I’ve never found, “The early bird gets the worm”,  a visually attractive phrase, but I praise and crave a beautiful sunrise. I don’t find people getting out of bed before dawn . . . unless there’s a strong motivator. We do it to catch a flight, feed a crying infant, finalize Christmas gifts for the kids under the tree, or catch the full unfolding of a sunrise.

We can hardly sleep if we’re expecting a loved one to return, and we’re up at the crack of dawn . . . at the latest. I love the story of Mary Magdalene’s encounter at the tomb as written by apostle John; my favorite epistle.  Jesus was Mary’s Lord. He had defended her behavior from her accusers and read her heart. He saved her life. She had given him her attention, and shared her soul in treasured conversations. Savior had real meaning to her.

I see Mary at the foot of the cross, unashamedly grasping what she could, becoming stained by the blood of Jesus. As he was dying on the cross she was dying inside.

This Mary, and others, restrained from the tomb on Sabbath, rushed there before dawn on Sunday, prepared to preserve what she could. With mixed emotions she finds an open and empty tomb. Her conversation with the two angels must have been unusually shocking, but she was so intent on finding Jesus that that it didn’t matter. She just wanted him.

With shock and a teary vision she heard someone else asking what she wanted. A brief exchange with this stranger, and then he calls her name. Mary. Never mind the dawning of the day, the dawn within her heart and soul exploded. It’s him! He’s here and alive! She falls, grasping his feet in worship. I picture Jesus reaching down, lifting her up with an embrace. This is heaven for her . . . forever.

But, Jesus tells her that he cannot stay, he must go to his Father and hers, his God and hers. He identifies so completely with her . . . the God-man. He wants to get the family back together again. He gives her a mission to go tell the good news to the others while he goes. But he promised to come back.

What a beautiful story of love . . . life and death. Today we rightfully celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, the lover of us all. How will we now live? Do you feel the explosion of faith, hope and love in your soul? How can you keep it in? You can’t. It will ooze from every pore. Easter eggs, bonnets, bunnies and parades seem so trite.

But who are we to judge? We are to react to Jesus’s plea, and deliberately act. His mission is now our commission. Peter once denied Jesus three times in one sitting. Peter later confirmed to Jesus that he loved him, three times in one setting, and Jesus replied by asking Peter to “Feed my lambs” three times. How many times do we need to be asked? The important thing is that we eventually do it. Use Easter eggs and bunnies if you’re inclined, but always serve them with love. It’s a wonderful main dish and dressing. Let us rise with the Son. We must be going.

—Larry Smith