What a combination! Easter eggs, scavenging dogs & crucifixion

I visited my local shopping centre yesterday and saw all the Easter attractions. This is the time for Easter eggs but it has other ingredients that make it an attractive season. Of course, there's the long weekend, plenty of sport on tele and the opportunity for gorging lots of chocolate. Talk about options!

On 25 March 2022, Roy Morgan Research estimated "over four million Australians are planning a trip away this Easter with $7.1 billion to be spent on holidays, while around $1.5 billion will be splurged on food and chocolate, in a major boon for tourism operators and retail businesses."

But why are there special eggs at Easter? Eggs symbolise new life and fertility. This Christian festival comes with little to frighten anyone in an era of religious extremism. Who could ever be offended by a cute chocolate bunny? Time Magazine reported: "The original story of Easter eggs starts in Medieval Europe, but it may or may not have originated with Christians."

It could be very different if John Dominic Crossan of the Jesus Seminar were leading the agenda. For him, the cross spoke. Jesus was not buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, as indicated by all four Gospels (Matt 27:57; Mark 15:43; Luke 23:50-56; and John 19:38-40). Instead, Jesus was buried in a shallow grave to be eaten by scavenging dogs.

From where did he gain that provocative information? It came from the method he used – postmodern deconstruction – by which he engaged in free-play of interpretation. The reader of a narrative determines the meaning of a text. It does not come from the content by the original author.

The paradox

But there's a paradox here. Have you thought how strange it is that Easter eggs are identified with one of the most horrific ways of killing a person? This is the time of remembering the most famous death by crucifixion in history – that of Jesus Christ.

To be crucified for crime, the victim was lying on the cross on the ground and held down. They were nailed on that cross with crude, rough nails.

They were lifted up on the cross and it was dropped into a hole in the ground. They experienced unimaginable thirst and found it difficult to breathe.

Medical doctor, C. Truman Davis MD, explained that as fatigue came to the arms and cramps to the muscles, the victim experienced deep throbbing pain.

There were hours of pain, cramps, and partial suffocation as tissue was torn from the person's lacerated back as it moved up and down on the rough timber. This trauma impacted the chest and began to compress the heart.

Mocking crowds

To make it worse for Jesus, the crowds would mock the victim (Matthew 20:19, Mark 10:34, and Luke 18:32).

But how does our culture remember Christ's crucifixion at Easter? With chocolate eggs, chocolate bunnies and jewellery! It's almost impossible to walk down the street without seeing a version of the cross. Generally it's on a chain around somebody's neck or as ear rings. This is a far cry from the actual Easter event.