The Days After Easter

Oops! The holidays have come and gone like a flash in the pan! Quite short but long, depending on the way you see it. Easter break is always one season I look forward to. Apart from all the spiritual significance of Easter, the holiday affords one to take a break from the ‘hustling and bustling’ of life be it from work, school, business, etc. Of course, its been hectic and laborious since the beginning of the year, particularly in a country like ours where the essentials of life don’t come easy. But thank God for Easter, a time of the year when the government, whether they like it or not, must declare two days public holidays – each for Good Friday and Easter Monday. So, essentially, we have four full days of rest including the weekend. In reality however, in this part of our world, most of us never had rest as we spent most of the time searching endlessly for petrol in long and excruciating queues, coupled with the worsening blackout of power. Well, that’s story for another day.

My main subject for discourse today focuses on the days after Easter. In the Bible, after Jesus had resurrected, he spent 40 days on earth appearing to His disciples. It must have been one of the finest moments for these folks as it was before their very eyes this great event was happening. Prophecies given thousands of years before had just been fulfilled, wow! Amazing, isn’t it? Those 40 days would have been one of exceeding great joy among the believers; it must have been days of conquest, celebration and revival. Quintessential Jesus spent the time teaching His disciples more doctrines about the kingdom and strengthening their faith as well as equipping them for the challenges ahead. 

Similarly, as it was then, so should it be today. We just commemorated the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It shouldn’t stop there for us Christians. The days after Easter should essentially be some of the finest moments of our lives here on earth. Like never before, we need to crave the presence of Christ in our lives and fellowships. Wherever the disciples gathered, Jesus would always appear in their midst. This further proves Jesus’ words earlier in Matthew 18:20 that “where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” We should spend the days after Easter conscious of the abiding presence of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ “and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” 

Nothing should becloud our joy these days succeeding Easter. Indeed, they should be days of conquest, celebration and revival. Easter doesn’t and shouldn’t just end on Sunday. No! The reverberation of Easter continues till the end of the year and thereafter. Despite the situation our country’s economy throws at us and all the seeming vicissitudes of life that confront us daily, Easter should reawaken our hopes and assurances in the unflinching words of Jesus. For the fact that He resurrected from the grave according to His word, we should also believe Him that He is able to do exceedingly and abundantly, above all we ask or think according to this very resurrection power.

More than ever before, we must rededicate ourselves to the Great Commission.  Our days after Easter should be devoted to sharing the gospel with other people.  That was what preoccupied the disciples after Jesus' resurrection.  That was the mandate they received from the Lord before His ascension into heaven.   Let us all go out and preach the gospel in the highways and hedges...everywhere indeed!