Easter in Qurantine

The disciples were gathered in a home after Jesus died and they feared for their lives to step outside believing someone would kill them. When the women came in and told them that the tomb was empty and the angel told them that Jesus was risen from the dead, two of the disciples, Peter and John, risked their lives and went to see for themselves what was happening at the tomb. They found it just as the women had said. It was empty. Jesus was not there.

We can see the parallel. We are staying in our homes because if we go and gather with others, we might get a potentially deadly virus, but that doesn’t mean we cannot celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Whether we have church in a building, a tent, a football field, a drive-in, online, or in homes looking at a screen, nothing will change the fact that Jesus is risen from the dead and has defeated death.

Continuing with the parallel with the eleven that were in one house, their lives changed entirely when they met the resurrected Christ. They did what Jesus told them they would do; they became fishers of men. They took what Jesus taught them and brought it to the world. They started new careers as missionaries. They started the church.

As we sit huddled in our homes, disciples of Jesus know that the tomb is empty. We have known it, but we may have forgotten within all the celebrations. This year we have learned we do not need new fancy clothes. We do not need a building to celebrate the resurrected Christ. We need faith. With the faith in Christ, we need to let the world know that there is hope. Our world needs hope right now. Our world needs to know that Jesus gives them hope. Our world needs unconditional love. Jesus gives unconditional love. Our world needs grace. With the death and resurrection, we have grace.

May we sit back and reflect this Easter, like the disciples, of what we can do with what we know and believe. The Internet has connected us all together. We may not be able to travel all over the world, but we can travel to the neighbor and family members that may need supplies or just a word of encouragement. May this Easter open our eyes and bring our focus to the empty tomb, which is where they always needed to have focus. Next year when we are back gathering with the body of Christ, may we have to adjust and adapt as our gatherings are huge because we chose to go into our world and disciples were made.