“On entering the tomb they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a white robe, and they were utterly amazed.
He said to them, “Do not be amazed! You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Behold, the place where they laid him.”
Mark 16:5-6 (NAB)
Easter morning was a morning full of surprises. When we think about the huge stone already rolled away before the women arrived, that was the first surprise. Then they entered the tomb, even more surprised to see that it was empty. Jesus was not even in there.
Finally, they saw a person they didn’t know, dressed in white, sitting in the tomb, on the right side. By now, they were utterly amazed, as an angel greeted them, saying that Jesus was alive. That first Easter morning was flowing with pleasant surprises.
Yesterday was a day of surprises for me. I went to the Nursing Facility to visit Jon, but I came with special treat bags filled with candy and cupcakes for the 24 residents who I regularly see there.
I thought I was going to be the one with all the surprises, but God had other plans.
After I gave out the treat bags and cupcakes to the residents in the room, one older lady in a wheelchair, named Vivian, called me over to her. With her arms outstretched, she said “Come here, I love you.” I hugged her, and then I wondered how someone could have so much love to give, yet never receives a single visitor. That breaks my heart, but her loving nature still touches me every time I think about her.
After distributing each one’s Easter treat bag and seeing how happy it made them, I went to sit and talk to Jon. His friend Dan, told me that he visited him early that morning, so I said to Jon, “So Dan visited you today, do you remember seeing him?” Jon looked at me and nodded yes. That head nod was a small but pleasant response to see. Then, I placed my cell phone on his chair beside him, while I turned to talk to the resident sitting nearby.
When I turned back to talk to Jon, he had picked up my cell phone and held it to his ear as if he was waiting for a phonecall. That action really surprised me. I never saw him put my phone to his ear like that. He clearly knew its purpose and wanted to communicate, so I quickly texted his father and brother to tell them what he just did.
They each called to talk to him. Jon listened, though he wouldn’t hold the phone to his ear anymore, as at first. It still was a great breakthrough, seeing him put that phone to his ear. When his twin brother called, it was a FaceTime call. He looked at his brother and seemed to listen to him talking. Then Jon reached out to touch either my hair or my earring, I’m not sure which, but that was another surprising response. He was so much more alert and responsive yesterday, more than in the days before.
Both Jon and Vivian made my day, and yet there was one other surprise yesterday. I once wrote about a young lady named Monica, who became my inspiration for reaching out to the residents there. She left a first impression on me because she would visit, greeting every resident by name in that Day room. At first, I thought she was a staff person, but later I learned that she came there to visit her own mother, who lives there. She is an amazing example of Christian faith and I’m glad I met her.
On Easter morning, the Lord took Monica’s mother to heaven. It’s sad to lose a loved one but it’s a gift to leave this world on the Lord’s resurrection day. I pray for Monica since she had always hoped her mother would be discharged and come back home. Her mother was finally discharged by Jesus, but went to her eternal home instead.
All of yesterday’s surprises left a deep joy in me. Each time I recall Jon and Vivian’s responses, I cannot stop smiling. I felt like those women in the gospel, who arrived at Jesus’ empty tomb, encountering one surprise after another.
In every life, there is a time and a season for everything. While Jesus was in that tomb, things seem to be getting worse for His disciples, but then a surprise resurrection brought joy to all of them.
A pleasant surprise is coming to all of us who believe. Easter teaches us never to give up hope, because God has many more surprises to reveal. He still gives us resurrection joy, so that we will continue to discover how utterly amazing He is.
Lord, I pray that you will send pleasant surprises to all who keep trusting in you. Hear and answer when we pray by utterly amazing us with the joy and blessings of Easter. Amen