Easter Sunday is typically the highest attended Sunday in a church’s year. Any guess for the lowest attended Sunday? Yep, the Sunday following Easter. That’s probably NOT the effect that the Resurrection is to have on us. In fact, it’s to have quite the opposite. And in Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances we get a sense of how … [Read more...]
Experience the Peace of Easter
It’s striking that the first word out of Jesus’ resurrected mouth to His disciples was simply “Peace.” It could have been a lot of things. It could have been admonishment. It certainly could have been “I told you so!” But…it was “Peace.” Yes, “Peace be with you” was a standard greeting in Jesus’ day. But we have no … [Read more...]
After-Easter Peace
Imagine the disciples’ situation that first Easter weekend. They’d followed Jesus for three years. They depended on Him for guidance, even for daily things like food. They found His teaching irresistible. They were moved by His mercy and compassion. And they’d just watched Him die—at the hands of an angry mob they thought might … [Read more...]
Our Need for Resurrection Peace
The first word, according to the gospels of Luke and John, out of Jesus’ resurrected mouth to His disciples was simply “peace.” In John, Jesus said it first to the group (twice) then later to Thomas. While “peace be with you” was a common greeting, there is no other record of Jesus using these words at any time. It’s like He … [Read more...]
Serving Up a Big Peace
Imagine the disciples’ situation that first Easter weekend. They’d followed Jesus for three years. They depended on Him for guidance, even for daily things like food. They found His teaching irresistible. They were moved by His mercy and compassion. And they’d just watched Him die—at the hands of an angry mob they thought might … [Read more...]