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ReadMatthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20
Easter is more than a day to remember; it’s a day to celebrate our belief that anything is possible with God. Once we see Jesus for who He is — the Son of God who died for our sin and rose from the grave — we are never the same. We see this transforming power in those Jesus appeared to on the first Easter. Jesus spent time with His followers, sharing meals with them and allowing them to touch the scars in His hands. These men and women were not seeing things or having out-of-body experiences. Jesus proved to them His resurrection was both literal and physical. “Look at my hands and feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have” (Luke 24:39). The men and women who saw Jesus after the resurrection couldn’t go back to the way things were. They wrote the gospels we’re reading 2,000 years later (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). They started the global church, spending their lives spreading the message that Jesus is alive. Their belief that Jesus died for their sins and rose from the grave changed them forever. In John 20:29, Jesus says we are even more blessed than His original followers because we believe and have not seen Him face-to-face. Our faith in Jesus puts an end to the power of sin and shame because we know “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification” (Romans 4:25). What a blessing! Because Jesus defeated death and gives us eternal life in heaven, we no longer have to fear persecution or terminal diagnosis. To live is to live with Jesus, and to die is to be united with Jesus. Either way, we win (Philippians 1:21). Because we have found a new life in Christ, we can rejoice through trials because we know God will work through all things, even hardship and pain, to bring good to our lives (Romans 8:28). This Easter Sunday, let’s be people whose words and actions demonstrate our belief that Jesus is alive. And through our faith, we’ll experience the eternal blessings of God’s love for us. Reflect:
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ReadMatthew 27:62-64, Luke 23:55-56
Disappointment. That sinking feeling from the heart down to the gut that leaves our heads pounding. We’ve all experienced disappointment. But what do we do when the person we are disappointed with is God? Saturday must have been a dark day for those Jesus left behind. His disciples, family, and followers had just witnessed His death (Luke 23:49). Imagine the confusion and disappointment that lingered in the air. Did they miss something in His teaching? Was this how it all was supposed to end? To add injury to their grief, the Saturday was the Sabbath — a steadfast day of rest. Work was not permitted. Those left behind had nothing to distract them from the unanswered questions and deep hurt piercing their souls as they reflected on everything that transpired. If we’re not cautious, disappointment can lead to isolation, the perfect breeding ground for Satan’s lies. Don’t give him ground. While the enemy cannot read our minds, he can observe our actions and listen to our words. So what do we do with our disappointment? We do what Jesus’ friends and family were forced to do. We rest. Rest in the promise that God is working behind the scenes, in ways we cannot see or even comprehend yet. Rest in the fact that while darkness leaves us waiting and feeling lost, light always follows (Psalm 30:5). Light always shines brightest after a period of darkness. Jesus’ loved ones did not know as they waited that the resurrection was coming. Oh, what a picture of the joy that can follow disappointment! Reflect:
Prev ReadMatthew 27:11-35, Matthew 27:36-60
A tinge of pain comes as we look on Jesus’ suffering. As we read about the thorns pressed into His head, the flesh stripped from His body, and the excruciating way He died, it’s hard not to turn our minds from the scene. Hebrews 2:9-10 beautifully reminds us why Jesus suffered as He did: “But we do see Jesus... now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.” God had a great plan, a plan to create a family. Jesus suffered the penalty for our sins so the glory of God could be revealed. We celebrate Easter because of this great love, this great plan. We celebrate Jesus risen. We rejoice knowing His life gives ours meaning, knowing He overcame death, and we will live forever with Him. Jesus’ overcoming is also how we celebrate through suffering in our lives. Jesus overcame spiritual and physical death, and He has a plan for our suffering as well. There is glory on the other side. Through our pain, God ministers to others, teaches us to trust Him, reveals Himself to us, and reminds us this world is coming to a close. No matter what we’re facing today, we take heart knowing God overcomes and has a great plan for every part of our lives. Reflect:
ReadMatthew 26:36-46, Mark 14:32-42, Hebrews 4:14-16
Teachers will tell you most students thrive under clear instruction. Even if a topic is difficult, if a teacher models how to do it first, students are far more likely to understand and be successful when they get home and have to do it themselves. Jesus, being a teacher, knew this. And right up to His death, He was giving His followers an example they could follow. When life gets hard, and we don’t know what to do next, we can look to what Jesus did in the hours leading to His arrest. The night before Jesus died, He asked, “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine” (Luke 22:42, NLT). Jesus knows hard. When we endure tough situations, we can look to Him and emulate His actions. Four things we can learn from Jesus’ actions before dying: 1. We don’t have to face difficult times alone. Jesus surrounded Himself with friends at the last supper, and He invited them to join him in Gethsemane while He prayed (Matthew 26:36-46). 2. We can turn to our heavenly Father. God wants to hear from His children. He is full of mercy, and in Jesus, we have a mediator who empathizes with us (Hebrews 4:14-16). 3. We can be honest with God. Jesus tells His disciples that His soul is overwhelmed, and He is just as candid when crying out to God. He asks Him to take this cup from Him (Mark 14:34). 4. We can trust His plan. Even after asking God to take away His certain death, Jesus trusts God’s plan in the cross. He submits to His will and authority in His life (Mark 14:36). No matter what circumstances we find ourselves in, regardless of our fear or uncertainty, we can look to Jesus and follow the example He set. Reflect:
Prev ReadMatthew 21:18-22, Mark 11:12-14
Imitations have gotten better and better over time. It’s nearly impossible to tell the difference between the artificial succulents and live plants on a co-worker’s desk. We need to be cautious in a friend’s kitchen because those beautiful apples on the counter may be for decor purposes only. We’ve all experienced a moment when we realized things are not as they seem. In Matthew 21, Jesus sees a fig tree full of beautiful leaves, a sign that it should be bearing fruit. But when He gets closer there’s no fruit. The tree had all the outward signs of fruitfulness, but nothing below the foliage. Jesus cursed the tree, and it withered. Like the fig tree, many Israelites had all the outward signs of a relationship with God but no spiritual fruit. They were more worried about what the Roman officials thought of them than what God did. Accepting Jesus as God could create problems between themselves and the Roman government. Rome demanded its citizens and subjects worship Caesar as a god. To accept Jesus as God would be an act of defiance. It would be easier to avoid conflict, ridicule, and even persecution by not outwardly accepting Jesus. Following Jesus would be difficult and uncomfortable. That’s how it is today, too. Following Jesus comes at a cost. It isn’t always popular nor easy. Jesus teaches us that with unshakable faith and fervent prayer, all things are possible (Matthew 21:21-22). Jesus wants us to have real, fruit-bearing faith in Him, not to simply go through the motions. Reflect:
Prev ReadMatthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-10, John 12:12-36, John 12:37-50
When Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey, it was the equivalent of walking the red carpet at the Oscars. He was at movie star status. Except, in this case, the red carpet was made of palm fronds spread out for Him to walk on. Palm fronds were a sign of respect and adoration, but also insurrection. The Jewish people had been waiting for the Messiah, their promised deliverer who would save them from oppression (Isaiah 9:6-7). They looked to Jesus to be their liberator and future king. But in a few short days, all of those hopes would be dashed. Fair weather fans of Jesus would scatter. Jesus came to die for the sins of the world, to liberate us in ways God’s people were not expecting. We read about Palm Sunday with the benefit of hindsight. We know the kingdom Jesus established was an eternal one, not an earthly one. Yet, we still find ourselves in the same place as those who were confused when Jesus didn’t live up to their expectations. We, too, can walk through life with expectations for God. And while God does wonderful things for us, His plans don’t necessarily follow our expectations. In these times, we must decide whether we are faithful followers or fair-weather fans. Are we willing to trust God and His plans for our lives — even when things don’t look like we thought they would? Reflect:
Prev Read Matthew 21:23-46, Matthew 22:1-25, Mark 12:1-37, Matthew 22:26-46
The religious leaders needed to get rid of Jesus without causing a stir with Rome, so they hit Jesus up with a bunch of questions. The goal was to trick Jesus into blaspheming, so they could prove He was not the Messiah, but a lunatic. If Jesus was merely a man claiming to be a god, He would be a traitor to Rome and a heretic among the Jews. But Jesus answered every question with wisdom, and His popularity grew instead of shrinking (Matthew 22:33). It’s easy to judge the religious leaders, but we often do the same thing. Think about the last time you demanded answers from God. Was it to gain understanding? Often, we pretend we’re looking for understanding when we’re hoping to find justification. We need a reason to do what we want to do, and we hope we can “trick” God into giving us one. This rebelliousness breaks God's heart the same way the religious leaders' questions broke Jesus' heart. Proverbs pleads with us, “call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding ... look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure” (Proverbs 2:2-5). Jesus tries to get the religious leaders to see their error and repent. He tells stories designed to correct their thinking — the parable of the two sons, the parable of the evil farmers, and the parable of the Great Supper. But they don't give up. They ask whether they should pay taxes to Caesar, how marriage works after the resurrection, which is the greatest commandment, and whether Jesus believes the Messiah will be King David's son. Jesus laments for the religious leaders, saying, “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees” (Matthew 23:13, NLT). God is a good Dad who knows when He's being manipulated. He doesn’t begrudge us for asking questions. He welcomes our worries, our fears, our questions, and our concerns (1 Peter 5:7, Philippians 4:6-7). But if we’re not looking for honest answers, we’ll walk away disappointed just like the religious leaders in Jesus’ day. Reflect:
Prev Read Matthew 26:1-16, Mark 14:1-11, Luke 22:1-6
Is Jesus the Messiah or not? That question marked the lives of everyone Jesus interacted with, just like it does for us today. What people did with Jesus, whether they decided to believe Him and how they positioned their hearts toward Him, was the greatest decision they would ever make. The Sanhedrin saw the great things Jesus did. They marveled at His teaching, but they worried that Jesus’ popularity and teaching would affect their position in society. They wanted to protect their authority as teachers and leaders, so the Sanhedrin tried to trap Jesus with questions and plotted to end His life. Little did they know, it was for that death that Jesus came! (Romans 14:9) Judas walked with Jesus for three years. Beware, you can spend a lot of time around Jesus and His people without giving your heart to Him. This was Judas’ story. Perhaps, Judas figured he would gain position, accolades, and recognition when the Roman government was overthrown. Imagine Judas’ disappointment to learn Jesus came to build a spiritual kingdom, one marked by sacrifice and servanthood. Mary was a simple, Jewish woman. She was unmarried in a culture where a woman’s value came from her husband’s position. Yet, she had the honor of anointing Jesus’ body before His death. Mary took her perfume and knelt at Jesus' feet. Mary’s outward actions mirrored the inner posture of her heart. She bowed before Jesus in submission, opened her most valuable possession, and poured it on Jesus' feet. Jesus Himself said, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends” (John 15:13). That is what Mary did before Jesus, and it’s ultimately what Jesus does for us. In the days leading up to Easter, it’s healthy to pause and consider who we think Jesus is. Is He a threat to our current way of life like He was to the Sanhedrin? Is He someone we’ve followed because we believe it will bring prestige as Judas did? Or, is Jesus our Lord? Would we sacrifice everything in response to His love like Mary? Reflect:
Prev Psalm 46
Stress, anxiety, and confusion push us into one of two states: paralysis or frantic activity. In stress, many of us rush and hustle our way to exhaustion. Others are paralyzed with worry, unable to make plans or decisions because of the uncertainty we face. Psalm 46 gives us good news: God is with you. He is here with you, right now. Although the world is in chaos, God provides peace and gladness. He is our security and our fortress. You can trust Him. He will help. As you read, pray and fast today, take a moment to breathe and be still. May you relax into a posture of rest and release. May you become more and more aware of God’s nearness and His abiding love for you. Ways to Pray
Prev James 4
Jesus’ brother wrote James 4 to people inside the church. People “out there” were not the big problem. They were. Often, we are our own barrier to peace. The things we want to see God do in the world, we first need to ask Him to do in us. As you draw near to God today, He will draw near to you. May you humbly receive what He has to say. Let God reveal where your heart is united with His, and where you need to submit your desires to His. As you do, may your mourning be turned to laughter and your gloom to joy. Ways to Pray
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