It’s a famous picture by Norman Rockwell: “Going to Church on Easter Morning.”

There is dad, hunkered down with the Sunday paper while mom and the three children go off to  Easter Services. I never thought that the man staying home on Easter would exemplify the whole people of God who can not gather together in churches this Easter.

The limitation on gathering does not, however, limit the observance of Easter. The heart of the Easter story is not gathering, but telling. According to the Gospel of Matthew, an angel instructs the women at the tomb to “go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead.’” They are charged to be the first preachers.

Like preachers of any age, the women did not have a receptive audience. Luke comments about the disciples who heard the women’s message: “But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them” (Luke 24:11). That’s the way it goes. The women were commanded to spread the good news. They weren’t promised success.

All Christians should be inspired by the example of the women. Share the good news of Jesus. Maybe only a few people will listen, but share the good news anyway. If you know the joy of the resurrection, let others experience the same joy. Tell them the message. That’s an activity not confined to Easter Sunday. Every day is an Easter Day when we tell people Christ is risen!

Read Matthew 28:1-8  and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne