Chocolate Bunnies are not as sweet as our
salvation through Jesus’ redeeming work on the cross.
During Christmas I can handle a little Santa Claus and some of the
other traditions surrounding that
not been one good Easter Bunny movie made, no National Lampoon’s Easter Vacation, or
anything
else that makes this Holiday a time for me to go the way of the world and buy stuff
to help the economy
or add stress to my already crazy life. When it comes to the Easter Holiday, it is time to truly focus on the amazing love of God and not get distracted by secular Holiday Traditions.
The Easter Holiday is important to Christianity because this is the time of year that Christians reflect on
Jesus' suffering, death and resurrection. Without the work of Jesus on the Cross and His resurrection,
there would be no hope for any of us. If we were to remain in our sinful condition we would be separated from God for all eternity. However, Jesus' death on the Cross paid the price for our sin, conquered spiritual death, reconciles us back to God, and offers eternal life for those who believe. This is why we can celebrate Easter: We are loved by God so much that gave His only Son Jesus to be our atoning sacrifice, our Redeemer, our Lord and Savior.
Only through Jesus's work are we truly saved.
John 14:6 NIV
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me
History
surrounding the incorporation of the symbolism of the Bunny and Egg during
Easter:
The pagan
celebration of the Spring Equinox, held on March 21st, was a feast
celebrating and
worshiping Eostre, the
German goddess of springtime and fertility. Her symbol is the spring hare
because it is believed she is a rabbit
in her earthly incarnation. Eggs were also one of her symbols.
The egg, a
universal symbol for the start of
new life, symbolizes the spring, when new life begins
and flowers bloom. This
coincides with Easter, the
resurrection of Christ, thus the egg works well
as a symbol for the Christian
holiday during spring as well. When
the missionaries converted the
German Anglo-Saxons, the missionaries
incorporated the symbols and
festivities surrounding the
Anglo-Saxon pagan celebrations into their Christian
observances. The Germans were
actually the
first country to recognize the rabbit as an Easter symbol, and
spread Bunny Cheer throughout
the
world, including America .
The Christians didn't recognize the Bunny as the Symbol of Easter till
well
after Easter was celebrated.
The
tradition of the Easter Bunny was introduced to America
in the 1700s by German settlers in Pennsylvania . These
settlers brought with them the stories of spring and fertility, as well as
their edible
Easter bunnies made out
of sugar and pastry and with time the tradition spread throughout North America . So
like Christmas, the Easter
Holiday has also incorporated pagan celebration and symbols into its
traditions. The Easter egg hunt is very
popular with the kids and they do enjoy getting an Easter basket on Sunday
morning.
The Easter Holiday
is really the time when Christians celebrate the death and resurrection of the
Lord
Jesus Christ. Good
Friday symbolizes Jesus’ death on the Cross and Easter Sunday His resurrection.
Because of the
commercialization and pagan origins of Easter, many churches prefer to refer to
Easter Sunday as “Resurrection
Sunday.” Easter Sunday is preceded by the season of Lent, a 40-day period of
fasting and repentance
culminating in Holy Week and followed by a 50-day Easter season that stretches
from Easter to Pentecost.
The important
thing to remember about the celebration of Easter is that God fulfilled His
promise that
His Son Jesus was
going to save His people from their sins.
Matthew
1:20-21 NIV
But after he had
considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
"Joseph
son of David, do not be afraid to
take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from
the Holy
Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him
the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
Jesus accomplished
this by His willingness to suffer on the Cross by paying the ultimate price for
our
sin.Through the
blood Jesus poured out for us, we can, if we receive His work, be reconciled
back to God and live a Spirit filled
life with purpose. We have also been given the most precious of all gifts,
eternal life. God created us to be in
fellowship with Him. Now those who become His Children will be with Him in
fellowship for eternity.
Colossians
1:19-20 NIV
For God was
pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself
all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by
making peace through his blood,
shed on the cross
John 3:36 NIV
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for
God's wrath remains on him."
John 5:24 NIV
"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life
"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life
and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from
death to life.
John 6:40 NIV
For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have
For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have
eternal life,
and I will raise him up at the last day."
John 10:28 NIV
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.
Romans 6:23 NIV
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1 John 5:11 NIV
And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
John
14:2-4 NIV
In my Father's
house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there
to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare
a place for you, I will come back and take
you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am
going."
Now that we are
saved due to Christ’s work on the Cross, how are we to live for God in this
world?
We are to live a
life Holy and set apart to God:
With the new life we have been given we have a
responsibility to live it out in a way that glorifies God.
A follower of Jesus is set apart to Him in service and in
personal holiness. God commands us to be Holy.
1 Peter 1:15-16 NIV
But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;
But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;
for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."
The reason God wants us to be Holy is because being
Christ-like pleases God and is effective
for fulfilling His purpose in us. Personal Holiness
pleases God and draws us closer to Him.
Romans
12:1 NIV
Therefore, I
urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living
sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your
spiritual act of worship.
God calls us also to be salt & light
to the world:
Matthew
5:13-16 NIV
Salt and Light
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness,
how can it be made salty again? It
is no longer good for
anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. "You are the light of
the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light
a lamp and put it under a bowl.
Instead they put it on
its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your
light shine before men, that they may see your good
deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
We are called to be Christ’s Ambassadors:
2 Corinthians 5:20 NIV
We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.
We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.
We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.
We are commissioned to spread the Gospel:
Matthew
28:18-20 NIV
Then Jesus came
to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to
me.
Therefore go and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them
to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to
the very end of the age."
We should always be ready to share the
Good News with a Christ-like heart:
1
Peter 3:15-16 NIV
But in your
hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to
everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.
But do this with
gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak
maliciously
against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their
slander.
We are to be Christ-like:
If we don’t live
our lives filled with the Holy Spirit and being Christ-like to others, we can
in essence
misrepresent who
we are in Christ. The fact is, hypocrites lose credibility. If we claim to have
the power
of God in our
lives yet sin openly or don’t act in a manner that is representative of a Holy
God, how can
we be effective
ministers to the world. God also loses credibility because non believers can
come to the
conclusion that God has no power to change the old sinful ways followers of
Jesus
once ascribed to.
Now, we must also remember that we as believers are going to mess up at
times.
But if we are humble
enough to take responsibility to make things right with God and others, that sense
of humility shows that the
Holy Spirit is working in our hearts. Humility is an attribute of Jesus and
believers alike.
Matthew
11:29 NIV
Take my yoke
upon you and learn from me, for I am
gentle and humble in heart, and you will
find rest for your souls.
Colossians 3:12 NIV
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion,
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion,
kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
1 Peter 3:8 NIV
Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.
Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.
Here is God’s view
of Humility:
Psalm 147:6 NIV
The LORD sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground.
The LORD sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground.
Psalm 149:4 NIV
For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation.
For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation.
We are to love God and others:
Jesus said the
two most important commandments are to love God and others.
Luke 10:27 NIV
He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all
He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all
your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your
neighbor as yourself.' "
We are to live a God
centered life:
What this means is we need to die to our own self
interest. We need to begin to do life God’s way
surrendering our will for His.
Matthew
16:24-25 AMP
Then Jesus said
to His disciples, If anyone desires to
be My disciple, let him deny himself
[disregard, lose sight of, and
forget himself and his own interests]
and take up his cross and follow
Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform
wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying, also].
For whoever is bent on saving his
[temporal] life [his comfort and
security here] shall lose it
[eternal life]; and whoever loses his life [his comfort and
security here] for My sake shall find it
[life everlasting].
God’s importance
in our lives must increase and humbly we must exalt the Lord and not ourselves.
John
3:30 AMP
He must increase, but I must decrease. [He must grow more prominent; I must
grow less so.]
We must become like
Jesus, a servant leader.
Matthew 20:28 NIV
just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
There is a cost to living as Jesus did. We will have to
give up those things that don’t store up our
Treasure in Heaven. The more we are God focused the more effective
we can be as Ambassadors
for Christ.
Matthew
6:19-20 NIV
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on
earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where
thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in
heaven, where moth and
rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
In essence we
must not fall in love with the things of this world because loving the things
of this world
can separate us
from God.
1
John 2:15 MSG
Don't love the world's ways. Don't love the world's goods. Love of the world squeezes out
love for the
Father. Practically
everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything
for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do
with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting
is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.
Jesus said we
will suffer as His followers but the reward is great from an eternal
perspective.
John 16:33 NIV
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
We need to put the needs of others even ahead of our own:
As followers of Jesus we need to display Christ-like
character and consider the needs of others. This verse from Philippians really defines our unity with
other believers and how our attitudes should be toward others. (Ex. The poor, the lost, the
sick, the broken, and even those who hate us)
Philippians
2:1-5 NIV
If you have any
encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if
any
fellowship with
the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being
like-minded, having the same love, being
one in spirit and purpose.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider
others better than yourselves. Each of you
should look not only to your own interests, but also to the
interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Again this
attitude of humility displayed by Jesus helps us understand what it means to be
humble
and love others
sacrificially. Jesus lived this out during His life on earth. As the passage
from Philippians 2
continues, we
get a better picture of the man Jesus.
Philippians
2:5-8 NIV
Your attitude should be the same as that
of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in
very nature God, did not consider
equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
We need to deal with the sin in our lives:
Sin separates us
from God and is harmful to us and those around us. In light of what God has
done
for us, we need
to live out fully the new life we have been given.
2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
Ephesians
4:22-24 NIV
You were taught, with regard to your former
way of life, to put off your old self, which is
being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the
attitude of your minds;
and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
1
Peter 2:9-12 NIV
But you are a chosen
people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God,
that you may declare the praises of him who called you
out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now
you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have
received mercy. Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in
the world, to
abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives
among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God
on
the day he visits us.
The Holy Spirit
is the one who convicts us of our sin and will give us the desire to restore
our
broken
relationships.
John
16:7-11 NIV
But I tell you
the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor
will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to
you. When he comes, he will convict the
world of guilt in regard
to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard
to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am
going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment,
because the prince of this world
now stands condemned.
2
Corinthians 5:18-20 NIV
All this is from God, who reconciled us
to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was
reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against
them. And he has committed to us
the message of reconciliation. We are
therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore
you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.
So Jesus did not
go to the cross just so we could be stamped Ok in God’s eyes. We are to
continually
grow and mature
in our character and our faith. This is God’s desire for each of us. Easter
symbolizes our
new life in
Christ. We were once dead in our sin but
now, because of Jesus’ work on the cross - his
death and
resurrection, we are alive spiritually for eternity.
Ephesians
2:4-5 NIV
But because of
his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even
when we were dead in transgressions—it is by
grace you have been saved.
Colossians
2:13 NIV
When you were dead in your sins and in
the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made
you alive with Christ. He
forgave us all our sins
We are to live each day set apart to God,
reflecting the sweetness of Christ to others:
Living set apart
to God means the essence of who we are reflects Christ in a positive
and effective
light that highlights the sweet fragrance of His character embedded in us.
Unfortunately,
some of the lost don’t perceive our Christ-likeness as sweetness.
2
Corinthians 2:14-16 NLT
But thank God!
He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s
triumphal
procession.Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of
Christ everywhere, like a sweet
perfume.
Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived
differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing,
we are a
dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a
life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as
this?
We are to live through the Power of the
Holy Spirit:
Once we receive
Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit
will be guide us
in the truth and change our old self to help us to become more like Jesus.
Galatians
5:22-23 NIV
gentleness and self-control.
John
16:13-15 NIV
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes,
he will guide you into all truth.
He will not speak
on his own; he will speak only
what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring
glory to
me by taking from what is
mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father
is mine. That
is why I said the Spirit will take
from what is mine and make it known to you.
Romans
8:11 MSG
But if God
himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of
yourself than of him. Anyone, of
course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit
of Christ, won't know what we're talking
about. But for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells—even though you still
experience all the limitations of
sin—you yourself experience life on God's terms. It stands to reason, doesn't it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves
into your life, he'll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing
you alive to himself? When God lives and
breathes in you (and he does, as surely as he did in Jesus), you are delivered
from that
dead life.
With his Spirit living in
you, your body will be as alive as Christ's!
Be thankful – Pray -
Worship God – for we have received the Holy Spirit is the
mark of our
salvation:
Colossians 3:15 NIV
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to
peace. And be thankful.
Colossians 4:2 NIV
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
Hebrews 12:28 NIV
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and
so worship God
acceptably with reverence and awe,
Colossians 3:16 NIV
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
John 4:14 NIV
but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become
but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become
in him a spring of water
welling up to eternal life."
2
Corinthians 1:21-22 NIV
Now it is God who makes both us and you
stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing
what is to come.
Ephesians 1:13 NIV
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
With the Holy
Spirit working in us we can continue to grow and mature in our faith regardless
of the
circumstances we
are faced with. We have the confidence to know God is always with us and will
walk
with us through
life and all that it brings. Remember we don’t trust in our circumstances, we
trust
in God’s words
and His promises. Jesus said that He would die for our sins and then be raised
on
The Third Day. The
Easter Holiday highlights that event for us. Because of the witnesses of
Jesus’
resurrection, the power of God’s Word, and the changed lives of those filled
with the Holy Spirit
we can have the
confidence that God will keep all His promises. How awesome it is to have a
loving
Savior who gave
His life for the sake of us sinners. Truly we have been blessed to receive such
grace.
Therefore, a chocolate bunny is not as sweet as our
salvation.
Just Sayin……………Dave
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