The Story of Easter – Last Day
(Devotional by Pastor Ben)

As Jesus is poised on a mountain about to be lifted before their eyes into the heavens, He gives His band of followers the final strategy, which has become known as the Great Commission. Jesus calls us to a purpose bigger than ourselves and gives us power that is not our own with which to accomplish it.

 “Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”        (Matthew 28:16-20)

    “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.”        (John 21:25)

    “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”                                (John 20:31)

Just before Jesus leaves the earth for good, He answers one last question and gives one final prediction. Read Acts 1:1-9 as Jesus promises to give the power it takes to live the Christian life.

The Story of Easter – Day #11
(Devotional by Pastor Ben)

Jesus’ resurrection-light has opened the eyes of a woman blinded by tears, two followers blinded by their beliefs, and the disciples blinded by fear. Now, He appears just for Thomas, the disciple blinded by doubt.

 “Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.’

    “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.’ Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”                        (John 20:24-29)

Thomas was not the last person in the world to say, “Show me.” The apostle Paul speaks directly to other Thomases who doubt that the resurrection took place in 1 Corinthians 15:1-14. Read that passage.

It is a misty fisherman’s morning. Peter has just flung himself off his boat to swim ashore and get close to Jesus, and he is now drying off by a crackling fire that Jesus Himself built. The last time we saw Peter warming himself by a fire was when he denied he knew Jesus, and Jesus’ penetrating gaze sent him running from the courtyard in shame. Peter once again finds Jesus looking deep into his soul, this time offering him restoration, three times over.

 “When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’

    ‘Yes, Lord.’ He said, ‘you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed my lambs.’

     “Again Jesus said, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He answered, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Take care of my sheep.’

    “The third time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’
    “Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ He said, ‘Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.’
    Jesus said, ‘Feed my sheep. Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.’

    Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, ‘Follow me!”
                                    (John 21:15-19)

Jesus is lovingly reconciling with Peter, making sure he knows that his mistakes are not fatal and have not destroyed His love. None of us are mistake-free; we can’t possibly be good enough to earn God’s love. Read Ephesians 2:8-9 to see that God’s grace is all we need.

The Story of Easter – Day #10
(Devotional by Pastor Ben)

Later that day, two followers of Jesus are walking to a neighboring village, talking about this strange turn of events. The resurrected Jesus appears, walking alongside them, and asks what they are talking about with such sad faces. Mistaking Him for an out-of-town-er, they tell Jesus His own story!

 “One of them named Cleopas asked him, ‘Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?’ ‘What things?’ He asked. ‘About Jesus of Nazareth,’ they replied. ‘He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”
    “He said to them, ‘How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.”
    “As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, ‘Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.’ So he went in to stay with them.
    When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
                                (Luke 24:18-32)

Jesus helps Cleopas and his companion re-interpret their beliefs. Once their minds are opened, their physical eyes are opened and they recognize Jesus. Another encounter from Jesus’ past draws similar comparisons between spiritual and physical sight; Read John 9.

Cleopas and his friend can’t get back to Jerusalem fast enough to confirm the good news the women had already reported. But the disciples  are huddled in hiding, knowing full well that Jesus’ disappearance could lead to their arrest for body-stealing.

 “While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, ‘Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.’
    When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, ‘Do you have anything to eat?’ They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence. He said to them, ‘This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.’
    “Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, ‘This is what is written: The messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.”
                                (Luke 24:36-48)

The disciples lock themselves in a room, but the lock can’t keep Jesus out. Fear close them in, but love overcomes their fear. Read 1 John 4:7-21 for the behind-the-scenes description of how God’s love trumps fear.

The Story of Easter – Day #9
(Devotional by Pastor Ben)

HE LIVES!

Light upon light illuminates the graveyard. The soft light of dawn is brightened by the white garments of the angels, their faces like lightning as they announce the Light of the world is breaking forth. In contrast to the enshrouding darkness of Jesus’ trial and crucifixion, the significant events of the weeks following that Easter Sunday take place in the full light of day. It is as if God is casting a heavenly spotlight on Jesus’ dazzling victory.
Yet, there is more than victory to be understood from these days with the risen Savior. The true nature of the kingdom of heaven is finally making sense. The disciples are mentally revisiting all of Jesus’ teachings and filtering them through this new realization of what He meant when He said His kingdom is not of this world. The darkness of their spiritual blindness is pierced with the light of the resurrected Truth. Interspersed with these revelations are tender reunions, doubt-dispelling appearances, and a very special one-on-one reconciliation.

Jesus died and was buried on Friday. The next day was the Jewish Sabbath, and a guard was posted to prevent any tampering with the body. So at the very earliest moment possible, three loyal women go to pay their respects, although they don’t quite know how they are going to do so.

“When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, ‘Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”  (Mark 16:1-3)

“There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples:
‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him. Now I have told you.’ So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid, yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.                (Matthew 28:2-9)

Mary Magdalene has done this before. She is believed to be the woman who anointed the living Jesus with costly burial perfume. Her sacrificial outpouring upon His feet was a picture of the embalming preparations she carrie to Him now. Read Luke 7:36-50.

Jesus broke many social barriers during His ministry, and now He does so again by appearing first to a woman. Mary Magdalene, her devotion giving her courage, is the only one looking for Him. Jesus responds to her love with His presence, His tender love, and His trust.

“Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, ‘Woman, why are you crying?’ ‘They have taken my Lord away,’ she said, ‘and I don’t know where they have put him.’ At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. He asked her, ‘Woman, why are you crying/ Who is it you are looking for?’ Thinking he was the gardener, she said, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!’ (Which means ‘Teacher’). Jesus said, ‘Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: ‘I have seen the Lord!’ And she told them that he had said these things to her.”        (John 20:11-18)

Mary Magdalene wasn’t looking for Jesus because she had hoped He would be her political savior; she was looking for Him because she wanted to be where He was. Read how another Mary gives us a famous example of just such pure devotion in Luke 10:38-42.

The Story of Easter – Day #8
(Devotional by Pastor Ben)

Unwittingly, the Jewish leaders, Pilate, the Roman soldiers, and the secret followers of Jesus all play a role in fulfilling several ancient prophesies about how Jesus’ death and burial were to happen. Then, by sealing the tomb and posting a guard, they help to set the stage for the greatest upset victory of all time.

“Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: ‘Not one of his bones will be broken,’ and, as another scripture says, ‘They will look on the one they have pierced.”

“Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.”      (John 19:31-42)
“The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘we remember that while he was still alive, that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. The last deception will be worse than the first.”
“Take a guard, Pilate answered. ‘Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.’ So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting a guard.”    (Matthew 27:62-66)

We are first introduced to the Pharisee Nicodemus when he sneaks to meet with Jesus under cover of darkness. Their fascinating conversation, which includes one of the most well-loved verses in the Bible, is recorded in John 3:1-21. Many of Jesus’ words from that night are probably coming back to haunt Nicodemus now. Read that passage.

There is no way around it, Jesus is polarizing. Even while He hangs on the cross, people react to Him in completely opposite ways. This is seen most clearly in the responses of the two thieves on either side of Him.

“The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.’ The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, ‘If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.’ There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the Jews.”

“One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: ‘Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ But the other criminal rebuked him. ‘Don’t you fear God,’ he said, ‘since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
                                (Luke 23:35-43)

It’s impossible for a criminal who is stuck to a cross and on the verge of death to do any work to earn himself a place in heaven. Read all we have to do to gain eternal life in John 1:12.

The Story of Easter – Day #7
(Devotional by Pastor Ben)

 Roman crucifixion is a cruel punishment. Nailed to a wooden cross by wrists and feet, it is an excruciating, slow, and very public way to die. The victim’s groaning and screaming becomes a morning’s entertainment for onlookers. Yet, the loud insults and caustic jeers and mocking taunts do not drown out the astounding request Jesus makes on their behalf.

 “Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, ‘So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!’

    “In the same way, the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. ‘He saved others,’ they said, ‘but he can’t save himself! Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.”
                                (Mark 15:29-32a)

    “Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals — one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”        (Luke 23:32-34a)

Read Matthew 6:38-48 from the Sermon on the Mount to discover Jesus’ own words about how to treat enemies.

For those made to suffer crucifixion, death itself was the only resolution. So Jesus waits for death to overcome Him. Before that, however, a deeper pain is coming, a pain that goes far beyond the nails in His feet and wrists or the thorns puncturing His brow. God pours out humanity’s rightful punishment for sin upon His Son. Even nature physically reacts. The sun is prematurely shuttered at the height of its midday arc. The earth convulses with cataclysmic effect, releasing the dead and destroying the partition between God and man.

 “It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining.”
                                (Luke 23:44-45)

    “About three in the afternoon, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, Lesa sabachthani?’ (Which means “My God, my God, what have you forsaken me?”) When some of those standing there heard this, they said, ‘He’s calling Elijah.’

    “Immediately, one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. The rest said, ‘Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.’ When he had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”

    “At that moment, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split, and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared too many people.”

    “When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, ‘Surely he was the Son of God!”
                            (Matthew 27:46-54)

Jesus’ moment of greatest agony is the moment when God turns His back on Him. Read the rest of the psalm that Jesus started to quote, Psalm 22, looking for the many striking predictions that were fulfilled on this terrible day.

The Story of Easter – Day #6
(Devotional by Pastor Ben)

Peter, to his credit, follows Jesus when almost all His other followers scatter. But, we are told he follows Him at a distance, and then he warms himself at the fires of His enemies.

 “And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked at him closely and said, ‘This man was with him.’ But he denied it. ‘Woman, I don’t know him,’ he said.

    “A little later, someone else saw him and said. ‘You are also one of them.’ Peter replied, ‘Man, I am not!’ About an hour later, another asserted, ‘Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.’ Peter replied, ‘Man, I don’t know what you are talking about!’

    “Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: ‘Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.’ And he went outside and wept bitterly.”
    (Luke 22:55-62)

Jesus could have been anticipating this moment years earlier. Read Mark 8:34-38.

The interchanges between Pilate and Jesus are fascinating interludes in this nightmarish night. Pilate, Rome’s political envoy to Jerusalem, is perplexed by the amount of fervor this apparently innocent man has stirred up. As he digs deeper and discovers more, he moves from confusion to alarm to frustration. When Pilate mistakenly asserts that he is the one in the room with authority and power, Jesus sets him straight

“Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’ And they slapped him in the face.

    “Once more, Pilate came out and said to the Jews gathered there, ‘Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.’ When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, ‘Here is the man!’

    “As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, ‘Crucify! Crucify!’ But Pilate answered, ‘You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.’ The Jewish leaders insisted, ‘We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.’

    “When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, and he went back inside the palace. He asked Jesus, ‘Where do you come from?’ But Jesus gave him no answer. Pilate said, ‘Do you refuse to speak to me? Don’t you realize I have the power to either free you or to crucify you?’

    “Jesus answered, ‘You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore, the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”
                            (John 19:1-11)

The actual answer to Pilate’s question, “Where do you come from?”
Is found in John 1:1-5. Read that passage (the term “Word” refers to Jesus.)

The Easter Story – Day #5
(Devotional by Pastor Ben)
The Trial and Crucifixion

The evening spent around the Passover table is one the disciples will cherish forever; a time of hushed reverence overlaid with the warmth of their Lord’s love. But the rest of the night unfolds in jarring contrast. One event tumbles angrily into the next; an explosive and violent crashing of world systems and ancient traditions and religious hierarchy and political intrigue. In dismay, we watch . . .

    * Illegal midnight trials rigged with faked evidence.

    * Angry maneuverings of vindictive power-hungry leaders.

    * Three cowardly denials from the most impulsive disciple.

    * The spineless cave-in of a political envoy.

    * The polarizing effect of the King of the Jews, even while pinned to a torturous tree.

These events are cloaked in the darkness of the night and the darkness of closed minds. The sun is suffocated by a mid-day eclipse, and all creation violently shudders in horror at His death. Prophecies are fulfilled as He is sealed inside the utter darkness of a stone tomb.

For the religious leaders, it takes several trials, outright manipulation, and the breaking of a number of laws to get the final result they want.

 “Those who had arrested Jesus, took him to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally, two came forward and declared, ‘This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’ ”

    “Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, ‘Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?’ But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, ‘I charge you under oath by the living God, tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.’ Jesus replied, ‘You have said so, but I say to all of you, From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

    “Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, ‘He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?’

    “He is worthy of death, they answered.”     (Matthew 25:57-66)
Jesus is painfully aware of everything He is about to endure. Read the Scriptural predictions He knew by heart in Isaiah 53.

The Story of Easter – Day #4
(Devotional by Pastor Ben)

“Father, the hour has come.” Can’t you just imagine Jesus getting choked up at that moment? Poised between life and death, His only desire is that the world would know His Father’s tremendous love for them.

“After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: ‘Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.”    (John 17:1-5)

“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
(John 17:24-26)

“When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”
(Matthew 26:30)

Read Psalm 136, known as the Great Hallel (song of praise), which is traditionally sung at the close of the Passover celebration.

Jesus’ last moments before His arrest are spent in a familiar and comforting place: in the arms of His Father. Going away alone to pray was His established pattern throughout His life, but never before have we gotten to listen in as He pours out His private prayers.

“Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’ He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.’ Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’
Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. ‘Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?’ He asked Peter. ‘Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.’ He went away a second time and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”        (Matthew 26:36-42)

“An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.”    (Luke 22:43-44)

“When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, ‘Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”
(Matthew 26:43-46)

Read the words of Psalm 23 that have been breathed as a desperate prayer by so many who are going through their darkest hours.

The Story of Easter – Day #3
(Devotional by Pastor Ben)

Lingering at the table after the meal, Jesus begins sharing with His disciples all that is on His heart. He knows He has already made them uneasy with talk of His broken body and poured out blood, so He starts by giving them an idea of what’s in store for them.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”
Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”    (John 14:1-7)

Jesus’ declaration that He is the one and only way to God was shocking then, and it remains shocking to people today. Read Acts 4:4-12, to see how Peter draws the same bold conclusion just a few months later when he’s speaking to the most prestigious religious leaders of his time.

Jesus knows He is about to die, so what He says in these last moments with His disciples amounts to nothing less than His life’s legacy. His heartfelt thoughts are some of the most important things He would ever say to them, and to us today.

“Philip said, ‘Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.’ Jesus answered, ‘Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.
Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever — the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”            (John 14:8-17)

“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet, I am not alone, for my Father is with me. I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”     (John 16:12-13, 32-33)

Read more of Jesus’ final message of hope and encouragement to His disciples in John 15.