What comes AFTER the Resurrection? Or what can we take with us besides chocolate and eggs…

I love to celebrate Resurrection weekend! I always have! It is a weekend generally filled with deep focus on our Savior and his sacrificial gift.We surround ourselves with family, good food and fun! Our attention is drawn to springtime. Everything reflects it, the clothes we wear, the gifts we give, ( flowers, rabbits, baby chicks – okay maybe that’s just for us country folk.) But we honestly surround ourselves with visuals of newness. Life starting over, beautiful and fresh. Those are all lovely things and after viewing all of the colorful reminders on social media of how  everyone spent their weekend I came away with a question in my heart…. What now? What happens after the Resurrection celebration? Do we just go back to our life as we know it until the next big thing…. Mother’s Day, Graduation, whatever is on your calendar? Or is there something more we can take away with us besides the memory of full stomachs, colorful dresses and chocolate smiles?  I truly want to know… What comes after the Resurrection celebration ?

So I went to the Word….

John 20:19 says,

” On the evening of the first day of the week……Jesus came and stood among them and said,’Peace be with you.’

And in Luke 24:15

” As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them. ”

These are two different accounts of what happened after the Resurrection. But they both have something similar.

Jesus came. He CAME !  He came as a babe, He came and died, He came back ( He arose), He is coming back! ( When the trumpet sounds! )

I love that Jesus came to his disciples. He sought them out. He seeks us out dear ones. Everyday he seeks us out and He longs that we notice Him. Sometimes noticing Him is easy to do, like on weekends we have just experienced and sometimes it can be very difficult.  But when we DO notice Him we hear Him say things like, ” Peace be with you.” and ” Do not be afraid.”

Those two phrases are words to hang your hat on , so to speak. They are words that you can be sure your Father wants to speak to you!  The words ” Do not be afraid” were spoken 365 times in the Bible. Our Father knows us and he knows how life’s trials would tempt us to fear. The word peace is spoken ( in the KJV) 429 times in the Bible. Our Father desires that we have peace.  These are two things that we can take with us long after the ham is eaten and the spring flowers fade. They are eternal. The gifts we will need on a lonely rainy afternoon, or a cold winter night.  The gifts that will comfort our souls and renew our strength. Our Savior came and He is still coming ,…into my life and into yours if you want Him too. He is waiting…