Easter message from the Bishop of Southampton, Rt Revd Paul Butler

I was visiting St John’s Primary School , Moordown recently. In their hall they had the most wonderful display of characters and scenes all created from eggs. This is an annual event. The creativity was stunning – the egg prisoner climbing down the rope for “The Great Eggscape”; the group of egg skiers on their “Great Eggspedition” and many more. Some of these models made me laugh, many made me smile. But there was one that just made me stop, look and reflect. This was a model of the crucifixion of Jesus. The egg was his bearded head with the crown of thorns on his brow and blood running down his cheeks. It was a very simple but powerful depiction of Jesus’ cruel and gruesome death. Attached to the model was a simple card that the young creator had written: “I made this because this is what Easter is all about.”

This young child had got it right. To look around the shops it would be easy to conclude that Easter is all about eating a lot of chocolate (preferably in smartly packaged egg form), gardening and DIY. There is, naturally, nothing wrong with doing any of these but they are not what Easter is all about. Easter is the festival when the death by crucifixion, the burial and the resurrection of Jesus are remembered, celebrated. That egg model was powerful too because eggs do act as symbols of new life (that is why they have been used at Easter for centuries).

Personally I find the symbol of the broken egg particularly helpful – it reminds me of Jesus breaking out of death into resurrection life. As a Christian I am convinced that Jesus did rise again from the dead. I am convinced that through his death and resurrection he has brought about a whole new start for us all with God. In a world full of sadness, difficulty, pain and despair. The Easter message tells us all that in God through Jesus Christ there is comfort, new life and hope for us all.