Easter Egg Hunting in the Bible

Soon enough we'll have Easter egg hunts happening all over this country. In fact we'll be having a glow in the dark Easter egg hunt at Hope this year.

But there's a different kind of Easter egg hunt that happens all year long.  It's the hunt for "Easter eggs" that have been placed into games and movies.  The always reliable Wikipedia defines this kind of Easter egg as follows:

An Easter egg is an intentional inside joke, a hidden message, or a secret feature of an interactive work (often, a computer program, video game or DVD menu screen). The name is used to evoke the idea of a traditional Easter egg hunt.[2] The term was coined to describe a hidden message in the Atari video game Adventure that led Atari to encourage further hidden messages in later games, treating them as Easter eggs for players to find.

Pixar movies are well known for having Easter eggs sprinkled throughout their movies.  Video games too, are well known for such Easter eggs.

The thing about Easter eggs is that,

1. you usually have to be paying pretty close attention to catch them
   &
2. you have to have some prior knowledge to see them. 

Long before Easter eggs became a thing in video games and movies, God was already at work using this same concept in His Word and John's gospel is filled with such Easter eggs.  

For instance, in John 3, Jesus speaks of Baptism, without mentioning baptism by name
.  It's something that wouldn't have been missed by those in the early church and shouldn't be missed by us either. 

Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  

(John 3:3-6)

Born again of water and the Spirit...there's your Easter egg.  Jesus is speaking of how the Holy Spirit gives new birth through Holy Baptism, even though at the point He was speaking to Nicodemus He hadn't yet instituted Christian baptism.  It might not have been clear to Nicodemus at the time, but looking back it would be unmistakable.

Easter egg #1 is being born again of water and the spirit as a reference to Baptism. 

It happens again in John 4 when Jesus is speaking to the woman at the well. Jesus tells the woman at the well...

"Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13-14)

Here's another Easter egg: Jesus has living water that gives eternal life.  What's the referent? 

But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe.  (John 19:34-35)

Easter egg #2 is the living water as referencing the water from Jesus side...that is to say His saving work on the cross by which He pours out His life for us. 

In John 6 we get another Easter egg.  In the second half of the chapter Jesus lays out the teach
ing that He is the bread of life and even though He hasn't yet instituted the Lord's Supper, again those looking back wouldn't have missed (nor should we miss) this Easter egg referring to the Lord's Supper. 

Easter egg #3 is Jesus as the bread of heaven as a reference to the Lord's Supper. 

In John 9 we get a double Easter egg.  Jesus gives sight to the man born blind.  He spits in the dirt, makes some mud, and places it on the man's eyes.  Then He directs the man to wash his eyes in the pool of Siloam.  If you're paying attention, you might catch the Easter egg reference to how God created Adam in the first place, from the dust of the earth and that Jesus is recreating or restoring using the same thing.  You might also have caught the connection to Holy Baptism with the washing in the pool of Siloam. 

Easter egg #4 is twofold: Jesus showing Himself as the creator who has come to recreate by using the dust of the earth to restore sight and Jesus giving a wink to Baptism by which faith is given to little children and strengthens the faith of those who were brought to faith by the proclaiming of the Word of God; they were blind, but now they see with eyes of faith. 

I could go on, but this is sufficient for now.  As you study God's Word, be on the lookout for these Easter eggs, because God has purposely placed them in His Word so that as you come to better know His Word, there are always more fun surprises along the way.