Once every year, when the grass gets green, the trees start to blossom, and little chocolate eggs start to appear on store shelves, we celebrate the Easter season. For some people, the meaning of Easter is very deep and spiritual. For others, maybe not so much. Today I want to share what Easter means to me and why I really have reason to celebrate.
Easter occurs each year in spring, and on that Sunday morning, the Easter bunny comes and leaves you eggs, candy, and other stuff too. During the season, there are gardens being planted, Easter egg hunts to have, and that weird plastic grass can be found everywhere and anywhere!
But there is a deeper meaning behind Easter. It’s about God, His resurrection, and what that means for us. Even though the Easter bunny dates back at least to the traditions of the late 1600s, the Lamb has been around much longer.
The Lamb of God was first mentioned during Adam and Eve’s time, according to Latter-day Saint scripture. Moses 5:4-5 states that, “Adam and Eve, his wife, called upon the name of the Lord and they heard the voice of the Lord from the way toward the Garden of Eden, speaking unto them … And he gave unto them commandments, that they should worship the Lord their God, and should offer the firstlings of their flocks, for an offering unto the Lord. And Adam was obedient unto the commandments of the Lord.”
Even though Adam at first did not know the reason why sacrificing a lamb had any significance to following the Lord, he was faithful and did it anyway. For those who don’t know, sacrificing a lamb is a symbol of God’s sacrifice for us. Jesus died on the cross as the Lamb of God. So even though the Easter Bunny is a sign of treasures and new beginnings, The Lamb of God is a sign of forgiveness and new beginnings for each of us.
When we celebrate Easter, some people focus their attention on Jesus Christ’s sacrifice. But in the miracle of Easter, we are celebrating how He arose and walked from the tomb, opening the door to resurrection and life for all of us.
Someday, we will all be resurrected because Jesus gave us the victory over death.
The meaning of Easter is really a personal thing. Depending on what you believe in, its meaning will be different for you. All in all, it is a time to remember the Lamb of God. It is time to celebrate God’s love for us and new beginnings, with friends and family.
– by Madi White (15) Escalante
Feature image caption: The tomb left empty after the resurrection of Christ. Artwork by Annie M. (15) Henrieville.
Madi White – Escalante
Madi White is one of our junior journalists from Escalante who wrote for us for a little while. She has written about sunny gardening, misunderstood Disney villains, Christian Easter celebrations and small-town healthcare.