What a wonderful day yesterday was! We had a beautiful sunrise service that ended outside around the cross with the bagpipes being played. It was a wonderful time of worship and fellowship all day yesterday!

Yesterday we sang, read and I preached that “Christ is Risen!” That IS the message of Easter. It is as simple but grand as that. We read John 20:1-18 which tells the story of Jesus’ resurrection but it does so with Mary Magdalene as the main character. The whole story for Mary turns in verse 16 that say, “Jesus said to her, Mary.” In the story from John, Mary didn’t know who Jesus was until he called her by name.

In that moment, Mary understood the power of the resurrection. In that moment, the empty tomb becomes more than the abstract truth of God’s power over death. In that moment, the empty tomb becomes the concrete reality of the presence of the risen Lord. In that moment, Mary heard her risen savior call her by name.

The power of Easter for us is that Christ is risen and that he knows us all by name. He calls to each one of us personally and lovingly and intimately, by your name.

We celebrate that, Christ is Risen! But if I could add two more words to that phrase I would add, Christ is risen, for you! He is risen for each and every one of us. His love is so great that he knows us by name and in that moment, the moment where you hear him call you by name, in that moment is when Easter becomes more than just some Sunday. When you hear the risen Messiah call your name, that is when we know salvation!

I like to end each week with a challenge, something to think about throughout the week. Today is not so much a challenge as an invitation. It is not an invitation I can give, it is from the risen Christ. Today we are invited to hear Christ who left the empty tomb behind, call us by name. In that moment, when you hear him call your name, that is the power of Easter.