Happy Easter.
2 minute read
Happy Easter! He is Risen!
Today we commemorate the greatest day in Christianity. While I feel as though there’s nothing more important to share on this day than this post I’ve already written, I’ve got a couple thoughts to share along with a little poem I wrote last year {early/mid-pandemic} on Easter Sunday. (Poet didn’t know it.)
This week, I was reading in Matt 27:62-66, and in the NLT version, verse 64 reallyyy jumped out at me - specifically the latter half.
So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he was raised from the dead! If that happens, we’ll be worse off than we were at first.” Matt 27:62-66
Another way I like to study the bible is to write out the verse and dissect each piece by writing it in my own words. So sticking with v64b… here are my notes while dissecting it.
Verse 64b “...If that happens, we’ll be worse off than we were at first.”
“If that happens” - here that means if Jesus’s body disappears; in this scenario they’re claiming it could happen at the disciples’ dishonest hand, but really - it could happen miraculously too, just as Christ forewarned them. So here, “if that happens” means if Christ’s promise comes true and His body is not there on the 3rd day.
“we’ll” - this is the high priests, pharisees, sadducees, Pilate, and really all non-believers who pled for His death.
“be worse off” - all the naysayers will be in a more compromising, more dangerous position
“than we were at first” - When Jesus was alive, performing miracles, and stunting their arguments left and right while teaching The Way.
{After dissecting the verse, the notes I wrote while reading were:}
Oh Abba, how blind non-believers are. How foolish! Yet to them, we are the dangerous fools. If we both appear to be fools to one another, who are YOU in this passage, Lord?
When I look at their fear of “if that happens” it shows to me you really can do anything. You accomplished their greatest fear by keeping Christ’s promise of resurrection. When I read “we’ll be worse off” my mind jumps to the fact that this happening is actually THE BEST thing to ever happen to me and to all believers. Period. You are better than anything on this earth, but I don’t blame anyone who doesn’t know you thinking otherwise. Reading “than we were at first” reminds me you are completely aware of our past, present, and future - and none of it scares you.
You know every single one of our “than we were at first” - this is where every single one of us was without you.
{And then two humans 3 foot nothing and under walked into the living room with bed heads asking where their Easter toys from the night before were so that’s as far as I got that morning}
Picking back up in real time where I was, I now say…
And look at what You did!
You fully accomplished the exact thing the pharisees, et al feared, and everyone who believes is now better off than they will ever, ever, ever be in their whole life. No matter what.
THANK YOU JESUS!
Leaving you with the little ditty below I wrote last Easter, but before I jump off, can we all recall where we were last Easter for a minute?
Got it pictured?
Ok so I have this super-great, super-non-essential talent I inherited from my mom where I can recall exactly what I was wearing in just about any memory. Can’t recall a thing I learned in college, but I can dang sure tell you what I wore to every formal.
So last Easter, I was wearing a pink blouse and white maternity jeans. I was neither pregnant nor postpartum. I was just fluffy with the QuaranTEN pounds from stress eating and drinking my life away for the past month and this was truly THE first time I put on real pants, makeup, and dried my hair.
It was actually a really good day once I got over myself. We streamed church on our back patio and took a visit to Big Cecca’s nursing home where we got to show her signs we made for her through a window and sing with the gospel band posted up outside the nursing home! We then had a catered lunch with crisp rose and said, “This is the best Easter ever.”
We didn’t hold onto any of those rogue traditions this year except for one, and you can call me a cheese ball but it’s the truth: No matter where you spend your Easter, simply rejoicing in the meaning of this day makes it THE BEST EASTER EVER.
HE LIVES! HE LIVES! CHRIST JESUS LIVES TODAY!
My interpretation of Matthew 28 - ALL to His glory.
Early morning, day is dawning,
Two Marys visit your tomb.
The earth quakes, your angel appears,
Bright and white, yet the women fear doom.
“Please do not fear, Jesus is not here!
He is risen, as He said He would do.
Now hurry and tell the 11 of this,
Remember what I have told you.”
En route to Galilee, filled with fright mixed with glee,
two Marys obey this command.
And on their way, as the angel did say,
You appear - fully God, Risen man!
“Teacher!” cries Mary as she falls at your feet,
Risen just as you said you would be.
“Onto Galilee, tell the 11 to go,
For this is where to meet me.”
As the women obey what you do say,
The elders and priests form a plan.
“We’ll bribe the soldiers to tell any listeners,
‘His disciples rolled the stone, took the man.’”
The 11 go to Galilee, to the mountain to meet,
There they see you - some worship, some doubt.
Their fears don’t alarm you, nor the lie told about you,
And The Great Commission flows out of your mouth:
“All authority in heaven & on the earth
Has been given to me by my God.
Go! Make disciples of all nations,
And remember, I’m always by your side.”
Happy Easter! May the joy of what today means - your sins are forgiven, you are loved, you are in the fold of life eternal with the God of the Universe - bring you JOY everyday this week.