Date: SUN 7:00 PM 13th April 2025
Preacher: Rev. David McLaughlin
Bible Reference: Job 6:6
Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt?
or is there any taste in the white of an egg?
Sermon Summary: An Easter Message from the White of an Egg
Text: Job 6:6 – “Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt? Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?”
Theme: The sermon uses the imagery of an egg, specifically the “white of an egg,” to deliver an Easter message about life, suffering, and the redemptive work of Christ. The egg serves as a symbol of life, brokenness, and the hope of resurrection, tying Job’s trials to the Passion of Christ and the Christian experience.
Introduction
The preacher begins by introducing the text from Job 6:6, framing it as an Easter message inspired by the phrase “the white of an egg.” Job, described as a great, godly, and prosperous man in Job 1:1, is characterised as perfect, upright, God-fearing, and one who shunned evil. He was wealthy, owning 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 she-asses, and had a large household with ten children. Despite his righteousness, Job faced catastrophic loss in a single day, as described in Job 1:13-20. His livestock and servants were destroyed by raiders and natural disasters, and his ten children perished when a great wind collapsed their house. Yet, Job responded with worship, saying, “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21), demonstrating his faith despite overwhelming tragedy.
In Job 6, Job is responding to his friend Eliphaz, who, along with two other friends, attempts to explain Job’s suffering. Job’s question about the tastelessness of the white of an egg reflects his frustration and anguish, comparing his life’s hardships to something bland and unpalatable. The sermon uses this imagery to explore the symbolism, substance, and savouring of the egg in the context of Easter and Christian theology.
1. The Symbolism of the Egg: Life
The preacher connects the egg to the concept of life, a four-letter word (L-I-F-E) that resonates with Easter, a season celebrating Christ’s resurrection and new beginnings. Eggs are associated with birth and new life, which is why they are prominent during Easter celebrations (e.g., chocolate eggs given to children). The sermon emphasises that God is the maker of life, citing Acts 17:25: “Seeing he giveth to all life, breath, and all things.” The preacher dismisses the evolutionary debate about whether the chicken or egg came first, asserting that God created birds on the fifth day of creation (Genesis 1), before reptiles on the sixth day, and references a fossilised bird with an unlaid egg as evidence of a catastrophic event like the biblical flood.
The egg also symbolises the meaning of life:
- Physical Life: Life is a precious gift to be preserved and protected. The preacher reflects on the sanctity of human life, referencing a memorial service at the Tandragee War Memorial for soldiers who died in World War I, highlighting the tragedy of lives cut short.
- Spiritual Life: Jesus’ words in John 3:7 (“Ye must be born again”) underscore the need for spiritual rebirth.
- Abundant Life: John 10:10 (“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly”) speaks of a fulfilling life in Christ, offering joy, peace, and contentment even amidst trials.
- Eternal Life: John 3:16 promises everlasting life to those who believe in Christ.
The egg’s hard shell represents Christ’s physical body, which was broken through His suffering and death to bring believers peace and salvation. The preacher references the crucifixion—Christ’s body pierced by thorns, nails, and a spear (John 19:34-35)—and the empty tomb, symbolising resurrection. Martin Luther’s tradition of painting red eggs and hiding them for his family to find illustrates the joy of discovering the risen Christ, akin to finding and cracking open an egg to partake of its contents.
2. The Substance of the Egg: The Makeup of Life
An egg consists of three parts—shell, yolk, and white—which the preacher uses to parallel the tripartite nature of human beings: body, soul, and spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 4:12). The hard shell represents physical life, while the yolk and white symbolise the soul and spirit, which only God can fully discern. Life, like an egg, contains both savoury and unsavoury experiences:
- Savoury Things: These are life’s blessings, such as delicious meals (e.g., steak, salmon, or beef Wellington) or spiritual blessings in Christ:
- The Person of Christ: The greatest gift (2 Corinthians 9:15).
- The Presence of Christ: His promise to never leave or forsake believers (Hebrews 13:5).
- The Power of Christ: A life of victory and overcoming through Him.
- The Pardon of Christ: Forgiveness of sins through His sacrifice (Isaiah 43:25).
- The Peace of Christ: The peace He gives, distinct from the world’s (John 14:27).
- The Pity of Christ: His compassion for human frailty (Psalm 103:13-14).
- The Provision of Christ: Meeting all needs according to His riches (Philippians 4:19).
- The Promises of Christ: Over 7,300 promises in Scripture, all fulfilled in Him (2 Corinthians 1:20).
- Unsavoury Things: These are life’s hardships, likened to the tasteless white of an egg. Job’s life, once full of blessings, became marked by loss, pain, and despair. The preacher cites Romans 8:28 (“All things work together for good to them that love God”) and shares the story of John Gilpin, who, despite imprisonment and a broken leg, trusted God’s providence and was spared execution. Similarly, Job’s suffering was part of God’s greater plan, though incomprehensible to him at the time.
The preacher acknowledges that life includes unsavoury experiences—disease, loss, bankruptcy, wayward children, or suffering among God’s saints (e.g., Fanny Crosby’s blindness). These trials, though tasteless like the white of an egg, serve purposes such as developing character, deepening trust in God, enhancing prayer life, and proving devotion to Him (Job 14:1; John 16:33).
3. The Savouring of the Egg: The Role of God’s Word
Job’s question, “Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt?” prompts the preacher to compare salt to the Word of God, which brings flavour and meaning to life’s trials. The Bible is described as:
- A precious book, written over 1,500 years by 40 authors with one theme: redemption.
- Containing precious promises (7,300, all “yea and amen” in Christ, 2 Corinthians 1:20).
- Proclaiming a precious message: the gospel of John 3:16, where Christ, the sinless Lamb of God, became the sin-bearer, wounded for humanity’s transgressions (Isaiah 53:5). His sacrifice on the cross and resurrection offer salvation and eternal life.
The Word of God transforms the unsavoury experiences of life, providing comfort, guidance, and hope. The preacher challenges the congregation to trust Christ, the Saviour, and to find strength in Him during trials, rather than becoming bitter. He asks whether listeners have personally experienced Christ’s transformative power and whether they rely on Him when life turns upside down, as Job eventually did.
Conclusion
The sermon concludes by urging listeners to embrace the lessons of the egg: its symbolism of life and resurrection, its substance reflecting the complexity of human existence, and its savouring through the transformative power of God’s Word. Job’s story teaches that even the most righteous face unsavoury trials, but God uses these to fulfil His purposes. The Easter message, rooted in Christ’s broken body and empty tomb, offers hope that believers can trust God amidst suffering, finding life, peace, and eternal salvation in Him.
The preacher thanks the congregation for listening and prays that they, like Job, will trust God through life’s tasteless moments, finding comfort in the risen Christ.
Subscribe to the podcast here:
Spotify Podcasts | Apple Podcasts
Email | RSS | more information here
