Worship Devotional CXIX

Apr 23

Originally posted to the Facebook group on 4/23/2022.

Risen Indeed — Surely We Have Hope

Worship Devotional for 4/24/22

~ Orthodox Easter ~

1 Peter 1:3-9:

"Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, uncorrupted, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. You are being protected by God's power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. You rejoice in this, though now for a short time you have had to struggle in various trials so that the genuineness of your faith — more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire — may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. You love Him, though you have not seen Him. And though not seeing Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

Christ is risen; He is risen indeed! God has revealed His power to raise the dead in no uncertain terms. From the beginning of creation, He spoke through His chosen prophets and proved His power to work miracles and His sovereign authority over all things as the only true and living God, the Holy Creator, the Almighty and Most High God. He confirmed the message He had spoken through His prophets by His Holy Spirit, having foretold the coming and suffering of His Son, His crucifixion, and His resurrection from the dead on the third day. When Jesus walked the earth, He repeatedly told His disciples that He, the Son of Man, would suffer and die and then rise again from the dead on the third day. When He had suffered and been crucified and buried just as it was written, the Scriptures were fulfilled and the work was finished. On the third day, Jesus rose from the dead and appeared first to the women who had come to the tomb, then to the 12 disciples, then to over 500 witnesses at once (see 1 Cor. 15:3-8)! He also appeared to the other apostles, and then later to Paul in a vision after He had ascended into heaven, which the disciples also witnessed with their own eyes (Acts 1:9). He was with them after His resurrection for 40 days until His ascension, proving to them in many ways that He was indeed alive from the dead (Acts 1:3). The idols of the world exist as gods only in the corrupted minds of their worshippers, but Yahweh our God has proven Himself by His own power and might to be the only living God, true and faithful! And He has proven His Son to be the only hope for mankind, the only righteous man ever to walk the earth, and the only acceptable sacrifice for our redemption from sin. We have come to see, to understand, and to believe the signs and wonders, the vast evidence, the fulfilled prophecies, the life-transforming power, and the redeeming love on which our hope is based. Christ Himself is the foundation for the hope and life and truth that we profess, and because He is indeed risen from the grave, we are alive forever in Him! May we rejoice and proclaim the wondrous mystery of His love as we grow in our faith and live out our time on this earth to the glory of the living God.

2 Peter 1:16-19:

"For we did not follow cleverly contrived myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; instead, we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, a voice came to him from the Majestic Glory: 'This is My beloved Son. I take delight in Him!' And we heard this voice when it came from heaven while we were with Him on the holy mountain. So we have the prophetic word strongly confirmed. You will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dismal place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts."

Songs: