What is the best April Fool’s prank in history?

Many believe that a BBC TV hoax from over 60 years ago takes the cake.

In 1957 the news show Panorama reported that, thanks to a mild winter in Switzerland, the dreaded spaghetti weevil had been eradicated. As a result, Swiss farmers had enjoyed a bumper crop of spaghetti. The programme showed farmers carefully plucking strands of spaghetti from trees.

Scores of viewers fell for the prank, calling the BBC and asking how they could grow a spaghetti tree themselves. They were advised to “place a spring of spaghetti in a tin of tomato sauce and hope for the best.”

There must be something in the water at the BBC, because in 1980 their pranksters were at it again. On April Fool’s Day they announced that Big Ben, London’s iconic clock tower, would become digital and henceforth be known as Digital Dave. This “news” produced a flood of irate calls to the station.

Other European countries are no slouches at April Fool’s pranks either.

In 1969 the Netherlands’ public broadcaster announced that government inspectors would be roving the streets armed with remote scanners, detecting people who had not paid their TV/radio tax. It was suggested that the only way to stymie the scanners was to wrap the TV or radio in aluminum foil. The next day, all the supermarkets were sold out of foil, and suddenly a flood of TV/radio taxes were being paid.

These probably rate as some of the best wide-scale practical jokes ever.

But with Easter Monday falling on April Fool’s Day this year, it got me thinking of an ever greater example of someone being outwitted.

When Jesus was crucified and died on the Cross, Satan thought he had won.

He thought that God’s redemptive plan for mankind had been destroyed, once and for all. Jesus was dead and gone: there was now no possibility that He would reign as King one day. Satan thought that he and the forces of darkness had triumphed.

But he was dead wrong. He’d been made a fool of.

Jesus rose from the dead on the third day, as He said He would. When the women came to Jesus’ tomb to anoint his body, two angels asked them:

“Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.” (Luke 24:5-7

As the chorus from the old hymn goes:

“Up from the grave He arose
With a mighty triumph o'er His foes
He arose a Victor from the dark domain
And He lives forever with His saints to reign.
He arose!
He arose!
Hallelujah! Christ arose!”

Jesus’ resurrection means that He is sovereign over death. He permanently destroyed Satan’s most powerful weapon.

“I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” (Revelation 1:18)

Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross for our sins makes available to us eternal life if we place our trust in Him.

“Because I live, you also will live.” (John 14:19)

“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies. And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.” (John 11:25–26

When our mortal bodies have been transformed into ones that will never die, we will be able to exult:

“Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55)

At that time, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” (Revelation 21:4)

And we’ll be able to say, “Satan, the joke’s on you!”

© 2024 Lori J. Cartmell. All rights reserved.