April 21, 2019 Easter

“Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.” (Luke 24:1 NKJV)

Easter and Christmas day are the two days it is easiest to experience God. On these days we see God directly acting for us in a very personal way. Both days allow us to experience the humanity and divinity of Jesus in a moment in time. Easter is so important the early Church move the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday!

Yet it is very easy for us to miss this revelation of God by merely looking at what it means for us. We can be so caught up in the Babe and our resurrection to miss God’s desire and love for us.

The women experienced the wonder of the resurrected Jesus just as the shepherds experienced the wonder God coming not only wrapped in cloth but in human flesh!!! The shepherds came to the manger and the women came to the tomb. The Benedictines of Mary have a song which says Jesus went from the virgin womb to the virgin tomb!

The women came bringing spices which reminds us of the Wise Men so long ago bringing incense of worship and burial spices as a gift to Jesus. The spices also can remind us of the spices used in the temple as an offering to God. And in the book of Revelation we are told the prayers of God’s people are an incense to God.

But the women did not just bring the spices they prepared them. Coming to know God and to be in God’s presence is not something natural to us but takes preparation. Coming to worship services is not just appearing at that time but requires a time of preparation by spending time with God and through prayer and confession renewing our relationship with God in preparation of our worship.

When we come to the tomb with the spices of our prayers and being prepared by confession we are filled with the wonder of the resurrection and the wondrous love of God! It is easy to be stuck on Good Friday celebrating God’s love and forgiveness and miss the wondrous news that we are alive not only through God but in God!

Our preparation for worship allows us to come before the tomb and not just see its emptiness but the fullness of God’s love to not just save us but to make away for us to be with God! We can see this in the Gospels passages showing Jesus talking directly to the women and the apostles. By this Easter becomes everyday and not just once a day!

So Happy Easter and may you honor God by the fullness of worship.