Good Morning Friends,
Holy Week has carried us through triumph and tragedy—Palm Sunday, betrayal, denial, crucifixion, resurrection—and now toward Pentecost and the gift of the Spirit. These events are not distant history; they expose our own hearts. Like Peter, we deny Jesus. Like John, we love. And like the crowds and rulers, we often shift blame elsewhere. But the resurrection interrupts all our excuses. Grace breaks in. As we continue through Eastertide, we look through the eyes of Peter and John—two men who were forgiven by Jesus and were transformed by Jesus. Their witness reminds us that the resurrection is too true, too beautiful, and too life‑altering to ignore. So, the question stands: Has your experience of Holy Week prepared you for a joyful relationship with the risen Christ?
Scripture (Summary)
• John 20:11–18 — Mary meets the risen Jesus, who calls her by name and sends her to tell the good news.
• John 17:20–26 — Jesus prays that His followers would be united in love, sharing the glory and intimacy He has with the Father.
• Psalm 33:4–22 — God is faithful, powerful, and steadfast in love; those who hope in Him find deliverance and joy.
• Luke 22:42 — Jesus submits to the Father’s will in Gethsemane, choosing obedience for our salvation.
Message: Peter’s first sermon proclaims Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and ascension—and then he says something shocking: we are responsible for His crucifixion. Not just the leaders, not just the crowds, not just Rome. All of us.But Peter can say this because he himself was forgiven. The one who denied Jesus three times now stands restored, calling others to the same grace. The disciples who fled now stand beside him in the power of the Spirit. Their shame has been swallowed by mercy.Holy Week invites us into that same honest reckoning. We stand with the crowds, at the cross, at the tomb. We face our guilt so that we can receive God’s joy. In a culture obsessed with comfort and self‑fulfillment, the gospel calls us to look at sorrow long enough to understand grace. Only then does the stone roll away from our eyes.History is shaped by defining moments—Pearl Harbor, Astronauts going to the moon, 9/11, the pandemic. But nothing compares to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That event redefines humanity, and it redefines us. Through the experience of Holy Week we discover that the crucified, risen, and ascended Jesus is Lord and Christ. We discover that we are sinners in need of mercy. And we discover that repentance is not humiliation but liberation—an invitation into forgiveness, baptism, community, and abundant joy.This is the life Jesus teaches us to live: restored, forgiven, Spirit‑filled, and sent to serve in the power of the resurrection.
And So, Jesus meets us personally and calls us to share the good news. He prays for us to be united as his followers in the same love and glory He shares with the Father, chooses obedience to bring us salvation and celebrates us when we are faithful and trust Him.
Pray to be filled with the Spirit in your relationship with God and with one another. Pray to devote yourselves to each other so that the celebration of resurrection joy continues. Pray to bring your needs to Jesus. Pray to break old customs and receive the “best wine” of Christ’s new life. Pray for both personal and communal relationships with Christ. Pray for transformation—fear into hope, sorrow into joy, frowns into smiles. Pray to drink deeply of the Spirit poured out on us. Pray to take responsibility for sharing the Good News with others. Pray to remember that the crucified, risen, and ascended Jesus is Lord and Christ. Pray to repent, receive forgiveness, and learn from the greatest Teacher. Pray for passion and purpose where there is pain. Pray that the Spirit applies Scripture to your daily walk. Pray to look for the face of Jesus in those you love. Pray to be one, as Jesus prayed, we would be.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 