Easter is a uniquely satisfying holiday. It comes with a sense of finality and accomplishment. Thanksgiving, the 4th of July, and even Christmas are days that mark beginnings. They are memorials to events that were laden with expectation. Easter, on the other hand, celebrates triumph. It marks completion. What the Son accomplished on the cross, the Father heralded with power. It is finished. But not for us.

A less prominent day on the church calendar is Sunday, May 19th. This day, 50 days, or seven Sundays, after Easter, is Pentecost. In the Old Testament, it was the feast that followed Passover. It was called Shavuot, marking the time when Israel would begin the wheat harvest. The first fruits of this harvest would be given as an offering to God. In the New Testament, it was at this time that God sent His promised Holy Spirit upon the disciples and, through their Gospel witness, established the church in Jerusalem with 3,000 converts in a single day. What Jesus had secured in His completed work, the newborn Church was just beginning to see harvested. The victory of Jesus over the grave was to be the first victory of many to come. Easter, in other words, was only the beginning.

In the opening chapter of the book of Revelation, Jesus is introduced as the “firstborn of the dead.” Jesus Himself, in fact, just a few verses later, boasts in His resurrection power in these words:

“Do not be afraid;
I am the first and the last, and the living One;
and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore,
and I have the keys of death and of Hades.”
(Revelation 1:17-18)

Jesus didn’t sneak out of the land of the dead. He subjected it to Himself. He asserted His power over it forever. He carries the keys of death and Hades with Him as a token of His authority. For this reason, those born of resurrection power will include men and women from every nation, tribe, and tongue. All who have trusted in the message of Easter will one day hear the keys of Christ turn in the lock of death opening a gate to paradise.

As we look forward to remembering Pentecost, consider reading through the books of Acts. As the Gospel spreads throughout the world, the leading edge of Easter’s ongoing impact, marvel again at the power of God to save across lands, languages, and cultures. Consider, as well, how God has entrusted to us the good news of this same death-defying salvation. Who needs to hear it from our lips? Who needs to see it in our lives? How might God be pleased to continue to bring in an Easter harvest through our faithfulness?

The fields are still white unto harvest. There they are. Here we are. And He is still risen.