Begin by praying and reading the following chapters with your family: Matthew 26-28
Recap Good Friday’s Devotional (After reading Matthew 26 & 27)
Judas betrays Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. While in Gethsemane Jesus is arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin for questioning. Finally, the high priest, teachers of the law, and the elders declared that Jesus had blasphemed and deserved death! They quickly brought Jesus to Pilate to be crucified. Pilate didn’t find anything wrong with Jesus, so he offered to free either Jesus or a very well-known prisoner by the name of Barabbas. The crowd shouted to free Barabbas and to crucify Jesus. The same crowd that days earlier shouted “Hosanna!” now shouting “Crucify!”. Though it looks like this is not supposed to be happening, God was in control. Jesus needed to and willingly decided to die on the cross for us.
Jesus Has Risen!
Read Matthew 28
This passage begins early on a Sunday morning, just before dawn. Jesus was just crucified on the Friday before, and His body was quickly prepared for burial. Now that the Sabbath was complete, Mary and Mary Magdalene were returning to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body (Mark 16:1). As they were approaching the tomb there was suddenly a violent earthquake. An angel rolled back the stone and sat on it. The guards froze with fear and became like dead men. The women were also afraid. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid…He is not here; He has risen.” The women left the empty tomb, afraid yet filled with joy (v. 8), and ran to tell the other disciples. As they were on their way Jesus appeared to them and told them “do not be afraid…tell them to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” In verse 17 it says that when the disciples saw Jesus some worshipped Him but some doubted. We can find a more detailed description in Luke 24:36-53. As we just read in Luke, their initial response was fear, just like the women at the tomb! But Jesus tells them to have peace and not to fear.
The death and resurrection of Jesus is the center of the gospel. We deserve to die because of our sin, but Jesus died in our place. Because Jesus is alive, we do not need to fear anything. We can live for Jesus and His glory. How can we glorify God? We can glorify God by loving Him and obeying Him. Those who trust in Jesus have forgiveness and eternal life, and we can joyfully obey Him. Jesus died on the cross to pay for sin and rose again to defeat death!
Memory Verse
Deuteronomy 31:8 “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”