After Easter - The Season of Seeing

Spirituality Column #178
April 6, 2010
Current in Carmel - Current in Westfield - Current in Noblesville
(Indianapolis north suburban home newspapers)

After Easter – The Season of Seeing
By Bob Walters

In the hours and days following the Resurrection, those closest to Jesus – those who loved Him, followed him, doubted him, misunderstood Him, denied Him, fled from Him, stood by him, and mourned him – learned their Lord Jesus was indeed God the Messiah, Christ the Redeemer, and the Savior of mankind.

Jesus had defeated death, would soon join the Father in heaven, and promised his followers the same ultimate victory over the flesh and suffering of this world. They too could join eternal communion with God in heaven … if they would trust Him, have faith in Him, love Him, and love people as God loves each one of us.

Christ died on Good Friday and rose from the dead on Easter. Today the ensuing seven weeks mark the official “Easter” season of the church calendar. The Gospels recount the many physical visits of the resurrected Christ …

- To the 11 remaining disciples (Matthew 28:16-20, Mark 16:14-19),

- On the road to Emmaus and as “flesh and bones” sharing a meal with the disciples (Luke 24:13-53),

- In the locked room to the doubting disciple Thomas; on the shore directing the fishermen; and by telling Peter to “feed my sheep” (John 20:19 – 21:25).

Following Christ’s Ascension to the right hand of God weeks later, Pentecost marked the descent of the Holy Spirit into the disciples and the establishment of the fellowship of believers (Acts 2).

It was during these Easter weeks that the flesh and blood Jesus, in multiple ways, proved that He was Who He said He was … and is. Replacing Jesus on Earth, into our hearts came the Holy Spirit, also fully God, and the perfect completion of the Communion of the Holy Trinity – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

The disciples, with their own eyes, saw the Truth of, and promises kept by, Jesus. Today, it is the Holy Spirit Who is with us, Who abides in us, and of Whom we ask in the words of the popular Christian song, to “open the eyes of my heart.”

These weeks are when the death and resurrection of Jesus are most fresh in our minds and hearts. It is a most opportune time to ask the Holy Spirit to teach us, as Christ taught the disciples, that God’s love and gift of salvation are truth marked in faith.

Walters (www.believerbob.blogspot.com, email rlwcom@aol.com) notes that the Holy Spirit has the toughest job in the Trinity … living with us.