eggs and bunnies and other characters
Happy Holy Week! Is everyone ready for the Easter festivities, eggs, bunnies, and food? These events are so much fun, and like every holiday, the real meaning can easily be pushed aside and we might miss the greatest and most meaningful part! Jesus!
For the past few years, I have wanted to purchase some bunny plates like the ones from Williams Sonoma, to add to my dinnerware I already have. I have yet to do it, so this year, like the previous few, I am bunny plate-less. I decided to sew a festive polka dot powered blue table runner to put with the white tulips on the table. There we go! I even had extra material to make a table runner for the little picnic table for whichever of my little people may use. It may sound involved, but it is nothing too fancy and I sewed them in about an hour. I am cyrrebtlm determined to finish sewing a spring-y pennant banner to put in the kitchen as well to add color the white walls.
With all the decorating and candy buying, let’s take a minute to remember the characters in the narrative of Easter. We can find one account in Luke.
JESUS
Jesus shows His love for Jerusalem, as the palm branches were waved and the townspeople welcomed Him, we learn that He cried over the people in the city (Luke 19:41). He was broken because He knew they did not recognize Him for Who He was - the King - the One Who came to save them from their sin. He wanted so desperately for them to understand He is the only One Who brings peace.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus went to pray, He begged God to let Him not go through what He knew He was about to experience. He actually sweated out of the agony of the coming events. Of course He did not want to be beaten, made fun of, or crucified, but Jesus knew His purpose and He obeyed God, even when He was afraid (Luke 22:42).
In Luke 22:63-65, people mocked Him and beat Him. Not only did Jesus feel pain from the physical pain of punches and whips, but He was humiliated. People made fun of Him. They mocked Him publicly. How his heart must have hurt knowing He came to die for the very people who treated Him with such unmerited hatred and violence. How easy it would have been for Him to rise up and prove Who He was.
He stood before Pilate, who had no idea what to do with Him (Luke 23: 1-5) after he could find nothing to charge Him with. Pilate sent Jesus to Herod, who was curious about this Jesus he had heard about with His miracles.
He carried His own cross up the hill and experienced the most humiliating and gruesome death imaginable, all the while people are shouting, spitting, and mocking. He must have felt lonely there on the cross. He took all the sin of the world from the beginning of time on Himself and paid the punishment for what we deserve.
THE DISCIPLES
Jesus wanted to eat the Passover meal with his disciples - the twelve closest friends who had been with Him through so much. He explained His body would be broken and He would bleed for them! These guys did not fully understand and probably had no way to fully comprehend what Jesus meant. Jesus also mentioned that one of them would betray Him. Like typical humans, they began to argue over who it might be, instead of contemplating the importance of that last meal together (Luke 22:14-23).
PILATE
This guy was confused and could find no reason to charge Jesus, so he sent Jesus to Herod, who sent him back (Luke 23:1-12). Since it was customary to release a prisoner in honor of Passover, Pilate was willing to have Jesus beaten and then set free. The unruly crowd, however, demanded that Barabbas, a known and dangerous criminal be released instead.
HEROD
When Jesus did not answer his questions, Herod and his soldiers dressed Him up in a robe and sent Him back to Pilate, again making fun of Him. It is also funny that Pilate and Herod bonded over the Jesus situation, since before they had been enemies.
THE CROWD
How they loved to hate Jesus, to the point of absolutely demanding that Pilate release Barabbas instead of Jesus. They insisted Jesus be punished. It seems like a group-think mindset situation. The more people begin to insist on Jesus being guilty without reason, the more others joined in, and everyone spurred each other on. In a crowd, it becomes easy for the whole point to be lost and people to fight, forgetting why they are fighting to begin with.
UPSET CROWD AND WOMEN
Not everyone hated Jesus, and a crowd followed Jesus on His way to the cross, including women crying for Him, knowing His crucifixion was unjust. I wonder if many people recognized Him as the Son of God or if many were upset simply because they knew Jesus did not deserve to die.
THE CENTURION
After the agonizing, slow painful mockery of His crucifixion, darkness came over around noon until 3:00. Can you imagine the sky going completely dark for three hours in the middle of the day? Jesus was placed on the cross about 9:00 a.m. and breathed His last breath about 3:00 p.m. Luke 23:49 lets us know that those who knew Him and followed Him watched it all, especially the centurion near Him who acknowledged that Jesus was really righteous and glorified God when Jesus expressed His faith in God.
WOMEN ON RESURRECTION MORNING
When the women in Luke 24 went to the tomb to take spices, they found the massive stone at the entrance of the tomb moved away. They were confused as to how such a large stone was moved, but two men in dazzling clothes, angels, reminded them that Jesus said He predicted He would rise on the third day. As they remembered Jesus’s words, it became easier to believe everything Jesus had said in His ministry. I would imagine it was comforting and relieving to know that Jesus had spoken the truth and He was not dead! The resurrection really did happen and the One they had put faith in solidified that when he rose from the dead!
How amazing is the love that kept Jesus on the cross and staying obedient to His Father God, even when He was called to die. The best news ever is that Jesus is alive and is active still in the world today. He is not only the Creator of everything we see and is still personal enough to listen to us and care about us. Praise be to God for the love He has given us, if we just acknowledge we need a Savior to forgive us and accept His forgiveness.
I think it might be a meaningful experience this year to turn the lights off in the house in the middle of the day, when it went dark the day Jesus died. It will help us remember the significance of this holy holiday and better recognize what it was like on Good Friday. My family has been reading The Way to the Savior Easter devotional by Jeff and Abbey Land. We have been reading it each night, as it take forty days to work our way to Easter from Ash Wednesday. It is applicable from the littlest ones and deep enough for teenagers at home too. It has really helped us take each bit of the Resurrection story day by day and understand better why Jesus died and celebrate the best news that He is alive! You can find the book here
As you enjoy the Reese’s peanut butter eggs and I will personally enjoy my chocolate cobbler this Resurrection Sunday, remember how much love Jesus showed by taking your punishment on Himself so we can choose to follow Him and spend eternity with Him. I am so thankful that since I became a Christian, I never have to worry about being separated from God ever again. He loves You that much!
Love,
Charis
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