On His Head Are Many Diadems
Luella and I live right outside Center City in Philadelphia, a few blocks away from the main road, Broad Street. In recent years, our sports teams have won several championship titles, and whenever there is a victory, it seems as if the entire city population pours onto Broad Street that night.
Maybe you’ve seen on the news how city officials prepare and “grease the poles” (the lamp posts and traffic lights) because crazy Philadelphia locals will climb them as a weird way of expressing their celebration.
Within a few minutes of the final whistle one championship, Broad Street was packed with what seemed like hundreds of thousands of people. Not too many were sober, and against our better judgment, Luella and I decided we had to experience the euphoria. We made our way into the middle of the celebration and found ourselves high-fiving and being hugged by complete strangers.
It was an amazing celebration. Truly, I don’t know if I’ll ever be a part of a celebration like that here again on earth. It was really quite incredible, one of those “you had to be there” moments.
But a few days later, I had an appointment early in the morning. I walked down the same street, and it was completely empty. No crowds, no honking horns, no high fives or hugs. I genuinely felt sad. It was a letdown, and I wanted to experience that type of celebration again.
I wonder if we do something similar with our annual Easter Sunday celebration. Let me explain.
Christians and churches prepare for and celebrate Easter Sunday with such focus and passion—as we should! It is the most important day of the year, and the most important day in the history of the world.
But what happens after the celebration? A few days later, are we empty, quiet, and living as if the celebration never happened?
1 Corinthians 15 is the ultimate Easter chapter, where the Apostle Paul lays out the theology of the resurrection and concludes with words of celebration.
“Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:57).
Although the chapter doesn’t actually end with verse 57. Verse 58 follows with a call to action: “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”
Yes, Easter Sunday should and does end with a celebration. But it must also result in a lifestyle. The Apostle Paul details that lifestyle with three characteristics:
1. Stability (“be steadfast, immovable”)
Is your life a picture of that kind of stability? Is it firm and anchored in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ? Or are you blown by the winds of difficult circumstances and relationships in a fallen world?
You live in a world where nearly everything will fail you. But there is One who will never, ever fail. He is faithful to everything he has promised, and the empty tomb is empirical evidence of his faithfulness.
2. Activism (“always abounding in the work of the Lord”)
The empty tomb should flip a switch in us. We aren’t called to live in a bunker and wait for the war to be over; this is a call to be an army on the march. Enough of mere survival! If we believe in the resurrection, we should be hopeful, courageous activists who believe in transformation, deliverance, and life abundant.
Not just in eternal life, but for everyday life, right here, right now.
3. Hope (knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain)
The reason the Apostle Paul ends with these words of reminder is because, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he knows our hearts. This side of heaven, there’s a war being fought on the turf of your heart every day.
It’s a war between faith and doubt, courage and fear, temptation and righteousness, disappointment and hope. And in a fallen world, it will be hard to continue.
But because of the empty tomb, we know that everything God calls us to is never in vain.
Because of the empty tomb, you can stand firm. You can move with courage. And when you feel like you have nothing left to give, you can obey with hope.
A few days after the Easter celebration, are you living like this?
In the 10,000 little moments of everyday life, and for the next 10,000 days that follow Easter Sunday, may we live and respond in this way that is shaped by the celebration of the empty tomb!
A Prayer for Today: God, please help me to live each day in light of the empty tomb. I need you to make me into the kind of person who is consistently characterized by stability, activism, and hope. On my own, I simply can’t keep up and live this way on a consistent basis, but by the power of your Holy Spirit, this lifestyle is mine to embrace. I don’t want Easter to come and go, so please shape my day-to-day celebration of the empty tomb, and help me to live in light of the hope I have in you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Discussion Prompt for Children
1. How do you think we can keep celebrating the fact that Jesus is alive long after Easter has come and gone? Why should Christians always celebrate the fact that Jesus is alive and not dead?
2. What do you think the word “lifestyle” means? What would it look like to live a lifestyle of celebration that Jesus’ tomb is empty? How might our lifestyle be different from the average person out there who might know about Easter but doesn’t really celebrate the fact that Jesus is alive right now?
3. In what ways does Easter give you comfort? Purpose? Hope?
Reflection Questions
1. Why is it vital for every Christian to continue celebrating the empty tomb long after Easter has come and gone? What can that celebration practically look like for you personally? How about in the context of other followers of Christ?
2. What would it look like for you to live a lifestyle characterized by gospel stability? How are you able to form a habitual pattern of stability in Jesus when everything else in this world fails you?
3. What might your life be like if you were “always abounding in the work of the Lord”? How is gospel activism currently a part of your day-to-day attitude and behavior?
4. In what ways does the empty tomb provide you with the kind of hope to carry on each day, despite life’s difficult circumstances and trials? Why will Easter always be more than a one-day-a-year celebration for every born again believer in Christ? How is Easter currently encouraging and motivating your heart to move toward God and others?