On the 21st of this month we will join with Christians all over the world to celebrate the risen Lord! Of course, we will be focusing on the resurrection passages in the gospels and looking at what happened at the tomb of Jesus on that first Easter morning. In the gospel of Matthew, the women come to the tomb to finish the job of anointing Jesus’ body for burial. When they get to the tomb they find an angel who tells them Jesus has risen. Then they are told, “go quickly and tell his disciples.”
In his book Resurrection, Pastor Phil Thrailkill points out the movement from the tomb. The women are not to remain there, they are to “go” and tell the disciples. Then they are to “go” to Galilee where they will meet with the risen Lord. Thrailkill writes,“Christianity is not a monument to a dead hero, but a movement trying to keep up with where Jesus is going next.” Perhaps those are necessary words for us following Easter.
After celebrating the resurrection the previous day, we will wake up on Monday, April 22, and we have to ask ourselves (as individuals and as a church), “What’s next?” The Son of God has come into the world. He died for our sins. He resurrected from the grave. Because He has life, through Him we now can have life! What’s next?
Just as the women were called to move away from the tomb and out into the world, I think we are called to do the same thing as well. I hope you will make it a priority to celebrate Easter morning with the Wightman family, but more importantly I hope follow- ing that great day you will join us in our efforts to take the gospel message out into the world.
Pastor Brian