From the Mundane to the Mighty in Jesus Name

This past Sunday we celebrated Jesus rising from the dead and fulfilling that which had been prophesied in the Old Testament. With Christ’s resurrection, all things became new. No longer is anyone held in the grave, because Christ died once for all. We set aside Good Friday to remember the sacrifice Jesus made on behalf of all mankind. We are reminded to think about the scourging and crucifixion of Jesus, an innocent man destined to die to take on the sin of the world. We shed tears and for a brief moment we contemplate the magnitude of, and accept responsibility for our sin. Then on Sunday, we rejoice He is no longer in the grave! But then comes Monday….

Monday starts off a new week with candy wrappers, jelly beans, half eaten chocolate rabbits, egg salad from leftover colored eggs, and ham sandwiches. The pesky Easter grass which once filled Easter baskets has now found its way all throughout the house. As you get yourself ready for a new week, somehow the message of Christ’s resurrection seems like it was years ago, rather than twenty-four hours ago. The joy you felt in your heart as you sang worship songs and admired the little ones in their Easter finest has now faded. Somewhere along the way we exchanged our Sunday joy for Monday’s reality, but why???

Why are we always too eager to exchange the incredible joy of what Jesus accomplished in his death and resurrection for the mundane of Monday? Shouldn’t we always carry within our hearts the same joy of Resurrection Sunday? It isn’t like Jesus went back into the grave on Monday. He is STILL alive and we should celebrate His defeat of Satan every day. We live in the world and the world would prefer us to act like this is our home, but it isn’t. This is why Paul says:

 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Romans 12:2 (NLT)

Don’t have a Baditude, get a Gladitude which fills your heart with Gratitude! When we allow God to transform us into who He created us to be, rather than succumbing to the world’s idea of who and how we should be, our joy is complete. Why? Because it is the perfect work of Christ living in us. It gives us a reason to celebrate daily Christ’s finished work on the cross. Sin no longer has power over us! It is when we learn to die to self our Monday’s are no longer mundane, but mighty and marvelous!

John 12:24 states:

 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives.

Jesus died and rose again, and as a result of His love there have been billions of souls who have been born again, but it didn’t all happen all on Resurrection Sunday. Resurrection Sunday was just the beginning of His story. As believers, we have the opportunity to continue to share this extraordinary story with a world that is bogged down in the ordinary. Jesus truly is the gift that keeps on giving!

Don’t settle for the Mundane Monday. The stone has been rolled away! Christ is on the throne and nothing and no one can ever steal the joy of His resurrection. Shouldn’t what Jesus did be just as exciting today as it was yesterday? Despite what the enemy is trying to make people believe, we need to run and tell people the message of hope, “Jesus is Alive!”