A devotional thought presented originally to Swift Current Men’s Prayer Breakfast, Thursday 02 April 2015
Read
Matthew 28:1-6
Last
year on April Fools Day, we found out Judy, our receptionist, won $5000 from
Tim Horton’s Roll up the Rim contest. On the morning of April Fools Day, Judy
told us she had won $5000. At our staff meeting on April’s Fools Day, Judy told
everyone that she won $5000. We were so happy for Judy, who is so honest and
who is so trustworthy, that she won $5000 on April Fools Day that we were all
simply stunned an hour later when she concluded our staff meeting with the words,
‘April Fools!’
Even
though we were all aware that it was April Fools Day, even though we all joked
about it being April Fools Day, even though we all had openly spoken about
April Fools Day, we were all completely shocked when dear, honest, trustworthy
Judy ended our staff meeting with the words ‘April Fools!’
It
must have been the same for the disciples with Jesus’ crucifixion and
resurrection: even though they knew about resurrection, even though they all
had discussions about the resurrection, even though Jesus repeatedly told them
about His resurrection, they were all completely shocked when the angel met
them with the words ‘He is risen’, the ladies (and later the other disciples)
were so surprised. It would be the same effect as us hearing ‘April Fools!’ The
ladies had gone to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ corpse as part of a burial
ceremony. Even though Jesus’ followers should have known He would rise from the
grave, they believed he was dead; just like we believed Judy had won $5000.
April Fools! You thought He was dead but He has risen!
This
is what is going on with the ladies in the text today and later with the other
disciples still continuing in disbelief. In one account even after the others
have realized that Jesus has actually risen from the dead just like He said He
would, the disciple Thomas is so convinced that Jesus is dead that he only
believes the truth when he sees and touches Jesus himself.
Now
here we are today, two millennia later, in the conflicting seasons of April
Fools and Easter we have that very same decision to make and it is just
important now as it ever was. Our very life depends upon it. Who is Jesus? What
do we believe? Do we believe that Jesus is God’s own Son and that He rose from
the grave? And if so what are we going to do about it?
[1]Based on the sermon by Captain Michael Ramsay, Matthew 27:11-54:
April Fools!, Presented to the Swift Current Community at the
Ecumenical Lenten Lunch, 10 April 2014, at Christ the Redeemer Roman Catholic
Parish. On-line:
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