the resurrection rewritten: what it means to live after the cross.

I couldn’t help but wonder, what is it about Easter that always seemed to carry this special kind of warmth? It wasn’t just the holiday. It was the feeling it gave. Easter used to feel soft, like the kind of day you just knew would be good. Easter used to feel soft, like the kind of day you just knew would be good. The kind of morning where the windows were cracked just enough to let that first spring breeze sneak in. Little girls were dressed to the nines; frilly dresses, patent leather shoes, bows that matched down to the shade. Hair laid, everything just so. Moms were scrambling for last-minute lace socks or a fresh pack of barrettes, trying to pull it all together before service started.

I remember church being packed out. Every seat taken. Candy tucked in handbags, smiles on faces like we all knew something good was happening. And the choir? Whew. They didn’t just sing, they poured. Easter didn’t just look beautiful. It hit different. It felt beautiful.

But the older I get, the more I sit with the weight behind it all:

There was nothing nice about the cross.

Jesus didn’t die so we could be cute Christians.

He didn’t get up from the grave so we could keep living like He didn’t.

The Cross Wasn’t Comfortable. So Why Is Your Faith?

We’ve glamorized Resurrection Sunday.

Made it about outfits and optics.

But in Luke 23 and 24, we see what really went down.

He was mocked.

He was beaten.

Flesh torn. Blood pouring.

Crown of thorns twisted into His skull.

And while He hung between two criminals, nails in His hands and feet…

He said,

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

He didn’t just carry a cross. He carried you.

He carried your lust, your lies, your pride, your secret sins, your self-hate, your situationships, your weed addiction, your anxiety, your little compromises. All of it.

He carried your fake worship, your church attendance with no real commitment, your “I still pray sometimes” faith, and your “He knows my heart” lifestyle.

And we have the nerve to treat the resurrection like it’s a side note?

The Tomb Was Empty—So You Don’t Have to Be

He got up.

And that changed everything.

But if we’re honest? A lot of us are still living like He’s still buried.

Still living half-saved, half-lost.

Still showing up to church on Sunday but sleeping with him on Saturday.

Still posting verses and thirst traps back to back.

Still saying, “I love God,” but refusing to obey Him.

Jesus didn’t die for casual “Christianity.”

He died for discipleship.

For obedience.

For transformation.

He resurrected you, too.

So why are you still in the grave?

Wake Up… This Is Life or Death

I’m not here to coddle you.

We don’t have time to be lukewarm.

Jesus is coming back.

And He’s not coming for vibes, cute captions, or “she meant well.”

He’s coming for a bride without spot or wrinkle. (Ephesians 5:27)

That’s the Word.

So ask yourself:

Are you living in a way that says I belong to Jesus?

Or are you hoping your good intentions will cancel out your rebellion?

This might sound harsh,

but I’d rather you be uncomfortable now than end up in hell thinking you were going to heaven.

Because yes—hell is real.

And a lot of us are on our way there while quoting Scripture and playing gospel music in the car.

Stop Using Grace as a Get-Out-of-Conviction-Free Card

The cross is not a cover for sin you refuse to let go of.

Grace is not a permission slip to stay stuck.

And the Holy Spirit isn’t here to babysit your dysfunction…He’s here to deliver you.

Romans 6:1-2 says:

“Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!

We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?”

Sis…

You can’t wear the name of Christ and walk like the world.

You can’t post your favorite preacher and ignore the parts of Scripture that call you to change.

You can’t keep dating that man who’s dragging you into sin and say “God knows my heart.”

God does know your heart.

That’s why He’s calling you out of this.

The Resurrected Life Is a Surrendered Life

He died so you could be free.

Free from lust.

Free from fear.

Free from pretending.

Free from addiction.

Free from cycles.

Free from performing.

Free from bondage.

But freedom requires repentance.

That means you don’t just cry when you feel convicted.

You turn.

You cut it off.

You shut the door.

You delete the number.

You stop entertaining what Jesus died to destroy.

Say This Out Loud:

God, I’m done playing church.

I don’t want to carry Your name and live like I don’t know You.

I want to walk like I’ve been resurrected too.

Take every idol, every secret sin, every half-hearted “yes” I’ve given You—

And burn it up.

Let me rise like You did: brand new, bold, and surrendered.

Amen.

Scriptures for This Week:

• Luke 24:5-7 – “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.”

• Romans 6:4 – “Just as Christ was raised… we too might walk in newness of life.”

• Hebrews 10:26 – “If we deliberately keep on sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left…”

• 2 Corinthians 5:17 – “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation…”