Easter

This week and Sunday especially, are considered by many, to be the most sacred of days on the Christian calendar. Easter arrives at the end of 40 days that we call lent. Easter arrives following a time of complete and overwhelming frustration and even devastation. Easter is a time of “high church” for many Christians. I write this because if there is an organ in your church, you will hear trumpets. There will be Easter Lillies standing tall, people will be dressed up and looking sharp. When I was growing up, Easter was that one time of the year my brother and I knew we would be off to get “Easter clothes”, mother made sure of that. Easter is filled with many elements of highlight and celebration, even though until Easter Sunday morning, it appeared that every dream had been crushed in just a few days. How could such an emotional, roller coaster occur? Why had the disciples, the followers of Jesus and even His mother Mary discovered themselves to be in such disarray? We need to be reminded that Jesus began His public ministry surrounded by questions of doubt and speculation, questions about anything and everything, Jesus. Who was He?, who sent Him?, what is He teaching?, under what authority does Jesus say and do the things He is saying and doing? All questions of doubt and inquiry. Jesus didn’t being His ministry with a big fan fare. If you pause and reflect, you will recognize from scripture, that Jesus worked purposely to keep a lid on the things He was doing. At the wedding, He asked those around Him to step out of the room, even His mother, He asked. Jesus repeatedly used the expression, tell no one, keep this to yourself. As He began His public ministry He had spend time continuing the reflection He had begun as a child. All throughout His life, Jesus knew His Heavenly Father, had sent Him to be on mission, with a purpose and He was working though His own decision about obedience. That was the challenges facing Jesus, so why would we think we could avoid an emotional roller coaster, when Jesus Himself faced the challenges and the temptations to fight His way through to obedience? Last Sunday Jesus had entered into the City of Jerusalem being greeted by folks lining the streets, waving palm leaves, and shouting “positive” phrases as He rode into town. Yet, in just 3 days, Jesus would find His disciples sleeping on the job, He would be betrayed by one who was with Him in the inner circle of trust, Jesus would discover those who had sat and listened to Him teach in the temple and hillsides, to now discover they had only been by-standers and were not followers at all. Jesus would be arrested, beaten and all the hopes, thoughts and dreams His followers had believed, was now all being questioned. This is how on that first day of the week, there was no fanfare by any of His followers. It was only Mary and Mary Magdalene only and even they had great reservations, and were so distraught from all they had just experienced. They were on their way to the tomb because of obligation. Jesus’ death had caused them a great rush to get His body into the grave before sundown. The work wasn’t finished and this was the first opportunity they had to complete the task. This was the church scene in that day, which is much different than our Easter Sunday services today. Today it is celebration, big dinners, happiness, faith expressed in many ways and forms, but in that day, the Mary’s had great challenges to even convince the disciples that Jesus was alive! Life has many experiences, up and downs. This Easter Sunday maybe filled with great highs, but come next Sunday, why should we let down the celebration of God’s love so greatly demonstrated for us? Why should we not be more pumped up tomorrow than today, because of our faith relationship with Jesus? History clearly shows we know He is alive today, where in His day and on that day, they were about to remember what He had taught them. If we know, then let us not delay, but God help us lead. Until then