Never the Same

Easter Sunday is such a special time. We bump into friends we haven’t seen in a while. Especially as so many come back from covid for the first time in awhile. People dress up. There is special music and energy here. It’s warm and loud and exciting. The scene of Holy Week 2000 years ago was somewhat similar. Crowds everywhere. Jesus came from Galilee to Jerusalem with his followers for Passover. Jerusalem during Passover would be like our narthex right before an Easter Sunday service. People bumping into each other. Pilgrims coming for annual religious devotion.

Jesus walked through the crowds on Palm Sunday bringing a message about the kingdom of God that threatened the power of the Roman Empire and the local authorities. So they arrested and tried Jesus, asked the crowds what to do with him and publicly crucified him on what we call Good Friday to make an example of him before the crowds.

Yet by Easter Sunday everything had changed. The crowds around Jesus had mostly gone from where Jesus was. However, those who courageously stayed made the miraculous discovery that Jesus had risen. The Gospel writers in the Easter narratives shift their focus from the crowds to the personal reactions of folks responding to the excitement of Easter morning. They write of the women and the disciples whose lives would never be the same.

It can be all too easy to shift away from Easter after worship is over – the eggs have filled the baskets, the lamb is eaten, and children have returned from spring break. Yet because of the resurrection of Jesus, life is never the same. Because he lives, our time horizon is eternal. Because he lives, our lives have new meaning. Because he lives, we are connected to God and each other in startling ways. Because he lives, death is no longer our captor, the tomb door is open, we are free.

As we move through Lent this March and towards Easter Sunday on March 31, we look forward to reflecting, praying and celebrating, with God and each other. Because of the experience of Jesus’ love, our lives will never be the same.

In Christ’s love, David