He is going ahead of you! Hallelujah!
Christ is Risen. He is Risen Indeed. Hallelujah.
Although we have had another unusual Easter celebration around the world, the gospel promise remains sure, maybe even doubly significant in this season of pandemic.
Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome expected to anoint Jesus’ mortal remains on that first Easter Dawn. The surprise of finding the stone rolled away and the empty tomb, was accentuated by the appearance of the angel with wonderful words of promise, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.”
“He is going ahead of you”. Those words echo down through the ages as the sustaining promise of the resurrection of Jesus. This promise was fulfilled only moments later, on that first Easter Day, when Mary met Jesus in the garden. Then two disciples met him, revealed in the breaking of bread, at Emmaus. Then Jesus also appeared behind closed doors where his followers had gathered.
“He is going ahead of you” is also the resurrection promise for you and me, declaring that Easter is not simply a past event. Yes, it is true Easter is the turning point of all human history, but the resurrection means that Jesus Christ is not locked in time and space to just one place. He will be ahead of us, with us, before us, beside us, above and below us, wherever we are. Where he says he will be, there he will be. If he says of the bread and wine of the Sacrament of the Altar, “This is my body, this is my blood” he is there, for the forgiveness of sin.
This also includes those difficult spaces where we are uncertain about what is ahead, like this time of pandemic. Whatever may or may not be ahead of us, the Risen Lord will always be ahead of us.
The women fled from the tomb that day, with terror and amazement (Mark 16), but the appearance of the Risen Lord, fulfilling this promise from the Angel at the tomb, continued to strengthen hope and new life in them. This promise that the Risen Lord is always with us, has the same effect on all believers.
Because of this Easter promise, we join in the kind of hope-filled prayers, such as the following song from the African American Spiritual tradition, (and listed in the “All Together Now” song book, number 84)
I want Jesus to walk with me.
I want Jesus to walk with me.
All along my pilgrim journey,
I want Jesus to walk with me.
In my trials, Lord, walk with me.
In my trials, Lord, walk with me.
When my heart is almost breaking
I want Jesus to walk with me.
When I’m in trouble, Lord, walk with me.
When I’m in trouble, Lord, walk with me.
When my head is bowed in sorrow
I want Jesus to walk with me.
Christ is Risen. He is Risen Indeed. Hallelujah.
In Christ,
Paul
