Faith Challenges: It Ain't All Comfort

Easter is primarily a celebration of Jesus’ resurrection. Rather like Christmas being a celebration of Jesus’ birth, however, do we stop to do more than recount the narratives telling us about Jesus' resurrection two millennia ago? Why does Jesus’ resurrection matter? How does it impact us? What do we do with it today? We do well to understand just how life-shattering it was for the disciples to hear Jesus was alive. In one account, the women leave the empty tomb and say nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. In another, they tell the disciples, and Peter and John run to the tomb to check in out. One of them believes, the other is just in shock. We criticize Thomas for not believing the others who have told him of Jesus' eating with them. We overhear the disciples on their road to Emaus not understanding that Jesus was right there with them. These bits of narration are important for much more than the history they impart. They show that were it not for the re...