He is Risen... Now What?
“God said to Jacob, ‘Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.’ So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, ‘Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments. Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.’ So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had, and the rings that were in their ears...” Genesis 35:1–4
Just yesterday we celebrated the glorious news: He is risen! Churches were full, songs rang out, and hearts were lifted by the empty tomb. But now it’s Monday. The flowers are still on the altar, yet the routines of life have already returned with their worries, pressures, and distractions.
So the question lingers: He is risen… now what?
The resurrection of Jesus was never meant to be a once-a-year celebration. It is the starting point of a whole new way of living. The same power that raised Christ from the dead now invites us into daily resurrection life—a life that moves from fearful worry to freeing wonder, from wonder to heartfelt worship, and from worship to bold witness.
This is exactly what Jacob experienced in Genesis 35. He had encountered God years earlier at Bethel, but much had happened since. Foreign gods had quietly taken root in his household. Compromise, busyness, and self-reliance had slowly crowded out wholehearted devotion. Then God spoke clearly: “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you…”
Jacob didn’t hesitate. He gathered his entire household and said, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves.” They surrendered the idols, and only then did they go up to Bethel to worship.
The same invitation comes to us the Monday after Easter.
Jesus didn’t rise so we could simply celebrate once a year and then return to life as usual. He rose so that we could live differently, every single day. His resurrection proves He is who He claimed to be: the Son of God with all authority in heaven and on earth. That changes everything.
An idol is anything we look to for what only God can give—security, identity, comfort, control, or approval. It might be success, a relationship, social media, money, or even religious habits we treat like a lucky charm. As Tim Keller writes in Counterfeit Gods, an idol is “anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God.”
Jacob wanted the Lord to be Lord of all, not just another god on the shelf. If Jesus truly rose from the dead, He deserves the same from us. Not sentimental Easter attendance, but full allegiance and daily dependence.
So today, like Jacob, it’s time to get our house in order:
Let us lay down every idol and set up altars of genuine worship. We don’t need physical altars or statues. Jesus is the fulfillment of every Old Testament shadow. True worshippers present themselves as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). We make space in our daily lives and families to seek the Lord together, to repent, to pray, and to serve Him with whole hearts.
Charles Spurgeon put it powerfully regarding family life:
Because He is risen, let’s not settle for Easter nostalgia or return to business as usual. Let’s arise, put away every foreign god, purify our hearts, and go up to Bethel—the place of true encounter with the living God.
Prayer
Risen Lord Jesus, You are alive and seated at the right hand of the Father with all power and authority. Forgive us for the idols we have tolerated. Today we lay them down. Help us to worship You not as one god among many, but as Lord of all. Draw our families near to You with fresh zeal. May our lives reflect the reality of Your resurrection—full surrender, daily dependence, and joyful witness. In Your mighty name, Amen.
Just yesterday we celebrated the glorious news: He is risen! Churches were full, songs rang out, and hearts were lifted by the empty tomb. But now it’s Monday. The flowers are still on the altar, yet the routines of life have already returned with their worries, pressures, and distractions.
So the question lingers: He is risen… now what?
The resurrection of Jesus was never meant to be a once-a-year celebration. It is the starting point of a whole new way of living. The same power that raised Christ from the dead now invites us into daily resurrection life—a life that moves from fearful worry to freeing wonder, from wonder to heartfelt worship, and from worship to bold witness.
This is exactly what Jacob experienced in Genesis 35. He had encountered God years earlier at Bethel, but much had happened since. Foreign gods had quietly taken root in his household. Compromise, busyness, and self-reliance had slowly crowded out wholehearted devotion. Then God spoke clearly: “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you…”
Jacob didn’t hesitate. He gathered his entire household and said, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves.” They surrendered the idols, and only then did they go up to Bethel to worship.
The same invitation comes to us the Monday after Easter.
Jesus didn’t rise so we could simply celebrate once a year and then return to life as usual. He rose so that we could live differently, every single day. His resurrection proves He is who He claimed to be: the Son of God with all authority in heaven and on earth. That changes everything.
An idol is anything we look to for what only God can give—security, identity, comfort, control, or approval. It might be success, a relationship, social media, money, or even religious habits we treat like a lucky charm. As Tim Keller writes in Counterfeit Gods, an idol is “anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God.”
Jacob wanted the Lord to be Lord of all, not just another god on the shelf. If Jesus truly rose from the dead, He deserves the same from us. Not sentimental Easter attendance, but full allegiance and daily dependence.
So today, like Jacob, it’s time to get our house in order:
- What “foreign gods” have quietly taken root in your heart or home?
- What do you run to when life feels uncertain or painful?
- Are you treating Jesus as an add-on, or as the One who sits on the throne of your life?
Let us lay down every idol and set up altars of genuine worship. We don’t need physical altars or statues. Jesus is the fulfillment of every Old Testament shadow. True worshippers present themselves as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). We make space in our daily lives and families to seek the Lord together, to repent, to pray, and to serve Him with whole hearts.
Charles Spurgeon put it powerfully regarding family life:
“In families it is often well, when you see that things are wrong, just to call the household together and say, ‘We must draw near unto God with peculiar earnestness, for we are going astray. We have not given up family prayer, but we must now make it special, and with double zeal draw nigh unto God.”’
Because He is risen, let’s not settle for Easter nostalgia or return to business as usual. Let’s arise, put away every foreign god, purify our hearts, and go up to Bethel—the place of true encounter with the living God.
Prayer
Risen Lord Jesus, You are alive and seated at the right hand of the Father with all power and authority. Forgive us for the idols we have tolerated. Today we lay them down. Help us to worship You not as one god among many, but as Lord of all. Draw our families near to You with fresh zeal. May our lives reflect the reality of Your resurrection—full surrender, daily dependence, and joyful witness. In Your mighty name, Amen.