3 reasons to ditch the Easter Bunny. It's not a harmless tradition.
Christians believe in the wildest things.
We believe that a man lived a perfect life, died on a cross, and then rose from the grave! We believe a young Hebrew woman conceived as a virgin and gave birth to God’s one and only Son. These undeniable facts changed history and still change the eternal destiny of everyone who believes in them.
By the world’s standards, Christians are crazy. At Easter, people wonder if we really think our Savior came out of the grave. Yes, we do.
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Here’s what I think is foolish: the silly, worldly distraction of a giant bunny who delivers baskets of candy to kids during our most holy of Christian holidays.
Why are we telling our children a nonsensical story about a fictional character when we need to point them to the most pivotal figure in history and the most definitive event of all time?
The Easter Bunny is not a harmless annual tradition. Some may claim it's only wholesome springtime fun but here are three reasons to ditch the Easter bunny and focus on Jesus conquering death and the grave, instead:
1. Kids are ripe for the Truth of the Gospel
For years, researchers and evangelistic ministries have asserted that those who develop a solid faith foundation at an early age are more likely to follow the Lord their entire lives. Nurturing our children’s spiritual development is critical as we strive to prepare them to live in a world that threatens to rob them of their identity, challenge their values, and divert their attention from their God-given purpose.
Kids don’t need us to wait until they’re older or until they come to us with questions. They don’t need us to suppress the resurrection story in favor of another “what do I get?” sort of holiday. They should be invited to celebrate the powerful good news of their one-and-only loving hero and Savior, Jesus, who doesn’t hop away after Easter but remains with us always.
Teaching them about Jesus now equips them to handle adversity with faith. We can take them to church on Easter Sunday and do the holiday thing or we can infuse biblical truth into their daily lives, activities, and interests.
You can nurture and nourish their faith all year long. You can do that through devotional readings and conversations at dinner times, Vacation Bible School or Christian camps in the summer, and even video games with biblical themes.
2. Parents need to model being a good witness
Children don’t miss a thing. They see everything and imitate their parents. They see how we treat strangers and neighbors. They see us raise our hands in worship on Sunday mornings. They see how seriously we live our faith the other six days a week. And they see how seriously we take our faith during the holidays. Pretend bunnies don’t point to the resurrected Christ.
Modeling what a good Christian witness looks like is an ongoing process. It’s not limited to Easter, Christmas, or any given Sunday morning; it should happen every day. Kids face challenges, doubts, and questions every day, and they need to see us navigate life’s daily challenges “leaning not on our own understanding” but in every way submitting to him.”
When we’re intentional about providing our children with faith-formative conversations, experiences, and even entertainment, their faith can develop and grow from an early age, shaping their entire lives. Don’t hide behind the bunny. The Bible says in Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Our parental imperative is to impart biblical truth to our kids now, while they’re listening.
Look for ways to walk humbly and faithfully in front of them.
3. Kids can absorb the true Easter story better than you might think
Some parents wrestle with sharing the Easter story with their children because the details leading to His crucifixion may be gruesome. But let us not forget, Jesus’ sacrifice for us is history’s most captivating story.
No matter how many creative ways you can think of to soften it, the best “version” of the Easter story comes straight from the pages of Scripture. Read from the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) to present the true account of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, emphasizing the core message that “Jesus came to seek and save the lost.” He saved us by dying for us. He died and rose again, meaning we can believe He is who He said He is. Jesus, the Son of God conquered death and lives now at the right hand of God the Father.
Jesus is way more awesome than the Easter Bunny and the holiday itself is even more important than Christmas. As parents, let’s ditch the Easter Bunny.
Let Easter be a reminder of the ultimate sacrifice that changed the course of human history and eternity. Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Why would we want to stifle such a powerful message with a fictional bunny?
Brent Dusing is the CEO and founder of TruPlay, a gaming platform created to bring high-quality, fun and biblically-sound entertainment to audiences worldwide. Committed to seeing the betterment of children around the world, TruPlay is bringing light into a world in need of God’s love, hope and truth. For more information, visit truplaygames.com.
