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 Thoughts on a Monday  

Today is the day after Easter. There are always a whirlwind of emotions for me on Easter Sunday. I try and think of how Jesus’ followers must have felt after witnessing the most influential event in all of recorded history. Their teacher. Their friend. Their brother had been taken from them in a most heinous way, and he came back to tell that tale! It makes me shudder every time I think of it!  

We have super-filled Easter with chocolate bunnies, pastel-colored eggs, and baked ham to the point that that is what the focus has become. Yesterday during What’s In The Box, I had the box already onstage and I told the children that we had something very special inside. I passed it around and gave them a glimpse at what was inside but told them to keep it a secret until everyone had a chance to see. Some of them were a little let down to see that it was empty, but the folks in the crowd knew what it meant.  

It is impossible to make something out of nothing. The only one that I know of to successfully do it would be God, when He said: “Let there be light!” He did the same thing t the resurrection. Jesus lifeless body was laid in the tomb on Friday, and on Sunday He once again made something out of nothing!  

The women got to the tomb very early that morning to prepare the body with the spices they brought with them. Little did they know, they would not need them. He wasn’t there! The tomb was empty, apart from the unessential burial linens! Then two angels appeared and asked them a question: “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” They went on to say: “He is not here; he has risen!”  

There was a whole lot of nothing in that tomb on the first Easter morning! In that nothingness, there was hope. There was joy. There was salvation! The perfect Passover Lamb had been slain for the sins of mankind, and victory over death had been achieved! This was something that we had no hope of prior to this, but now it is something we all look forward to.  

As you are cleaning up from the festivities this week, remember why we celebrate: He is alive! Not only is he alive, according to the writings of His apostles, He is coming back! John tells us that he is coming back to take us with Him to a place that He has been preparing for us since the very first Easter! I cannot imagine how great and grand it is going to be!  

Have a great week!  

-Jason