<> Ask the Pastor The Rev. Walter P. Snyder Easter is the completion of God's promises to send a Savior. Mankind was unable to save itself, so the Son of God---himself true and fully God---took on our human flesh, lived as one of us, and was killed as a sacrifice for our sins. He rose from the dead on the third day. All the details and the trappings surrounding this day---the "Queen of Feasts"---should focus on Christ, who was "put to death for our trespasses and raised for our justification. (Romans 4:25)" As Paul tells us in Romans 6:4--5, Christians are full participants in Christ's death and resurrection: "We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his." God grant you a blessed Easter, a blessed life, and a blessed eternity with him, through the merits of Jesus Christ, our Lord. This being said, I thought we could spend a few minutes examining traditions, illustrations, and myths which have sprung up around the Resurrection and throughout the rest of the Christian proclamation. Q: Why do we have chocolate bunnies, hard-boiled eggs, and baskets at Easter time? Can you please help me answer these questions? I've been told that the eggs are supposed to be the symbol of life, and that the chocolate bunnies just sort of came along as treats for the children. A: While the children like them, these elements can certainly distract from the central theme of Easter, the Resurrection. From what I've read, your comments on the egg are pretty much on target: It is a symbol of new life. While the overtones are pagan, the artwork involved in many Easter eggs---especially those of Christian churches in central and eastern Europe---makes a stunning visual witness of the hope Christians have in the resurrection. The Easter Bunny is not a modern invention. It originated with the pagan festival of the goddess Eastre, who was worshiped by the Anglo-Saxons through her earthly symbol, the hare or rabbit. There was also some connection with the moon and the hare, and since the date of Easter is determined by the moon, the connection may be strengthened by the association. I've heard that German immigrants brought the symbol of the Easter rabbit to America and that it was widely ignored by other Christians until shortly the Civil War. In fact, Easter itself wasn't widely celebrated in America until after that time. When you include the Easter Bunny, you involve a myth that not only has nothing to do with the Resurrection, but might lead some to think, "If they lied to me about the rabbit, what about the other stuff?" But then, my favorite rabbits are hasenpfeffer (German peppered rabbit), and Bugs Bunny; the Easter Bunny pales beside either of these. Q: I found legends of the Bible on the Internet. I want to know where they found the information to back everything up. Is it all from the Bible? What specific books have legends or symbols in them? For example, some symbols are butterflies, rabbits, the specific wood that used for the cross. They also said that robins got their red chests because they flew next to Jesus on the cross and blood from the crown of thorns got on the robin's chest. Is this factual? A: While there is a fair amount of symbolism in the Bible (most of the prophetic writings and the Revelation are filled with it), there is nothing like what you have found. These are, indeed, legends, myths, and "pious fables." The butterfly became a symbol for Easter where the caterpillar represented Christ's life on earth (seemingly plain and ordinary), the chrysalis stood for his time in the tomb, and the butterfly then was the risen, glorified Christ. The butterfly has also been used in Christian art to represent the human soul. I've not seen anything about rabbits, but imagine another reader might find something. Someone created a legend about the dogwood being the tree used in the cross. In this, Christian symbolism was laid upon the markings of the dogwood's flowers, which look like a decorated cross. Similarly, the sand dollar (an ocean creature in the echinoderm family) got a legend because its internal shell reminded people of the Christ's wounds, and small pieces break out which some think look like doves (the symbol of the Holy Spirit). I've heard also such legends as that the robin sang to comfort Jesus and was caught in the thorns. The early Church used the pelican to symbolize Christ, since it was thought that the bird would tear open its own breast and nurture its young on its blood (not true, but a fitting illustration for what Christ has done). This is just a beginning, so if readers have other Christian "legends," I'd be happy to collect them and introduce them in a future column. Please give sources whenever possible. That's it for now. You can submit questions by mail to "Ask the Pastor," PO Box 1080, Jasper,Texas, 75951; E-mail xrysostom@aol.com; or just stop me on the street. Walter Snyder is the pastor of St. Paul and Faith Lutheran Churches in Jasper and Woodville, Texas and coauthor of the book "What Do Lutherans Believe? A Study Guide in Christian Teachings for Adults." Copyright (c) 1999 by Walter P. 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