There was great anticipation. People prepared for days and weeks for Easter Sunday. Many were Watching and Waiting, as Laurie said in her post last Thursday. But Easter has now come and gone again. What’s comes next?
This could have been a question for the early disciples. The tomb was empty. There was news of his resurrection. There were amazing and even mysterious appearances. What was to come next? Their actions give us some indication about their thinking. What were the disciples doing in the days after the resurrection? Lots of things! We find them going back to their homes, eating, continuing in their jobs (fishing), traveling and on more than one occasion we find them behind locked doors in fear of the Jews. Ordinary stuff! Uncertainty! Fear!
Later, after Jesus ascended into heaven we find them praying and waiting for 10 days in Jerusalem for the next big event, the coming of the Holy Spirit. Then, everything changes! It seems their eyes were opened and continued to be opened to the reality of what actually happened to Jesus. God had done something absolutely new and something new was happening in them through the Spirit; they received the power to Go, Live, and Preach the resurrection – it was central to their message. And that message spread rapidly! With the power of the Spirit in them, the message of the cross and resurrection was a game changer, life changer, a world changer.
The understanding and impact of the resurrection continued with the conversion of Saul. He saw the resurrected Lord and was changed forever. Inspired by God he wrote of the cosmic dimensions and scope of what God did in Jesus. It did not just affect Jesus and believers, it impacted the whole world which was being reconciled and recreated into something new. In other words, in raising Jesus, God did something that had never been done before and started something that would continue in his followers (new creations) and through them bringing renewal and transformation to everything.
The resurrection changes everything! It changes us. We live and share in it. As Ross said last week in his sermon, “His resurrection is our resurrection.” So I end with the same question the disciples may have struggled with on the first days. What’s comes next? Easter has come and gone again. Like the disciples we go back to our homes, jobs, travels, comforts, and fears. What is God calling you to change in any of these areas of your life? Can you be bold and daring enough to share the good news of the resurrected Lord with someone this week? We did not physically see the resurrected Jesus, but we see by faith and have his Spirit. What’s next for you?
