After Easter

And, just like that, another Easter has come and passed. Billions of plastic eggs have been found, all except that one that was hid a little too well under a tuft of grass in the middle of the yard for you to find with a lawn mower at a later date. Children and adults alike have consumed enough candy to choke a piñata. Family gatherings were had and survived, with or without the presence of family drama. Church services have been attended en masse, and I have yet to see one news report of anyone being struck by lightning. It was a good weekend!

We celebrate that not only does God love us, but He is for us and has made a way for us to be with Him.

Easter Sunday is traditionally one of the high-water marks for local churches in terms of attendance, the other being Christmas. And, in a lot of ways, it really makes sense that these particular Sundays would be well attended. They are the two seminal moments of the Christian faith. At Christmas we celebrate the birth of the baby Jesus. As the writer of the book of Hebrews notes, He is the “author and perfecter of our faith.” His birth marks the beginning of the end of God’s plan to bring about our restoration and salvation. We celebrate that God so loved us that He sent His Son to be with us. At Easter we find ourselves at the other end of the spectrum as we remember Jesus’s death and ultimate resurrection. We see the full depth of God’s love on display. We celebrate that not only does God love us, but He is for us and has made a way for us to be with Him.

And so, it was on this past Sunday, our church and churches all across the country and around the world were filled with people of all ages coming together to celebrate Jesus. The proverbial party is now over, and the challenges and patterns of ordinary, everyday life beckon. Many of us, however, had some pretty great experiences on Easter Sunday. Perhaps we’d like to build on the energy and excitement we felt after Easter as well. Allow me to offer a couple suggestions.

COME BACK TO CHURCH NEXT WEEK. While Easter Sunday is the highest attendance Sunday for most churches, the Sunday after Easter is one of the lowest. Most churches offer services every Sunday. If the message you heard last week inspired your soul, take a chance and keep coming back. Here’s a little secret for you. While the pastor might have played a part in the method of presentation, the truth of the message is beyond his or her control. The truth of Scripture is transcendent. It has been inspiring hopes and dreams and providing hope and healing to countless men, women, and children through the ages. Further, the same Jesus whose resurrection we celebrated last Sunday is still alive today. He’s just as ready to meet with you this week as He was last. Can’t make it this week? That’s cool. We’ll be here the next week, and the next, and the next… You get the picture.

GO AND TELL SOMEONE WHAT YOU’VE EXPERIENCED. One of the recurring themes of the gospel is that what is experienced is meant to be shared. In Matthew 28:10, Jesus Himself told Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary” as they left the tomb, “Don’t be afraid. Go and tell…” Those initial instructions from Jesus apply as much to us today as they did to them back then. This news is too good for us to keep to ourselves. It isn’t like a community Easter egg hunt, where there are only so many eggs and you need to get what you can and hold onto it lest you miss out. There’s enough Jesus for everyone. God so loved the world that He sent Jesus to die for the world that He might conquer death and bring hope to the world. That’s news worth sharing with the world.

Easter may be over, but the party still rages on!

Easter may be over, but the party still rages on! When Jesus broke the power of sin and death, He broke it for good. It’s a truth we need to remember early and often. It’s a truth we need to share with urgency. There is a new life available after Easter, because Easter reminds us that there is new life through Christ.