Introduction
Are you following Jesus for who He is, or mostly for what you hope He will do for you this week? The central truth I want to press into your heart is this: the resurrection isn’t just a holiday we celebrate; it is Jesus Christ personally meeting us in our shattered hopes, opening the Scriptures, and reviving us by His living presence and power.
As a church, we often move through books of the Bible, asking God to reveal Himself for our time. We just finished James, we celebrated Easter, and now the natural question is, “What’s next?” That question reminds me of graduating high school, finally crossing the finish line, then immediately hearing, “So what’s next?” Sometimes we answer too quickly. Sometimes we need to slow down and receive the moment we’re in. That’s especially true with Easter. Our world trains us to treat holidays like a quick turnover: decorations up, decorations down, onto the next thing. But the resurrection was never meant to be a one-day burst of celebration followed by “back to normal.” When I read the Gospel accounts, Easter morning doesn’t feel like a polished concert; it feels like a revival that had to happen, a revival for disciples whose hopes had been crushed. Last week we remembered Jesus’ promise in John 16:33: “In this world you will have trouble… but take heart; I have overcome the world.” We also prayed from Ephesians 1 for revelation, knowing who Christ is and the power of His resurrection. We sang “All Hail King Jesus,” because if the resurrection is real, Jesus truly is King over all. Now, I want to help you connect Easter to Monday. Because many of us can sing “He is risen indeed” on Sunday, and then feel dashed by Monday. To understand the resurrection, we have to see how Jesus brings resurrection hope to people who still feel disappointed, even after the tomb is empty. So we’ll walk through Luke 24:13–35 (the road to Emmaus) and then turn to Colossians 1 to behold who Christ is and respond rightly.
Main Points
Are you following Jesus for who He is, or mostly for what you hope He will do for you this week? The central truth I want to press into your heart is this: the resurrection isn’t just a holiday we celebrate; it is Jesus Christ personally meeting us in our shattered hopes, opening the Scriptures, and reviving us by His living presence and power.
As a church, we often move through books of the Bible, asking God to reveal Himself for our time. We just finished James, we celebrated Easter, and now the natural question is, “What’s next?” That question reminds me of graduating high school, finally crossing the finish line, then immediately hearing, “So what’s next?” Sometimes we answer too quickly. Sometimes we need to slow down and receive the moment we’re in.
That’s especially true with Easter. Our world trains us to treat holidays like a quick turnover: decorations up, decorations down, onto the next thing. But the resurrection was never meant to be a one-day burst of celebration followed by “back to normal.” When I read the Gospel accounts, Easter morning doesn’t feel like a polished concert; it feels like a revival that had to happen, a revival for disciples whose hopes had been crushed.
Last week we remembered Jesus’ promise in John 16:33: “In this world you will have trouble… but take heart; I have overcome the world.” We also prayed from Ephesians 1 for revelation, knowing who Christ is and the power of His resurrection. We sang “All Hail King Jesus,” because if the resurrection is real, Jesus truly is King over all.
Now, I want to help you connect Easter to Monday. Because many of us can sing “He is risen indeed” on Sunday, and then feel dashed by Monday. To understand the resurrection, we have to see how Jesus brings resurrection hope to people who still feel disappointed, even after the tomb is empty.
So we’ll walk through Luke 24:13–35 (the road to Emmaus) and then turn to Colossians 1 to behold who Christ is and respond rightly.
Easter Requires Heart Revival
The first Easter morning wasn’t a triumphal parade. It was quiet, “crickets.” The disciples were not gathered in confident worship; they were scattered, confused, and grieving. They had watched Jesus die, and with Him, their expectations died too.
That’s why singing “O God of Revival” fits Easter so well. The resurrection is not merely a doctrine to affirm; it is a work God must do in human hearts, taking crushed hopes and restoring living hope.
And I want you to notice something important: celebrating Easter does not automatically reconcile all the broken things in your life. There’s often a gap between what we proclaim on Sunday and what we experience by midweek. Jesus meets us precisely in that gap.
Jesus Draws Near In Disappointment
In Luke 24:13–16, two disciples are walking away from Jerusalem toward Emmaus, seven miles, a long, defeated walk. They’re not going to inspect the empty tomb like Peter; they’re leaving town. They talk through everything: Palm Sunday hopes, the trial, the crucifixion, the death.
Then this stunning line: “Jesus Himself drew near and went with them.” (Luke 24:15)
That is the turning point. The risen Christ doesn’t wait for them to “get it together.” He comes near while they are sad, while they are confused, while they are walking the wrong direction.
Yet Luke tells us, “their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.” (Luke 24:16) Even with Jesus walking beside them, they still can’t see Him clearly.
Here’s what I want to disciple into you: it is possible to be around resurrection truths, resurrection songs, and resurrection gatherings, and still not have an encounter with the living Christ. We don’t need “Easter” as an event; we need Jesus Himself.
Religious Fervor Cannot Replace Christ
I’ve seen it in churches everywhere (and I can see it in my own heart too): Easter can become a huge moment, full services, excitement, friends visiting, and then the next week, things return to normal. Seats empty again. The emotional momentum fades.
But an Easter sermon doesn’t save people. A concert doesn’t save people. Even the best worship set doesn’t save people.
Only Jesus saves. We must not become “Easter Christians”, people who attach hopes to a seasonal experience but never come to the living Savior. If we treat faith like a weekly parade, “Jesus, here are my dreams; you have seven days to fix them”, we will drift into disappointment when life is still hard on Tuesday.
And I’ll be honest with you: even as someone serving in ministry, I feel that temptation. I can wake up and realize my “hopes” were comfort, ease, and a lighter schedule. Then real needs appear, hard reconciliation, heavy burdens, and suddenly I see how quickly I’ve slid from resurrection confidence into anxious self-protection.
So hear me gently: when your hopes are too small, Jesus will feel disappointing. Not because He failed, but because you tried to fit Him into your plan.
Shattered Hopes Reveal Misplaced Expectations
The disciples finally say the sentence that exposes everything:
“We were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel.” (Luke 24:21)
They wanted redemption, but on their terms, political victory, national restoration, the glory days of David and Solomon, Rome out of town. When Jesus didn’t follow that script, they assumed the story was over.
This is Palm Sunday energy: crowds, fanfare, “Hosanna,” big expectations, followed quickly by confusion and walking away when Jesus doesn’t match the desired outcome.
And if we’re honest, we do a similar thing:
- We put Jesus into a calendar slot: Easter Sunday, see you next year.
- Or into a weekly slot: Sunday, see you next week.
- Or into a devotional slot: checked the box, now onto the next seven tasks.
When those expectations don’t deliver immediate relief, we quietly conclude, “I tried Jesus.”
But the disciples’ problem wasn’t that they hoped for redemption, it’s that their view of redemption (and of Jesus) was too small.
Resurrection Clarity Comes Through Scripture
After hearing their sadness, Jesus gives the loving correction they need:
“O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!” (Luke 24:25)
Then Luke says something essential:
“Beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” (Luke 24:27)
This is where resurrection faith becomes durable, strong enough for Monday, Tuesday, and suffering. Jesus does not merely give them an emotional boost; He re-forms their understanding by the Word of God.
He shows them that the cross wasn’t a tragic accident or plan B:
- “Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” (Luke 24:26)
In other words: This was always the plan. From Moses to the prophets, God was telling one unified story centered on Christ.
This is why the center of everything we do must be Jesus revealed in Scripture. Programs can drift. Churches can drift. Leaders can drift. Outreach can become merely social work. Even good ministries can become hollow if Christ is no longer central.
So I’m urging you: become a person who learns to see Jesus from Genesis to Revelation. That’s where your expectations get healed and enlarged.
Behold Christ Beyond Our Limits
At the end of John’s Gospel we’re reminded:
“There are also many other things that Jesus did… if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books.” (John 21:25)
This doesn’t mean we go “beyond” Scripture into new revelations that contradict it. It means Scripture is true and sufficient, and yet Christ is so glorious that even what’s written is only a window into the fullness of who He is.
That’s why we also turn to Colossians 1, where Christ is lifted high:
- “He is the image of the invisible God.” (Col. 1:15)
- “The firstborn over all creation.” (Col. 1:15)
The resurrection announces not only that Jesus escaped death, but that He is King, royal “firstborn,” preeminent over creation, bringing new-creation life out of the grave and inviting us to share in that life by His Spirit.
So our response to Easter is not, “That was a great service.” The response is: I want more of Christ. I want my hopes shaped by His Word. I want His Spirit’s power so I can overcome. I want His people, His body, because the resurrection gathers the scattered into one accord.
Conclusion
Easter is not meant to rush past us like another holiday. The resurrection is Jesus stepping into our sadness, walking with us when we’re leaving town, confronting our too-small expectations, and reviving us by opening the Scriptures to reveal Himself.
So I want to disciple you with one simple, life-altering focus: don’t settle for religious moments, pursue the living Christ. Let Him enlarge your hopes, correct your assumptions, and unite you to His people. The empty tomb is not the end of the story; it’s the beginning of a resurrected life, His life in you.
Lord Jesus Christ, thank You for drawing near to us when we are sad, confused, disappointed, and tempted to walk away. Forgive us for the ways we shrink You down to our timelines and expectations. Open our eyes as You opened the Scriptures on the road to Emmaus. Make our hearts burn again with living faith.
Teach us to see You from Moses to the prophets, from the Gospels to the letters, Christ at the center of every page. Revive us with resurrection power so we don’t live as “holiday believers,” but as disciples who abide in You every day. Unite us as Your body, gather what is scattered, and make us one accord for Your glory.
We ask for true revelation of who You are, the image of the invisible God, the King over all creation, and we trust You with our hopes. In Your name, Jesus, amen.
Conclusion
Easter is not meant to rush past us like another holiday. The resurrection is Jesus stepping into our sadness, walking with us when we’re leaving town, confronting our too-small expectations, and reviving us by opening the Scriptures to reveal Himself.
So I want to disciple you with one simple, life-altering focus: don’t settle for religious moments, pursue the living Christ. Let Him enlarge your hopes, correct your assumptions, and unite you to His people. The empty tomb is not the end of the story; it’s the beginning of a resurrected life, His life in you.
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, thank You for drawing near to us when we are sad, confused, disappointed, and tempted to walk away. Forgive us for the ways we shrink You down to our timelines and expectations. Open our eyes as You opened the Scriptures on the road to Emmaus. Make our hearts burn again with living faith.
Teach us to see You from Moses to the prophets, from the Gospels to the letters, Christ at the center of every page. Revive us with resurrection power so we don’t live as “holiday believers,” but as disciples who abide in You every day. Unite us as Your body, gather what is scattered, and make us one accord for Your glory.
We ask for true revelation of who You are, the image of the invisible God, the King over all creation, and we trust You with our hopes. In Your name, Jesus, amen.