Worship Devotional CXVIII

Apr 16

Originally posted to the Facebook group on 4/16/2022.

He Is Risen! — The Reason For Our Hope

Worship Devotional for 4/17/22

~ Easter / Resurrection Sunday ~

Matthew 28:1-10:

"After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to view the tomb. Suddenly there was a violent earthquake, because an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and approached the tomb. He rolled back the stone and was sitting on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his robe was as white as snow. The guards were so shaken from fear of him that they became like dead men.
But the angel told the women, 'Don't be afraid, because I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here! For He has been resurrected, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples, "He has been raised from the dead. In fact, He is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see Him there." Listen, I have told you.'
So, departing quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, they ran to tell His disciples the news. Just then Jesus met them and said, 'Good morning!' They came up, took hold of His feet, and worshipped Him. Then Jesus told them, 'Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see Me there.'"

The disciple were amazed when Jesus stood before them that day, though He had told them previously on multiple occasions that He was going to rise from the dead just as it was written in the Scriptures. They did not understand what He meant. They could not wrap their minds around the amazing work that God was doing. Still, Jesus rose from the dead just like He said He would, regardless of their understanding of what He had said or their level of faith or anything else on their part. Jesus arose because God is great and sovereign and mighty and true, and because He loved us enough to send His own Son to bear the punishment for our sins, that we might believe in Him and be saved from wrath by grace apart from our works. Because Jesus rose again to life, having suffered the torment and death which we all deserve because of our sinful and rebellious hearts toward God, salvation was made available through Him by God's grace to all who believe. Because Jesus is alive, death has been forever defeated and no longer has any claim on those who put their trust in Him. Because Jesus lives, He is able to intercede for us who are here now on this earth to reflect His light to the dark world around us as we tell the nations the good news. Because Jesus is alive, there is a hope that remains even in death, since death has no more power over Him or any of those who put their trust in Him. We now have the hope of eternal life only in Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns forever and ever, having died for our sins to pay the price we could not pay, and risen from the grave to raise us to new life in Him by His Spirit. The only reason we can claim an eternal — and therefore real and true — hope is because Jesus lives! This is the foundation for the faith and the life that we now have in Christ! As we remember Jesus' resurrection this Sunday, may we give thanks and praise to God with all that we are, holding nothing back, and live our new and Spirit-filled lives for His glory in all the earth.

Hebrews 2:14-15:

"Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through His death He might destroy the one holding the power of death — that is, the Devil — and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death."

Romans 6:4-11:

"Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in a new way of life. For if we have been joined with Him in the likeness of His death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of His resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that sin's dominion over the body may be abolished, so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, since a person who has died is freed from sin's claims. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him, because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will not die again. Death no longer rules over Him. For in light of the fact that He died, He died to sin once for all; but in light of the fact that He lives, He lives to God. So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus."

Ephesians 5:6-14:

"Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God's wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things. Therefore, do not become their partners. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light — for the fruit of the light results in all goodness, righteousness, and truth — discerning what is pleasing to the Lord. Don't participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret. Everything exposed by the light is made clear, for what makes everything clear is light. Therefore it is said: 'Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead, and the Messiah will shine on you.'"

Songs: