We can face the sadness and despair of Good Friday knowing that the joy of Easter Sunday awaits. This Easter we’ll be talking about zombies. (Yes, zombies.) AMC’s popular The Walking Dead, along with countless movies and websites devoted to the undead, demonstrate our culture’s obsession with zombies. Some people are even under the mistaken impression that Jesus, by rising from the dead, was some sort of zombie. This shouldn’t surprise us. Many in Jesus’ day misunderstood the Resurrection. But the risen Christ is much more than a reanimated corpse. Jesus emerged from the grave with a new, perfect, uncorruptible, and eternal body. And, because of Christ, we can look forward to taking on resurrection bodies of our own. Key Scriptures: Luke 24:13-43; Matthew 27:52-53; Ephesians 5:8-14. Mark your calendars! There’s a royal wedding next week! The marriage of Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton likely will be one of the biggest media events of the year. While we’re on the subject of marriage, let’s talk about the “bride of Christ”: the church. Frequently Scripture uses marital language to talk about God’s relationship with God’s people. This marriage imagery says a lot about the commitment that God makes to us and the commitment that we, as part of the church, make to God. Next week we’ll celebrate this holy marriage and talk about what it means for the church to be Christ’s bride.
