It’s Wednesday of Easter week. You tired yet, pastor?
By this point, you’ve probably shifted into weekend ministry mode, especially if your church is having Thursday or Friday services preceding Easter Sunday itself. You’re thinking about everyone else.
Are the children’s ministry rooms stocked with supplies and set up for more kids than usual?
Are staff and lay counselors equipped and ready to meet with more people for prayer after the services this weekend?
Do we have all of the parking lot and door greeter volunteers we need for the guests who will visit?
When should I get started on my sermon?
Wherever your head’s at, pastor, it’s likely spinning in some kind of way. Amid the hustle and hard work of this week, be sure to take a moment today to remember that the beauty of Easter is for you, too. Jesus died and rose for you. He took your sin. He gives you new life because He defeated death. If you work so hard this week that you can’t take time to fill up your own heart with the beauty of the gospel for yourself, you’re going to have a hard time overflowing the hope of Christ to the church this weekend.
The Risen Christ, Your Comforter
In every account of Christ’s death and resurrection in the Gospels, we see the frailty of His followers. The ones who didn’t abandon Him after His death found themselves discouraged, ashamed, and otherwise full of grief as they wandered and wondered what happened to the man they believed to be God.
When Jesus fulfilled promises and prophecies by rising from the dead, victorious over death itself, He didn’t appear to raucous crowds who were excitedly awaiting His glorious return. He comforted a grieving Mary Magdalene, who wanted to know what had happened to her Savior. He restored an ashamed Peter, who reaffirmed His love for the Savior he had previously denied and who immediately followed Him again. Jesus even accommodated the skeptical Thomas, who said he needed to put his finger into the nail-driven holes in Jesus’s hands to actually believe.
When Jesus rose, some of the first recipients of His ministry were His closest followers who were stuck in cycles of grief, shame, or skepticism. Jesus rose for you, pastor, as much as He rose for the people who will listen to you preach on Sunday.
Whether you are burned out, grappling with your own grief, or absolutely uncertain of your capacity to lead with the heart of Christ, His heart is for you. However you’re feeling going into this Easter weekend, His love and care for you has not wavered and will not waver, no matter how “well” you think this weekend goes. Jesus is the Good Shepherd; you are not. This is good news. Remember that your unfinished work this weekend is built on His finished work. He can change the lives of the people who show up to church on Sunday, even as you need Him to continually be changing yours.
In case you missed our previous encouragement from this week:
5 Ways to Pray for Your Easter Weekend as a Pastor
12 Truths for Your Church Staff to Remember This Week
