CHOCOLATE BUNNIES
The door flew open, and I dashed into the living room—not quite with the thrill of Christmas morning, but excited to see what the Easter Bunny had left. Then I spied my Easter basket, the contents immersed in pink plastic grass: marshmallow chicks, jellybeans, and egg-shaped malt balls. But crowning it all, the queen mother of Easter delights: a chocolate bunny.
My taste buds sprang to life, anticipating a day of culinary decadence, munching for hours on the solid mass of a chocolate rabbit. Wiping the drool from my mouth, I attacked the feet first. But one nibble yielded disappointment. The Easter treat would not deliver a day of delectable delights, but merely a few minutes of taste bud titillation. The rabbit was hollow, filled with air. A cruel chocolate façade designed to tempt children, filled with promises but unable to deliver.
Our lives are crammed full of chocolate bunnies—things promising purpose and pleasure. A new job, a new car, a new relationship. Sure, they tantalize us for a few moments. But the happiness they give is short-lived. They fail to deliver when it comes to long-lasting fulfillment.
But not Jesus. While alive, he made some fantastic promises: lives filled with purpose, peace, power, and perpetual life. Then he died. But in contrast to my Easter experience, Jesus delivered on his promises. I awakened on Easter morning expecting something wonderful and was disappointed. His followers awoke that Easter morning in depression and despair—feeling empty and hopeless—but they experienced a surprise more wonderful than they ever imagined.
They trudged to the tomb, expecting nothing— and that’s what they found—an empty tomb. But unlike my chocolate bunny, that hollow shell of an empty tomb transformed their lives, filling their hearts with hope and joy. Notice their reactions to the resurrection. “The women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy” (Matthew 28:8). “They still did not believe it because of joy and amazement” (Luke 24:41). “The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord” (John 20:20). Joy, joy, and more joy.
Quite the opposite of my chocolate bunny experience. If you’re searching for purpose and fulfillment in life, don’t expect to find it in chocolate bunnies. Ultimately, they will leave you empty. Instead look to the empty tomb, which will overwhelm you with joy that will endure for eternity.
Principle: The chocolate bunnies of the world are empty and hollow. The empty tomb gives us purpose and fulfillment.
Ponder:
When have you received a chocolate bunny that left you feeling empty inside?
How does the risen Christ fulfill your deepest needs?
Pursue: For a deeper dive, study Luke 24:1–12.
Prayer: Risen Lord, replace the chocolate bunnies of my life with the purpose and power of your resurrection.