Easter Morning

(I have been very sick and so I didn't get this posted Sunday morning, but the event is too important so here it is.)

 

While soldiers guarded the sepulcher in which the body of Jesus Christ lay, the earth violently shook, two angels descended from heaven, rolled away the stone, and sat upon it. Overcome with fear the soldiers fell to the ground as if dead.

"Holy Women Near the Tomb" by Maurice Denis

The next morning, as soon as day began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and other women hurried to the tomb bearing sweet spices to anoint the Savior’s body. Worried about how they would roll back the heavy stone, they were surprised to find it already rolled back, and two angels guarding the entrance. Sensing the women’s fear, the angels said, “Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here” (Mark 16:6). “Remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee. Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again” (Luke 24:6-7).

At the invitation of the angels the women then looked inside the sepulcher and when they had seen that it was empty the angels instructed them to go tell Peter and the disciples that the Lord had risen. The women returned quickly and told all they had seen. But most of the men took it as idle talk and refused to believe the women.

However, Peter and John hurried to the sepulcher and when they arrived Peter stooped down to look inside and saw that the linen clothes were lying undisturbed, but the napkin which had been about Jesus’ head was folded in a place by itself. The sight must have startled him. If the body had been stolen the linen would have been taken with the body or at least strewn about the room in disarray, but instead it lay where it had been and the napkin neatly folded. What could it mean? Perplexed Peter and John returned to their homes.

Overcome with sorrow, Mary stayed in the garden, and still weeping, peered inside the tomb one more time. There she saw the two angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had lain. Seeing her sorrow, one said to her, “Woman, why weepest thou?” (John 20:13.

"Jesus Appears to Mary" by Gregg Olsen

“Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.”

As she spoke, she turned back and saw Jesus standing in the garden, but with tears filling her eyes she didn’t recognize Him. “Why weepest thou?” he asked her.

Thinking He was the gardener she begged of Him, “Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.”

Jesus responded, “Mary,” and at the sound of the familiar voice calling her name her grief turned instantly to joy and she cried, “My great Master.”

“Hold me not,” Jesus cautioned, “for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God” (John 20:17).

Mary did as instructed and thus dawned the greatest day in the history of the world. Many mighty miracles followed as graves opened and the resurrected bodies of the saints came forth to minister to believers. 

Jesus also appeared to many other people and the world rejoiced in the fact that the great enemies of life, spiritual and physical death, had been defeated. Because He loved us so much, Jesus Christ saved us.

He is risen!

Easter Isn't Over!

Easter day is over, but Easter is not. I know that the term Easter originally came from a pagan goddess, but we all assign meaning to the words we use and pagan goddess has nothing to do with what Easter is to me. Easter is the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ and those continue on and on today, tomorrow, and forever. So before I stop rejoicing in the Easter season, I want to say one more thing. 

It is easy to read the story of the Passion of Christ (passion in this case means suffering) and be touched, but think about it in such universal terms that it doesn’t make a change in the way we think or act. But perhaps the greatest of all the Savior’s miracles is the fact that the Atonement while being infinite in that it covered all mankind for all time, was at the same time finite in that it was for me and for you as individuals. It was infinite in that through it the Savior can and will help me infinitely, but at the same time he knows every finite need and concern I have.

C. S. Lewis explains it this way: God “has infinite attention to spare for each one of us. He does not have to deal with us in the mass. You are as much alone with Him as if you were the only being He had ever created. When Christ died, He died for you individually just as much as if you had been the only man [or woman] in the world” (Mere Christianity [1943], 131).

That is what I rejoice in as this Easter season comes to a close. That is why Easter season may end, but Easter will not. Easter is part of every day and when I remember that, I am a different person. Jesus Christ loves us enough to save us not just in the next life, but every day of this life if we just turn to Him and remember that every day is Easter.

Quickening

During the last decade science has taken gigantic leaps at understanding what goes on in the brain. Many things are still a mystery, but new imaging techniques have allowed scientists to see what chemical reactions happen when someone laughs or cries or lies or any number of things that originate in the brain. One of the things now recognized is that every thought a person has sends electrical signals through the brain. What this means is that every thought has very real physical properties that have significant impact on every cell in a person’s body. Negative thoughts don’t just influence attitudes; they negatively impact the entire body. Positive thoughts have positive impact—on every cell of the body.

This is very interesting in light of what we are taught in Doctrine and Covenants 88:28-31 about the resurrection. There we are told that “They who are of a celestial spirit shall receive the same body which was a natural body; even ye shall receive your bodies, and your glory shall be that glory by which your bodies are quickened. Ye who are quickened by a portion of the celestial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness. And they who are quickened by a portion of the terrestrial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness. And also they who are quickened by a portion of the telestial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness.”

According to this instruction from the Lord, at any given moment we are responding to a power or influence that “quickens” or makes alive our bodies. As we respond to celestial influences we are quickens by celestial glory and our bodies are changed to celestial bodies so that eventually we will be restored to a fullness of celestial glory.

When we understand this concept, we realize that every decision we make has eternal consequences. When we live in truth we are slowly being changed into celestial beings. Decision at a time, line upon line, we are changing and becoming!