A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
John 20:26,27

Resurrection Proof

Have you ever been channel surfing late at night and come across one of those infomercials with the super energetic spokesperson? After a few minutes, you start thinking, “Maybe I do need one of those salad spinners. After all, they do come in six amazing colors. And I really should eat more salads.” Those infomercial producers know you won’t purchase something on blind faith; you need proof. And if you see that proof—that the product really works—maybe you’ll consider buying theirs. That’s why the spokesperson for the salad spinner is energetic, happy, and in great shape. If you act now, this can all be yours for just $19.99.

The disciples wanted proof. They had seen Jesus die. His body had been taken off the cross and placed into the tomb. The disciples had been shaken. What they didn’t know yet was that Jesus had risen from the grave. He was alive. Jesus, on Easter evening, appeared to those shaken disciples and set their minds and hearts at ease.

But Thomas wasn’t there. So, Jesus appeared to him a week later. He didn’t have to, but our patient Savior reached out to Thomas and gave him what he was looking for: proof. What was unbelievable just a few days ago, wasn’t so far-fetched now that Thomas could see Jesus with his own eyes.

We have doubts, fears, and struggles too. Our patient Savior comes to us with promises that are always reliable. He points us to the cross—proof our sins are forgiven. He points us to the empty tomb—proof that he lives and that the Father has accepted and approved of his payment for sin. He holds out his scarred hands and assures us we have peace with God. No need to act now or make a payment; Jesus already has!

Prayer:
Lord, in my times of doubt, strengthen me with your promises. You died for me. You rose again. You are with me always! Amen.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
Revelation 1:5,6

Victoriously Saved for a Purpose

In his Small Catechism, after describing the work of Jesus, Martin Luther wrote: “All this he did that I should be his own, and live under him in his kingdom, and serve him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as he has risen from death and lives and rules eternally.” According to Martin Luther, now that Christ has redeemed and rescued us, we now have the opportunity and the motivation to serve him and live for him.

Martin Luther didn’t come up with that concept. He was repeating what the Lord had already said many times through his holy writers, including the apostle John. After assuring us that Jesus loves us and that he has completely freed us from our sins, John offers a purpose for which we have been rescued. Christ has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father.

I am a priest? That brings up images of a clergyman wearing black, listening to someone’s confession, or presiding over a wedding. Instead, think Old Testament priest. He offered sacrifices to God. He helped others see God’s love and goodness. He prayed for the people.

When John says you are a priest, he is reminding you that you have a very special purpose in life. Your day job might be a nurse, accountant, teacher, or mechanic, but your purpose in life is to help others see God’s love and goodness, to pray for others, and to offer sacrifices to God. And by sacrifices, thinking kind words of others, a helpful hand to someone in need, being patient with a co-worker, living with an attitude of thanksgiving and contentment, and sharing the good news about Jesus when given the opportunity. In all these ways you help others see the goodness of God.

Prayer:
Lord, thank you for rescuing me and making me a member of your family. Help me to express my gratitude by the way I live my life—for the good of others and to your glory. Amen.

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
John 20:19,20

Jesus Gives Us Peace

When the disciples were gathered behind locked doors on that first Easter Sunday, they were very afraid. They were afraid for their lives. They truly thought that those who killed Jesus were now going to come after them and kill them, too. The bottom line is that they had no peace, and they lacked a faith that believed Jesus would rise from the dead.

What is it that scares you? Studies show that people are most often scared by spiders, snakes, and other creepy-crawly things. Does that hold true for you as well?

Perhaps you’ve outgrown that fear. Yet as we grow older, we face a new set of fears. Will our health hold up? Will our children be okay when they leave the house? Will we have enough money to support ourselves? All of these “fears” are out of our control. They, too, rob us of peace—which is where faith in Jesus comes in.

Just as the disciples could not control the enemies of Jesus, we can’t control the economy, disease, or people who wish to cause harm. Oh, if only Jesus would appear to us and say, “Peace be with you!”

But don’t be fooled. This “peace” Jesus gives is not intended to make all the bad things in life go away. The peace Jesus gives strengthens us as we endure the many difficult challenges of life. The peace Jesus gives also lifts our eyes from the temporary things of this world to the eternal things of heaven. The peace Jesus gives is the assurance that our sins are forgiven, and we will be in heaven forever with him.

Truly, there is nothing to fear. Cancer, thieves, storms cannot take away the eternal promises Jesus has made to you. Trust in him and his words, and you will have the peace Jesus gives.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, fill me with the peace of knowing you are alive and well, ruling this world on behalf of your people. Amen.

Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. . . Then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” . . . Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:51,52,54,57

A Victory for Body and Soul

Click. A vulnerable newborn nestled in her mother’s tender embrace. Flash. The infant’s first toothy grin. Click. Baby’s first step. Flash. Child’s first day of school. Click. Teen’s first date. Flash. Woman’s wedding day. Click. First-time mother. Flash. Last time grandmother. Click. Granite headstone and freshly dug earth.

Click. Flash. Click. Flash. The bulb’s flash and the shutter’s click catch the progression of life. But really, it’s the regression of life, isn’t it? The camera captures the newborn so full of promise and potential. But already at life’s first cry, we have begun our journey to life’s final breath.

“Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57). The sting of death is sin, but two thousand years ago, Jesus bore the curse of sin. The power of sin is the law, but two thousand years ago, Jesus satisfied the law’s demands. When Jesus died, he paid for our sin, fulfilled the law, defeated death, and redeemed not only our souls but our bodies as well.

Because Jesus lives, all who believe in him will live with him forever even if we die. But these mortal, perishable, sin-stung frames aren’t made for eternal life. We need an upgrade. The resurrection of Jesus guarantees that an upgrade is pending. Yes, Jesus fulfilled our salvation two thousand years ago, but one day it will be fulfilled in us.

In a flash at the trumpets’ last blast, Jesus will reverse the poison of sin and remove the effect of death. He will rend every grave and raise all the dead. And all who died trusting in the Lord will be transformed. The old body will become a new body, but it will be your body. Just better. Immortal. Imperishable. Upgraded for eternal life.

Prayer:
Risen Savior, thank you for your victory over sin and death. Amen.

Suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them . . . [and] said to them. . . . “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!”
Luke 24:4-6

Hidden Victory

A little girl turns around in a department store, expecting to see her daddy. But he’s not there. Panic.

A woman gets up and goes to the kitchen, expecting to see her husband. But he’s not there. Grief.

Friends go to the arena, expecting to see their favorite performer’s last concert. But he’s not there. Disappointment.

A man goes to the courthouse, expecting to confront his attacker. But he’s not there. Anger.

“He is not here.”

Those four words don’t typically evoke positive feelings. But on the morning of Jesus’ resurrection, the angel’s sermon brings joy and hope bubbling to the surface because those four words are followed by one overpowering truth: He is risen, just as he said. Amid all of life’s disappointments, we have a God who keeps his word.

Jesus is not here because he has risen and ascended to God’s right hand. He’s gone to prepare a place for us. But if he’s gone to prepare a place for us, that means he’s coming back.

Until then, we will still be scared, sad, disappointed, and angered. But let’s not forget what promise opened for us when that stone was flung from its place. Jesus may be hidden from our eyes, but we can always find him in his word. He meets us there with his peace, his joy, his satisfaction, and his grace, and his promise that he will work good for us.

We will not stay in doubt, fear, pain, and sorrow. We will not stay in the grave. We will not stay in our mortal, perishable bodies. We will not stay on this earth, groaning under the weight of sin, but when he comes back, he will take us to live with him on a new earth, cleansed of all evil.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I am so glad that you are not here, that you are risen, just as you said. It means I can trust that you will keep all your promises to me. Amen.

“I will sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea. The LORD is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him.”
Exodus 15:1,2

The Victorious Life

We like to remember the “good old days” when life was better, simpler, more wholesome. We long for those days again. But there are certain things we wish we could forget. And sometimes those things cast such a long shadow we think we cannot escape them and have no choice but to embrace them.

The Israelites’ time as slaves in Egypt was not the good old days. Even after God had delivered them with a mighty hand through the Red Sea, they still couldn’t shake their past. When the path to the promised land looked too difficult, they were ready to return to their former life of slavery.

However, God hadn’t just put space between them and their former way of life. He had shattered it and rendered it powerless. In its place, he gave them a new life and a new identity. As God’s chosen people, they had every reason to let go of their past, rejoice in their present, and hope in the future.

Easter is our Red Sea experience. It is the day that Jesus crossed over from death to life, shattering death and rendering the devil powerless. In its place, he gives us the gift of new life and a new identity. Through faith in Jesus, we are God’s chosen people.

If the path to God’s eternal promised land looks too difficult, too out of grasp, don’t look back. Don’t long for what once was. In Christ, good days do not lie behind us. Nor does our past define us. Jesus’ resurrection means that every day is a new day, a new life, for you and me.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I praise you for you are my strength against temptation, my defense against condemnation, and the joy of my salvation. Amen.

[Jesus] humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!
Philippians 2:8

Nothing More Needs to Be Said

Imagine it’s about 30 years after Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. Imagine you are a career military man, recently retired from the Roman army. Like many other retired soldiers, you decide to live in a town called Philippi. You like it there because so many of your neighbors are just like you—people who know what military life is all about.

Then it happens: The apostle Paul comes to your town with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ. You believe his message. You help form a Christian congregation. You begin sharing the message of Christ with others.

But then life gets difficult. Because of your Christian faith, some of your old friends want nothing to do with you anymore. Some in your church family are even facing open hostility because of what they believe. You have moments when you wonder how much the Lord Jesus really loves you.

Then, a godsend—a letter from Paul! As you read it, there is one sentence that hits you hard. Paul is describing what Jesus was willing to do for you. He says, “He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!

Nothing more needs to be said. You see, as a soldier, you know what death on a cross is. The sight of gasping, writhing victims, the sound of their sobs, the smell, the flies—all have seared themselves into your memory long ago. And the Son of God willingly did that for you.

Does Jesus love you? There he was on the cross. There he bore your sins in your place.

Nothing more needs to be said.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you went to the cross in my place to take my every sin away. You love me. For that I love you. And I thank you. Amen.

[Jesus] said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”
Luke 22:15,16

His Food, Our Fill

Don’t you love a good meal? Maybe it’s a birthday, anniversary, or holiday spent with people you love. Or it’s a special place—a favorite restaurant or a new one that comes highly recommended. Maybe it’s the one favorite meal that you never get tired of.

On the night before Jesus died, he enjoyed a meal with his friends. It wasn’t just any meal. It was the Passover meal, a special feast carefully prepared, served, and shared by the Jewish people every year.

The Passover was festive not just because it was celebrated with family. The Passover celebrated how God rescued the Jewish people from slavery and brought them to the Promised Land. Maybe best of all, it pictured a rescue still to come—a rescue that Jesus came to accomplish.

As Jesus sat down to that meal that night, he knew what would soon happen. He knew his body would hang on a cross and die. His blood would pour out of wounds that would be inflicted on him. He knew he would give his life for the sins of the world.

But knowing this didn’t sour the experience that night. It made Jesus look forward to it even more. The lamb killed and eaten in the Passover meal would foreshadow the way Jesus would be sacrificed to free us from our sins and bring us to the Promised Land of heaven, a sacrifice he was eager to make for you and me.

Jesus still longs to eat with us. When we hear his Word, he satisfies our hunger with his mercy and love. In Holy Communion, Jesus miraculously gives his body and blood with the bread and wine to remind us of his sacrifice and assure us of his forgiveness. With these gifts, he feeds our souls until we feast with him in heaven.

Prayer:
Jesus, you eagerly desired my salvation. Satisfy my soul with your Word. Amen.

At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:10,11

Humble Jesus Is My Lord

That day was a glimpse at a hidden reality. Jesus’ true identity was hidden. While he lived in this world, he looked like anybody else. He ate and drank. He walked, worked, and slept.

There were hints that there might be more to Jesus. Because of the way he taught with such confidence and authority. The miraculous ways he helped people. The loving, gentle way he spoke to and cared for people. But overall, Jesus still looked like just a man to many.

That day, something looked different, though, if not about Jesus, then about how people reacted to him. He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. And his friends and followers acted as if it were a presidential motorcade or a parade for a king returning from battle. They were shouting his praises and waving palm branches like their country’s flag. There was pomp and circumstance. And crowds of people joined in the celebration along the road. They were treating him like a king.

Even though Jesus seemed majestic that day on his donkey, it was later that week when his greatest and most praiseworthy work as Lord and King would happen in unthinkable humility—hidden from sight. He would bleed and die in weakness and shame to battle death and destroy sin’s curse.

Because he did, he rose from the dead and rules in heaven, where we and all who see him now by faith will see him in glory and praise our Lord and King.

Prayer:
Jesus, move my heart to acknowledge and praise you as Lord now and always. Amen.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; . . . And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!
Philippians 2:5,6,8

Reason to Keep Going

In the state house at Albany, New York, there is a small artifact that tells a big story. It’s a letter written by President Abraham Lincoln. The letter grants a full pardon to a soldier found guilty of desertion. The soldier’s name is Roswell McIntyre. The letter is dated October 4, 1864.

As you read the letter, you can’t help but notice some additional scribbling on the lower left of the page. It’s this additional scribbling that completes the story. This extra note on the letter is dated 1865. It reads, “Taken from the body of R. McIntyre at the battle of Five Forks, Virginia.”

That’s the story of Roswell McIntyre. He was a man guilty of desertion. But instead of disgrace and punishment, he received a full pardon from his president. He was so grateful for that pardon that he carried it with him for the rest of the war. It kept him going. It empowered him to stand and fight. It empowered him to remain a faithful soldier to the end.

It’s no accident that the Bible compares our lives as Christians to those of soldiers. The spiritual dangers are great. The temptation to desert our Lord can be fierce. And, truth be told, you and I must confess that there have been many times we have run away from following the Lord’s will for our lives. For such desertion, you and I deserve God’s abandonment.

But because of Jesus, we have received a full pardon instead. Because of the cross, our failures are washed away. Through faith in him, we are forgiven and not condemned.

Keep that pardon with you. Pull it out and read it every day. Remember who you are in your Savior. It will keep you going. It will keep you faithful to the moment he takes you home.

Prayer:
Dearest Jesus, in you I stand completely forgiven. Empower me to fight the good fight. Empower me to be faithful to the end. Amen.

But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13,14

Forget What Is Behind

It seems like, every few years, another movie comes out about time travel. We love these movies because we all wish we could go back and change our past. We all have regrets and guilt from things we’ve done or left undone. The problem is: ruminating on the past keeps us from living the Christian life in the present. It’s like a sprinter who keeps looking back instead of running to the finish line.

The apostle Paul was tempted to look back. In the past, he persecuted Christians even to the point of death. He thought it was God’s will to destroy Christianity. But then God called him not only to believe in Jesus but to be the lead missionary to bring the good news about Jesus to the ends of the earth. With such an important mission, he couldn’t waste time obsessing about his past.

So, he wrote: “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13,14).

Paul would not let his shame and guilt from the past stop him from doing the ministry in the present. Jesus had overcome his past through his death and resurrection. God wanted him to run the race God had set out for him.

Even if someone invented the time machine, you wouldn’t need it. God has forgiven your past. Now he wants you to focus on what’s ahead. Keep taking hold of the love and acceptance you have in Christ, and live out the calling that God has given you.

Prayer:
Lord God, you have forgiven my past. Lead me to keep my eyes fixed on following you in the future and the heavenly home you are preparing for me. Amen.

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.
Philippians 3:7

Too Much to Lose

Why did the religious leaders in Jesus’ day reject him as their Savior? The short answer: They had too much to lose, at least from their perspective. If Jesus really was right, then they were wrong about almost everything. They would have to admit they were wrong when they put their ultimate trust in their position in the community. Or when they trusted in how well they followed their own rules. Or when they tried to use their authority to control the people. So instead of admitting they were wrong, they rejected Jesus even to the point of crucifying him. They thought they had just too much to lose.

There was a time when another religious leader named Paul had the same point of view. He saw Jesus as a threat to everything he had gained through his religiosity. But Jesus himself confronted Paul and opened his heart to the truth of God’s love in Christ. And so, instead of trusting in his religious accomplishments, he came to say, “Whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ” (Philippians 3:7).

When Paul met Jesus, he started prizing and pursuing what God treasured. He stopped trusting and boasting about his successes, and he started worshiping and honoring his Savior.

The same option lies before us. We can follow the example of the religious leaders of Jesus’ day. We could trust in our trophies, accomplishments, and religious observances. Or we could consider our record nothing in comparison to knowing Christ and being found in him.

Following Christ might mean that we lose in the eyes of the world. But whatever we might gain in this world is nothing compared to what we already have in Christ.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, help me to trust in you, and you alone. Amen.

[Jesus] went on to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time. At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out. “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.’ But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.”
Luke 20:9-15

A History of Rejection

In this short story, Jesus is summarizing over a thousand years of Israel’s history. God gave Israel his word and his promises. But instead of learning and sharing God’s message with the world, Israel rejected God and his representatives.

You see, hostility toward God and the rejection of his word is not a new problem. It has been going on since the first people God created disobeyed him in the Garden of Eden. What is surprising is that God has not given up on his people. Not only did God continue to send prophets and teachers to his people, but he also sent his very own son, Jesus Christ. And although Jesus was rejected to the point of death, God used their failure to provide forgiveness to the world through the cross.

Don’t be startled when you see the world walk away from the truth. That’s to be expected. But let your heart continue to be renewed by God’s long-suffering and never-ending faithfulness and love.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I can get so depressed when I see so many leave the faith. Help me to see and believe in your faithfulness. Amen.

Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
Isaiah 12:2

Strength for Singing

Have you ever heard the saying: “whistling past the graveyard”? It is used to describe people who know they are in a terrible situation yet remain confident even in the face of overwhelming odds.

That saying can describe Christians. Isaiah 12:2 tells us why. It says, “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD is my strength and my song, he has become my salvation.” We human beings face a terrible situation and overwhelming odds. Sin infests our hearts like a disease, showing itself in hateful thoughts, hurtful words, and hostile actions toward others. The result is that we are headed for the graveyard, facing the death of our bodies and souls forever as our just punishment. And there is nothing we can do about it. There is nothing we can do to make up for our sins or set our wrongs right.

We need saving, and that saving comes not from us but from God. He has become our salvation. He sent his Son, Jesus, to endure the punishment for all our sins by giving his life on the cross. But that’s not all. Jesus not only fought our fight against sin and won, but he also rose again, conquering death. In Jesus, we have victory over sin and the grave. His work on our behalf gives us unshakable confidence in the face of overwhelming odds.

We can sing past the graveyard because, in Jesus and his sin-conquering strength, we have forgiveness. We can sing past the graveyard because the grave is not our end. Instead, Jesus makes heaven our eternal home. So, no matter the terrible situation, no matter the overwhelming odds, Jesus and his salvation give us strength for singing.

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, you are my salvation. Give me strength not to be afraid even of death itself because you defeated sin and death for me. Give me strength to sing of the salvation I have in you. Amen.

The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
Romans 8:7,8

Fighting the Flesh

The Bible teaches a rather uncomfortable truth. It says that you and I are sinners. On this side of heaven, we’ll continue to struggle with our sinful flesh. It’s a given. But with the Holy Spirit’s power, we are daily called to engage in a holy battle. And with his help, we will be victorious.

But if we throw in the towel and give in to our sin without a fight, we’re encouraging our sinful flesh and mind to continually disobey God’s good commands. And it’s addictive. Sin is a powerful and deadly drug that corrupts our minds and continually lies to us. When we allow our flesh to govern our mind, it eventually becomes “hostile to God.” Without the Spirit’s help, our mind “does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.” In summary, Paul tells us, “Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God,” and eternal condemnation will be the inevitable outcome.

But Jesus can help us, and he does. Perfectly. He has conquered our sin and crushed our condemnation forever. Trust him!

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, give me your strength to fight my flesh. Amen.