First Friday, Then Sunday, Finally Monday

It was on Friday when…

– Jesus prayed in Gethsemane.
– Was betrayed by Judas.
– Jewish officials conspired to arrest Jesus under the cover of darkness.
– He was abandoned by his disciples.
– He was denied by Peter.
– When he was mocked beaten, stripped of his clothing, and crucified.
– He was buried in a borrowed tomb.

If one were to stop there, he could conclude defeat and failure. But Friday wasn’t the end of the story. Sunday came. And on Sunday.

– Jesus rose from the dead.
– Appeared to his disciples.
– There was great joy.

But that was Sunday. I can understand the great joy the disciples must have  felt. They must have experienced utter amazement to be standing in his presence once again. What could possibly stop them?  This Jesus had conquered death!

But now, here’s my question. What did those disciples do when they woke up on Monday?   Or do you think their excitement even allowed them to go to sleep on Sunday night?  Whatever the case, what do you think they did come Monday?  The answer is they pursued the kingdom agenda with reckless abandon. They sold their possessions, they spoke of Jesus in the marketplace, and they willingly laid down their lives for him.

Friends, we live in “Monday.” Friday and Sunday have come and gone, and here we are in Monday. Will we allow the events of “Friday” and “Sunday” to shape our “Monday?” Will we with the same reckless abandon serve the Lord
at any cost? The hope the resurrection gives us today is the same hope it gave those early disciples, so should we not live our “Monday” with the same excitement and jubilation as did they?

Yesterday was “Easter” Sunday.  For many, yesterday was a reminder that Jesus resurrected from the dead (of course for the Christian, every Sunday reminds us of that), but now it’s Monday.  Sunday has come and gone.  But in light of what happened on Sunday, how are we going to live on Monday?  Give it some thought.