A Resurrection People: Living Every Day Like Easter Isn’t Over
Pastor Victoria Sowell
The celebration of Easter may have passed, but the resurrection isn’t a one-day event. It’s not meant to be tucked away like leftover candy or faded church outfits. If the tomb is truly empty, then that reality reshapes everything—our schedules, our decisions, even our fears. Click the link above for the full message.
The Power of Resurrection Isn’t Seasonal
Easter is often seen as the highlight of the Christian calendar, but what happens after the big Sunday? For many, there’s a strange emotional dip—like the lights go down and life returns to normal. But that shouldn’t be the case.
The resurrection of Jesus wasn’t just an event to acknowledge annually. It’s a daily truth. A resurrected Savior doesn’t just mean we get to attend a great church service once a year; it means we live every day with purpose and power. Philippians 3:10 says, “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.”
We weren’t meant to be Resurrection Sunday people. We were meant to be Resurrection people. That includes Monday through Saturday.
From Event to Movement: What Happens After the Stone Rolls Away?
In Matthew 28:1–10, we read about Mary Magdalene and the other Mary visiting the tomb. An angel tells them, “He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.” (v. 6). They leave the tomb “afraid yet filled with joy” (v. 8)—a phrase that probably describes how most of us feel walking out what we believe.
There’s this beautiful tension in that moment. Joy and fear side by side. Life doesn’t suddenly become perfect just because Jesus is alive. But the truth of His resurrection means fear doesn’t get the final say.
The angel says to the women, “Go quickly and tell his disciples.” And when Jesus meets them, He says it again: “Do not be afraid. Go and tell.” (v. 10).
This is the shift: resurrection isn’t just something we believe. It’s a message we carry.
Resurrection Power Isn’t Just for Church Services
If Jesus is alive, and if that same power lives in us (Romans 8:11), then our Monday morning has power. So does our parenting. Our friendships. Our failures. Our jobs.
It’s common to feel ill-equipped or unsure about how to walk in that power. But resurrection doesn’t require perfection. Just presence. Just obedience.
The moment Jesus appears to the women at the tomb, He doesn’t wait. He empowers them right away: “Go and tell.” They don’t need a seminary degree. They don’t need to have it all figured out. They just need to go.
You carry resurrection power into:
Your home
Your school or workplace
Your neighborhood
Your relationships
Even your internal battles
Resistance Is Real, But So Is Truth
Matthew 28:11–15 shows us something many skip over. Right after the resurrection, the religious leaders go into cover-up mode. They bribe the guards to lie, claiming the disciples stole the body.
Why? Because resurrection disrupts everything.
If Jesus truly rose from the dead, then He’s more than a good teacher. He’s King. And if He’s King, then our lives can’t stay the same.
We live in a culture that often tries to edit Jesus—make Him palatable, marketable, soft around the edges. But a resurrected Jesus is confrontational. He doesn’t fit into carefully curated narratives. He breaks systems, challenges norms, and calls for total surrender.
We’re faced with a choice: will we live in the whole truth of the resurrected Christ, or settle for something less challenging but far less true?
The Mission Was Never Just to Witness—It Was to Go
Matthew 28:16–20 records Jesus giving the disciples what we now call the Great Commission:
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (vv. 19–20, NIV)
These words weren’t given to spiritual giants. They were given to a group of men who had just failed, scattered, denied, and doubted. They weren’t polished. They were just willing.
Jesus doesn’t wait for their confidence to catch up with their calling. He commissions them as they are.
You don’t need a title to go. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to believe that His power lives in you, and that your life carries a message the world needs to hear.
Resurrection Changes Identity, Not Just Theology
Romans 6:4 says, “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead... we too may live a new life.”
This isn’t metaphorical. It’s transformative.
You’re not who you were. The tomb is empty, and so is your old self. Your marriage, your decisions, your goals, your relationships—all of them are now shaped by the truth that Jesus is alive. The resurrection isn’t just something that happened—it’s something happening in you.
Four Practical Ways to Live as a Resurrection People
How do we carry this message into everyday life? Here are four ways to live out resurrection daily:
1. Start Your Day Sent
Before the busyness begins, take a moment and declare:
“Jesus, you are alive—and so am I in You. Today, I walk in resurrection power. Send me.”
This intentional practice can reframe your mindset and anchor your purpose.
2. Worship Before You Worry
When anxiety creeps in, pause and worship. Not just with a song (though that helps), but with words of truth.
Worship reminds us who God is.
Worship shifts our eyes from fear to faith.
Worship often quiets the noise of doubt.
Whether in your car, at the kitchen sink, or in a quiet corner—make space to worship first.
3. Tell the Story
Share how Jesus brought you from death to life. It doesn’t have to be dramatic or public. Start with one friend, one coworker, one conversation.
The early church grew because people told the story. The woman at the well told her village. Paul told the crowds. Peter preached and 3,000 believed.
Your story matters. Someone else’s faith might depend on hearing it.
4. Lay Down One Fear and Go
Fear will always try to hold you back. Don’t wait until you feel ready. Take one bold step—today.
Maybe that step is signing up for baptism. Maybe it’s serving. Maybe it’s sending that text or making that invitation. Whatever it is, don’t let fear be the thing that keeps you from resurrection living.
You Were Meant for More Than Just Attendance
You weren’t saved to sit still. You were saved to go. To live boldly. To love deeply. To carry truth. To walk in resurrection power.
Let the empty tomb remind you: the story didn’t stop with Jesus walking out of the grave. It continues every time you choose to walk in His power.
Want to learn more? Listen to another encouraging message from Pastor Victoria Sowell titled What Kind of King — all about how Jesus defies expectations and projections and is the king we didn’t know we needed.