Tag: Resurrection

Morning Reading: Acts 2.22-36 NLT – powerful witnesses

Reading: Acts 2.22-36 NLT

“People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know. But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him. But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip. King David said this about him:

‘I see that the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad, and my tongue shouts his praises! My body rests in hope. For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave. You have shown me the way of life, and you will fill me with the joy of your presence.’

Empty Tomb by He Qi
Empty Tomb
by He Qi

“Dear brothers, think about this! You can be sure that the patriarch David wasn’t referring to himself, for he died and was buried, and his tomb is still here among us. But he was a prophet, and he knew God had promised with an oath that one of David’s own descendants would sit on his throne. David was looking into the future and speaking of the Messiah’s resurrection. He was saying that God would not leave him among the dead or allow his body to rot in the grave.

“God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today. For David himself never ascended into heaven, yet he said,

‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet.”’

“So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!”

Prayer: Heavenly Father – You raised Jesus from the dead and exalted him to sit at your right hand. Holy Spirit – Make me a powerful witness to the miracles, signs, and wonders that I have seen and heard… and give me the boldness to show and tell… always pointing to Jesus. Lord Jesus – May the whole world know: that no person is so lost that you can’t find him/her… that no situation is so dark that you can’t bring light to it… that no tribe or nation is so far gone that you can’t raise them from the dead. You are the God who is mighty to save. To you be all glory, honor, power, wisdom and strength. Amen.

Spiritual Song: “Mighty to Save” – Hillsong

Morning Reading: Luke 24.35-49 NLT – joy and wonder

Reading: Luke 24:35-49 NLT

Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road, and how they had recognized him as he was breaking the bread.

And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost!

“Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt?  Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do.”

As he spoke, he showed them his hands and his feet. Still they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder.

Then he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”  They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he ate it as they watched.

"Forgiven" by Thomas Blackshear
“Forgiven”
by Thomas Blackshear

Then he said, “When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.”  Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.

And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day.  It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’  You are witnesses of all these things.

“And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.”

Prayer: Lord Jesus – I join all your followers down through the ages in joy and wonder at your amazing love. While we were yet sinners, you died for us. Fill us with the power and authority of your Spirit to tell the whole world, ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ You are my King. Amen.

Spiritual Song: “Amazing Love” – Newsboys

Morning Reading: Luke 20.27-40 (NLT) – like angels

Reading: Luke 20.27-40 (NLT)

Then Jesus was approached by some Sadducees — religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead. They posed this question: “Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man dies, leaving a wife but no children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother’s name. Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children. So the second brother married the widow, but he also died. Then the third brother married her. This continued with all seven of them, who died without children. Finally, the woman also died. So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her!”

angelsJesus replied, “Marriage is for people here on earth. But in the age to come, those worthy of being raised from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage. And they will never die again. In this respect they will be like angels. They are children of God and children of the resurrection.

“But now, as to whether the dead will be raised — even Moses proved this when he wrote about the burning bush. Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, he referred to the Lord as ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ So he is the God of the living, not the dead, for they are all alive to him.”

“Well said, Teacher!” remarked some of the teachers of religious law who were standing there. And then no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Prayer: Lord Jesus – What will it be like in heaven… in the presence of the living God? What will it be like in your presence at the throne of grace… to see you face to face? What will it be like to see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob… to see the prophets and apostles… to see the saints and angels… to see my loved ones who loved you? What will it be like to have a new resurrection body… no more pain, no more heartache, no more tears, no more death and dying? What will it be like in a place filled with your Light and Life… filled with unspeakable joy? I can only imagine.

Spiritual Song: “I Can Only Imagine” – Mercy Me & London Symphony Orchestra

Easter Reading: John 20:1-9 NLT – He’s alive!

Reading: John 20:1-9 NLT

Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

image
Eugène Burnand, The disciples Peter and John came running to the tomb on the morning of the Resurrection, 1898. Paris, Musée d'Orsay

Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in.

Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings.

Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed— for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead.

Spiritual Song: “He’s Alive!” – Don Francisco

Morning Reading: Luke 9:18-22 ESV – The Christ of God

Reading: Luke 9:18-22 ESV

Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”

Passion_of_the_Christ_by_SaviourMachineAnd they answered, “John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.”

Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”  And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”

And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”

Confession of Faith: Lord Jesus – I confess… “You are the Christ the Son of the Living God.”

Heidelberg Catechism (1563):  

1. Q. What is your only comfort in life and death?
A. That I, with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Savior Jesus Christ; who with his precious blood has fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, wherefore by his Holy Spirit he also assures me of eternal life, and makes me heartily willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him

2. Q. How many things are necessary for you to know, that you in this comfort may live and die happily?
A. Three; the first, how great my sins and misery are; the second, how I am delivered from all my sins and misery; the third, how I am to be thankful to God for such deliverance.

Spiritual Song: “In Christ Alone” – Stuart Townend (YouTube)