A Word from Matthew 28

What are we supposed to do with ourselves in the wake of celebrating Easter? After all, it’s not like Christmas, where we’ve got a lot of decorations to take down, or post-holiday sales that tempt us to go shopping. And so, it’s awfully easy simply to “put the holiday behind us” and get back to life as usual. But in the wake of that first Easter celebration, followers of Jesus had something very different to do with themselves.

As you might recall, when the women went to the tomb, they were met by angels—who told them not only that Jesus had risen from the dead, but also that he would meet with his disciples in Galilee. And as a result, it’s no big surprise that one of the main things the disciples did in the wake of Easter was to go to Galilee. And when they got there, Jesus appeared to them and told them this:

“God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.” (Mt. 28:18-20, The Message)

You see, one of the most important things we can do in the wake of celebrating Easter, is to remember that Easter is just the beginning of the story! Still out in front of us is the adventure of sharing the good news, training others in the way of Jesus, and practicing that way ourselves.

Then again, none of that is easy. And so, we shouldn’t be surprised that when the disciples first saw Jesus, “some doubted” (28:17) (although it’s hard to know if they doubted him or themselves). But in any case, maybe that’s why Jesus told them that he’d be with them, “day after day after day.” And you know what? Jesus will be with us, too.

So may we use these days after Easter to obey our Lord’s commission. And may others receive our Lord’s resurrection life because it. Amen.