May 1st 2011

Stone rolled away from the tomb.
(Trinity Sunday  School Easter Garden)

The wonder of the Easter season is over.  During Lent we have grown in his spirit.  We have sung our alleluias as we waved palms on Palm Sunday and remembered his entry into Jerusalem on a donkey. We have been with him in the upper room, witnessed his institution of the Eucharist and his example of humility as he washed his disciples’ feet.   In our minds, we have walked though the Kedron Valley to his agony and betrayal in the Garden of Gesthemane.  We have watched with his mother Mary and others as we witnessed his agony on the cross.  On his resurrection morn, we shared the joy of those who were actually there.  So what happens now?  There is a wonderful six weeks ahead of us, until we celebrate his ascension.

Do you ever as you read the Gospels, wonder how Jesus disciples could be so dense?  How could they after being with him day after day witnessing his miracles, hearing his great teaching for about three years, not understand?  They still expected him to save Israel from the earthly conquerors the Romans. They pressed for personal honours.  After two thousand years, do we really understand?  No, of course, we do not.   That does not mean that we are failures. It means that we are still growing.  What nourishment do we need in order to continue growing?

We know that during this period, Jesus appeared repeatedly to his followers. Some of these appearances are recorded in the four Gospels and Acts.  Can you imagine what it was like to be one of Jesus followers during this time?  Did they think these meetings would go on forever?  Were they anxious or uplifted?  Did they have a special question they wanted to ask him at the next encounter? Have you a question you want to ask. I hope you have and I suggest you write it down. Obviously, the next move is to search for the answer.  Pray, read, and talk to other people.  They may help you.  You may help them.  Come alive in him. That is what happened to those frightened bewildered disciples. They came alive.  If Jesus had not been the real Messiah, if the whole of his life have been false, they would have faded away.  Instead, they grew in numbers; they spread beyond their own geographic boundaries;  they reached down the ages to you and me.  They were alive in Christ as we too can be alive in him.