Most of us grew up thinking of Easter as a single Sunday. We dress up, we sing the hymns, we hear about the empty tomb, and then we move on. Yet Christians have long understood Easter, not as one day, but as a season.
The Easter season stretches from Resurrection Sunday to Pentecost, seven weeks of living in the reality of the risen Jesus. Fifty days. It is important that we don’t rush past the resurrection. We need to linger in it, allow it to soak in. And this is what we will do this year.
Throughout the Easter season, we will remain in the Gospel of John. We began this series at Christmas. Do you remember? John opened his gospel with the words In the beginning was the Word. We continued to follow Jesus all the way to the Cross, and experience his words and works along the way. Now, on the other side of the empty tomb, John has more to reveal.
On Easter Sunday, April 5, we will join Mary and the disciples on resurrection morning. You have probably heard the story. Mary Magdalene was weeping in the garden. But her sorrow was turned to joy when she heard Jesus’ voice. The following Sunday, April 12, we will gather with the disciples in a locked room. There we find Thomas in his doubt, and we will hear Jesus invite him to believe. These are not just stories we recount once a year. They are the foundation on which everything else is built.
On April 19, we will venture to the shores of the Sea of Galilee. There the disciples are fishing and a familiar voice calls from the beach. A charcoal fire. Breakfast. And for Peter, a restoration. On April 26, Good Shepherd Sunday, we hear Jesus declare that he knows his sheep by name and lays down his life for them. The season will continue through May, leading us all the way to Pentecost Sunday on May 24, when the risen Christ breathes on his disciples and the mission of the church begins.
Here is an invitation for you. Let me encourage you to read along with us. Before each Sunday, spend a few minutes in the passage we will be exploring. Let’s allow John’s Gospel to help us understand what life in Jesus looks like. The resurrection is not a story we visit once a year. It is the air we breathe as the people of God.
Worship Schedule
- April 02 - Maundy Thursday Service at 7 PM (John 13:1-17, 34-35)
- April 05 - He Is Risen (John 20:1-20)
Additional Readings: Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24, Colossians 3:1-4 - April 12 - The Doubter Who Believed (John 20:19-31)
Additional Readings: Psalm 16, 1 Peter 1:3-9 - April 19 - Peter and Our Resurrected Lord, Jesus (John 21:1-19)
Additional Readings: Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19, 1 Peter 1:17-23 - April 26 - The Voice You Know (John 10:1-18)
Additional Readings: Psalm 23, 1 Peter 2:19-25
