For many of us, the celebration of Easter this year can feel slightly perplexing. Easter Sundays are a celebration of Jesus Christ’s resurrection – a time when we reflect on the power and work of God in our lives.
Normally, many of us celebrate in large congregations with our families and closest friends. It’s a day we host big meals, enjoy the company of others and join in the many activities and celebrations with our churches and local communities. But this year presents a very different scenario for us all.
I know many of you at this time are overwhelmed with uncertainty and fear. This Easter may not bring to us the same tangible joy and excitement. But this does not change the great hope we have on this day. It does not change the power and presence of the One we celebrate today.
When we think back to the time the disciples waited after Jesus’s death, we can often think that three days must’ve been very easy to endure. We may think, “Well, they only had to wait three days? Who couldn’t handle three days for something they are waiting on God for?”
In light of our national 30-day period of social distancing (or 30 days plus, for what we know right now) in the midst of this pandemic, three days of waiting can appear to be a breeze.
However, after Jesus Christ died on the cross, in the minds of the disciples, they really didn’t know when or if He would return. Jesus had told them that He would return (Matthew 16:21), but how could they have been certain? Yet, in three days they witnessed the true miracle of Jesus’s awaited resurrection, and He appeared to several of the disciples just as He had said He would.
We know the whole timeline of Jesus’s life, death and resurrection. From our perspective, we can see that hope was on its way. However, the disciples did not know for sure what the next day would hold.
Right now we are all waiting in what can feel like a hopeless situation. Although we know what our world is currently facing will pass, we don’t know exactly when it will or what the future may hold for us individually. In many ways, we are waiting with hope, just as the disciples did. We don’t see it and we can’t feel it, but we know there is a light at the end of this tunnel.
But what better way to cling to the hope of Jesus Christ than by celebrating His life and resurrection this Easter Sunday.
As we arrive at Easter 2020, in the thick of this pandemic, it can be difficult to really feel the same confidence of our faith that we can easily tap into on a normal Easter Sunday. Yet today, we can recall the hope to which each of us were called to.
“For this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently” (Romans 8:24 NIV).
Just as the disciples waited with hope for what they couldn’t see, we hold onto this same hope.
So this Easter Sunday, let us not just wait for it patiently but wait in the hope of our Redeemer. Let us be thankful for the family and friends around us. Let us be grateful for our health and pray for the health of those who are struggling. Let us allow this season to open up our hearts to a deeper hope that we can have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Regardless of these circumstances, let us cling to this hope, because while all of life may be shaky and uncertain, God is always faithful.