Every kid inherently knows how to try to sneak a cookie or cheat a little forward in a foot race. They love to try to crawl past the door where the parents are sleeping. It is a game that kids play. That is what hide and seek is all about and tag. It is to elude the others in the game. Kids love the ruse. They love disguises that fool others who they are in their make-believe world. Adults forget somehow the thrill of hiding in the grass in the dark of night or dressing up like someone else. We would rather go to bed at night or read a good book or watch a tv show. And we certainly would prefer to dress like ourselves. Not kids! They love the sneaky stuff.
Easter is the ultimate in sneaky. Everyone is expecting things to be over and for Jesus to go away quietly. Instead, they can’t find him. They lost the body. He wasn’t there. People were wondering what happened. Jesus cheated death. He eluded the women who went to the tomb. He snuck into the room with the disciples. He appeared in disguise to a couple of people walking along the road. He hid his appearance somehow from them.
Easter is just a day when everyone is fooled. Jesus is not found, recognized or fully understood. Mary thought he was the gardener. The disciples had to touch him to believe it. Easter is that day when everything one would expect is on its head. Easter is the day when everything was truly turned on its head, forever. Easter is when we can feel like eternity snuck into time and stole it away. It did. He did. We can, by faith cheat death and surprise everyone by the miracle of resurrection and unexpected newness. We’re kids again because of Easter.