Worship Devotional LXVII
Originally posted to the Facebook group on 4/3/2021.
Worship Devotional for 4/4/21
~ 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.'"
1 Corinthians 15:12-22:
"Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say, 'There is no resurrection of the dead'? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is without foundation, and so is your faith. In addition, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified about God that He raised up Christ — whom He did not raise up if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Therefore, those who have fallen asleep in Christ have also perished. If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone.
But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive."
This week we are focusing on what is our reason to sing every week — indeed, our reason to live at all — the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior! He is alive, and death has been defeated forever! Because of this, we have hope and life and joy that will never end. Not only has the price of our sins been paid in full by the blood of Jesus on the cross, that we may share in His death free from wrath and condemnation, but also God has raised Him from the dead, so that we may also share in His life as new creations! This calls for all the devotion of our hearts and minds and souls and strength — of everything we are and everything we have and everything we say and do. This calls for us to proclaim this good news to all the earth, that all people of every tribe and tongue and nation may hear and believe and have life. This calls for rejoicing no matter what circumstances we may find ourselves in currently. Let us gather and praise the name of the One who conquered death and who gives us life. He alone is worthy!
Here are the songs:
Picking up from where we left off last week — singing about the suffering and sacrifice of God's Righteous Servant on Good Friday and how we are healed by His wounds — we remember how Jesus fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy of the Man of Sorrows, taking up the cross for our redemption and salvation, paying the price for the punishment of our sins that we may be free. The story didn't end there though; after Jesus was buried, the stone was rolled away and the tomb vacated! Now we are not just free from condemnation, but also free to live in a new way as those who have been redeemed and saved. Let us therefore give praise and honor to our God and to our risen Savior!
2) Christ Is Risen by Phil Wickham
Hallelujah! Christ is risen from the grave! Death had a hold on everything, rendering life in this world futile, since everything must pass away. All that we work for fades away, and after a short time, we die and take nothing with us. But death has no claim over the Son of God. Though He was slain, Jesus rose from the grave, vanquishing death's hold on those who believe in Him. Now the life we have is eternal, and we are restored to the hope and life and glory and joy which our God made us for.
3) Because He Lives by Bill Gaither
In a world ruled by death, there is no real hope. Is life even worth living when it will all come to a meaningless end? If Christ had stayed in the grave, we would only be deceiving ourselves to think that we had something to live for. But God raised Him from the dead, and so He will raise us too! This means that we are no longer faced with a meaningless end. Instead we have hope. We can face the unknown future and the uncertainty of tomorrow with joy and confidence because Christ lives! We are no longer ruled by fear, because God's love and power have conquered death forever. Life is worth living now because Jesus lives, so let's live it fully for the glory of God.
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."
Theme(s): Resurrection, Life
Scripture references:
Psalms 16, 17
Isaiah 53
Matthew 28
Mark 16
Luke 24
John 11:1-44, 20
Acts 2:14-36, 3:11-26, 4:8-12 & 33
Romans 4-8
1 Corinthians 15
2 Corinthians 4-5
Ephesians 2:1-10
Philippians 3
Colossians 3
1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11
2 Timothy 1:8-10, 2:8
Hebrews 2
1 Peter 1
1 Corinthians 15:50-58:
"Brothers, I tell you this: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, and corruption cannot inherit incorruption. Listen! I am telling you a mystery:
We will not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. For this corruptible must be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal must be clothed with immortality. When this corruptible is clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal is clothed with immortality, then the saying that is written will take place: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory.' 'Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting?' Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord's work, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."