The Rest of the Story

"Christ died for sin, once for all, the just for the unjust, in order to bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit."  (1 Peter 3:18 NASB)

Christ died.  For sin.  For my sin.  For your sin.  For the sin of the world.

But He didn't stay dead!  That's the good news of Easter.  Christ died.  But Christ is risen!

Friday tells us that the sacrifice for sin, once for all, for all time, was made.

Sunday tells us that the sacrifice was accepted.  The work of redemption is complete.  It is finished! 

It. Is. Finished.

We celebrated that yesterday.  We sang the songs of resurrection.  We worshipped.  We rejoiced.  We spent time with family and friends.  We had a wonderful day.

And now Easter is over. 

Or is it?

Is "Easter" ever really over?  Do not we who are Christian celebrate Resurrection Day every day of our lives?  Is this not the best thing that ever happened to us? 

Or will we treat it as something we have now celebrated and have done with for another year?

Think back to that Resurrection Day.  Think on each of the encounters people had with the risen Lord.  

Mary Magdalene met Jesus in the garden, early in the morning while it was still dark      (John 20:1-18).  Once she recognized Him, what did Jesus say to her?  "Go tell my brothers." (John 20:17)

Matthew's gospel tells us about the women who came to the tomb.  There they met the risen Lord, and He gave them an instruction.  "Go tell my brothers."  (Matthew 28:10)

Mark's gospel says, "Go tell......"  (Mark 16:9)

Luke tells us that Jesus spoke to the disciples, saying, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.  You are witnesses of these things."  (Luke 24:46-48 ESV)

Do you see the pattern?  An encounter with Jesus.  Learn of the resurrection.  "See" Jesus, and then what?  Go and tell!

The disciples did exactly that.  Once they knew that Jesus was risen, they told everybody!  They went throughout the known world, telling the good news that Jesus was alive.  They had a message to share, a commission to share it, and they did exactly that.

What about you and me, here in the 21st century?  We too are "witnesses of these things"!

The message is the same.  Jesus is alive!

The commission is the same.  Go and tell. 

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."                        (Matthew 28:19-20 ESV)

Go and tell.  That's how we continue to celebrate Resurrection.  But as you are going, and as you are telling, be sure to tell the whole story.

Christ has died.  Christ is risen.  Christ will come again.

That's the "rest of the story", as Paul Harvey used to say.  Let's be sure to tell that part!

"[Jesus said] I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also."  (John 14:3)