The Empty Tomb 

EASTER 2020

Easter is coming and we are observing Holy Week!  The one week in the year when many in the world are observing the last week of Jesus’ life on earth or for our Jewish friends, Passover.  The whole world is aware that an extraordinary event happened many, many years ago.  

Many celebrate with Easter Egg hunts, beautiful Easter baskets, and family gatherings.  Mothers and grandmothers cook special, delicious meals with ham, deviled eggs, and other family favorites.  Eggs are boiled by the dozens, colored, decorated and placed in baskets for each child in the family along with candy, stuffed bunnies and always the marshmallow treats called Peeps.  It is and was for me a happy, family oriented time.

I was always practicing the weeks before for the special Easter music that would be sung  Easter Sunday or  Palm Sunday.  We would have spent countless hours for months learning the music, sometimes the drama, but always preparing for a special time of worshipping God with music about the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus.  It was always a special time for me for I love to sing praises to the Lord. 

Easter Sunday begins with Sunrise services to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and that He is alive.  Worship services pack the churches, with members and visitors dressed in their Easter best.  Music is joyous. Candles are lit, smiles are on every face and preachers preach the best sermon of the year.  We are all rejoicing that we have a Risen Lord who is now at the right hand of God the Father.  What a glorious time. 

However, this year will be different! 2020 will be the year which goes down in history as the year of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic!  Our entire world is being impacted by this deadly virus which is a flu that is mild to deadly.  There are over 1 million people who have contracted the virus, over 83,000 deaths, and over 300,000 recoveries.  It has swept the world and changed it for all time for we will never be the same.  We will note events as before, during or after the pandemic.  

Easter will surely be vastly different for most of us  because almost all churches are meeting online or drive-in.  Our preachers are preaching to empty pews, to a camera, being sent out by the Internet to our homes.  We sit with our families, in our own homes, with Bibles in our hands, participating in the singing and prayers, and worshipping our Lord.  We are missing that joyous interaction with our friends but it is worship and we are learning that the church is not a building but people who are bound together by believing in the Lord Jesus as our Savior.  We are the family of God, living in the Kingdom of God.  The church is here and now out in the world and not confined to a building and for this I praise God 

This year we won’t spend too much money on new clothes to wear to church, often to impress others. The big Easter Egg hunts are cancelled for we are supposed to be staying in our homes all the time. Families and friends will not have the blessing of gathering together for fear we could spread this virus.  Cooking a big meal and gathering together will have to wait for a while until this pandemic has gone away. 

Maybe we just need to cancel Easter.  NO WAY!  We still have the resurrection to celebrate for this changed the entire world for eternity.  Our Lord is not dead!  He is alive and is in heaven preparing an eternal home for his children.  He is also, through the Holy Spirit, guiding, teaching and protecting us from the world until we can be with Him for eternity.  At our appointed time, we will step from this earthly world into the heavenly realm to be with our Lord.  He will be waiting to greet us with open arms because his child is coming home! There we will live in that perfect and indescribably beautiful eternal home forever.  Hallelujah!

Easter will be different this year but we can make it memorable.  Spend this week reading and studying the Bible and I can suggest this site for help.  I am using it every day - https://tommykiker.wordpress.com/2020/04/03/passion-week-devotional-guide/.  Many of us have a special book we read each Easter and I hope you are reading it.  Sunday morning, gather with your family, your spouse, by yourself, or with your fur baby and go to your church’s online worship service. Have your Bible with you, pray and sing with the leaders, and listen to what God has to say to you through your pastor.  We can watch several services if we want to for we can watch services from other churches.  Be sure and begin with your own church for they need our support. 

No excuses this year - I don’t have a new dress, I don’t like the music or the preacher or some of those “hypocrites” who go to the church.  No one will see your clothes and you can find another church to watch and participate. If you don’t have a church, First Baptist Church Adel website will link you to the live feed and you will hear a good message from Bro. Ken Hall.   

I pray you will spend this week walking with Jesus to the cross and then celebrate His resurrection.  It will be different but it is important for us to remember that Jesus died for everyone and all you have to do is believe in Him as the Son God.  This link will carry you to a site which will walk with you through the plan of salvation  http://www.sbc.net/knowjesus/theplan.asp  You can always message me and I will be glad to help you.  

I wish each and every one of you a blessed Easter and stay safe.  Keep your distance and stay at home if at all possible.

 Frances

 Steps to Garden of Gethsemane