Let’s Keep Easter Going!
Every spring, Christians around the world gather in churches decorated with lilies and filled with songs of joy to declare together: He is risen! Easter is a beautiful and powerful celebration of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. But Easter was never meant to be just a day on the calendar—it is a call to a new kind of life. Resurrection is not only something Jesus did—it’s something He offers to us.
In Matthew 28:16–20, the risen Jesus meets His disciples on a mountain in Galilee and gives them what we now call the Great Commission. This is no ordinary postscript to the resurrection story—it is the beginning of a new chapter, not only for the disciples but for all who follow Jesus.
“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations... And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’” (Matthew 28:16–20, NIV)
Notice what happens here: Jesus doesn’t just rise—He sends. Easter doesn’t end with an empty tomb; it begins with a mission. Jesus' victory over death is not a moment to be memorialized once a year. It's a movement we are invited into every day.
Resurrection Is a Lifestyle
To follow Jesus is to live a resurrected life—a life shaped by the power of the empty tomb. That means we no longer live bound by fear, guilt, or hopelessness. Instead, we walk in the freedom of forgiveness, the joy of purpose, and the power of His presence. “I am with you always,” Jesus says—not just on Easter Sunday, but every single day.
The risen Christ doesn’t just want us to remember what He did. He wants us to live differently because of it. He invites us to go—to bring hope where there is despair, to speak life where there is death, and to disciple others into this same resurrection story.
The Mountain Is Just the Beginning
When Jesus met the disciples in Galilee, He was calling them out of the shadow of the cross into the light of their calling. They had seen Him suffer, they had watched Him die, and now—face to face with the risen Savior—they were being commissioned to carry resurrection power into the world.
Easter isn’t just about looking backward at what Jesus did; it’s about looking forward to what He is doing through His people. It's a reminder that we are not just recipients of grace—we are participants in His mission.
Living the Resurrection Today
So what does it mean to live the resurrected life today?
It means worshiping even when we have doubts (just like some of the disciples did).
It means stepping out with courage, knowing that the One who has all authority is the One who sends us.
It means making disciples, baptizing, teaching, and going—wherever He leads.
It means living as people of hope, because death no longer has the final word.
Easter may be a day on the calendar, but resurrection is a way of life. Let’s not settle for a seasonal celebration when we’ve been invited into a daily transformation.
He is risen—and so are we. Now, let’s live like it.
In God’s grip,
Pastor Chuck Church
