Hey friends!  How was your Easter?  Listen, we had a CROWD at church on Sunday and I LOVED EVERY MINUTE!!!  I wish our church was packed like that every Sunday!  Seriously, it warmed my heart.  

I was thinking about today’s topic.  Or maybe I should say, I was trying to figure out today’s topic.  And I thought, “Well, Easter is over…”  That’s when it hit me.  After Jesus rose, then what?  You know the drill, let’s talk about it.

Every year on my birthday, someone will inevitably ask, “How does it feel to be a year older?”  such a dad joke…The answer is the same every year.  “Well, no different than yesterday.”  And that’s the truth.  You don’t suddenly feel older. Kinda like the day after Jesus rose from the grave.

Easter Sunday is powerful. The tomb is empty. Jesus is risen. Death is defeated.

But then comes Monday… And if we’re honest, life doesn’t suddenly feel perfect after the miracle.  Can you imagine all the ups and downs of the emotions in three days?  Talk about roller coaster!  And I’m just talking about the people who are like me and you!  What about Jesus’s closest friends?  

The disciples didn’t wake up the next day with everything figured out. They were still confused. Still afraid. Still unsure what came next. In John 20:19, we find them hiding behind locked doors.

Jesus had risen… and they were still hiding.

Let that sink in.

Because if we’re honest, we do the same thing. God moves in our lives. He answers prayers. He brings us through something hard… and yet we still find ourselves:

  • worried
  • doubting
  • unsure
  • hiding in fear

But here’s the part I love…Jesus didn’t wait for them to get it together.  He came to them anyway.

“Peace be with you.” (John 20:19)

Not shame.  Not disappointment.  Not “why are you still like this?”  Just… peace.

And then? He stayed. He taught them. He walked with them. He even cooked breakfast for them (John 21—don’t miss that part).

Because resurrection wasn’t the end of the story…It was the beginning of a relationship where Jesus meets us right where we are.  Literally.  Today.  Right here.  Right now.

So if today feels like a “now what?” kind of day…

If your faith is real but your feelings are messy…

If you’ve seen God move but you’re still a little stuck…

You’re in good company.

The same Jesus who walked into that locked room is still walking into our lives today.   Not waiting for perfection.  Just offering peace.

Take a breath this Monday…

You don’t have to have it all figured out.  Man, I sure don’t!

Just don’t lock the door.

 

Love you all and see you Sunday,

Jennifer