For many people, Easter has become more about rabbits, eggs, and chocolate. The word “Easter” was the early church’s attempt to take a day that the culture of that day recognized and “Christianize” it. I think it was a mistake, but it is so ingrained in our culture that now there is no turning back.

I prefer calling the celebration of Christ’s victory over death “Resurrection Sunday.” Resurrection has nothing to do with rabbits, eggs, or chocolate. Rabbits are seen as a sign of fertility, and eggs are seen as a symbol of new life and rebirth, but what about chocolate?

Ancient civilizations like the Mayans and Aztecs saw chocolate as a divine gift. They would not get an argument from me on that! The tradition of giving chocolate eggs can be traced back to 19th-century Europe. During this time, candy-makers began molding chocolate into egg shapes, capitalizing on the symbolism of eggs during the Easter season. I like rabbits and eggs, and I’ve never met a piece of chocolate I didn’t like, but none of these things have anything to do with Jesus being resurrected from the dead.

From the Biblical perspective, Passover reminds us of a sacrificed lamb and the celebration of deliverance from slavery. As the Lamb of God, Jesus came to free us from the slavery of sin and give us a new life. I pray we will focus on the Lamb, not a rabbit, egg, or chocolate.