Whoever said, “Never put all your eggs in one basket, clearly never celebrated Easter.” Because here we are, ready for an Easter egg hunt, and that’s something worth getting excited about!

I don’t know about you, but when I was a kid, the Easter egg hunt was one of my favorite things. We’d all line up, baskets in hand, full of energy and excitement. Someone would say, “How many eggs do you think you’ll get?” and the competition began, laughter, running, shouting, and joy. That kind of excitement, that childlike joy, is what Easter Sunday is all about. I remember barely being able to sleep the night before. I was so eager, so ready for the day to come. Because Easter is a full day. It’s a happy, holy day full of light, warmth, and wonder.

Now, sometimes people ask me, “Did the church come up with the Easter egg hunt, or was that just something the culture added later?” Well, history tells us that long ago, even as far back as the early centuries of the church, there was a tradition of finding hidden eggs on Easter morning. In medieval times, eggs were a special treat. During Lent, people gave up eating them for forty days and nights. And when Easter finally came, those eggs were painted red, the color of Christ’s blood, and hidden for people to find. When they discovered them, they rejoiced! Not only because they could finally eat again, but because those eggs represented something sacred: new life, joy, and the nourishment of God’s grace.

There’s a beautiful painting by a Swiss artist that hangs in a small museum in Paris. It’s called “Peter and John Running to the Tomb.” If you’ve seen it, you know what I mean when I say it captures the moment perfectly. You can almost feel their breath, their heartbeat, their urgency. They’re running, neck and neck, like children racing toward something wonderful. Why? Because they had just heard the most incredible news: “The tomb is empty.” They had to see for themselves. The linens that wrapped Jesus’ body were folded neatly to the side. The Savior who had been crucified was gone, not taken, but risen. They ran because they needed to know, did Jesus really rise from the dead?

And so today, as we search for our Easter eggs, I wonder what gifts Christ is hiding for us to find. What treasures does He want to fill us with this Easter? Maybe it’s hope, if you’ve been feeling weary. Maybe it’s peace, if your heart has been restless. Maybe it’s forgiveness, if you’ve been carrying regret. Maybe it’s joy, the kind that’s been buried for too long. Whatever it is, Jesus is ready to fill you up again with good things. The sunrise of Easter, the Pascha, rises from the east, just as new life rises in each of us right now.

You know, sometimes we think of Jesus like He’s hidden, like we must go searching for Him under the rocks and bushes of life. But the truth is, Jesus was never truly hidden. He’s been right here all along, in plain sight. You know how in movies, they talk about “Easter eggs”? Those little hidden surprises the creators tuck into the film, clues or cameos that point to something more. Well, in life, Jesus is the real Easter egg. He’s the hidden presence that’s not really hidden at all. He’s everywhere, if we just open our eyes. You can find Him in a kind word, in a shared meal, in a prayer whispered through tears. You can find Him when you finally say, “Lord Jesus, I need you more than ever. Please feed my soul. Fill me with good things.” And when you do, He will appear. He will make Himself known. He’ll be known in the breaking of bread, in His Word, in the faces of the people He’s placed in your life. You are never alone. Jesus is always nearby.

As we gather today, as we laugh, as we hunt for eggs, as we celebrate this holy morning, remember this: the empty tomb was the first Easter egg, the greatest surprise the world has ever known. The same Jesus who rose that day is here with us now, filling our hearts with joy, with grace, and with new life. So yes, my friends, it’s perfectly okay to put all your eggs in one basket, as long as that basket belongs to Jesus.