The Upload
Posted on Apr 10, 2015 by
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
I pray you had a blessed Easter and week!
When I woke up Monday morning, I was feeling unusually tired. After all, last week, Holy Week, was extremely busy, and Easter Sunday was full, as well, and I was frankly ready for a little break. But when I got up, I began to think how Easter was over. We had once again proclaimed “Christ is Risen!” the day before, and although the Season of Easter will continue for another 49 days, for most people, Easter was over. And realizing that, I started to get a little sad because, for me, being on the other side of Easter is really a cause for celebration that should continue on.
As I noted last week, our Gospel on Easter morning was from the Gospel of Mark (16:1-8). But as we read the story, we realized that Mark ended his story very abruptly. The three women came to the tomb to care for the body of their friend and Lord. They expected him to be dead, but when they arrived they discovered the stone had been rolled away, and when they entered the tomb they didn’t find Jesus. Instead, they saw a young man who told them not to be afraid because Jesus had risen, and that they were to go tell the disciples and then head to Galilee. But Mark ends the story by saying that, because they were terrified and amazed, they didn’t tell anyone.
But, eventually, they obviously told someone, because we know the story, right? I think the point of Mark’s story is this: Upon leaving the tomb, a place of death, the women ran and went to a new place. Where, exactly, we don’t know, but when they got to that new place, they experienced new life. They remembered all that Jesus had told them, and they then went and told the others. They were on the other side of that first Easter morning, and things looked clearer and brighter, and they now had hope.
Because of the resurrection, we, too, are now in a new place. We live in a place filled with forgiveness and life. Because of the resurrection, everything has changed, including us. Because of the resurrection, the world will never be the same, and we have an eternal relationship with God. Because of the resurrection, we have been promised a life filled with love, hope and forgiveness.
Monday morning when I got up, the world seemed to be the same, but the truth is, the world is new. Easter reminds us that the world has been made new and we can start anew again because Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia!
Have a blessed week!
Shalom,
Pastor Dave