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Now what? We have arrived at Easter. Our Lenten journey is complete, and we have witnessed our annual reliving of the drama of the Last Supper, Passion, and Resurrection again. Finally, the tomb is empty, Angel’s proclamation is heard, and Jesus lives! What a relief, but now what do we do? In my Sunday sermon, I asked, “Did you ever notice that the Gospels don’t stop with the Resurrection?” Only Mark’s Gospel may have ended with the Resurrection before; as scholars tell us, the alternative ending was added. Why wouldn’t they all end there, though? Jesus overcame death end of the story, right? But it isn’t the story’s end; it is just the beginning. The Apostles, as we now will call them, are left with a world turned upside down. I think this is why the Resurrected Christ appears to them after Easter morning. They have just been through a traumatic and terrifying few days, and yes, there is news of hope that Jesus lives, but they are probably asking the same question, now what? The post-resurrection appearance offers us a glimpse into what Jesus has in mind. They are filled with encouragement, peace, gathering, fishing, and a commission. It seems Jesus is telling us, “I overcame death, life is yours, now go and live it.” That life means spreading the news of this new life of redemption, Grace, forgiveness, hope, and love. The Apostles lived in a challenging world filled with suffering and despair, but we were not created for continual suffering; Jesus reminds us that a loving and Grace-filled God created us and that our life should reflect that love. As we continue in our Easter Season and hear these powerful stories that lead up to Pentecost, perhaps our Easter disciple could be to ponder how it is that we can live the life of Resurrection and find ways to give hope and love to a desperate and hurting world. |
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