Easter Monday starts a New Journey

For us as followers of Jesus Christ, today, Monday, we are continuing to bask in the glory of the entire Easter weekend.

If at all we take the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ seriously, we should be in a state today where we are experiencing rebirth and renewal. Amen?!

The Easter weekend, including the Good Friday and Easter Monday observed as holidays in some places, originated as a Christian observance. However, as with most things, it became perverted with worldly traditions of secular festivals, as we had here in the BVI for example.

But might I suggest, that for us as Christians, Easter must remain a symbol of our core belief, which emphasises the redemption and salvation offered through Jesus’ sacrifice and victory over death. 

So Easter must be a time for reflection, renewal, and celebration of this extremely important event - the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

These central events are recorded, as we know, in the New Testament of the Bible, particularly in the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Matthew chapters 27-28, Mark chapters 15-16, Luke chapters 22-24, and John chapters 18-20.

We were reminded last week that Holy Week, the days leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus, should be a happy time. While most certainly we remember the solemnity of the occasion, the agony Jesus went through, we rejoice, because we are grateful that He died. Why? Because His Blood cleanses us from our sins and gives us the privilege of benefitting from eternal life.

Jesus died on the Friday, rested on Saturday The Sabbath and rose from the grave on Sunday. Hallelujah. This gives us the victory ourselves.

Scripture tells us, Romans 8:34, Amplified version, ”Who is the one who condemns us? Christ Jesus is the One who died [to pay our penalty], and more than that, who was raised [from the dead], and who is at the right hand of God interceding [with the Father] for us.“. Hallelujah!

I want to suggest to us today, Easter Monday, that we ought to reflect on the Easter weekend, and not let the significance of that fade away. 

In fact, today should mark the beginning of a new journey where we are rejuvenated, revived, refreshed, renewed and reborn, as we experience our own spiritual resurrection.

We are called to embrace new life and renewed hope.

Romans 6:4 ”We have therefore been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory and power of the Father, we too might walk habitually in newness of life [abandoning our old ways].“

2 Corinthians 5:17 - ”Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life].“

So there’s an invitation on this Easter Monday for us to reflect on the transformative power of Christ's resurrection in our lives. When Jesus rose from the tomb, He left behind the shackles of death. He paved the way for you and I, for all of us, to also break free from the chains that bind us - whether they be sin, doubt, fear, or despair.

Remember when Mary Magdalene encountered the risen Christ outside the empty tomb? She was so grieved and confused that at first she did not recognize Jesus. Jesus saw that and in His love called her name. That was an invitation for her to take a second look and recognize that a new journey had begun for her.

Immediately she was filled with joy and exclaimed, "Rabboni!" John 20:16. 

Like Mary, we may sometimes fail to recognize Christ's presence in our lives, especially during times of darkness or uncertainty. How many of us have been known to forget to pray when we buck up on hard times, when we get a troubling diagnosis, when we get angry even.

Hopefully we are all more spiritually mature today than we were then. And so in tough times, we chose to open our hearts to God, and He reveals Himself to us, bringing light, hope, and transformation.

It’s like this: Imagine a person burdened by past mistakes and regrets, feeling unworthy of love and forgiveness. However, through encountering the risen Christ, they experience a profound sense of acceptance and grace. They realize that in Christ, they are made new—a beloved child of God, forgiven and redeemed. Empowered by this realization, they are inspired to extend grace and forgiveness to others, fostering reconciliation and healing in their relationships.

Can that be us today accepting the invitation from our risen Saviour to begin a new journey of healing? 

Can we resolve to go forth in the strength, the power, the love of the Lord Jesus Christ?

This is the gift of Easter. Let us embrace it.

As we embark on this Easter Monday and the rest of our lives, may we carry with us the assurance of Christ's resurrection and the hope it brings for a future filled with abundant life and blessings.

aub - 1 April 2024

www.zjoyvi.com