easter sunday
Supplies: Bible, journal or index cards, pens
Jesus has risen! He is alive! This is the miraculous ending Jesus had been promising His disciples - one they couldn't understand until it actually happened. This day is perhaps the most important in human history - the day Jesus rose and made a way for us to be in a right relationship with God.
risen
Three women bearing grief, love, and care for their Savior discovered quite a surprise on that Sunday morning! Expecting to care for the dead body of the one they loved, they were shocked and afraid to see the stone had already been rolled away. As they walked inside the empty tomb they received another fright. In the place where they expected to see the body of their Lord sat an angel in a white robe who told them Jesus was alive, just as He said He would be! As the women left to tell the disciples, they were in a such a state of shock and fear, they didn't speak to anyone else along the way.
Imagine the emotions that must have been surging through their hearts and minds in that moment! Grief, anger, doubt, and fear all wrapped up in a swirl of confusion. Have you ever felt that way when God fulfilled a promise in your life? Have you ever seen the answer right in front of you, but were too afraid to believe or too scared to hope again?
God is a God of miracles and His promises are true. He is ever faithful and always follows through in His time. Spend some time in prayer journaling areas in your life where you're waiting for a miracle. Ask God to open your eyes and show you where He is working. Ask Him for awareness to recognize His solution and courage to tell others of the way He is working in your life.
tell
After appearing to His disciples, Jesus explained their role in continuing the work He had begun. The idea that the good news, the Gospel, should go into all the world and be made known to all people was a shift in thinking for these Jewish believers. Up until this point, the Jews believed Jesus had come just to save them.
Jesus' instructions to go minister to unknown places and unknown people with the message of the Gospel would have been both exciting and terrifying to the disciples. This command to go, tell, make disciples, and baptize isn't just for the few believers gathered there that day. It is for each and every one of us who believe. The task is difficult and uncomfortable at times. It isn't always popular or accepted. Even still, we have a mission - to love the world enough to push past what is comfortable, sure, and known, into a place where we bravely live a life that reflects the Gospel and boldly proclaims the truth to all the world.
On several index cards or in your journal, write the names of people or people groups with whom God is calling you to share the Gospel. Spend time in prayer for these people, asking God to give you the opportunity you need to boldly share the good news.
decide
Who do you think Jesus is? After exploring the Gospel message this last week, has your heart been moved? Are you beginning to understand the depth of his love for you? If you have further questions about Jesus and are looking for some answers, send us your questions in the comment box below. If you are making a decision to put your faith and trust in Him for the first time, fill out the form below and let us know! We want to celebrate your decision and provide you with resources you need to continue to grow in this relationship. If you have been encouraged in your relationship with Jesus through this experience, fill out the form below and let us know how your life was impacted.
