Q. What do you call a rabbit with fleas?
A. Bugs Bunny
Q. What does the Easter Rabbit get for making a basket?
A. Well Two points of course!
Q. Why did the Easter Bunny hide the egg?
A. Because it was a little chicken.
Q. What's the best way to catch a unique rabbit?
A. You 'nique up on him.
Q. How do you catch a tame rabbit?
A. Tame way, unique up on it.
Q. What goes ha-ha-clunk?
A. A bunny laughing its head off.
A man was blissfully driving along the highway, when he saw the Easter Bunny hopping across the middle of the road. He swerved to avoid hitting the Bunny, but unfortunately the rabbit jumped in front of his car and was hit. The basket of eggs went flying all over the place.
The driver, being a sensitive man as well as an animal lover, pulled over to the side of the road, and got out to see what had become of the Bunny carrying the basket. Much to his dismay, the colorful Bunny was dead. The driver felt guilty and began to cry.
A woman driving down the same highway saw the man crying on the side of the road, kneeling in prayer and she pulled over. She stepped out of her car and asked the man what was wrong.
"I feel terrible," he explained, "I accidentally hit the Easter Bunny and killed it. There may not be an Easter because of me. I have been praying- What should I do?"
The woman told the man not to worry. She knew exactly what to do. She went to her car trunk, and pulled out a spray can. She walked over to the limp, lifeless bunny and sprayed the entire contents of the can onto the little furry animal.
Miraculously the Easter Bunny came back to life, jumped up, picked up the spilled eggs and candy, waved its paw at the two humans and hopped on down the road. 50 Yards away the Easter Bunny stopped, turned around, waved and hopped on down the road; another 50 yards, turned, waved, hopped another 50 yards and waved again!
The man was astonished. He said to the woman, “You have been the answer to my prayers! I can’t believe it! What in heaven's name is in your spray can? What was it that you sprayed on the Easter Bunny?" The woman turned the can around so that the man could read the label. It said: "Hare spray. Restores life to dead hare. Adds permanent wave."
See- See What God can do!
Like last night at our Easter Vigil, this day we lean in to the Eastern Orthodox tradition of telling jokes at Easter because on this day and in this season and in this life we celebrate that God has duped evil, death, and despair; through the person of Jesus now the Christ who is raised from the dead – death is conquered, love is eternal, despair is overcome- hope always is present in all circumstances- evil is no match for the power of the God of the universe.
Today is Easter- it is our day. It is the Lord’s day- it is the day where we “see what God can do!” Alleluia!
The Gospel account itself in John shows us what God can do. One can only truly describe that Easter morning as strange and confused. It is early, early, before the dawns light; it is Mary Magdalene who emerges out of the darkness that is symbolic of the fragile human spirit. SHE is the faithful follower of Jesus who is there-first- early- the tomb empty, she believes Jesus’ body to have been stolen.
She sends words of despair to Peter and to the disciple whom he loved (John) and they foot race to the tomb. Peter first to go in and see the tomb empty, he fears the worst- that someone had stolen the body, the beloved disciple wants to believe (for he believes Jesus to be risen, but doesn’t fully understand). They both leave a bit dazed and confused and they go off to find the others leaving Mary there, deep in her grief.
Mary is given the privilege in John’s Gospel of meeting the risen Jesus! Broken hearted, she is the enfleshment of sorrow. This is the stage set for the first meeting with the risen Christ. Her sorrow so thick she does not recognize him, (mistaking him for the Gardener), then he speaks her name- her name- he sees her, names her, and the dark, thickness of her sorrow is now transformed (like water into wine). He IS ALIVE. Like the Good Shepherd who knows his sheep by name, HE names her and SHE is the first believer- first follower. She is identified as follower of Jesus and SHE now must go and Tell! And she is obedient to that task! Mary will be the first witness to the risen Jesus! Sorrow transformed- out of the dark confusion of the morning- Mary Go and Tell- Jesus is Alive! He is Risen! The Easter statement of fact.
Tell What God can DO! – Alleluia!
So too the disciples still dazed and confused, and as we will read next week, will lock themselves in a room out of utter fear. Jesus too will appear to them bid their fear pardon and breathe on them a Spirit of courage and new life. Their fear too will be transformed and they like Mary will become witnesses to the risen Jesus; and out of the dark confusion of their fear, they too will have ONE task- to go and Tell- Jesus is Alive! He is Risen! The Easter statement of fact.
Tell What God can DO! Alleluia.
It is true when we approach the Easter story that we find in it all the graces of comfort and of hope! It is true that when we speak of God’s acting in Jesus we too may find comfort in our sorrows and light in our darkness. (God knows I have.)
It is true when we approach the Easter story that when we speak of God’s acting in Jesus we find there hope for our lives, and even for a sorry world, even and especially when it seems circumstances may throw a dark pall over our lives.
It is true that when we approach the Easter story that when we speak of God’s acting in Jesus we find there mercy and forgiveness in our lives even when we feel unforgiveable or just unable ourselves to find forgiveness.
These things are miracles really- sorrow transformed to joy, the bonds of fear released to hope and courage - the disease of offense made whole through mercy and forgiveness. They are miracles and you know it by your own lives living.
All this is true of our faith and of what we find in Jesus. But let us make no mistake this day about the power of believing what we believe and behaving in what we believe. There is A miracle today, the Easter miracle. Like for Mary and the disciples, the Easter story is about encountering the risen Jesus; and it is about believing that Jesus was risen that day, and is risen today and is risen through eternity. Like for Mary and the disciples, there is one response to that miracle in our lives-
Go and tell what God can do! Jesus is Alive! He is risen! Alleluia!
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