Friday, April 14, 2023
Imagine you were one of Jesus’ twelve disciples and it is three days after his death by crucifixion. Flashbacks of the last three years fill your head—Jesus teaching, praying, and performing miracles. Memories of sharing everyday life with him overwhelm you. He was always so patient and loving with everyone. You remember him feeding 5,000 people, raising Lazarus from the dead, and recall so many other amazing things about him.
You are crushed, inconsolable, confused, angry, hopeless, and questioning everything. Your thoughts range from deep sorrow to confusion. You are asking yourself, “Was Jesus really the Messiah?” Jesus wasn’t supposed to die, he was supposed to save us from the Romans.
All of a sudden, the women arrive from Jesus' tomb and share the most amazing story.
Luke 24:3-7
3 They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. 5 The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? 6 He isn’t here! He has risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.”
At first, the disciples didn’t believe the women. How could Jesus have risen from the dead? Over the next 40 days, Jesus revealed himself to his disciples and others. Slowly they started to understand all that Jesus taught them. Jesus didn’t come just to save them from the Romans, he came to save them—and all of us—from our sins. He came to reconcile us with God so that we could share eternity with him.
John 3:16-17
16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.”
Jesus, the perfect Son of God, came to this earth to save each of us! I am overwhelmed with gratitude, love, and joy. Praise God! Jesus has risen!
Questions:
Who is Jesus to you? If you haven’t accepted Jesus as your Savior, what is stopping you? If you are a follower, how has Jesus changed you? What emotions do you feel when you realize how much Jesus loves you and how much he suffered for you?
Next Steps:
Read the Gospels (Matthew 1, Mark 1, Luke 1, or John 1) and get to really know Jesus. Pay attention to how loving and kind he was to others. Praise God for all he has done and will do for you.
Prayer:
Jesus, I praise God that you have risen! I am so grateful for all you have done and will do for me. I am overwhelmed by your great love. Please help me to spread your love and the Gospel to others. Lord, let your light and love shine through me. Amen.