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O how happy you have made meSunday, March 27, 2016
Acts 10 Not that this makes any sense to the religious police or the Romans soldiers, or to Caiaphas or to Pilate or to most of us. But to Procula, on the other hand, Pilate's wife ... there is about her some subtle rejoicing. Her dream surely must have come from God. And for Mary the rejoicing is not a bit subtle. Suddenly she recognizes him and cries, "Rabbi!" Mary falls to her knees and clings to him, and Jesus tells her, "I have not yet ascended to the Father." Wow! Jesus is alive! I remember our son Marc, age 5, launching from the Sunday School classroom like a reborn rocket yelling at the top of his lungs, "Jesus is alive!" What happens in the tomb does not stay in the tomb. Jesus is alive. What manner of man is this, who heals everyone he touches and speaks clearly about the most mysterious things? And now he refuses to stay in his grave. Jesus is alive! If your Easter celebration involves family and friends and a friendly church service, rejoice. Jesus is alive. If you are alone and want to be, or alone and forlorn, rejoice. Jesus is alive. If Easter bunnies and chocolate rabbits and jelly beans and marshmallow eggs are half price at Walgreens and you can't wait to get there, rejoice. Jesus is alive! Easter's forecast In Urbana is for thunderstorms later in the day - black clouds and thunder rolling overhead, lightning flashes in the afternoon. If you have time for a nap, it might be interrupted by a storm. And on the heels of that storm, the sun. Jesus is alive! There are six more days and six more Sundays for us to celebrate Easter, before the church calendar gives way to Pentecost. Rejoice! Jesus is alive, and magic is afoot. Lord we celebrate with all our might, we look up and see that you're alive. No more death and no more night, no fear. Already and not yet you are all in all, and we can rest and work and play and sleep and live our lives with you. We are free indeed. You are so good - thank you, thank you, thank you, Jesus. |
And now, on the first day of the week, on the first day of the rest of our lives, Jesus is no longer in the tomb. They have not mistaken where they laid him. He is risen.