A Post-Easter World

At this time of year, I remember a sermon I heard more than a decade ago at First Baptist Church Nashville. In that sermon, Pastor Frank Lewis said that we were living in a “post-Easter world.” Before the very first Easter, nobody who followed God really had any idea what the Big Guy’s game plan was. Even the original disciples, who walked and talked with Jesus, were pretty clueless. Most of them thought that Jesus was going to overthrow the Romans, who were oppressing the Jews, and establish a new Jewish kingdom right there in Jerusalem. Then “Good” Friday happened, their would-be king was killed, and they were really confused.

Us? We’re living in a post-Easter world, Pastor Frank argued. We know what happened on that Sunday morning when the tomb was empty — and we know what that means for God’s plan for humanity. Humans, separated from God by their sin and due nothing but death, now had the chance to overcome that punishment, thanks to Jesus’ sacrifice, and to overcome death itself, thanks to Jesus’ resurrection. We get it. We see God’s plan, and, when we look at what those disciples thought was in store, we see how wrong and limited their ideas were.

It’s so easy to forget all that. To dwell on this world and the troubles it brings. Allergies, snowstorms, stressful jobs, lost opportunities, and broken relationships… Our attention defaults back to our pre-Easter existence. The conflicts we see around us deserve our attention, certainly, and God gave us each other to help us through, but these troubles don’t have to define us.

After a week of frustrations, I took a few minutes this afternoon to drive out in the country not far from my house. I was looking for something to Instagram, but I was also looking for some peace. I found it — just a bit of it — in some beautiful spring blooms. My Instagram post read, “Counting my blessings.” I have so many, and I’m thankful for each one of them. But if I’m not careful with my perspective, they slide out of view.

It may be the Saturday before Easter, but we’re living in a post-Easter world. That perspective provides a powerful hope.