We have now celebrated Holy Week. Beginning with Palm Sunday, we joined in Communion, mourned the death of Jesus on Good Friday, then celebrated the resurrection on Easter Sunday. Do you ever think about what happened on Easter Monday? After Jesus had risen from the grave, what happened? Jesus spent more time with His disciples. He showed up several times to eat with them and encourage them. He knew that He was leaving the earth and they would not see Him again until they went to heaven. He also commissioned them to go, teach, and baptize.

We celebrate Easter once a year - heading to church for a special service, singing songs about the resurrection, hearing a message about the cross. But we each need a Monday morning faith. Our relationship with Christ must go beyond the excitement of His greatest miracle. We must spend time with Him in fellowship. We must obey His commission to us. Every day must be lived with the cross in mind.

The Sabbath came. Jesus had been crucified and His body placed in a borrowed tomb. The crowds were gone and the shouting had quieted. In the wake of Jesus’ controversial killing, Pilate, the Roman governor over Judea, ordered additional watch over His grave. In the stillness after chaos, it seemed that the story of Jesus had come to an end. But stillness must not be confused with ending!

On the Sabbath, Jesus was quite possibly in the midst His greatest work. On the surface of the grave, nobody knew that Jesus was active beneath. Nobody knew that He would not only be raised to life, but that He would defeat death for all time. With His resurrection, Jesus proved that no darkness is permanent, no death is victorious. Maybe there’s a hope in your heart that has been buried, locked behind a heavy stone. When nothing seems to be happening on the surface, take heart; Resurrection is here!

CONSIDER THIS:

What buried hope is Jesus challenging you to believe for again?

Are you willing to open this area of your heart to Him?