Read John 20:11-18
It is natural for people who have been separated for a period of time to shed tears when they are reunited. I remember the first time I came home from USC during my freshman year. I had never been away from home for more than a few days at a time before this—but this time I had been in California for almost three months before my quick visit in October.
I was excited to see several of my friends and extended family, but especially my mom. As I stepped off the bus in my hometown of LaPorte, I was greeted by a small crowd, most of whom were smiling and cheering, but there, in the middle of them all was my mom, tears streaming down her face. As I hugged her, her tears didn’t stop but seemed to flow harder. She was overjoyed to be reunited with me, her youngest son (and I am not ashamed to admit, I might have cried a little too).
As we read the story of Mary at the tomb of Jesus, we are explicitly told of her tears as she stood there thinking someone had stolen the body of her Lord. I am confident, however, that her tears didn’t stop when turned at the sound of Jesus’ voice. It seems from His words that she reacted as most of us would when reunited with someone we think we’ve lost—she grabbed Him in a hug and cried from shock and happiness.
Knowing the great love Jesus had for His disciples, I’m also sure her tears were not the only ones shed in that moment. As much as we’ve seen Jesus’ tears in moments of pain, moments of grief, moments of frustration and anticipation—we know He probably shared some tears of joy in this moment and the days to come as He connect. He knew then, as we know now—that the promise of an eternity with no more tears was a reality He had made possible (Revelation 21:4).
For Reflection:
- Spend a few moments throughout this day (both in worship and at home) expressing gratitude to God for a future of no more tears!
By Pastor Jim Caler
Family Talk: Easter Sunday
Object Lesson: Flower or Plant, Seeds or Bulbs
- Young children: How do we know that plants are living objects? How do you think this flower started out? How are seeds different from the flower/plant they become?
- Older kids: When you look at a seed or bulb, can you tell what it will become? How does a flower transform from a seed or bulb to its full bloom?
Say
Seeds have all the ingredients of what they will become, but they have to be transformed—by sunlight, water, and nutrients from soil. When the apostle Paul was writing to the church in Corinth, he was teaching about the resurrection. He used seeds as a picture of our bodies, which are “planted” through death, but transformed into something much more beautiful and lasting. Jesus was the first to experience this transformation, but all who trust in Him will be changed like this, too.
Read
1 Corinthians 15:20, 35-38, 57
Connect
Through His own death, Jesus paid for all sin, for all time. That means that, if we trust Him, we will have the same amazing resurrection after we die. But this also means that all the sadness of death is transformed, too. When a follower of Jesus dies, we may be sad because we miss them, and they seem to leave an empty space in our lives. But, at the same time, we know that they are being transformed to have glorious new bodies that live forever. We know that we will be with them again in God’s good kingdom—and nothing, not even death, will separate us again! “Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!”
Family Storytelling:
- Parents: Parents: How does believing in Jesus’ resurrection make a difference in the way you live your life or the choices you make?
- Kids: We don’t see resurrected bodies now while we live on this earth. What do you think resurrected bodies will be like? (Jesus’ own friends did not immediately recognize Him after the resurrection! See Luke 24:31 and John 20:14-16.) What “superpowers” do you think our resurrected bodies might have?