What happened after that first Easter? We know it didn’t end there – it was only the beginning!
Although our modern calendar system begins when Jesus was born, our eternal life only began because of His death and resurrection. So what did it look like in the days and weeks following that first Easter morning? In the 24th chapter of the Gospel according to Luke, we read about two disciples walking on the road to Emmaus. They were talking about the things that had happened, and when Jesus joined them, they did not recognize him. How often is Jesus with us – right beside us, speaking to us – and yet we do not recognize Him? If we are honest, He’s present with us, and ignored by us, more often than not!
As the evening drew near, the two asked him to stay with them, andhe did. In verses 30-32: “When He was at the table with them, He took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him, and He disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?’”
Is your heart burning within you for Jesus Christ? Have the scriptures been opened up to you? Easter is over for now, but let our hearts burn for the Lord everyday in the weeks and months ahead. Let’s live each day with that same fire that we felt the first day we accepted Jesus into our hearts. Be filled with the holy spirit. Run and share the Good News with everyone you meet. Don’t let the Easter season come to an end. May you let the good news of our Lord and Savior live in you and through you everyday throughout the year.
The writer is the pastor of New Hope United Methodist Church.
