By the Reverend Canon Anne Moore

What gives?! Is this just a stress reaction or an old wives’ tale?

"... returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.” [from the Gospel of Luke 24:9-1]

At first, Jesus’ closest friends wrote off the resurrection—the greatest story ever told—as an idle tale. Thankfully, Peter and John did get up and go to the tomb to check out the story. Then they never stopped telling the news that the Messiah, the King of Kings, was alive. Jesus, whom they loved, had risen. It was beyond their wildest dreams. It seemed unbelievable … but they believed. The New Testament is the direct result of their story-telling and their belief.

In the same way, many today refuse to believe because it does seem unbelievable that a man rose from the dead. They also think it unbelievable that God could love them and offer them eternal life. But this is the good news that all Christians believe:

God loved the world [that’s you]
so much that He gave [that’s right, a gift that is always free]
His only Son [Jesus]
that whoever [that includes you, too]
believes in Him [Jesus]
should not perish but have eternal life. [This good news comes from John 3:16]

It is that simple: even if you don’t understand, even if you don’t know where it may lead, even if you are afraid, even if you can find all kinds of excuses, begin to believe in Jesus right now, and your life will change. Then, whether at Easter or any other day, you will know that “Jesus Christ is risen today.”