Easter Sunday Is Over! Now What?
Jesus and Mary from Internet Archive Book Images via Flickr. Other images from Unsplash: Cup of coffee by Clay Banks; Mother and son reading by Adam Winger; People holding hands by Manny Becerra; Women on park bench by Dario Valenzuela.
The big day is over – or should I say the big week? We just finished celebrating Palm Sunday, the Last Supper, Good Friday, Easter Sunrise, and Easter Sunday Worship. And that does not include family gatherings, Easter Egg Hunts, and day-to-day work we needed to accomplish.
Some may wonder if Easter is worth all the work. Most, if not all, of us would say, "YES." However, a malaise settles into our souls. The Easter crowd will not be back until Christmas Eve. Some people will move on and begin preparing for Mother's Day, while others focus on the Women's and Men's Final Four. Others will be looking forward to graduation and summer vacation.
But for some of us, we wonder, now what? Now, what do we do after celebrating the resurrection of Jesus? Does it matter that God's son died on the cross for us? Does it matter that God cares and loves us?
I believe the answer to our question, "Now What?" is answered by Jesus talking with the women at the tomb.
On Easter morning, Mary remained after Peter and the other disciples had gone home because the tomb was empty. Jesus appeared to her and said, "Go tell the disciples I have risen!" Jesus told Mary not to hold on to him., but to Go!
The answer to the question, now what, is to go and tell the good news. Jesus does not suggest we go home and do nothing. Jesus doesn't want the church pew to be like the stadium seats. Jesus does not want us to be like third-string players who always sit on the bench.
Jesus tells us to go and tell people the good news Jesus is alive, not just on Easter Sunday, one day a week; instead, he is alive every day.
Jesus tells us to go and share the good news that God loves and forgives.
Just as Jesus has loved and forgiven us, we want to let others know they are loved and forgiven.
We don't have to be preachers to go and share the good news. We can be a friend and neighbor who:
- takes time to listen and offers a prayer of comfort
- shares a hot cup of coffee on a cold morning or iced tea on a hot summer day
- invites a friend to share a meal
- read a storybook with a young child
- visits a shut-in or resident of a care home
- shares a smile or kind word with a stranger
Easter Sunday is past and gone. Now, what do we do? We go and share the good news. Like the women, we should be even more excited the days after Easter Sunday because Jesus is alive, and we have good news to share with the world.