We all know the headline of Easter: Christ is risen! I wonder if people who show up in church just for Easter are looking simply to be reminded of the good news that we can go to heaven when we die.
But the message of Easter is more nuanced than that. When someone you love dies, it’s natural to wish you could “undo” death and put your shared lives back to the way they were. With Jesus’ healing touch, some people actually got to experience having that wish come true. But that is not what happened for the believers who witnessed Jesus’ resurrection.
Jesus’ various appearances to the faithful convinced them that He was alive, but at the same time obliterated their sense that their lives could go back to “normal.” As much as Easter preaches about eternal life, it is even more a call to courage.
The most important evidence for the reality of the resurrection was the changed lives of the believers. Disciples who deserted Jesus in fear at His arrest, ended up devoting the rest of their lives to putting into practice what Jesus had taught. Despite what happened later in history, in those initial centuries before it became an establishment religion, Christianity drew attention because Christians behaved with uncommon kindness, compassion, and courage. Rather than expect acceptance, these early believers considered it a privilege to suffer persecution for Jesus’ sake. Many gave their lives in the process; all of them found their lives transformed.
In this country, we’re fortunate not to have to face such dramatic consequences for our beliefs. On the other hand, we’re more in danger of attracting notice when we fail to live up to the code we claim to follow. Perhaps our biggest challenge is keeping the news of Easter comforting but not comfortable.
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