What are Easter people?

Maybe you think Easter is over and it is time to move on. But if we are going to fully understand the gifts of Easter, we need to look at what it means to be “Easter people.” Jesus has some gifts He wants to give us, if we will receive them.

I never thought of Christians as being Easter people. I am not even sure if I know what the term means. But I do remember singing this old hymn entitled, “Easter People, Raise Your Voices.”  The words go like this;

“Easter people, raise your voices,
sounds of heaven in earth should ring.
Christ has brought us heaven’s choices;
Heavenly music, let it ring.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Easter people, let us sing.”

So are we Easter people? 

Last week, we came to understand wonder as our gateway to God. The week before that, we learned our last breath here is our first breath there and the veil between the two is very thin. Today, as we receive the gifts Jesus has for us, we will discover what it means to be Easter people.

Let’s look at John 20:19-23;

“On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” ²⁰ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

²¹ Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” ²² And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

In this passage, we see Jesus showing up to give his faithful followers a gift. Instead, He finds them locked up in fear. Fear has a way keeping us from the very thing we need the most.

Jesus intended to give them the gift of the Holy Spirit, but he had to give them what they needed first before they could receive it.

“Peace be with you!”

Struggling with my own fears from time to time, I understand the allure of locking myself in. When I encounter anxiety or worry, first my chest tightens and then I begin to lose my breath. The other day, I was having a pretty good day, when I received a text from someone I have some conflict with. Immediately, any peace I had was replaced with a feeling of nervousness. Fortunately, I have learned Jesus can come to me in any moment, giving me the gifts of peace and a whole lot more.

There is a technique I use when I am struggling with fear, anxiety and worry. Today, I want to share this simple breathing exercise with you. I recorded this YouTube video so we can do it together. (If you cannot see the YouTube, please open in your browser.)  

If you did the exercise with me, then I hope you feel a sense of peace. That’s the peace of Christ. Jesus always comes to us and He gives us exactly what we need. The Bible says, “perfect love casts out all fear.” Jesus is that perfect love and that is exactly what He does.

Our first step in becoming Easter people is to move passed our fears. To breathe in that peace of Christ and hear Jesus whisper, “Peace be with you.”

Through the resurrection of Jesus, God shows us all things are possible. Then, He offers us that same resurrection, not only in our death, but more importantly in our life.

And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 

God created man by breathing into him and Jesus breathes that same breath on us, giving us the Holy Spirit. Now, God’s spirit dwells within us, in our very breath. As we embrace the gift of the Holy Spirit, as the Easter people that we are, may we lift our voices singing “Alleluia!”

Let us pray;

Father, Son and Holy Spirit, breathe on us the breath of life. May we be confident that you will always meet us exactly where we are. Forgive us for our fears. Help us to understand your perfect love removes all our worries. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

P.S. – Leave me a comment. I really want to know if you like the video and if you would like to see more video clips within the blog. Forward this message or the YouTube video to a friend that might be struggling with fear, worry and anxiety. Share on Facebook and tag me in it. Until next time, peace be with you. -M