Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday

Sunday, April 4, 2021

Hallelujah!  He is risen!

A Lenten Devotional Guide

By Patience Nave

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the sepulcher. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone, and sat upon it… The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. Lo, I have told you.” So they departed from the tomb with fear and great joy and ran to tell his disciples.

Matthew 28:2-8 RSV

I have stood in the garden at Gordon’s tomb, a lovely place in Jerusalem that I would like to believe is the place where Jesus lay – though probably it is not. As I stood there, went inside the cave, and saw the track on which the stone would have rolled, I tried to imaging what it would have been like to have gone there to mourn and to have found that the day of mourning was over! That no grave contained the Lord! I am sure that it seemed to the two Marys almost too good to be true – especially since they had seen resurrection before when Lazarus had come forth from the grave.

With great joy they ran to tell the others! Of course. Isn’t that the natural reaction?

Then what about us? Two thousand years later, isn’t that still the news that the world needs to hear? If Christ be not resurrected, we are indeed a people most miserable! But he IS risen! He suffered and died for MY sin and he rose that I need not die! That is very personal news for a desperately needy world! Surely that must cause me to want to run and tell others!

Father, I thank you that no tomb could hold Jesus. I thank you that we serve a risen, living Savior! Make us bold to tell others this good news! Amen

Hallelujah! He is Risen!
prepared for First United Methodist Church of Homosassa, Florida
Spring 2011
compiled by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator
reproduced and edited by Patience Fort