The hope of Easter

Thirty years ago, Pat Barnes wrote a great story for Guidepost Magazine. Her experience still makes a great point and reminds us of the true meaning of Easter. She described walking out of a cathedral on Monday morning after Easter, before pausing to watch people rushing along the street. In contrast, she observed an old lady selling flowers just off the main road. Corsages and boutonnieres were displayed on an open newspaper in front of her.

It was more than the fact that the flower lady did not seem to be in a hurry that caught Barnes’ attention; it was also the beautiful smile that lit her wrinkled face. Initially, Barnes walked past her, then retraced her steps and selected a flower. Placing it in her lapel, she observed, “You look happy this morning.” The old woman grinned, “Why not? Everything is good.”

This surprised Barnes since it was obvious the woman was old and poor; however, she was impressed and said, “You’ve been sitting here for many years. I’ve noticed you’re always smiling. You wear your troubles well.” The woman replied, “You can’t reach my age and not have troubles… Jesus was crucified on Good Friday; that was the worst day for the whole world. And when I have troubles, I remember that and think of what happened only three days later – Easter and the resurrection. I have learned to wait three days. Somehow, everything has a way of working out if I give it time.” The older woman’s statement followed Barnes as she walked away.

Sometimes words do that. In the Bible, few realize that before Jesus’ death, he warned his followers what was about to take place. “Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.” (Matthew 16:21, NLT)

When he died, clinging to hope seemed impossible. His followers’ hearts were broken, as they struggled to make sense of what had just happened. This may surprise you, but their struggle to believe is one of the things I love about the Easter story. It demonstrates how God often accomplishes his plans in ways that completely surprise us.

Easter reminds us of how our troubles are rarely as permanent as they seem. We often become so focused on life’s challenges that we lose sight of how God is at work. I do not know what is going on in your life, but I do know our lives are a lot like Easter – though things may currently appear hopeless, they are not!