The liturgical season of Easter is one of my favorite times of the Christian year.  It is a time when we read the gospel accounts of how the disciples encounter Jesus, encounter their risen Lord, or are encountered by him.  Their experiences of rediscovering the One whom they felt they had lost can guide us in our own experiences of our risen Lord, can guide us in the deepening of our relationship with Jesus. In our scripture lesson this morning, when Jesus meets the women who had come to the tomb two days following his crucifixion to prepare his body for burial, the very first thing he tells them is “Do not be afraid.”  I wonder why he said that.