Why Easter Egg Hunts Should Be Held In Graveyards Series

What stories have you seen about Easter in the news?

{take any suggestions}

Two jumped out at me - and both of them were about Easter Eggs.

In the first story a Doctor Andrew Kelso had written an article advising people not to scoff all their Easter Eggs in one go. There was an uproar. He can’t say that! How inappropriate! This is terrible! What is this nation coming to.

In the second, the Isle of White the local council had organised a children’s Easter Egg hunt. They were holding it in the local Victorian Graveyard. There was an uproar. They can’t do that! How inappropriate! This is terrible! What is this nation coming to?

I am tempted to respond to both these mobs by saying (should I say it gently or should I cause an uproar?) You’ve got it wrong. (Holding up Easter Egg) You have totally misunderstood what Easter Eggs are all about. How inappropriate! This is terrible! What are the mobs of this nation coming to?

Let's start with the second story - the one about the mob complaining about a children’s Easter Egg Hunt taking place in a graveyard. Some of the great great grandchildren apparently in uproar. Now we are probably safe to assume that most of these descendants are like most people in the countries secularists, atheists, nothings - any thing but Christians. But this was a Victorian Graveyard. Given that the Victorian age was a time of great Christian revival in this nation, we can be pretty sure that this was a Christian graveyard, full of Christian deceased who had wanted to be buried ina Christian way.

So what does the Christian Scripture say?

"Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark,

Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone

had been removed from the tomb……

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb….

When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him…."

Ok for those who are still awake - where is today’s Christian set. In a ….? [graveyard]

The account starts solemn and sad

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark,

Mary Magdalene came to the tomb

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb.

Its not just physically dark - She feels dark on the inside. She’s come to the graveyard (according to other gospels some of the other women are with her) and they have come to the graveyard to do one last thing for their friend Jesus. To anoint him as a sign of their devotion.

It’s not just physically dark.

I wonder if you have ever felt like that? Or perhaps you feel like that today?

For Mary Magdalene it wasn’t just the loss of her friend. There was a loss of her purpose - like the other disciples she had spent three years following Jesus around dedicated to his mission. Then there was the fear - fear of the Jewish authorities and the Romans. Why was it that only the women came at first? Why were the male disciples locked in the Upper Room? Because of the fear that they too would be arrested and crucified.

Not just physically dark

Have you ever felt the pain of a loss of a loved one?

Or the pain of a loss of purpose - perhaps if you were made redundant?

Or a fear - a health fear? A financial fear? A fear from bullies? Any sort of fear

It was not just physically dark

Which brings back to Easter Eggs (hold one up) What shape are Easter Eggs? (and don’t say egg shaped!) [take answers]

They are shaped like the the stone in front of Jesus’s tomb

To quote from Mark’s Gospel -

16When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3They had been saying to one another, ‘Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?’

It’s dark and not just physically dark - but then the mood changes

"Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone

had been removed from the tomb….

As she wept,

she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels

in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying,

one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them,