Easter

“She turned around to see Jesus standing before her, but she did not recognize Him.” (John 20:14 VOICE)

Mary Magdalene went to the tomb of Jesus. She expected a sealed burial chamber, but it was open. She expected a covered, dead body, but the tomb was empty. She expected the disciples to make sense of it all and explain things to her, but they didn’t. What she did not expect was the risen Lord, speaking to her, calling her by name. Thus, she did not recognize Him. 

This happens to all of us. We expect certain things from Jesus--answered prayers, protection from evil, relationship advice, healing, meeting our daily needs, assistance in making good decisions, etc. However, we don’t really expect the Lord to show up in our lives, to speak to us, or to be close to us. Thus, we fail to recognize Jesus in our midst. Yet, He is always present--on the good days and the bad, during joy and despair, in crowds and in solitude. He is with us every day, all the time, whether we acknowledge Him or not. 

“Never forget that I am with you every day, even to the completion of this age.” (Matthew 28:20 TPT)

Easter

“They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! Again he said, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.’ Then he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” (John 20:20-22 NLT)

Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus. In the Western Christian tradition, it is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the northern spring equinox. Most of us see Easter like we do other holidays--a time for social eating and merriment. Each culture has a different kind of traditional foods. In our area, Easter is filled with eggs, chocolate, and a glazed ham.

We forget that on the first Easter Sunday, the disciples were meeting in secret, because they feared repercussions for being followers of Jesus. Their leader had just been assassinated, and they were seen as terrorists by the governing authorities. Into this room filled with despair and fear, the risen Christ appears. The disciples are filled with hope, peace, and joy. Just as God breathed life into Adam, Jesus breathes new life into His followers. Just as Jesus was commissioned by the Father, He commissions the disciples to reveal God. He infuses them with courage and boldness through the power of the Holy Spirit. He sends them forth to live the Gospel.

Let us join these early disciples, putting our trust in the Lord. May we be filled with peace, hope, joy, and courage. I pray that the power of the Holy Spirit will equip us with everything we need to go forth and live out the Message.