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"Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her." Johan 20:11-18 |
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Hello and happy Monday, I hope you had a fantastic Easter weekend! I hope that you had time with your friends and family to reflect on what Jesus did for the world so long ago. As you sip your Monday tea, I want to encourage you to continue to celebrate Easter, even when we have put the pastel dresses away. Lent has ended, and the Good Friday and Easter church services are over, but the hope and truth of Easter should be in our hearts daily. You have probably heard it a lot in the last few days, but I love reflecting on the events of Good Friday and Easter Sunday. After Jesus enjoyed the Passover meal with His good friends, He went to the garden to pray. He asked God if there was any way that He didn't have to endure the suffering that He was about to face. However, He prayed, as we should always pray, "yet not my will, but yours be done (Luke 22:42)”. Jesus was then arrested and brought to trial to find fault in Him. Jesus, being our spotless lamb, didn't fight back or speak up during this horrendous trial and brutal beatings. After being beaten, whipped, and then hung on a Roman cross, Jesus still forgave those who were killing Him (Luke 23:34), He took time to care for Him mom (John 19:25-27), and forgave the criminal on the cross next to Him (Luke 23:42). Jesus beathed His last breath on the cross as the curtin of the temple was torn, simblizing the fact that people now have full acces to God (Matthew 27:51). Jesus was laid in a barrowed tomb on Friday afternoon. Then, we pick up the story again early on Sunday morning, when Mary Magdalene went to the tomb to care for Jesus' body. This is where we read about the greatest miracle of all time, Jesus was not there; He had risen! Jesus appeared to Mary, called her by her name, and commissioned her to be the very first person to share the good gospel of the resurrected Jesus to His followers. Now, we have heard all of this many times over the last few days, and it is good news. But now that Easter is over, how can we continue to celebrate the resurrection? Here are some things you can do to celebrate Easter any day of the year: -Worship: It may seem basic, but worship is the best way to express gratitude to Jesus for what He has done for us. Worship allows us to bless God and give Him what He deserves. Jesus gave us everything on the cross, and through His resurrection, we receive life. Living a life full of worship is our way of offering our lives back as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2). Singing to God holds great importance. As we offer God thanks, gratitude, worship, honor, and praise, we are celebrating Easter! -Communion: Throughout my years visiting various churches, I have noticed a trend where some do not hold communion every week. I've observed that certain churches only celebrate communion once a month or exclusively on worship nights. Regardless of whether your church observes communion once a month or once a week, it is an essential time of remembrance. When we partake in communion, we remember the death of Jesus, but we also acknowledge that we are filled with resurrection life. We celebrate being inwardly filled with the Holy Spirit. If communion is not a frequent practice in your church, I recommend incorporating it into your life, even at home. You don't need special communion cups; you can use whatever you have on hand. I've taken communion with Pepsi and hot dog buns before! As long as you set aside time to remember, that is all that matters. As I am writing this to you, I am sipping on some green tea and praying that you will continue to celebrate Easter this whole week and every day this year. Pour yourself a cuppa today and continue to celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ! Peace and joy, |