When it was evening on that
day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples
had met were locked for fear of the
Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
After he said this, he showed them his hands and
his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As
the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
(John
20:19-21)
There’s a wonderful old saying is southern
circles about bringing things to a joyous conclusion… “it’s all over but the shoutin’.” Jesus stands among his friends, alive. They were locked away, fearing for their
lives, and he suddenly stands before them offering greetings of peace. He shows them the marks of crucifixion that
prove his death, then they let loose the shoutin’, rejoicing that the One who
was dead, is now alive. But their
shoutin’ wasn’t the end of the story. Good news came with a challenge and a
calling; “As the Father has sent me, so I
send you.”
Easter Sunday is a day of shoutin’. But it is much more than that. It is a day of commission. To embrace and celebrate the living Christ is
to also embrace and celebrate His challenge and calling to us; “As the Father has sent me, so send I
you.”
Go and tell the good
news!
Prayer: Come among us once more, dear Jesus,
that in seeing your nail-scarred hands and feet, we might celebrate again your
victory of life over death. Then, may we
faithfully answer the call to go and tell.
Amen.
Jim Abernathy
These Lenten devotionals conclude
today, but our journey to the cross and empty tomb hasn't been exclusively a
seasonal walk. Jesus calls us daily to take up the cross and go into all the
world to tell the good news. The work of salvation is done...now the story must
be told!
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