“”Rising from the Grave”

I watched, as a young girl, about 18 months, toddling with her Easter basket, hunted Easter eggs at our church sponsored Easter egg hunt.  Our youth leader, Betty Jean, and other women in the church had sponsored the Easter egg hunt.  Actually, there were two separate events, one for older children and this one for children from birth to 5 years.

Ada’s mother had dressed her in Easter finery.  Ada’s pale green dress was exquisite.  Her patent leather black shoes were strapped on her feet over white leggings.  Her blond hair was perfectly curled. I watched the child as she explored the area designated for the church Easter egg hunt.  Ada found her first egg placed at the base of a tree.  Her second egg was more difficult, it was under a leaf on the ground.  Her third egg was a plastic egg filled with a candy prize.  She found it on the back of another tree.  Satisfied with three eggs in her basket, she toddled over and sat down to play with her eggs near a tree.

About that time, Jack, who was 5, spied Ada and her basket with the three eggs.  He had filled his basket full, but not satisfied wanted more.  Stealthily, he sidled over to Ada’s sitting spot, and using his body as a shield for the crime, reached down quickly and took Ada’s three eggs.  She looked at him with a look of surprise, but did not resist him stealing her eggs.  She continued to sit, staring now at her empty Easter basket, full only of fake green grass in its bottom. She did not know what to do.

Having watched the crime unfold on the church’s sacred ground, as pastor, I quickly set to remedy this situation.  I walked over to Betty Jean and told her what had occurred a few minutes earlier.  I pointed to Ada and told Betty Jean of Jack’s crime. As I had hoped, Betty Jean went over to Ada, picked her up to standing by her right hand and began a new search for more eggs.  Since Betty Jean had hid the eggs for the children along with several other women, Ada soon had six eggs in her basket, and two of the six eggs were the coveted prize eggs.  I watched as Ada opened her prize eggs with Betty Jean’s assistance.  In the first prize egg were three smaller candy chocolate eggs.  I watched her eat the first one with obvious joy!  The second prize egg opened and inside was another larger chocolate egg, but this one was wrapped in a dollar bill.  With Betty Jean’s assistance, Ada found one of the most prized prize eggs.  She brought it to her mother, who was standing by in conversation with other mothers.  Delighted, her mother brushed her off, picked her up and hugged her tightly.  With Ada in her arms, she and Ada carried the basket with all the eggs and went to the car for their journey home.

Jack was never made aware of what had occurred.  He had a great time with the other boys eating his chocolate eggs, including the one prize egg he had taken from Ada.  He never knew what had transpired when he was not looking.  5 year old boys behave as 5 year old boys do.  He did not learn anything that day about the concept of sharing eggs.  Who got the prize that day?  Well, everyone went home with a prize.  I remember both children and the Easter egg hunt as if it were yesterday.  I still fondly remember Ada dressed in her Easter finery being hugged by her mother while celebrating her day at the church.

The church’s name is Good Hope Presbyterian.  At that time, a long time ago, I was pastor of that church.  Betty Jean was director of the youth.  She received no pay.  She worked as a volunteer.  She and other women in the church organized the Easter egg hunt.  They bought all the eggs and all the prizes.  I was invited simply to open the event with a prayer for God to bless our Easter celebration for the youth.  We held this event on black Saturday, the day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday morning, when we all gather to celebrate the resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ.  Since the Easter egg hunt is a secular celebration, we tucked it into a day when nothing else could happen at the church.  We did lots of things at the church for the youth, to let them know that among all the profound events happening at Easter in worship, there is still time to have fun and joy.  Young children don’t quite yet know the profound things happening all around them as they play, and as adults we are quite happy they can still have fun during Easter weekend.  Black Saturday is the day of waiting for Jesus to emerge from the tomb.  In our church, we kept this day holy by having an Easter egg hunt for our children.  As you wait for Easter resurrection morning, how do you spend your time?  Do you anticipate something new in the morning?

Here are three verses I heard a chaplain for hospice speak about yesterday during our Good Friday prayers.  Listen to these and meditate as to their meaning.  I expect you may find a prize among these nuggets of the gospel.  Listen, as Paul reads these words:

“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone that hangs on a tree’, that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”  (Galatians 3:13-14)

“Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.  And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”  (Colossians 2:14-15)

“For he [God the Father] made him [Jesus], who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”  (2 Corinthians 5:21)

While children find Easter eggs with chocolate prizes, God in Christ redeems humanity.  While mothers dress their little ones in Easter finery, God in Christ slays sin, death and the devil.  While we go to sleep waiting for the resurrection of Jesus, God takes our sins away so that we can wake up in the morning and find not only a new day, but that we are now a new creation in Christ!   Simple things are happening in the world, children playing.  In the universe, God is working in Christ to save us and the world.  I find that something worth celebrating!  Join with me tomorrow morning on Easter Sunday as we who belong to Christ celebrate his rising from the grave!!!

Rev. Bill Wilson, MD