Easter does not end in a single morning; it unfolds across days, encounters, and awakenings. On this first Monday of the Octave, we meet Peter—no longer the man crushed by his failure, but one transformed by the mercy of the risen Christ. When he speaks to the people, he does not rely on opinions or speculation. He points to what they can “both see and hear”—the undeniable work of God in their midst, including the renewed life beating within his own chest.
Peter, who once denied Jesus and wept bitterly, now stands with a courage that is not his own. The same God who refused to abandon His Son to the grave refused to abandon Peter to his shame. Christ’s Resurrection made it impossible for death—outer or inner—to hold him. The Spirit poured into Peter’s life became its own testimony: “You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.”
And this pattern continues for us.
The risen Jesus still meets us “on the way”—in the middle of our routines, our uncertainties, our attempts to begin again. He comes not to scold but to steady us. When we fall at His wounded feet, overwhelmed by our own limits or failures, He lifts us with the same words spoken to the women at the tomb: “Do not be afraid.”
Easter renewal is not abstract. It is embodied in the places where Christ meets us, restores us, and sends us forward with a courage we did not know we had.
Scripture: “Jesus met them on their way and said, ‘Do not be afraid.’” (Matthew 28:9–10)
Question: Where is the risen Christ meeting you on your way today, offering courage and new life?
Smitten With Goodness 