Scary part is over

Jesus, help me to think about the good parts of Easter! Amen.

Three days after Jesus died, some of His friends went to the cave where He was buried. But the big stone covering the cave's opening was rolled away, and Jesus' body was gone! Suddenly, two angels appeared and told them, "Why are you looking for Jesus here with the dead? He's alive!" The Apostles didn't believe it, but Peter ran back to the cave and saw that it was empty.

Easter is here! For some kids, that means a trip to the mall to get their pictures taken with the Easter Bunny. But not all kids are happy to get close to a furry rabbit who's a lot bigger than them. They'd like to stay far away from that part of Easter!

The Apostles would understand being scared of some things about Easter. When Jesus died, just before the very first Easter, they were scared and confused. In this week's Gospel (Luke 24:1-12), we learn that just going to visit His grave was a big deal for them.

Part of the reason kids get nervous about seeing the Easter Bunny is because they only do it once a year, so they're not used to it. If something like that can make you want to run away, imagine how much the Apostles might have wanted to stay away from the cave where Jesus was buried! For them, that was just as scary.

After you smile for a picture with the Easter Bunny, you probably feel a lot better. You get to see the picture of the two of you together and think about the rest of Easter.

The Apostles probably felt that way, too. When they got to Jesus' grave, they found out He wasn't even there -- He had already risen from the dead, and was alive and well again. There was nothing to be scared of, but lots to be excited about: The scary part was over, and Easter was here!