I wonder what the disciples did—and what we’ll do—the day after Easter
By Dean Collins
I wonder what the disciples did the day after Easter. Some call this day Easter Monday. I don’t recall ever hearing of this reference until I moved to a small town that was once dominated by the textile industry. For decades the mills remained closed the day after Easter. They were open on Good Friday but closed down (I think) after second shift on Saturday, stayed closed on Sunday for Easter, and then did maintenance on the equipment Sunday night through Monday. Since everyone for miles worked for the mills, the schools were closed, too, to celebrate Easter Monday.
Any day
For followers of Christ, any day is a day to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. His resurrection clarifies for all time that we serve a living God and will participate in a resurrection ourselves in due time. So go ahead and celebrate today and every day what the Lord has granted us on this side!
Which days?
We have some details about the appearances of Jesus after Easter and leading up to his ascension into Heaven. What we don’t know is what days any of his appearances took place. The apostle Paul gives us details that confirm over 500 people saw Jesus, along with the apostles and others. I suspect New Testament scholars would agree that all of that likely didn't happen on Easter Monday. No one living the day after the resurrection would have thought to use that term.
My suspicions are that there was a wide range of emotions as the resurrection of Jesus began to sink into the understanding of early followers of Christ. And, of course, it pressured the skeptics and critics of Jesus to find a new strategy to minimize the influence and message of Jesus. Especially since he was visible!
I suspect we, too, could use a new strategy for Easter Monday and the days after. It is probably natural and a bit of a routine for churches to pause to rest after the big services of Easter. Some may take a few days off. And church members, like most everyone else, put away Easter decorations and begin to make their summer plans. Lent, Holy Week including Good Friday and Easter Sunday often just become pages to turn on our calendars.
Days of learning
In the first chapter of Mark we learn of Jesus calling several of the disciples, telling them he would make them “fishers of men.” They put away their nets and started following Jesus. I think of us when we first met Jesus, eager to read Scripture and pray for God to show us what we were to do with this new relationship and kingdom responsibility. The disciples spent three years learning, yet we know that even during the events of Holy Week they still had trouble understanding their next steps. Easter Monday surely caused them to wonder and try to imagine what would happen next.
Deciding day
Early and often in the Gospels, including Mark 1, we see Jesus rising early to spend time with his Father ahead of the day’s ministry activities. I wonder if the Monday after Easter found any of the disciples rising early to find Jesus. I suspect some looked for him, wanting to see again and to clarify what they were to do next.
His day . . . and ours
And what about Jesus? Do days after Easter include him slipping away to spend time with his Father in prayer? It was his behavior when he first came to earth. It’s hard to imagine that he didn’t continue to commune with the Father in the 40 days after the resurrection.
So maybe figuring out what to do on Easter Monday is actually not too difficult after all. I think the first thing we could do is what Jesus taught us to do and modeled for us: Spend time with him in prayer. Spend time asking for the next steps in ministry.
Instead of simply jumping into today’s activities and planning for the next big holiday or event, why not pause and connect with Jesus? Maybe he has some nets for us to put away as well so we can focus on what it means to be fishers of men and kingdom people who are spreading God’s love and his reign far and wide.
Have a good Easter Monday!
Your time with God’s Word
Mark 1:14-20, 35-39; I Corinthians 15:3-8 ESV
Photos by Bruno van der Kraan and dananjaya nugraha at Unsplash
To receive daily posts delivered directly to your inbox, complete the form at the bottom of our home page.
To download a printable version of today’s post, click here.