🕊️ 3 Easter Revelations: How Ancient Texts Whisper the Story of Redemption Through Jesus 🥚
Isn't it a thrilling quest to find hidden treasures tucked away, just waiting to be discovered? I'm not just talking about a traditional Easter egg hunt...
Have you ever been on an undercover mission to discover the thrilling world of TV shows, video games, and movies? I'm talking about those 'Easter eggs' - hidden jokes, clues or references. These 'Easter eggs' are often the creators' subtle nods towards their fans or secret inside jokes shared with their fellow creators. It's like a hidden love letter if you will. It has become a favourite pastime for my husband and me to find these 'Easter eggs' in our favourite shows, specifically Sci-fi, re-watching episodes to join the dots, being total TV nerds, and loving every moment!
But I'm not talking about a TV show, either ...
Of course, I don't need to tell you the history behind an actual Easter egg hunt because you probably know all about that tradition. Easter is about spring and new life ... resurrection; one can even find such a myriad of ideas for transforming ordinary eggs into resurrection eggs. These tell the beautiful Easter story and create precious memories with your kids to boot!
But here is the thing ...
Ever wonder about the origins and significance of Easter and its traditions, such as egg hunts or the Easter bunny? If you've pondered questions like, "What role does the Easter bunny play in the story of Jesus?" "What does the Easter egg signify in Christianity?" or " Wasn't Easter originally a pagan festival?" you'll find the video below quite enlightening!
Pretty insightful. And that's not all! You can also access a comprehensive list of how different countries celebrate Easter. Also, if you want a quirky, fun, informative video for your kids, there's one right here. The narrator's infectious giggle will have your kids in fits of laughter.
But I digress.
Amidst the colourful eggs, the bunny tales, and the celebrations, let's not forget the REASON WE CELEBRATE EASTER. It is not about the most beautiful egg found in the backyard ... it's all about Jesus, the real Easter story.
There is a reason I brought up searching for the best hidden reference in a movie scene ... what are humoursly called "Easter eggs."
Did you ever stop and think about whether 'Easter Eggs' might be concealed within the story of JESUS? Are there clues hidden in plain sight? I'm here to tell you that Jesus Himself may be considered an 'Easter egg.' (stay with me now!)
Why Jesus IS an Easter Egg
While many view the Old Testament as written 'BC' ('before Christ'), isn't it fascinating that nothing was ever 'before' Christ? After all, as the Son of God, Jesus existed before everything—including time itself. Therefore, throughout the Old Testament, many clues, from prophecies to foreshadowings, hint at His coming and His role as Messiah.
There are many prophecies of His coming to achieve His unique role as Messiah. God in His mercy and grace also gave "object lessons" in the promise of His Son's arrival. The brass serpent on a post is one example, and each offering of a flawless lamb was a foreshadowing of Calvary.
In the Old Testament, you can even find around 320 Prophecies, Displays, or Foreshadowings (PDFs, if you will) of Christ! Just like hidden 'Easter eggs', you can spot hints of Jesus in all books of the Old Testament.
There are about 320 Prophecies, Displays, or Foreshadowings (PDFs!) of Jesus in the Old Testament.110 PDFs in the books of Law, around 150 PDFSs in the Writings, and at least 150 PDFs in the Prophets. A minimal total for the entire Old Testament, therefore, is about 320 PDFs. Some have found a few less, some more ...
... more "Easter eggs!" You can hunt the entire Old Testament and find the Messiah in every last book. I am serious. Some are cryptic, but they're all worth searching, much like the coveted golden Easter egg with a $2 bill reward!
Therefore, Jesus OFTEN appears in the Old Testament. Let me share three such 'Easter eggs', three of the myriad hints that point toward Jesus. The first one is my favourite...
Biblical Easter Egg #1:
Genesis 3:15
Here is just one, instead, I believe, the FIRST one: "...and I will put enmity between you and the woman; between your seed and her seed. He shall bruise you on the head, but you will bruise Him on the heel." (Genesis 3:15)
That one I typed entirely from memory; I'll tell you why in a minute. Let's look at another interpretation:
"...Because you’ve done this, you’re cursed,
cursed beyond all cattle and wild animals,
Cursed to slink on your belly and eat dirt all your life.
I’m declaring war between you and the Woman,
between your offspring and hers.
He’ll wound your head, you’ll wound his heel.”
Genesis 3:15 (MSG)
I will always remember this, my first memory verse. Yeah, believe it or not, it wasn't even "Jesus wept." (Who knows why? When I found out later that "Jesus wept" was a choice, I was pretty pumped.)
Soon after, I learned John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." It was then that mother taught me how much that famous verse had in common with the not-so-famous Genesis 3:15 prophecy in the Bible:
"This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life."
John 3:16 (MSG)
Read them both again: Genesis 3:15 and John 3:16.
JESUS. WILL. CRUSH. SATAN.
Seeing the sculpture (above) in Rome years ago took my breath away. I took a photograph, waited for the development (hey, it was the 80s), immediately showed it to mom (who cried), and was in my Bible from then on. Still is. Guess which verse it marks...? ;-)
Biblical Easter Egg #2:
Genesis 32:24-30
Another 'easter egg' in Genesis is a passage which makes it clear that 'the angel' who Jacob struggled with (Gn 32:24-30) was the Lord God. This is yet additional support that the one 'angel' referred to throughout the Old Testament is not a being. The word means 'messenger,' and the Lord Jesus Christ was and is God's perfect messenger to earth, communicating that God truly is three-in-one.
But Jacob stayed behind by himself, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he couldn’t get the best of Jacob as they wrestled, he deliberately threw Jacob’s hip out of joint. The man said,
“Let me go; it’s daybreak.” Jacob said, “I’m not letting you go ’til you bless me.” The man said, “What’s your name?” He answered, “Jacob.”
The man said, “But no longer. Your name is no longer Jacob. From now on it’s Israel (God-Wrestler); you’ve wrestled with God and you’ve come through.” Jacob asked, “And what’s your name?” The man said, “Why do you want to know my name?” And then, right then and there, He blessed him. Jacob named the place Peniel (God’s Face) because, he said, “I saw God face-to-face and lived to tell the story!” Genesis 32:24-30 (MSG)
This passage presents another tense encounter: Jacob wrestling with an 'angel' revealed to be the Lord God. The concept of the Trinity is unveiled here, suggesting that it is Jesus, a part of the Divine Trinity, who is the one Jacob wrestles with.
Scripture does not say that the presence who wanted to wrestle was an 'angel', but rather it says a 'man.' Although the man does not mention his name, Jacob surmised that he had struggled with God, for he stated, "I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved" (Genesis 32:30).
These top two verses are a couple of inspirations for the title of the introductory lesson in The Scripture Scout's Sleuth for the Truth Sunday school curriculum: JESUS IN GENESIS??, (but I think you know the answer to that question).
It is worth it for you to ponder ... was it Jesus with whom Jacob wrestled?
Biblical Easter Egg #3:
Exodus 17:1-6
Lastly,
The Biblical 'Easter Egg' #3: Exodus 17:1-6. This one sounds like a stretch, but it isn't. Again, stay with me.
The people took Moses to task: “Give us water to drink.”
But Moses said, “Why pester me? Why are you testing God?”
But the people were thirsty for water there. They complained to Moses, “Why did you take us from Egypt and drag us out here with our children and animals to die of thirst?”
Moses cried out in prayer to God,
“What can I do with these people? Any minute now they’ll kill me!”
God said to Moses, “Go on out ahead of the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel. Take the staff you used to strike the Nile. And go.
I’m going to be present before you there on the rock at Horeb.
You are to strike the rock. Water will gush out of it
and the people will drink.” Exodus 17:1-6 (MSG)
This passage is a striking preview of Calvary. For one, the rock was struck with the same rod that at one time was a serpent, for one. This passage is the first mention of the “rock” and the “water” that came out of the rock. We are not left to our own guesswork or our own wisdom in this little easter egg. Holy Spirit through Paul spells it out for us in I Corinthians 10:1-4. This is a symbolic representation of the crucifixion at Calvary.
The rock and the water are metaphors for Jesus as the living water He provides!
So, you see, Jesus is the ultimate 'Easter egg' scattered throughout the Old Testament, subtly pointing towards His coming. These 'Easter eggs' aren't part of any entertainment media or a comical ruse. Instead, they form a sweet hint from our Creator, hidden in His love letter to humanity.
Isn't that just beautiful?
I also wonder if, once we've moved on from this world, we'll reflect on the 'Easter eggs' God hid in our life's journey, foreshadowing His second coming. This talk of eggs in the Holy Word may spark conversations with Jesus over a heavenly cuppa. How delightful that would be!
A Scripture Scout's SUPERCHARGED EASTER EGG HUNT
THE HUNT BEGINS ...
The game is afoot! I would like to go on an EASTER EGG HUNT with you! I hope you find this game reassuring and uplifting.
There are 3 mentioned in this blog post but there are four hundred and twenty-ish more to go! Can you find even one in each Bible book? I'll bet you CAN! I can't wait to see what you uncover ...
And speaking of "Easter eggs" woven through the scriptures ...