During the Christmas season, it is easy to experience a sense of wonder at the cradle of the newborn baby Jesus. But wonder is not usually the feeling with which we approach Easter. We celebrate, yes, but after the long tumultuous march through Holy Week and grieving the loss of our Savior, we are relieved to be able to celebrate his Resurrection.

A different approach

But what if this year we pretend we are learning about the death and resurrection of Jesus for the very first time? What if our minds and hearts struggle to understand what Resurrection is for the first time? What if we came to the tomb expecting Jesus’ broken body to be there, awaiting burial? We might discover that we approach the day much more like Mary Magdalene or Peter and John. We might be shocked to know Jesus is no longer in the tomb and dead. We might be confused about all the surrounding events. We might be in awe as Jesus appears to us in a new form. We might wonder at all the events of the past week. We might have many questions. We might have tears of relief, joy, disbelief, awe, and gratitude — all at the same time. We might not know what to do, or who to tell. We certainly would not know how to explain it all … but we would know Jesus is risen!

Imagine

The newly released movie The Young Messiah asks us to stretch our imaginations and wonder what Jesus would have been like as a seven-year-old boy about the time his family left Egypt to return home to Nazareth. There is no record of what Jesus was like as a boy, only that “he was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on him” (Luke 2:40). While the movie has many obvious problems and flaws, we can still take away from it the idea of reclaiming the sense of wonder and mystery at how God is at work in all things and in all people.

Question of the day: When are you most tempted to hide your faith?
Key Scriptures: Matthew 18:1-4; Luke 9:18-27; John 20:1-23; Philippians 2:13