It is finished - He is risen - but He isn't done!

OK - it's the Monday after.  Not an easy day for those disciples.  Still amazed, confused and frightened.  But, "it is finished," will come to mean more and more as they are empowered and instructed over the following 39 (?) days.

There are two lessons I hope we will take from this.

First, without the empty tomb the cross is just a very very sad event.  I understand why we use the cross as the symbol of our faith - it is appropriate.  But I wish someone would design an empty tomb that could be worn - either with or I stead of the cross.

No, I don't want to detract from the significance of the cross in any way but I am saddened that we typically only think of the empty tomb once a year.

Second, I hope we realize from what comes after the tomb - that there is still a plan and process that God is working in the lives of believers.  Ignorance, misunderstanding, the flesh, - all these things are worked through by the Spirit in the lives of those early believers.  We do ourselves and others great harm when we forget that it is so in our lives as well!  We also impose a burdensome yoke on new believers when we have unrealistic expectations of them.

The great commission is primarily to teach - to teach as witnesses and to teach as those who are just a little bit further ahead in our walk than others.  But, too much of the "teaching" we find in the church is more world and flesh focused that Christ and the faith focused.

Catechism has gonna the way of the Dodo bird and with it the opportunity to firmly ground believers - young and old - new and mature - in the fundamentals of the faith.

"It IS finished!". "He is risen!". But we aren't finished nor is He finished with us.  Oh, we will rise on that great day but between we really need to be about the work of growing in maturity, knowledge, understanding and right living.

Just some post Resurrection Sabbath thoughts.

Father - let me not be idle as You complete what You have begun in me.  Give me a hunger and a conviction to do all I can to work with You as You conform me to His likeness.
Amen