Moving Forward in Resurrecton's Aftermath

Now That the Energy of Easter Has Faded, How Should We Now Live?

Easter Sunday is the highest moment in the Christian calendar. The tomb is empty. Jesus has risen. Death has lost. Hope has triumphed. But then comes Monday.

For many, Easter Monday is simply a return to normal life—the church services are over, the celebrations have concluded, and routine resumes. Yet, Easter Monday is far more than just the day after Easter; it is the first full day of living in the reality of resurrection. It is the first day in a world where death no longer has the final say and where life will never be the same.

If Easter Sunday is about what happened to Jesus, Easter Monday is about what happens to us because of it. What does it mean to live in the wake of resurrection? What changes when we know that the worst things are never the last things?

EASTER MONDAY TEACHING ON VIDEO
NOTE: Video content is unique. It is not a replica of, but a companion to, this essay.

Resurrection Changes Everything

The Gospels reveal that after the resurrection, Jesus’ followers needed time to grasp what had just happened. The women at the tomb, the first witnesses, ran to tell the others with both fear and great joy, caught between disbelief and wonder. The disciples on the road to Emmaus walked for miles with the risen Christ before realizing who He was. Thomas, unwilling to trust the word of others, refused to believe until he saw Jesus with his own eyes. In every case, resurrection disrupted life as they knew it. You do not encounter a risen Savior and simply go back to business as usual.

Easter Monday is the day we begin living in response to our belief that everything about Easter Sunday is true.

This need for adjustment—this tension between the familiar and the transformed—is beautifully illustrated in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. After the final battle, after the destruction of the One Ring and the victory over darkness, Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin return to the Shire. Everything looks as they left it—green fields, rolling hills, familiar faces—but they are not the same. Sam, once timid and small in his own eyes, has become courageous and wise. Merry and Pippin, once carefree, now carry the confidence of warriors. And Frodo, wounded and weary, bears the invisible weight of all he has endured. Life in the Shire is not big enough anymore for the people they have become.

This is the challenge of Easter Monday. Once we have encountered resurrection, we cannot live as if nothing has changed. If Jesus is alive, then everything is different. The resurrection does not allow us to return to a small, safe, comfortable version of faith. It calls us forward into a larger story. And yet, like the hobbits stepping back into the rhythms of home, we often try to return to normal. We celebrate Easter Sunday with joy, but by Monday, we slip back into old patterns—worrying about the same things, chasing the same goals, carrying the same burdens. But resurrection calls us to live as people who have been forever changed. Easter Monday is a reminder that faith is not just about believing that Jesus rose—it is about living as if He did.

Easter Monday and the Call to Go

Historically, Easter Monday has been a day of movement. In many Christian traditions, it has been marked by feasting, joy, and even outdoor processions—a physical representation of stepping into the joy of resurrection. In some places, it’s called “Bright Monday,” a day for laughter, celebration, and acts of kindness. But more than just a day of festivity, Easter Monday is a call to action.

In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus meets His disciples after the resurrection and gives them a command:

"Go and make disciples of all nations… And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20)

The resurrection was never meant to be kept in one place. It was always meant to move outward—from the empty tomb to the ends of the earth. This is exactly what we see in the book of Acts. The early church did not remain in Jerusalem, reliving the moment of resurrection over and over. They went. They carried the message of Jesus into the world, despite opposition, persecution, and personal cost. They lived as if the resurrection was true—because it was.

One of the most striking moments in Acts comes when Peter and John, standing before the religious leaders who have the power to imprison or kill them, boldly declare: "We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." (Acts 4:20) This is the essence of Easter Monday. The resurrection is not just an event to remember; it is a truth that compels us to move, to speak, and to live differently.

To embrace Easter Monday is to walk in hope, knowing that the empty tomb means despair never has the final word. It is to live with purpose, believing that if Christ has conquered death, then every moment matters—our work, our relationships, our choices are all shaped by this reality. And it is to go forward, not just as spectators of resurrection, but as participants in it.

This is where we so often get stuck. We want resurrection to be a moment of inspiration, a high point in the year, a beautiful memory. But resurrection is not just something we look back on—it is something we live into. Frodo could not stay in the Shire. The disciples could not stay in the upper room. And we cannot stay the same after encountering the risen Christ.

Easter Sunday declares that Jesus is alive. Easter Monday asks: What will you do about it? The tomb is still empty. Jesus is still risen. Let’s live like it.