Easter Sunday might look a little different this year thanks to social distancing, large gatherings prohibited, and other consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic spreading across Ohio and the globe.
Luckily, just because people can’t physically be together for the Easter holiday, many communities have found creative ways to celebrate.
Last week, we invited our local faith leaders to share their Easter messages with readers of Richland Source, Ashland Source and Knox Pages as a way of coming together without being together. Below are the submissions we received.
Happy Easter to those who celebrate, and stay safe and healthy.
Adario & Emmanuel United Methodist Churches – Rev. Jeff Coggins
Brothers and Sisters in Christ; He Is Risen! Truly, Risen Indeed!
These words have been spoken for over 2000 years, and each time we affirm them, we stand with Christians today celebrating the Living Presence of Jesus Christ.
We should keep in mind though that the events of Jesus’ “appointed time” which were being fulfilled in the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, and the shouts of loud Hosannas! The events in the Temple, the scheming of the religious leaders and Passover approaching.
Jesus gathered with his disciples to instruct, comfort, correct, and established a closer relationship, now and forever. He demonstrated this in the sharing of the Cup and the breaking of the Bread ; Jesus gives Himself to us.
As Jesus and the disciples left the Supper, they headed to Gethsemane to spend the night. Jesus entered into prayer, the disciples at rest from the day, slept. Then suddenly out of the darkness, soldiers arrested Jesus and the disciples scattered. Jesus was left alone, headed for trial, scourging, and Crucifixion.
The Cross must have been a lonely place for Jesus, with the sins of the world placed upon him; alone, but not forgotten. God did not abandoned Jesus, but through Jesus’ death establishes the hope of all those who trust in God.
The death of Jesus was real, very real. The death of a loved one always causes grief, brings tears and many times a broken heart. Preparing for a funeral and burial takes planning and time; but with Passover and the Sabbath, as Jesus was dismantled from the cross; he was quickly taken and laid in a borrowed tomb. Those who loved him the most, laid him to rest and walked away with deep sadness. For three days there was a weary waiting to return to “prepare his body for burial.”
On the first day of the week, before sunrise; three women, the Mary’s and the wife of Cleophas hurried to the tomb, expecting to need the grave-stone rolled away from the opening, so to embalm Jesus’ body for his final rest. But, to the women’s shock and surprise, the stone was rolled away; God’s messenger proclaims: “He is not among the dead but is Risen!” A story almost unbelievable, but the gospel truth.
As the evangel women proclaim the good news, even the disciples did not believe them; their words seemed hysterical and did not make sense. As Simon Peter and young John ran to the tomb, they witnessed for themselves the empty tomb, and wondered what was happening. The Resurrection caught the disciples off guard, even though Jesus had told them it would happen.
We like the disciples, can experience the Resurrected Jesus through faith; God is with us, and the Easter-gospel message is as fresh as springtime as we hear the story, and worship Jesus Christ, this year, not face to face, but at a distance in these days of separation.
Blessings! He Is Risen!
St. Peter’s Catholic Church – Father Hite, Mrs. Rastorfer, and Mr. Cuttitta
Clear Fork Alliance Church – Pastor Mike Stine
The Apostle John, exiled to the island of Patmos, must have missed the fellowship of his home church in Ephesus. He missed visiting them, praying with them, worshipping with them and greeting them with handshakes, hugs and kisses. We miss our church family too. But at least we have live streams, websites, phones, Facebook, FaceTime, Skype, Zoom and texting. John had none of that. One thing he did have in common with us… he could write a letter. What should he say? One thing John would want them to remember was that everything he believed was built upon the truth of Jesus Christ’s resurrection.
John would want them to remember we can be absolutely certain of the Resurrection because …
1. He was an eyewitness to the Resurrection (I John 1:1-4). John had run a foot race with Peter to see the empty tomb (John 20:3-8). He was in the Upper Room when the risen Jesus appeared to them (John 20). He was there when he and Peter and other disciples had a fish breakfast with the resurrected Christ (John 21). You and I can be certain that the Resurrection is true because it was reported by eyewitnesses!
2. The Holy Spirit was given to the followers of Christ by the Risen Christ (I John 5:6-9). John was there when Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit into them (John 20:22). This was the appetizer that kept them filled until the main course at Pentecost. At Pentecost the Holy Spirit gave birth to the Church. For more almost 2000 years the Holy Spirit has testified through the church that Jesus is alive. You and I can be certain that the Resurrection is true because the Holy Spirit calls the church out of the world through the power of the Risen Lord Jesus!
3. Jesus lives in the heart of each believer and has given us eternal life (I John 5:11-13). John made this very clear in his letter. God has given us eternal life and this life is in His Son. If you have Jesus in your heart you have eternal life. If you don’t have the Son of God in your heart you do not have eternal life. You and I can be certain that the Resurrection is true if you have Jesus in your heart!
Conclusion: John was in exile when he wrote the letter of I John. The Bible says we are exiled from God because of sin. None of us need continue in this exile. Because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, we who were far from God can come home to Him. Because the tomb was empty on that first Easter morning, the empty place in our heart can now be filled with the Risen Christ. You can know that you have eternal life if you receive the Risen Christ into your heart!
First United Church of Christ, Galion – Rev. Darrin Harvey
Greetings from Galion!
Have you ever noticed that the birds begin their singing before dawn? It’s almost like they know something without it being seen yet. In the resurrection story from the Gospel of John, Mary comes to the tomb while it was still dark and later hears the master’s voice but doesn’t comprehend who it is. Even after seeing him, it takes her a few moments to realize that it is Christ standing in front of her.
While we are in the midst of the most difficult week of the corona virus pandemic, it’s hard for us to look beyond it and imagine
brighter days ahead. But those days are coming and I believe that God is going to lead us there. The power of the resurrection is that it occurs in many ways again and again throughout history. God has lead us through calamity, depression and wars before and we have emerged brighter and more alive than ever before.
Our faith believes that God is faithful, steadfast and deals compassionately towards us. We are God’s beloved children and we will not be left in darkness. Even though we might find it difficult to see, the dawn is coming and Christ has already risen. There is good news out there that we have yet to see and realize. You can be assured that God will lead us out of the valley of darkness we are in.
May you and your family be blessed this Easter!
Harcourt Parish Episcopal Church, Gambier – Rev. Rachel Kessler, PhD
One of my favorite Easter reflections is the Paschal Homily from St John Chrysostom. In it, he declares:
Let no one fear death, for the Death of our Savior has set us free.
He has destroyed it by enduring it.
He destroyed hell when He descended into it.
He put it into an uproar even as it tasted of His flesh…
Hell was in an uproar because it was done away with.
It was in an uproar because it is mocked.
It was in an uproar, for it is destroyed.
It is in an uproar, for it is annihilated.
It is in an uproar, for it is now made captive.
Hell took a body, and discovered God.
It took earth, and encountered Heaven.
It took what it saw, and was overcome by what it did not see.
This text offers such a definitive image of Christ’s triumph over the power not just of death but of all that is evil or oppressive in this world. Those triumph words, however, ring a little hollow this year. Instead of expressing our Easter proclamation in the light of the dawn breaking into our sanctuary, we have reached the Easter Alleluia here still sitting in the figurative darkness of social distancing.
But of course, the triumph and joy of Easter is about far more than celebrating how good we have it or how great our lives are. Christ’s victory over death, as Chrysostom reminds us, came through Christ’s own descent into the reality of Hell and facing it head-on. This Easter, celebrated in the fear and uncertainty of a global pandemic, we are invited to a joy that is especially bold and audacious — precisely because to proclaim Easter joy is an act of faith.
I find myself particularly heartened by the account in Matthew’s Gospel of the women who, upon discovery of the empty tomb, run “with fear and great joy” to tell the disciples what they have seen. Matthew so subtly mixes fear and joy in the Easter message. The women know Jesus is alive, but they don’t know how to process that knowledge or what it means for them.
Nevertheless, they take the message of the empty tomb out into the world.
The message of Easter is hope and joy and faith that goes against all reason or comprehension, a great message of hope to us in a time of great fear and sorrow. We move forward into this strange Easter season trusting in Christ’s ultimate triumph even in the midst of our fear. I am reminded again of John Crysostom’s concluding message:
O death, where is thy sting?
O Hell, where is thy victory?
Christ is Risen, and you, o death, are annihilated!
Christ is Risen, and the evil ones are cast down!
Christ is Risen, and the angels rejoice!
Christ is Risen, and life is liberated!
To Him be Glory and Power forever and ever. Amen!
