|
Experiencing the Risen Christ Beyond Easter: Walking Daily in Resurrection Power
The Alleluias have been sung, the lilies have blossomed, and the glorious celebration of our Lord’s Resurrection has once again stirred our souls with hope and joy. Easter Sunday is the highest point of the Christian year—a day when the Church worldwide proclaims with boldness: "He is risen! He is risen indeed!" Yet, if we are honest, we must admit that often, after the final notes of triumph fade, a kind of spiritual letdown can follow.
The world quickly moves on. The busyness of life returns with its endless demands: spring activities, Mother's Day celebrations, graduations, and the anticipation of summer adventures. It becomes all too easy to allow the Resurrection to become a fond memory rather than an ongoing, living reality.
But, the Resurrection is not meant to be celebrated for a day—it is the very center of our Christian life! In the light of the Resurrection, every day is a new opportunity to walk with the living Christ, to experience His presence, and to be changed by His power.
Consider the beloved story recorded in Luke 24:13–35—the journey of the two disciples on the Road to Emmaus. After the traumatic events of Good Friday, these followers were disheartened and bewildered. They spoke of Jesus in the past tense, saying, "We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel" (Luke 24:21). In their grief, they failed to recognize the very One walking beside them.
Yet, as Jesus walked with them, opening the Scriptures and revealing the purposes of God, their hearts burned within them. Later, when He broke the bread, "their eyes were opened, and they recognized him" (Luke 24:31). Their encounter with the risen Christ transformed their despair into joy, their confusion into clarity, and their sorrow into purpose.
In Wesleyan theology, we understand that God’s grace is not limited to the great moments of revival and celebration. John Wesley taught of the continual work of God’s prevenient, justifying, and sanctifying grace. Christ comes to us daily, not only in the grandeur of Easter Sunday but in the quiet, sometimes unnoticed, moments of our ordinary lives.
How, then, can we continue to experience Jesus daily, keeping the fire of Easter burning in our hearts?
1. Daily Seek Him in the Word:
Just as Jesus opened the Scriptures to the disciples, He still reveals Himself to us through the living Word. Let us commit to regular reading, meditation, and study of the Bible. As Wesleyans, we affirm that Scripture is the primary rule and guide for faith and practice. Through it, Christ speaks, encourages, and empowers.
2. Recognize His Presence in the Breaking of Bread:
Every time we gather at the Table of Holy Communion, we meet the risen Christ anew. Even outside the sacrament, we can develop a spirit of gratitude and fellowship around our daily meals, recognizing God's provision and presence.
3. Cultivate a Life of Prayer:
Prayer keeps our hearts tender toward Christ. As Wesley instructed, the life of holiness is maintained through constant, fervent prayer. When we talk to Jesus daily, we keep ourselves alert to His presence walking beside us.
4. Remain in Christian Fellowship:
The disciples' experience of the Resurrection was not solitary. They shared it with one another. Likewise, we are called to journey together in the Church, encouraging one another, bearing one another’s burdens, and stirring one another up to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24–25).
5. Witness Boldly:
After their eyes were opened, the disciples could not keep the news to themselves. They rushed back to Jerusalem to tell the others. A heart truly ignited by the Risen Lord cannot remain silent. Share your faith! Let others see the joy of the Resurrection shining through your life.
As we continue through this season of Eastertide and beyond, let us not grow weary or become distracted. Christ is risen—and He is still walking with us. May our eyes be opened daily to His presence. May our hearts burn within us as we hear His voice. And may our lives, like those first disciples, be forever changed by the One who conquered death and lives forevermore.
"And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20, ESV)
In Christ’s love,
Pastor Tony
| 
