Mothers, care givers, parents - people - are responsible for the livelihood of those for whom they provide care and this can be a daunting task, leaving them weary and tired. Jesus invites us to come to him - releasing the heaviness - finding rest in him for our body, mind, and soul.
This whole party has been about the presence of Christ. This series leads us to the real party which is Pentecost which we will celebrate in a couple of Sundays. Pentecost is when the holy spirit comes. That is the real VIP, that Very Important Presence in our lives, the presence of Christ. In today's scripture, Jesus is preparing the disciples for that moment. The irony is, it is the manner in which Jesus died on the cross. He left by dying but came back in resurrection. While appearing with the disciples over the last several days, now he leaves for another time, but yet again promises to come back. The way he comes back is in the presence of the Holy Spirit.
If we decide to go to the after party there just might be some amazing encounters with God. We never know what will happen once we decide to continue believing and continue trusting. The disciples had an unexpected encounter with Jesus. The after party is about knowing life with Jesus is a daily journey that Jesus travels with us. And you never know what might happen when you choose to be on this journey. The second part of this preached word will look at what happens when you get to the party.
If we decide to go to the after party there just might be some amazing encounters with God. We never know what will happen once we decide to continue believing and continue trusting. The disciples had an unexpected encounter with Jesus. The after party is about knowing life with Jesus is a daily journey that Jesus travels with us. And you never know what might happen when you choose to be on this journey. This is a 2 part series during the after party that will show what could happen OTW to the party.
It doesn't stop with Easter. The resurrection is a pivotal reminder in our life of the presence of Christ in our lives. We celebrate it. We dress up for it. We get together with family for it. But the real task for us is to "live it." We must live like we have a risen savior in our lives everyday. So, the party we had on Easter continues at the After Party.
Continuing the celebration after Easter of the living God with us, we look at what it means to know and believe Christ is with us. Thomas needed to see. What do you need? Do you know Christ's has a presence in your life whether you feel it or not? Life often times is about what we believe.
