“Easter: Tradition, Religion… or Relationship?”
- Jill Deville World Ministry
- Apr 1
- 4 min read
By Jill Deville / JDM
Have you ever stopped to listen to the questions children ask about Easter?
“Is the Easter Bunny real?”
“What does Easter have to do with Jesus?”
Simple questions… yet deeply revealing.
In a world filled with baskets, eggs, candy, and traditions, it’s easy to celebrate the day without ever truly explaining its meaning. Somewhere between the fun and the faith, the message can become blurred—not because we intend it, but because we’ve grown comfortable with what Easter has become.
But what if those innocent questions are actually invitations?
Invitations to Pause, to Reflect, to Choose
For some reason, it doesn't seem strange to tell our children that a giant Easter bunny travels worldwide, delivering candy to all the children who believe.
However, the idea of explaining to a young child that Jesus died so we could all be saved and go to heaven seems challenging.
Make... that... Make...sense!
We say things like....“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” found in — Joshua 24:15
However do we show this in our house every day, every Holiday?
Your children believe your stories about the Easter Bunny because of the belief you have in your story, make it a story about Jesus!
How can you seek Jesus first and His right standing for this Holiday when it comes to the Easter Bunny?
If you believe you and others are the vessel for Jesus as promised in Romans 9:16–24; 2 Corinthians 4:5–7; 2 Timothy 2:20–22 then let me ask you this?
Consider breaking tradition by saying that Jesus will come tonight to give candy to good boys and girls who believe in Him.
Let's you like the joy the Easter Bunny brought to you as a child, but you do not want it to come before Jesus or be bigger than Jesus, then why not say that Jesus sends His friend, the Easter Bunny, to deliver candy to all who believe in Him on Easter?
This is not being double minded, this is breaking religion and tradition and finding another way to have a conversation to your children about Jesus and what He did for them.
Easter presents us with a decision:
Will we pass down traditions…
Will we teach religion…
Or will we lead our children into a real relationship with Jesus?
Because how we answer them today… shapes what they believe tomorrow.
✝️ How Would Jesus Respond?
If Jesus were standing there in that moment… hearing those questions… what would He say?
To the child asking, “Is the Easter Bunny real?
”He wouldn’t respond with shame or correction.
He might gently smile and redirect the heart behind the question:
“People enjoy traditions that bring joy… but I came to bring you life.”
Because Jesus never competed with tradition—He fulfilled what truly matters.
And to the child asking, “What does Easter have to do with Jesus?
”That’s where everything changes.
He might kneel down, look them in the eyes, and say:
“Easter is about love, it's about the day I gave My life for you… and the day I rose again so you could live with Me.”
Not complicated.
Not religious.
Just truth… spoken in love.
Jesus never came to build a holiday. He came to build a relationship.
He didn’t ask for perfect understanding—He invited hearts to follow Him. And maybe the real question isn’t what children are asking…
Maybe it’s what we are teaching. Are we pointing them to what’s temporary…or to what is eternal?
Because at the end of the day, Easter isn’t just another date on the calendar. It’s a choice.
A choice between tradition…and truth. Between religion…and relationship.
“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” — Joshua 24:15
Look at the full verse and you will see what Jesus is sharing with you today.
Joshua 24:15 Amplified Bible
15 If it is unacceptable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
God is saying if you want to follow tradition and what your ancestors do, so be it.
God is saying if you want to follow religion and do what the religious do, so be it.
God is saying but as for His people, they will serve the Lord with a relationship in action!
And if you’re ready to go deeper, to truly understand the meaning behind this day… get my book
This Holy Day by Jill Deville. https://a.co/d/0cTdH6bh
Want to be encouraged more, see my books at https://www.jilldevilleministries.com/books
Bye Everyone!
Jill Deville
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Jill Deville Ministries
Gift Ministry of Louisiana
See my bible study books at www.JillDevilleMinistries.com
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