The readings for the Second Sunday of Easter make it clear that God engages His people in a new way, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus spent three years presenting His followers with the truth of God's love for them, and He extended to His people the invitation to return that love.
At times, they briefly experienced the power of God's love when they witnessed a miracle, but that brief experience of love quickly faded. They didn't experience God's love as a permanent daily possession.