As Easter fades into the past, I take this opportunity to remind one and all that the true measure of this significant day is to be found in its impact on the lives of the followers of Jesus Christ.
In the New Testament Gospel of John, chapter 19 matters because it details the events of Friday, the day of Christ’s crucifixion. Chapter 20 matters because it details the events of Sunday, the day of Christ’s resurrection. And chapter 21 matters because it details the events of Monday, the day of decision for Christ’s disciples.
At the beginning of chapter 21, Peter and several other disciples revert to their old occupation of fishing on the Sea of Galilee. In a repeat of the earlier miracle of the fishes (as recorded in Luke 5:1-11) wherein Peter is called to be a fisher of men, John records how Jesus came to them and reaffirmed their call to follow Him.
The implication is that, while there is nothing wrong with fishing per se, it is nonetheless not what they have been called to do. It is, in fact, beneath them, as it is interfering with their true calling as Apostles. The challenge is for them to step up and now do what they have been called and empowered by the resurrected Christ to do!
And the same applies to all who would follow the risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Are we all called to be Apostles? No, by no means. The fourth chapter of Ephesians, among many other New Testament passages, makes plain that there are a variety of tasks given to the followers of Jesus Christ.
But the Monday after Easter is the day of decision for all who follow Jesus. For we must all decide what impact the risen Lord has on our lives. Each of us must earnestly seek His will as His follower. And whatever He directs us to do, we must then pursue at the expense of all other endeavors in life!
And that Monday, therefore, is just the beginning. For just as each and every day of the Biblical Easter narrative matters, whether Friday, Sunday, or Monday, even so does every single day that we serve the Lord matter.
May all of us, including me, make certain that we make the most of each and every day the Lord gives us. Only then can we hope to make a difference in the world in which we live. More importantly, only then can we hope to have an eternal impact on those with whom we live in this world.
In the New Testament Gospel of John, chapter 19 matters because it details the events of Friday, the day of Christ’s crucifixion. Chapter 20 matters because it details the events of Sunday, the day of Christ’s resurrection. And chapter 21 matters because it details the events of Monday, the day of decision for Christ’s disciples.
At the beginning of chapter 21, Peter and several other disciples revert to their old occupation of fishing on the Sea of Galilee. In a repeat of the earlier miracle of the fishes (as recorded in Luke 5:1-11) wherein Peter is called to be a fisher of men, John records how Jesus came to them and reaffirmed their call to follow Him.
The implication is that, while there is nothing wrong with fishing per se, it is nonetheless not what they have been called to do. It is, in fact, beneath them, as it is interfering with their true calling as Apostles. The challenge is for them to step up and now do what they have been called and empowered by the resurrected Christ to do!
And the same applies to all who would follow the risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Are we all called to be Apostles? No, by no means. The fourth chapter of Ephesians, among many other New Testament passages, makes plain that there are a variety of tasks given to the followers of Jesus Christ.
But the Monday after Easter is the day of decision for all who follow Jesus. For we must all decide what impact the risen Lord has on our lives. Each of us must earnestly seek His will as His follower. And whatever He directs us to do, we must then pursue at the expense of all other endeavors in life!
And that Monday, therefore, is just the beginning. For just as each and every day of the Biblical Easter narrative matters, whether Friday, Sunday, or Monday, even so does every single day that we serve the Lord matter.
May all of us, including me, make certain that we make the most of each and every day the Lord gives us. Only then can we hope to make a difference in the world in which we live. More importantly, only then can we hope to have an eternal impact on those with whom we live in this world.