Easter eggs

As Easter approaches, Christians around the world prepare to celebrate the holiest day of the year in remembrance of Jesus’ death and resurrection – His conquering of sin and the grave forever.

But it seems the Easter egg competes with the cross of Christ as the holiday’s predominant visual symbol in today’s culture. You may be wondering, as I did, where the Easter egg even started. Historical consensus centers around pre-Christian pagan Easter traditions of celebrating the goddess of spring, including fertility symbols such as bunnies and eggs.

In American culture, the term Easter egg refers to a hidden treasure destined for the dedicated seeker. This concept took off during video game development in the 1970s and 80s. Today, the term Easter egg is often used to refer to hidden cameos in Marvel movies, the alphanumeric code A113 hidden in every Pixar film, hidden features or characters in video games, hidden animations appearing in Google searches, and technology jokes hidden in computer code.

What’s the purpose?

Far from trivial, Easter eggs are used as a powerful cultural language that actually shifts a worldview.

Unlike the constancy of ancient truths (such as Scripture), Easter eggs offer hidden “new” truths yet to be discovered, and this dynamic of “old vs. new” truth creates a slippery slope of doubt.

In an economy where time and attention are prized as marketable commodities, mutual searching cultivates a sense of belonging in shared discovery of insider knowledge, rather than rejoicing with proclamation of truth. Cultural Easter eggs shape worldviews by normalizing secular values, reframing the world as a personal secret to investigate, and encouraging obsession over endless “rabbit holes” to explore in search of belonging.

Why does this matter?

Let’s contrast cultural messaging with the plain truth
of Scripture.

CULTURE SAYS: SCRIPTURE SAYS:

The most important “For what can be known about

truths are hidden; truth God is plain to them, because

must be decoded and God has shown it to them.”

meaning interpreted. Romans 1:19, (ESV)

“Jesus said, ‘I praise You, Father,

Truth is a hidden treasure Lord of heaven and earth, that You

that belongs only to the have hidden these things from

most deserving seekers. the wise and intelligent and have

revealed them to infants.’”

Matthew 11:25

“Jesus answered him, ‘I have

Secrecy is prized through spoken openly to the world; I

hidden symbols, obscure always taught in synagogues

references, and ambiguous and in the temple. … I spoke

interpretations. nothing in secret.’”

John 18:20

Meaning belongs to the

most ardent fan’s reality “Forever, O Lord, Your word

filter in an evolving is settled in heaven.”

interpretation of truth. PSALM 119:89

Cultural Easter eggs are hidden truths to be discovered by a select few who seek to interpret secret signals through maximizing personal wit and intelligence.

In contrast, the Easter miracle of the empty tomb is a rich treasure to be pursued – one that invites meditation rather than obsession, provides clarity instead of confusion, and offers salvation as a free gift to all who ask.

What does it mean?

Today, families experience cultural marketing imprints that imply truth is relative, reality is something to be decoded, and people don’t always tell you everything you need to know.

Scripture teaches that God speaks plainly, His Word can be trusted, and salvation is for everyone. This is an encouraging message of clarity in a time of cultural calamity.

This Easter, use cultural Easter eggs as a conversation starter to point your family to the glorious, clearly evident truths of the miracle of Easter, which gives eternal hope forever (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)!