MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTER
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, AWhy do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.Then they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Luke 24: 1 - 9* * * * *
When the women in our reading from Luke came face to face with the resurrection of Jesus, they were asked, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?
Listen to how they responded."They remembered the words of Jesus and, returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven disciples and to all the rest."
This raises a question for us. How do we respond to the resurrection? What kind of things can we do as a direct result of our Easter experience? As followers of Christ, there are many possibilities.
You could cheer someone up; you could give someone hope; you could tell someone to hang in there when the going gets tough; you could take the time to listen.
Mary Magdalene and the other women told the others what they saw. They shared the good news with them. That can be our response too.
We can tell others our story. The most effective way to spread the faith is one to one. That is, one person telling another about their experiences.
When you share your story with someone, when you explain in simple terms what the good news of the resurrection means in your life, you open the door for great things to happen.
For one thing, a person's defenses drop, and their fears disappear. Because you will be seen as a caring friend, and not someone who is out to get them.
These are just a few of the ways we can communicate the resurrection of our lord Jesus Christ.In doing so, we are saying that the resurrection is not merely a wonderful long ago event. Easter is here and now.
Resurrection is not merely the way God once, and only once, worked.
Resurrection is the way God works and always will work.
My prayer for each one of us this Easter is that the power and joy of the resurrection might fill our lives with meaning and purpose; that it might give us a fresh start, and a new sense of direction, and that we would have the courage and the strength to share the hope of that new life with the people around us.
God bless you this Easter Season
The Rev. Tom Vais