A egg in your hunt, and before the kids unwrap the candy, use it to explain the resurrection. 

A PRAYER: Jesus in the words of Thomas we are compelled to say to you, “My Lord and my God.” 

This has been Jim Johnson and pickleheavenpress.com

May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you

*Egg hunt background is from https://www.english-heritage.org.uk