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An Analogy: Butterflies and Easter

© Naomi Mathews

How is the butterfly's first life stage (the caterpillar) parallel to that of "stage one" of a Christian's life?

When God created Adam and Eve, He created them in His pure and sinless image and placed them in the Garden of Eden. God gave them only one commandment in order to remain in this peaceful, lovely garden. They were NOT TO EAT the fruit of one specific tree in the garden or they would surely die. Most of us know the story of how Eve was deceived into eating some fruit from that forbidden tree, and then persuaded Adam to eat some too. As a result, God sent them out of the Garden of Eden forever, as they had sinned against Him by eating this fruit. It was then that Adam and Eve knew they would surely die -- not only physically but spiritually.

Stage Two: Death

Let's now return briefly to the lowly caterpillar's chrysalis. To observe a chrysalis that is attached to a leaf or hanging motionlessly on the branch of a tree, one would surely think it was dead, or perhaps just a part of the leaf or branch. From all outward appearances, a chrysalis really does look lifeless. However, inside that chrysalis, mysterious changes are slowly taking place. This stage is known as "metamorphosis" (i.e., transformation), and is at best difficult for most to comprehend. It's true, scientists, entomologists, lepidopterists and others have explained "how" metamorphosis occurs. But have they been able to completely explain the "why" of this amazing process?

I'm definitely not an expert when it comes to explaining metamorphosis -- I simply know that it happens and that it is both awesome and mysterious. What I DO know is that the caterpillar it once was, is no more. Therefore, Stage Two refers to the "death" stage in the three life stages of the butterfly.

How can this dark chrysalis stage (i.e., death stage) be equated with the death stage of a Christian's life on earth? After all, Christians aren't "dead" people; they are very much alive! To de-mystify this perplexing question, let's look at it from the Christian viewpoint, keeping the caterpillar's "dead like" chrysalis in mind.

The moment Adam and Eve sinned, they began to die -- physically and spiritually. Since that time, all mankind has been born with a sinful nature. Christians believe that God is loving, and because he loves mankind, he made a provision by which man could be redeemed from his sins. God sent his only son to live on earth for a time, knowing He would later be crucified as a sacrifice for man's sins. While Christ lived on earth He was "dual-natured" -- meaning He was both human and Divine, but remained sinless. Following His crucifixion, Christ remained in the tomb for three days. On Easter morning, He was resurrected by God's power and soon afterwards He ascended back into Heaven.