Easter Confusion

As Christians around the world celebrate Easter hunkered down in their homes, a bit confused as to what to wear when they tune in to their church's live stream, not sure what they are going to prepare for their Easter meal, and trying to decide if they should watch Ben-Hur for the umpteenth time, I am reminded that on the first Easter morning, the disciples were confused as well.

The story of the first Easter is retold in today's reading from John 20:1-18

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.’ Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went towards the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.’ When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbouni!’ (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, ‘Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” ’ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

I can understand the disciples' confusion. We believe this all happened because we know the rest of the story. We know that they too will see Jesus and believe. We know that at Pentecost the disciples will be transformed from believers into doers. We know that they will die for those beliefs and actions.

Today we are confused. We do not know the rest of our story. We want someone to transform us back into our pre-Covid-19 selves.

Who are you looking for to save you from the global pandemic and its repercussions?

Does your mind first turn to science, or to government, or to your own resources?

Pray instead in the name of Jesus to the God who has power over the grave. Pray that He will provide to science, to government, and to our common sense the wisdom to help us survive. 

If we do that, we will be transformed.

And when it is all said and done, pray also that we will have the humility and faith to get down on our knees once again to give Him thanks for the love that He has shown to us.