Since Holy Thursday, we have been talking about the wild ride of emotions that the disciples had endured since the strange proceedings at that last supper, to the violent arrest of Jesus, their fear and loss, the savage execution of the one they loved and followed. At the break of Easter morning, they are faced with what seems, yet another cruel joke and humiliation, the presumed stealing of Jesus’ body. “When will this nightmare be over?,” they must have thought.

So with emotions so raw, defeated and ravaged, as Easter morning unfolded, they will be jerked all the way to the other extreme of the emotion spectrum. Jesus, now stands in front of them, risen from the dead. Imagine that moment. What must have started out as shock and fear ended in the purest joy a human could ever experience. How could they be expected to be able to wrap their minds around what they are experiencing?

It was true. It actually happened. The things that Jesus predicted and proclaimed, actually occurred just as he had predicted.

So, now what? The disciples, were forced to answer the question dealing with, “now what are we suppose to do?” Though a difficult question to answer, they needed to figure out how they were to proceed with a resurrected Jesus and then life without Jesus with them in his human form. It was by no means smooth and full of discussion, debate, mistakes and set backs, yet this is how the community of believers organized themselves into a Church, now some 2000 years old.

To be a Christian does not mean smooth sailing.  Like the disciples, following Christ means enduring the broad range of human emotion and struggle.  One thing is for sure, the final emotion of being a Christian is pure joy in the presence of the Resurrected Christ. 

Run2win4Him,

James Kirby