Simple Sundays: The Simplest of All Sundays

Usually I post a recipe as my Sunday post, but Easter Sunday demands something different.

In a lot of ways, Easter Sunday is the epitome of a 'Simple Sunday'. Easter is the day Christ rose from the dead, having paid our ransom, freeing us from the bondage and penalty of sin. Easter was and is the day that changes everything.

Today I hear the word 'tombstone' in reference not to the plaque placed above a grave, not in reference to pizza sauce, but as a word describing a stone that sealed a tomb. The tombstone rolled over the entrance to Jesus' grave is such a powerful metaphor. As our pastor said this morning, it was the period at the end of the sentence of Jesus' life and ministry. It was the end of the love He showed the world. It was the end of hope for His disciples. Behind that stone lay the promise for a better, more fulfilling life. Behind the stone lay the man who came to bring freedom, the man who was ultimately chained, whipped and crucified. 

BUT THEN THE STORY CONTINUES. The stone is not an ending. Instead, the stone is rolled away! He is Risen! With Him our hopes rise, our spirits are lifted up.

Sin has lost it's power.
Death has lost it's sting.
Hope rises.
Love wins. 

Today's Verses
Mark 16: 5-6
When the entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, but the angel said, "Don't be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn't here! He is risen from the dead!