Title: The Red Egg and the Empty Tomb
Rediscovering the Symbols of the Resurrection
Theme: Easter – Mary Magdalene – The Red Egg
Old Testament Reading: Genesis 22:9–14
New Testament Reading: John 20:1-18
Proposition: Rather than rejecting the symbols that have attached themselves to Resurrection Day, the Church can redeem them by using them to proclaim the truth of Christ’s Resurrection, Victory, Salvation and New Life ____________________________________________________________
Introduction:
Grace and Peace from God the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit who leads and guides us.
Let us proclaim the Truth once more time this morning:
Christ Is Risen!
Christ is Risen Indeed!
Whether the sun is shining brightly, the rain is falling or even if there is snow on the ground, this is the Day of Great Celebration and Joy!
Today we celebrate that Jesus Christ is Savior and Lord of all creation—His mission, His message, His sacrifice, and His glorious resurrection.
Today we celebrate the beautiful reality that Paul shared with the Church at Colosse:
“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” (Colossians 3:13-15)
In all this celebration it is interesting to note how many things have seemed to attach themselves to the celebration of Easter/Resurrection Sunday. These include:
*Easter baskets filled with plastic eggs and chocolate candies
*Plush little bunnies, lambs and baby chickens
*Beautiful Easter Lilies and ornate branches of the Dog Wood Tree
*Families preparing Special Meals – with Ham, Lamb, Hot Cross Buns, Cakes and all kinds of other things
Most of these are harmless and even joyful. Who doesn’t like a bit of chocolate, and the flowers smell and look wonderful and who doesn’t like a great meal. However, our Jewish friends even those who believe in Jesus may still not grab a plate of ham.
The problem only comes when all those things take center stage. When they become the focus of the Easter Season instead of the Cross, the Empty Tomb, the Angels, the Risen Christ and the First Witnesses.
If Easter becomes all about baskets, candy, food and decorations then we have lost the heart of the day.
But if Christ remains the Center – if the Resurrection and the reality of forgiveness remains before us – then these traditions can become tools to tell His Story.
Today, I would like for us to look at one of those traditions, one of the oldest symbols that has associated itself with Easter: The Humble Egg.
1. The Egg as a Symbol of Faith
You may not be aware of it, but the egg has been a long-time symbol of faith in both Judaism and Christianity.
In Jewish Tradition, eggs are usually a part of the Passover Meal. A hard-boiled egg dipped in salt water sometimes appears as a symbol of several things:
+The Possibility of New Life and Freedom – reminding the people of the Exodus from Egypt.
+The Sacrifices offered in the Temple.
+A reminder of the mourning for the destruction of both the First and Second Temple in Jerusalem.
When a Jewish family was too poor to provide a lamb for Passover, an egg could serve as a substitute. That way all families could celebrate.
So long before even the first Easter Egg Hunt – the egg was already a symbol of hope, sacrifice and new life.
That leads us to the Early Church …
2. The Egg in the Early Church
When Christianity emerged from its Jewish roots, the Early Church adopted many of its symbols to explain the Gospels.
One of those was the egg.
Early Christians saw in the egg a beautiful picture of the Resurrection.
Just as new life emerges from an egg, new life emerged from the Tomb of Jesus – Our Savior and Lord.
The egg became a way to talk about:
+The Resurrection of Jesus
+Victory over sin, death, and the grave
+The promise of new life for all who repent and accept Jesus as Savior and Lord and were filled with His Holy Spirit
In fact, the egg became of one of the earliest object lessons for the Gospel.
Christians would give eggs to one another during the Easter Celebrations.
Bible teachers would use the egg to explain spiritual growth.
From the outside an egg may appear lifeless, but inside something extraordinary is happening – life is forming and growing.
In the same way, inside each person there is the possibility of New Life in Christ Jesus.
That New Life matures as one is filled, led and guided by the Holy Spirit.
Some teachers have even used the egg to explain the Trinity:
+The shell represents the Holy Father
+The white of the egg represents the purity of the Son of God – Jesus.
+The yolk represents the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit.
The egg in the early days of Christianity was a powerful reminder that through Jesus we can be Born Again.
Now, let’s consider the meaning of the colors …
3. The Colors
But what about the colors?
Today, we see every color almost imaginable.
Yet, in the ancient Church, one color was extremely important – RED.
It was common for Christians of the first era to take the time especially around Easter to dye their eggs red.
+Red, reminded them of the blood of Jesus shed on the cross.
+Second, red symbolized LIFE.
+Third – Red was the ancient color of Victory. Victorious army would often carry red banners when they return home from battle.
For the Early Church, the red egg was a way to proclaim that Jesus Christ had won the ultimate victory – Victory over sin, death, hell and the grave while at the same time being able to speak of Jesus’ death on the Cross and Everlasting Life.
And this leads us to a woman named Mary Magdalene….
4. Mary Magdalene
With the symbol of the egg there soon came to be a tradition concerning the red egg with the woman we read about in John 20 – Mary Magdalene.
In our story we see that she is the first person to encounter the Risen Christ and the first person to proclaim the Good News of His Resurrection – “I have seen the LORD.”
According to ancient tradition it was Mary Magdalene that traveled to Rome and upon arriving there was able to share the message of Jesus with the Emperor of Rome.
As the story goes, she used an egg to explain the message of Jesus and His resurrection. Upon hearing her story, the Emperor listened quietly and reverently but made the statement that such a thing was as impossible as the egg she was holding turning red.
At that moment, according to the story, the egg miraculously turns bright red.
Whether or not the story is historically accurate, the truth remains:
THE EARLY CHURCH EMBRACED THE RED EGG AS ONE OF ITS GREATEST SYMBOLS OF THE RESURRECTION.
Christians began giving one another red eggs as they greeted each other with the words:
Christ is Risen!
Christ is risen indeed!
This morning, instead of rejecting every symbol that has associated itself with Easter perhaps we can learn from them and even redeem them.
The egg – especially a red egg – can still be a wonderful teaching tool.
Imagine taking a red egg and reminding yourself, your children and even your grandchildren today:
+This represents New Life in Jesus
+This red egg reminds us that Jesus shed His Blood on the Cross for all of humanity.
+This red egg reminds us that Our Jesus is Victorious – He is no longer in the Tomb – but on that Cross and in His Resurrection, we have won the power over sin, death, Hell and the grave.
Perhaps instead of a Golden Egg – we should have a red egg as the prize egg.
Interestingly, red eggs are often the hardest to find today. Yet perhaps that reminds us how easily the message of the cross can fade from view – and how important it is for us to restore it.
And so, this morning, I have a red egg for all of you to have.
Did Mary Magdalene really speak to the Emperor and her egg turn red as tradition says that it did?
I don’t know – what I do know is this:
Both Judaism and Christianity use the egg during the Passover and Easter Season.
Both see the egg speaking of Victory and New Life.
In Christianity’s case – what easier way to remember:
+It was through the shedding of Jesus’ blood on the cross that our debt was paid.
+It was through His life that He conquered death, hell and the grave.
+It is through His death and resurrection that we can experience total victory today.
So, take your red egg today, place it where it can be seen – and when someone asks, be ready to say:
“It reminds me that Jesus died for our sins and rose again so that we might have everlasting life.”
“It reminds me of the victorious life that I can live in Christ Jesus through the presence and power of His Holy Spirit.”
Lord’s Supper and BENEDICTION
May the God who provided the ram in Isaac's Place, the God who rolled away the stone from the tomb, and the God who called Mary by name in the garden, go with you now.
Go forth and carry the message of the empty tomb into a world that longs for hope. May the symbols you see—simple or splendid—remind you not of distraction, but of redemption. And when you see the humble egg, especially the red egg, may it call to mind the blood of Christ, the victory of the cross, and the promise of new life.
Now in the power of the Risen Christ.
Walk in His victory over sin and death.
Live as people made new, forgiven and free.
And may your lives proclaim with boldness and joy:
Christ is Risen!
Christ is Risen Indeed!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
