The Easter Parade – Jesus Risen All Over Town

[Matthew 28:1-10, John 20:1-9, Luke 24:13-25]

See John Run…See Peter Run (no not Peter CottonTail – Jesus’ Peter)…See Mary talk…See God Alive…Come & See…Come & Believe. The Easter experience of Joy and fear is a very normal response to us who believe in the Risen Lord. The mingling of resolute joy and fear that overcomes the disciples of Jesus is real even for us. ‘Are we sure he really came forth from the tomb’ or is there lingering fear that finally is overcome by Easter Peace? “Peace be with you he said!” “Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee and there they will SEE me.” Looking for Jesus on the twilight of Dawn’s New Day is like Easter egg hunting for sweet refreshing food after the long night of Lent. Focusing on the Risen Jesus in the early morning hours this Easter Day is difficult for us who need to find him desperately with all our hearts. ‘Our hearts remain restless until they rest in thee’ is our common human experience of Jesus Rising and giving New Life all around. It is clearly like a great and awesome parade to look into the empty tomb.

Parading across Judea, Jerusalem, Galilee, Samaria, Emaeus, the Sea of Tiberius (also known as the Sea of Galilee), and many other places Jesus put in cameo appearances this was probably not what the disciples were expecting him to do in their heart. “Someone has taken the Lord and we don’t know where they have put him.” The hometown square in Disney World or Great America theme parks have nothing on the hill country of Palestine that eternal Easter morn. No big bands, no great crowds, just a ragtag group of believers scurrying about in disbelief that their one time friend, their teacher and rabbi, was truly ALIVE! Parades come in all kinds of shapes and sizes but this traveling band of believers made all creation rejoice at the NEWS for another 2 full millennia catching up on the story of Jesus’ life saving Death and Resurrection. The great joy and the Good News of God’s success story continued on from that scary wonderful day in the outskirts of Jerusalem on into the mountains and hills and valleys across our great globe for another 20 plus centuries. We just now are feeling the tidal wave of mystery that engulfs most people who are part of the great Parade of New Life. Flowing like rivers of Living Water we are a people set on course to usher in 20 or more centuries of God’s fountain of Love & Joy.

As we rapidly approach this earliest of all Easters in our lifetime, let us celebrate the central wonder of our Salvation. Our parade is just a wee bit more in the panoply of the Angels and the Saints who walk on ahead of us into the Eternal Kingdom of the Father’s love and grace. Let us give this Easter a big push into ‘Seeing and Believing’ the real presence of the Risen Lord Jesus in our Life. Trust Him and not fear Him. Walk with Him and not run away from Him. Embrace Him in Peace and so as to embrace one another with the Easter parade song of Peace.

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia! He is Here Among Us All Now!

Easter Blessings Fr. Terry U