John 20:17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, `I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ”

There is so much in this one verse, but then there is an eternity of glory in this one day today! The resurrection of Christ is on one hand the most impossible thing in human history, and on the other hand it is the most glorious reality in all time and eternity. It is celebrated year after year by Christians around the world, but seldom with very deep appreciation for all it means. Because Jesus was unquestionably dead, not just scourged and crucified but pierced through the heart by a spear, and then rose again, seen not just by His inner circle but by up to 500 people at one time, we know that death, the universal thing that comes to everything living, has been conquered. Not only that, we know from Scripture that His death wasn’t just His, it was the death of all sinful mankind. Accordingly, His resurrection wasn’t just His, but the resurrection of all who will believe. That’s what Jesus was talking about here, when He told Mary to speak to his brothers about “My Father and your Father, My God and your God.” Paul speaks of this as our being “raised to sit with Christ in the heavens.” (Ephesians 2:6) The first half of this verse is interesting as well. At first glance it doesn’t make much sense, saying “Don’t cling to Me because I haven’t been raised to the Father yet.” However, deeper reflection after Pentecost probably clarified it for Mary and those she told. Jesus’ physical body was not something that could be clung to on this earth, but His Holy Spirit has been provided for us to cling to forever, indwelling us even, for all eternity. That is good news indeed!

I’m not sure how old I was when I first started thinking how strange it was that Christmas was so much a bigger deal than Easter, but I think I was pretty young. It is of course a big deal that God came to earth to be born as a human baby, but it is so much a bigger deal that He took the sins of all mankind on Himself, paid the price of death, and then rose again. Eggs and bunnies have their roots in celebrations of life, eggs because they seem dead but then chicks hatch out of them, and rabbits because of their extreme fecundity. Eggs I can see as symbols of resurrection, but rabbits seem inappropriate to the message of the resurrection of Christ, because His life has nothing to do with sex. Fortunately the awareness of Easter in Japan is so low that it hasn’t been commercialized here yet, so it is perhaps easier to focus on the true meaning. We have an opportunity today to communicate that meaning to some who haven’t received it, hopefully many such people. As I lead the service, sing and speak, I need to be filled with Christ’s presence by His Spirit, letting the joy of resurrection overflow from me, so that many may receive for their salvation.

Father, it’s been quite a while since I’ve had such an anticipation of what You are going to do on an Easter Sunday. Thank You for that anticipation. Keep me from trying to make things happen on my own, but help me be fully responsive and obedient to You so that I may participate in what You are doing, so that all of Your plans may be fulfilled for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!