Easter: Baskets
Easter baskets are an iconic symbol of the spring holiday. On Easter morning, thousands of children find baskets, some colored, some plain, filled with prizes: toys, chocolates, candies, eggs, etc… left by the Easter Bunny the night before as a way to commemorate this celebration of new life. This fun tradition is adhered to by people of many different backgrounds and beliefs and cultures, and it has several origin stories.
We are going to look at three Biblical scenes involving baskets, each depicting some sort of sacrifice: A sacrifice of obedience, a sacrifice of faith, and a sacrifice of service.
SERVICE
To start, let’s go back to the Old Testament, the Law, and the sacrifices that were brought to the Tabernacle/Temple. You are probably familiar with the animal sacrifices that were required: doves, goats, bulls, lambs, etc… and the various requirements for blood to be shed and certain parts of the animal to be burned. However, there are a few mentions in the Old Testament of a sacrifice that was specifically brought in a basket. This was a sacrifice of breads and cakes and the basket of offering was presented at the ordination and consecration of the priests and at the fulfillment of a vow.
Exodus 29:1-3*
“Now this is what you shall do to them to consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. Take … unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers smeared with oil. You shall make them of fine wheat flour. You shall put them in one basket and bring them in the basket …”
Numbers 6:14-15*
“and he shall bring his gift to the Lord … a basket of unleavened bread, loaves of fine flour mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers smeared with oil …”
*These are not the full text of these verses, but I encourage you to grab your Bible and read the full text.
In both of these cases we see baskets being used as a vehicle through which to bring an offering, a sacrifice of obedience, and we see that a portion of the contents of the basket are presented to God and a portion are kept by the priest.
In these cases, baskets are used to bring gifts to commemorate important events of dedication and obedience. The priests were dedicating themselves and their lives to God in service, and the Nazarites were commemorating a time of separating and dedication above and beyond the norm.
FAITH
Secondly, let’s stay in the Old Testament and look at the story of Moses.
Exodus 1:22-2:10
“Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.”
Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews' children.” Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, “Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child's mother. And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”
Here we see another sacrifice, however, this one doesn’t take place in the Tabernacle/Temple, nor is it carried out by a priest, and it is not a sacrifice of obedience. In fact, it’s a sacrifice that is performed in an act of disobedience and rebellion, but in deep faith. What we see here is a mother who loves her child deeply and, rather than bow to the societal pressure and law that demanded she see her child killed, goes against the powers that be to sacrificially give up her child so that he may live. She makes a sacrifice that costs her an immense amount. She must give up her child. That is not an easy task for any parent, but she realizes that it is necessary. So, in an act of immense faith, she puts her baby in a basket and places that basket in the river, trusting that God will take care of him. We then see how God is faithful to her and, not only protects Moses, but orchestrates events to allow his mother to continue caring for him while placing him in a position to be able to free all of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.
SERVICE
Finally, let’s go to the New Testament where we find a story of another sacrifice. While the last sacrifice was of a child, this one is by a child, and it is a sacrifice of service.
John 6:5-14
“Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”
We don’t have anything here that specifically states that the boy was carrying his fish and bread in a basket, he may not have been, but he probably was. Here was a young boy who was carrying his lunch in his “lunchbox” or “picnic basket.” He was there in the crowd, one of thousands upon thousands, waiting to hear Jesus talk. Maybe he overheard Jesus and the Apostles talking. Maybe he simply looked around at all the people, realized that he was hungry and they probably were as well. Either way, he approaches Jesus and he offers what little he has as a sacrifice of service. He wants to help. The fish and bread were his, maybe were his family’s. If he gave them up there was no guarantee that they would have anything to eat, in fact, logic would dictate that they would go hungry. There was not enough to feed everyone. There was barely enough to feed Jesus and the Apostles. However, what we see happen is an absolute miracle. Jesus blesses the little sacrifice that the boy made and multiplies it to such an extent that every man, woman and child on those hills were fed and filled. Then, and here is where we see baskets come in to play, the Apostles gather all the extras into baskets. What started as a small sacrifice of, maybe one small basket of food, gleans twelve full baskets of leftovers! Jesus didn’t just multiply the one basket into twelve, but he multiplied it to such an extent that there were twelve baskets left over after all 15,000-20,000 had eaten everything they wanted.
JESUS
In these three examples we see sacrifices of obedience, faith and service. Bringing it back to Easter, we see these same three things reflected in the life of Jesus and in the sacrifice that He made on the cross for you and me.
Philippians 2:8
“And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Hebrews 12:1-2
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Matthew 20:26-28
“... But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Easter is a celebration, a celebration of life’s victory over death, a celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus, a celebration of salvation. However, before we get there there has to be a sacrifice. Jesus made that sacrifice willingly.
John 10:17-18a
“For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. …”
He was a faithful and obedient servant who laid aside His own power and desire for the perfect plan of God, and, just like Moses’ mom received her son back, the young boy received his food back, and the participants in the “Wave Offering” received their portion back, Jesus sacrificed His life, and received it back, and more.
We are called to sacrifice in our lives as well. To sacrifice simply means to give something up and to give it over. We need to relinquish control. That could mean ridding something from our lives. It could mean relinquishing our control over our lives. It could mean laying down our dreams and ambitions. We are called to sacrifice in obedience, in faith, in service, just as Jesus did for us, but God has promised that He has grand plans for you. He is asking you to give up your own control in order that you may step into the epic plan that He has for your life.
- Some say that the basket symbolizes Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of fertility from which Easter derives its name, as she was often depicted with a basket under her arm.
- Some say that it is a modification of the “nest” that the German egg-laying hare, Osterhase, would lay his multi-colored eggs in.
- Some see it represented in the Catholic tradition of bringing a basket of food and treats, many of which had been given up for Lent, to be blessed on the Saturday before Easter and then enjoyed the next morning.
We are going to look at three Biblical scenes involving baskets, each depicting some sort of sacrifice: A sacrifice of obedience, a sacrifice of faith, and a sacrifice of service.
SERVICE
To start, let’s go back to the Old Testament, the Law, and the sacrifices that were brought to the Tabernacle/Temple. You are probably familiar with the animal sacrifices that were required: doves, goats, bulls, lambs, etc… and the various requirements for blood to be shed and certain parts of the animal to be burned. However, there are a few mentions in the Old Testament of a sacrifice that was specifically brought in a basket. This was a sacrifice of breads and cakes and the basket of offering was presented at the ordination and consecration of the priests and at the fulfillment of a vow.
Exodus 29:1-3*
“Now this is what you shall do to them to consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. Take … unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers smeared with oil. You shall make them of fine wheat flour. You shall put them in one basket and bring them in the basket …”
Numbers 6:14-15*
“and he shall bring his gift to the Lord … a basket of unleavened bread, loaves of fine flour mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers smeared with oil …”
*These are not the full text of these verses, but I encourage you to grab your Bible and read the full text.
In both of these cases we see baskets being used as a vehicle through which to bring an offering, a sacrifice of obedience, and we see that a portion of the contents of the basket are presented to God and a portion are kept by the priest.
In these cases, baskets are used to bring gifts to commemorate important events of dedication and obedience. The priests were dedicating themselves and their lives to God in service, and the Nazarites were commemorating a time of separating and dedication above and beyond the norm.
FAITH
Secondly, let’s stay in the Old Testament and look at the story of Moses.
Exodus 1:22-2:10
“Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.”
Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews' children.” Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, “Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child's mother. And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”
Here we see another sacrifice, however, this one doesn’t take place in the Tabernacle/Temple, nor is it carried out by a priest, and it is not a sacrifice of obedience. In fact, it’s a sacrifice that is performed in an act of disobedience and rebellion, but in deep faith. What we see here is a mother who loves her child deeply and, rather than bow to the societal pressure and law that demanded she see her child killed, goes against the powers that be to sacrificially give up her child so that he may live. She makes a sacrifice that costs her an immense amount. She must give up her child. That is not an easy task for any parent, but she realizes that it is necessary. So, in an act of immense faith, she puts her baby in a basket and places that basket in the river, trusting that God will take care of him. We then see how God is faithful to her and, not only protects Moses, but orchestrates events to allow his mother to continue caring for him while placing him in a position to be able to free all of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.
SERVICE
Finally, let’s go to the New Testament where we find a story of another sacrifice. While the last sacrifice was of a child, this one is by a child, and it is a sacrifice of service.
John 6:5-14
“Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”
We don’t have anything here that specifically states that the boy was carrying his fish and bread in a basket, he may not have been, but he probably was. Here was a young boy who was carrying his lunch in his “lunchbox” or “picnic basket.” He was there in the crowd, one of thousands upon thousands, waiting to hear Jesus talk. Maybe he overheard Jesus and the Apostles talking. Maybe he simply looked around at all the people, realized that he was hungry and they probably were as well. Either way, he approaches Jesus and he offers what little he has as a sacrifice of service. He wants to help. The fish and bread were his, maybe were his family’s. If he gave them up there was no guarantee that they would have anything to eat, in fact, logic would dictate that they would go hungry. There was not enough to feed everyone. There was barely enough to feed Jesus and the Apostles. However, what we see happen is an absolute miracle. Jesus blesses the little sacrifice that the boy made and multiplies it to such an extent that every man, woman and child on those hills were fed and filled. Then, and here is where we see baskets come in to play, the Apostles gather all the extras into baskets. What started as a small sacrifice of, maybe one small basket of food, gleans twelve full baskets of leftovers! Jesus didn’t just multiply the one basket into twelve, but he multiplied it to such an extent that there were twelve baskets left over after all 15,000-20,000 had eaten everything they wanted.
JESUS
In these three examples we see sacrifices of obedience, faith and service. Bringing it back to Easter, we see these same three things reflected in the life of Jesus and in the sacrifice that He made on the cross for you and me.
Philippians 2:8
“And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Hebrews 12:1-2
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Matthew 20:26-28
“... But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Easter is a celebration, a celebration of life’s victory over death, a celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus, a celebration of salvation. However, before we get there there has to be a sacrifice. Jesus made that sacrifice willingly.
John 10:17-18a
“For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. …”
He was a faithful and obedient servant who laid aside His own power and desire for the perfect plan of God, and, just like Moses’ mom received her son back, the young boy received his food back, and the participants in the “Wave Offering” received their portion back, Jesus sacrificed His life, and received it back, and more.
We are called to sacrifice in our lives as well. To sacrifice simply means to give something up and to give it over. We need to relinquish control. That could mean ridding something from our lives. It could mean relinquishing our control over our lives. It could mean laying down our dreams and ambitions. We are called to sacrifice in obedience, in faith, in service, just as Jesus did for us, but God has promised that He has grand plans for you. He is asking you to give up your own control in order that you may step into the epic plan that He has for your life.
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