What’s All the Excitement About?

If you are like me, at the end of a long trip, you just want to get home. We love to go to the beach for our vacation. This year, for ten days! Yea! In advance of any trip, we are methodical when packing. Clothes are neatly folded in the suitcases. The bags filled with other vacation supplies are orderly. Everything has its place. When I pack the car, it too is well thought out.

When it is time to come home, well, that is another story. Not so methodical. Not so organized. Not so neat. We just want to get packed and get home. Any little distraction is often annoying.

Close your eyes for a minute and picture yourself in Jerusalem some 2,000 years ago. You and your family had gone there for the weeklong Passover celebration. On the way to the city, you got delayed. Something about a guy on a donkey and people lining the streets. You come to Jerusalem every year, but for some reason, this year the streets and shops all seemed busier than in previous years. On Friday you wanted to do some last-minute sightseeing but some of the places you wanted to visit were jammed packed. You heard that there had been quite a bit of commotion right outside the city on a hill.

Now today, it is time to go home. You and your family had a really nice week, but everyone is tired and ready to get home. You pack your bags and get dressed, log on to the airline’s website to print out your boarding passes, then get ready to go down to the lobby for one last continental breakfast … when suddenly there is a heightened excitement out your window; something about a tomb being empty! Your initial thought, ugh, I don’t need this today, but maybe I can get some good pictures to post on my social media channels. And just think, years from now, what a great story it might be – remember that year…

So, you rush downstairs to see what all the excitement is about!

Early in the morning, women went to the tomb and found the stone closing the tomb’s entrance had been rolled away. An angel told them Jesus was alive – “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 (Matthew 28:5-6).” They excitedly (probably with fear and joy) left to tell the others.

Let me pause for a minute. There were two groups of people in the Jewish culture during this time whose word was considered unreliable in court: shepherds and women. Yet, God chose the excluded, shepherds (Jesus’ birth) and women (Jesus’ resurrection), to testify to the greatest news ever told! I believe that using shepherds and women to announce the news adds validation to the birth and resurrection of Jesus. If this “Jesus story” was fabricated, as some claim it is even to this day, why would those writing the story use the unreliable to validate it? I believe it also gives us hope. Jesus wants to use you and me, ordinary people, maybe even at times feeling like excluded people, to share this Good News with the world!      

John tells us that after being told the news, “Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first (John 20:3-4).”

Imagine yourself running with the two disciples; are you pushing past them, wanting to be the first one to the tomb? Or do you hold back, hesitating, doubtful that the news is true, tired and ready to get home and get on with life?

Be honest, do you live your life believing, not just in your mind, but also in your heart, that Jesus is alive? Do others see that in you?

The stone has been rolled away and the tomb is empty! Click here to read Luke’s account.

Later that evening, after dinner, when two men who had encountered a third man on the road to Emmaus earlier in the day (Luke 24:13-35), now recognized him as Jesus, they returned to Jerusalem, and we read this… “It is true! The Lord has risen and appeared to Simon” (Luke 24:34).

Jesus has risen and is alive to give all those who ask new life. Receive His love and embrace your new life today!

Let me end with this. The truth is that every one of us needs to be saved from ourselves. If you have never given your life to Jesus, Easter is a perfect time to do so. All you need to do is pray these simple words, or something similar –

Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead to give me new life. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. I give myself to you.

Happy Easter!

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