What Happens After Easter? Moving Beyond Sunday Faith

The Sunday after Easter often feels like a return to normal life. We’ve celebrated the resurrection, enjoyed family gatherings, and now it’s back to business as usual. But what if this pattern reveals something troubling about our faith? Looking at what happened after the first Easter, we discover that even Jesus’ closest followers struggled with the same tendency to slip back into routine.

The Disciples’ Post Easter Reality

When Witnesses Weren’t Believed

After Jesus rose from the dead, Mary Magdalene ran to tell the disciples the incredible news. “‘Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen'” (Luke 24:5-6). Yet when she burst through the doors declaring “Jesus is alive!” The disciples refused to believe her.

This wasn’t just one person’s testimony. Multiple women who had faithfully followed Jesus throughout His ministry brought the same report. But “‘these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them'” (Luke 24:11).

The Road to Emmaus: Hope in Past Tense

Two disciples walking to Emmaus encountered the risen Jesus but didn’t recognize Him. When He asked what they were discussing, they shared their disappointment: “We hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel” (Luke 24:21). Notice the past tense, “hoped,” not “hope.” Their faith had shifted from present reality to past disappointment.

Even after Jesus explained the scriptures to them and revealed Himself, the other disciples still wouldn’t believe their testimony when they returned to Jerusalem.

Peter’s Return to Fishing

Perhaps most striking is Peter’s response. This was the disciple Jesus called “the rock” upon which He would build His church. Peter had seen the empty tomb and the folded grave clothes. He had heard the women’s testimony. Yet in John 21:3, we find Peter declaring, “I am going fishing.”

This wasn’t a recreational fishing trip, this was Peter returning to his old job. When everything seemed uncertain and he didn’t understand what he’d witnessed, Peter went back to what was familiar and comfortable.

Are We Different from the First Disciples?

The Comfort and Concern of Similarity

There’s something comforting about realizing we’re not so different from those who walked literally next to Jesus. They struggled with doubt, returned to old patterns, and needed correction, just like us. But there’s also something concerning: throughout their time with Jesus, He was constantly correcting and rebuking them. Even on the road to Emmaus, Jesus called them “foolish ones and slow of heart to believe.”

If Jesus had to correct those who witnessed His miracles firsthand, what might He need to correct in our churches today?

The Church’s Current Challenge

A Sobering Statistical Reality

Christianity currently claims 2.38 billion followers worldwide, an incredible testament to the power of the Gospel. However, Islam follows closely with 1.9 billion adherents and is the fastest growing religion globally. By 2060, projections suggest Islam could reach 3 billion followers, achieving in 24 years what took Christianity 2,000 years to build.

In America, the fastest growing “religious” group is the “nones” – those claiming no religious affiliation. This group has grown from 16% in 2007 to 28% today, with 38% of adults under 30 identifying as religiously unaffiliated.

Churches Closing While Others Plant

Here’s a troubling paradox: church planters work tirelessly to establish new congregations in unreached areas, while established churches in the Bible Belt struggle to survive or close their doors entirely. How can someone in downtown Macon, Georgia, where you can “throw a rock in any direction and hit a church” – have never heard the Gospel?

Playing “Guess Who” with the Great Commission

Subjective vs. Objective Questions

Remember the board game Guess Who? The rules require objective yes-or-no questions: “Does your person have a red hat?” “Is your person blonde?” But some people cheat by asking subjective questions like “Is your person ugly?”

The church often plays a similar game with the Great Commission. Instead of following the objective command to “go and make disciples,” we ask subjective questions:

• “Is this person worthy?”
• “Their kind of sin makes me uncomfortable”
• “They got themselves into that situation”
• “I just don’t have time”

When we decide our agenda is more important than sharing Christ’s love, we’re essentially asking, “Is this person worthy of my time?”

The Simplicity of Going

The Great Commission isn’t complicated or subjective. Jesus didn’t say “if you think you should go” or “pray about it for ten years until the opportunity passes.” He simply said, “Go and make disciples of all nations.”

Sometimes sharing the Gospel takes just a few minutes. A simple conversation in a hospital cafeteria, sparked by a Bible verse on a t-shirt, can open doors to share hope with someone facing their darkest hour. The question isn’t whether we have elaborate evangelism strategies, it’s whether we’re willing to respond when God gives us simple opportunities.

The Power That Changes Everything

God’s Strength in Our Weakness

The encouraging truth is found in 2 Corinthians 12:9: “‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'” Jesus knew Peter would deny Him and return to fishing after the resurrection. Yet He still declared Peter would be the rock upon which He’d build His church.

Despite our tendency toward “business as usual,” Jesus has given us the same Holy Spirit power that raised Him from the dead. We have the same authority He promised: “‘Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven'” (Matthew 16:19).

The Church Will Prevail

Jesus doesn’t need us, He is all-powerful. But He has chosen to invite us into His mission. Despite statistics and trends, His promise remains: “‘I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it'” (Matthew 16:18).

What occurs in the natural realm can never supersede what God can do in the supernatural. In 2,000 years, if Jesus tarries, His church will still stand, not because of our perfection, but because of His faithfulness.

Life Application

The question isn’t whether Jesus is alive, He is. The question is: where will He find you on Monday? Will you return to “business as usual,” or will you live like someone who has encountered the risen Christ?
T
his week, look for simple opportunities to share hope with others. It might be as easy as explaining a Bible verse on your shirt or taking time to listen to someone’s story. The Great Commission isn’t about having all the answers or perfect evangelism techniques, it’s about being willing to go when God opens doors.

Questions for Reflection:

• When has your faith shifted from present hope to past disappointment like the disciples on the road to Emmaus?
• What “fishing” (old patterns or comfort zones) do you return to when life gets uncertain?
• Who in your community might be like the woman in Savannah who had never heard the Gospel despite being surrounded by churches?
• What simple opportunity to share hope might God be presenting to you this week that you’ve been too busy to notice?