Well, we’ve come to the week of Easter, the most significant day on the Christian calendar. Easter has been so taken over by the culture that it’s become a holiday of Easter eggs, a big family dinner (with ham, of course), new clothes, and the inevitable sales. And there’s nothing wrong with those things (well, maybe the sales).

It’s so easy for us to forget that the first Easter changed everything, but not in the way many people think. From our point of view two thousand years later, many people think of Easter as a comforting story that says, “Spring is coming. Flowers are blooming. Life is eternal. Everything is going to work out.” But the response to the resurrection on the first Easter in the Gospels consistently includes fear and doubt. In fact, people were more afraid after the resurrection than they were before.

So how should we respond to Easter? Is it simply a matter of being grateful between helpings of mashed potatoes and gravy? How does Easter make us uncomfortable? Do we ever doubt what happened? And if we did, could we ever admit it? What about fear? In the Gospels, everyone seemed afraid when they heard the news. What is it about the resurrection that makes people fear?

Now, I realize that these are hard questions on what is supposed to be a joyful day. But I think to truly understand Easter, to truly appreciate the resurrection, to truly be grateful for Jesus – we have to question our own doubts and fears. So, let’s do that together. And the answers we come up with should give us great reasons for joy. Think about that this week. I’ll see you Sunday, Dr. Dave