Easter - Day 05
Day 05: Friday, April 07
Read Matthew 28:1-10 & John 20:1-18
Highlight
Each Gospel account of the resurrection gives unique perspective and detail, but all make clear the overwhelming astonishment of the women as they encounter the angels and then Jesus himself. No amount of words could adequately describe what they must have seen, heard and felt. The unthinkable has happened. Surely flashes of the horrible scenes that played out on the cross must have been running through their minds. They watched him suffer. They know he died. They touched his lifeless body with their own hands. They saw the stone rolled in front of them, sealed and protected by armed guards. And yet here the impossible is unfolding in front of them. He is alive!
No one is more surprised by His resurrection than those who were closest to Jesus. It’s obvious in the events that unfold following. They are transformed from frightened, mourning, defeated friends to courageous, outspoken, revolutionaries that will proclaim this story even unto their own deaths. C.S Lewis describes their conversion, “The New Testament writers speak as if Christ’s achievement in rising from the dead was the first event of its kind in the whole history of the universe. He is the ‘first fruits,’ ‘the pioneer of life,’ He has forced open a door that has been locked since the death of the first man. He has met, fought, and beaten the King of Death. Everything is different because He has done so” (Miracles, ch. 16).
The resurrection of Jesus is the moment on which all of the Scriptures hinge. It’s impossible to overstate its significance, not only for all those who witnessed it firsthand, but for each one of us today. Timothy Keller puts it this way, “If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all that he said; if he didn’t rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what he said? The issue on which everything hangs is not whether or not you like his teaching but whether or not he rose from the dead.” There is overwhelming evidence that Jesus was in fact who He said He was and that He has accomplished exactly what He was sent to do. So, the question is, how will we respond?
Reflection
Every passage in the Bible, including the one you just read, is “...inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” 2 Timothy 3:16
Prayer
Let the passage we just read guide your prayers. Use the acronym ACTS.
Adoration - Praise God for the truth this passage communicated about him.
Confession - Confess to God the thing that this passage showed you is wrong in your life.
Thanksgiving - Thank God for what this passage taught you was true about you and for the ways He is already helping you to do what is right.
Supplication - Ask God for help to do what this passage teaches to do and accomplish the good works he has for you.
Read Matthew 28:1-10 & John 20:1-18
Highlight
Each Gospel account of the resurrection gives unique perspective and detail, but all make clear the overwhelming astonishment of the women as they encounter the angels and then Jesus himself. No amount of words could adequately describe what they must have seen, heard and felt. The unthinkable has happened. Surely flashes of the horrible scenes that played out on the cross must have been running through their minds. They watched him suffer. They know he died. They touched his lifeless body with their own hands. They saw the stone rolled in front of them, sealed and protected by armed guards. And yet here the impossible is unfolding in front of them. He is alive!
No one is more surprised by His resurrection than those who were closest to Jesus. It’s obvious in the events that unfold following. They are transformed from frightened, mourning, defeated friends to courageous, outspoken, revolutionaries that will proclaim this story even unto their own deaths. C.S Lewis describes their conversion, “The New Testament writers speak as if Christ’s achievement in rising from the dead was the first event of its kind in the whole history of the universe. He is the ‘first fruits,’ ‘the pioneer of life,’ He has forced open a door that has been locked since the death of the first man. He has met, fought, and beaten the King of Death. Everything is different because He has done so” (Miracles, ch. 16).
The resurrection of Jesus is the moment on which all of the Scriptures hinge. It’s impossible to overstate its significance, not only for all those who witnessed it firsthand, but for each one of us today. Timothy Keller puts it this way, “If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all that he said; if he didn’t rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what he said? The issue on which everything hangs is not whether or not you like his teaching but whether or not he rose from the dead.” There is overwhelming evidence that Jesus was in fact who He said He was and that He has accomplished exactly what He was sent to do. So, the question is, how will we respond?
Reflection
Every passage in the Bible, including the one you just read, is “...inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” 2 Timothy 3:16
- What in this passage did the Spirit bring to light for you?
- What are you going to do in your life to respond to this passage?
Prayer
Let the passage we just read guide your prayers. Use the acronym ACTS.
Adoration - Praise God for the truth this passage communicated about him.
Confession - Confess to God the thing that this passage showed you is wrong in your life.
Thanksgiving - Thank God for what this passage taught you was true about you and for the ways He is already helping you to do what is right.
Supplication - Ask God for help to do what this passage teaches to do and accomplish the good works he has for you.
Posted in Easter 2023