What’s to do now that Easter’s over?

But is it truly over, Scott? 

Well, of course not. The knowledge of our Lord’s resurrection should always stay with us.

But, all the festivities of Easter are now past. The weekend itself is behind us. The big event has happened. And so, what now? What should we, as a church, be focusing our attention on next?

Well, fortunately, we don’t have to stumble into unknown territory, trying to figure this out. We can actually look to the Bible and take our cue from what the early church did next.

In Acts 1:4-5, we read:

While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.”

It’s interesting that Jesus’ command wasn’t to “Go!” It wasn’t, “Leave Jerusalem and get busy!”It wasn’t, “Dream something up and go do it in my name!” 

That might be our default thinking. Matthew 28:19-20! The Great Commission! Charge the hill! Let’s go!

But Jesus didn’t command His disciples to get busy. Instead, He commanded them “to wait.” 

Not, “Go,” but, “Wait.” Probably the exact opposite of what the disciples wanted to hear. Probably the exact opposite of what you and I want to hear. Because I know that I want to do something. I want to make something happen. Check some boxes. See the fruit of my labor.

But the Lord said, “Wait.”

And wait for what? 

“For the Father’s promise.” Wait for “the Holy Spirit.”  

You see, the Lord was about to leave, and He knew that it would be impossible for His disciples to do anything apart from Him (John 15:5). And so, He was about to send them the Holy Spirit, the very indwelling presence of God Himself to empower them to do the work of the ministry.

Jesus knew it would be impossible for His disciples to do anything without the Holy Spirit. And it’s the same for us, church. We can do nothing without the miraculous, empowering work of the Holy Spirit. 

After Easter, Jesus told His disciples to wait for the Spirit and His movement, and that’s what they did. 

After the ascension, Luke goes on to tell us in Acts 1:12–14:

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem—a Sabbath day’s journey away. When they arrived, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. They all were continually united in prayer, along with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

The disciples did exactly what Jesus had commanded. They waited for the Spirit. They waited continually. They waited united. And they waited in prayer.

Continually,

United,

In Prayer.

What are we to do now that Easter’s over? 

I believe we’re to do the same. We’re to wait on the Spirit … continually, united, and in prayer.

Our Lord is risen! He now sits at the right hand of the Father, making intercession for His church. One day, He will return. But in the meantime, He is with us through His Spirit, working within us, among us, and through us. 

Easter’s over. And what are we to do now? 

Wait. Church, let us wait diligently on the Spirit to move. Let us wait, seeking the Spirit’s movement continually united in prayer. 

Let us wait prayerfully until He decides to move mightily!

For His Glory and Our Joy, 

Scott Gourley