Sunday, April 4, 2021

Easter Monday?

Easter Monday?


Anything is Possible

Easter is a time where anything is possible. It's the day believers celebrate Jesus' resurrection. If he can pull that off, he can do anything... right? Easter Sunday has come! But, what about Easter Monday?

Interpreting the Resurrection

Jesus said something rather curious just before he raised his friend Lazarus from the dead. He said, “I am the resurrection.” But, what he meant always seems to be open to interpretation.

At Lazarus’ tomb: “I Am the resurrection and the life!”

At the cross: “I don’t look much like the resurrection right now!”

At the empty tomb: “See, I really am the resurrection!”

At various times in history: “Jesus WAS the resurrection!”

At the door of current circumstances: “???????”

Plugging Into the Resurrection

Paul found a group of folks who he commended for being full of faith, the Ephesians. Yet, he prayed for them (and for us), that they would come to better know the power of the resurrection:

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead…” (Eph 1:17-20 NIV).

24/7 Resurrection

Paul lets us know that for those who believe, there is also a Resurrection Monday, and Tuesday, and Wednesday, etc.. So tomorrow, or whenever you read this, think about what Paul has to say about this and how he continues his thoughts on the matter a few verses later:

“… God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:6-7 NIV).

Guess what? We're in those coming ages now. 

Eternally Yours

For when Jesus ascended into heaven, he didn’t take the power of his resurrection with him to pack away for safe-keeping — he left it here for us.

“With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God's grace was so powerfully at work in them all” (Acts 4:33 NIV).

“…Through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord…. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes…” (Ro 1:4, 16 NIV).

From Death to Resurrection

It is worth noting that resurrection requires that some things die off. Paul spends a good amount of time talking about this in the third chapter of his letter to the Philippians. But before you cringe at the thought of having to lose something, check out Paul’s language. His resurrection Monday was filled with joy in knowing that what he left behind was nothing in comparison to what he had gained the day before. His experience taught him that the power of the resurrection makes dying more than worth while. 

A Week’s Worth of Resurrection

Resurrection Monday is worth it. That’s the message of the Gospel! We seek… we find… we move forward past Resurrection Sunday, taking with it the promise that we must shed some things along the way, but that the power of the resurrection has the miraculous power to make tomorrow even better.

The Christian Life is About Resurrection

Christians are famous for showing their faith two days a year, on Christmas and Easter Sunday. This fact isn’t always as much about a lack of consistency or commitment as it is a lack of experiencing Resurrection Monday through Saturday. We need to know that there is more, and if there is more, we can have it. It is not asking too much to receive what we’ve already been given.

Today is a Good Day to Die, and a Good Day to Come Alive!

For Christians, today is the day that we affirm Jesus’ status by recalling his profound invasion into human events and human history. Are you seeing a need for more of the resurrection? Seek and you will find! That’s a promise from Jesus! He, after all, is the Resurrection, and the Life we seek. Just start asking for more.

1 comment:

  1. This is so good. As we experience the resurrection of our lover Jesus we experience His presence. As we experience the resurrection we leave behind our normality of this life to lunge into the daily life of resurrection power

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