Five Things We Can Learn From the Resurrection Aftermath

Resurrection Sunday has come and gone. Christians world-wide celebrated the fact that Jesus’ power was on full display as He overcame death.

In the natural realm, what would the empty tomb represent?  "Empty" denotes void, barren, forsaken, depleted, and lacking. 

The disciples had just witnessed a level of devastation and grief they most likely never knew before. They were confused, lost, and scared....

For some, emptiness represents unfulfilled dreams, dashed hopes, and unmet expectations.  

Do you have an empty place in your life that requires a miracle?  Is your marriage on the verge of a collapse?  Is your child wayward and faltering in the world?  Do you struggle with acute physical pain and limitations?  Jesus can minister to you in whatever circumstances you face in life.

Here are five things we can learn from those closest to Jesus after the resurrection...  (John 20, 21; Luke 24; Mark 16)

1.  Our expectations are not always met.

When Mary approached Jesus' tomb she wasn’t expecting it to be empty. She had come with the other women bearing spices in order to anoint Jesus' body. The thought of a bodily resurrection had not crossed her mind - not yet of course.

2.  We generally don’t like surprises. 

We like things to stay relatively calm and predictable. Mary had already had her world turned upside down. Now she was fretting over the fact that her Lord was missing.

      3.  We often don’t recognize what is right in front of us.

Mary mistook Jesus for the gardener. Her grief and pain clouded her perception. It wasn't until Jesus called out her name that she realized it was indeed Him. She didn't expect to receive that level of personal tenderness and compassion in her fragile state.

4.  We have an inherent propensity to doubt.

Thomas was missing in action when Jesus presented Himself to the disciples. We don't know why he wasn't there - but he wasn't buying any part of their story. He put conditions on his belief and lacked faith in their eyewitness account. He was in effect saying, "prove it!".

       5.  We frequently go back to old habits.

Peter had been in that empty tomb. He knew Jesus was raised from the dead. He saw Jesus when they had assembled in prayer and He showed Himself to them. Days later, Peter was feeling somewhat dejected and told the others he was going fishing. They also went with him, and after fishing all night, caught nothing... just as it was when Jesus found him on the shores of Lake Gennesaret.

So what does all of this have to do with us?  Well... everything. 

We often struggle when we forget that Jesus is alive and still in control.  How can we be so ignorant of those facts when His Word is replete with encouragement and hope?

The examples above end in victory for each one of them. They all became overcomers through the power and person of Jesus Christ. He will do the same for you.

Here is another post from the past to encourage you:   Turn Your Devastation Into Regeneration

Deborah is the author of a Christian non-fiction book titled “Mission Possible”. It is written for women who love the Lord Jesus, but their spouse doesn’t share their passion.  It will encourage and challenge the reader to embrace God’s promises for their spouse and future together. 

Visit  http://www.spirituallyunevenmarriage.com

If you have been encouraged by this post - please take time to share it with others.

Five Things We Can Learn From the Resurrection Aftermath

Bunnies, Baskets and Bulbs... What about Jesus?

The traditional Easter celebration has morphed over the years into a mega commercial holiday.  It is second in the sale of candy only to Halloween.  Jelly beans, chocolate bunnies, marshmallow chicks, and candy eggs top the popular wish list.  Easter baskets are adorned with paper or plastic grass, small toys, and stuffed animals (bunnies, lambs, and chicks).

The Easter bunny originated in Europe and migrated to the United States.  It has always been a symbol of fertility.  Other animals played a significant role in Easter traditions throughout Europe such as doves, foxes and geese.  

Dyeing Easter eggs may have their origin in the 40 day period of Lent where often Christians would "give up" such dietary items as meat, eggs, and milk.  Eggs were decorated and kept for presenting in baskets lined with color straw as a treat after the fast.  Great care was given to extravagant design and a wide array of colorful dyes in order to ready them for presentation.

Chocolate eggs and the chocolate bunny had their roots in France and Germany in the 19th century and eventually made their way to the United States.  Chocolate was another common item to give up during Lent - thus making it a much desired item in the Easter basket.

A traditional Easter dinner might be leg of lamb or baked ham.  Lamb is traditional because Jesus' last supper was the Passover meal.   Ham was popular in the past because salted pork would last throughout the winter and be ready to eat in the Spring before other fresh meat was available.

But what about the Christian's celebration of this sacred holiday?  After all - we are celebrating the death and resurrection of our Lord.

The Easter season comprises of a 40 day period called Lent that precedes Easter Sunday. It is a time of reflection and penance, often involving a fast from one or more things - and represents the 40 days that Jesus spent in the wilderness before starting His ministry.

Good Friday honors the day of His crucifixion and Holy Saturday focuses on the transition between the crucifixion and the resurrection.  

Symbolic of purity and the bodily rising of Jesus Christ, Easter lilies adorn Christian homes and houses of worship on the holy day that shares its name.  The flower was so named based on the fact that it often blooms near the time of year that Easter occurs.  White reminds us of the purity of Christ and the gold color represents the royalty of Christ.

Tulips are also popular in the Spring, and as is the case with the Easter lily, both flowers have come to represent Christ's resurrection from the dead.  Christians celebrate life over death in which the bulbs burst forth from the ground and bloom.



What does an empty grave have to do with you and me?  How can Christ's resurrection impact our lives today?

Simply put - Jesus is no longer in the tomb... He is here.  He "tabernacles" with us. He is Emanuel [God with us] and He is ever present in our lives, in our circumstances and in our eternal destiny.   Jesus is with us in pain and in difficulty.  He is with us in solitude and in rejection.  He is with us in loneliness and in despair.  Nothing can separate us from Him and His love...

"We learn that 'the Lord was with Joseph' in slavery, and then in prison.  In other words, God is not just in the garden anymore - He shows up even in the most painful and difficult places.  That's good news for anyone in trouble, and a hint of the Good News to come."

(John Ortberg)

He is the first to rise from the dead - the "first fruit" of the incorruptible seed of humanity. He fulfills prophesy and establishes the order of the final resurrection.  Jesus Christ is the Alpha and the Omega - the Lord Almighty.  He is the originator of our spiritual DNA. 

Celebrate Easter with confidence, knowing that Jesus Christ purchased our access to heaven through His blood - atoning for our sins and sacrificing Himself in order to satisfy the Law's demands.  May we recognize and thank Him for His bountiful grace and mercy... 

Here is a link to one of my past Easter posts   EASTER - Promised Light Eternal

Deborah is the author of a Christian non-fiction book titled “Mission Possible”. It is written for women who love the Lord Jesus, but their spouse doesn’t share their passion.  It will encourage and challenge the reader to embrace God’s promises for their spouse and future together. 

Visit  http://www.spirituallyunevenmarriage.com

If you have been encouraged by this post - please take time to share it with others.

Bunnies, Baskets and Bulbs... What about Jesus?