Day 47 of our 47-day journey with Jesus to the cross.

Author & Voice: Jerrika Dickerson

As the women approach the tomb at dawn, they discover what they never expected—while they were waiting, God was already at work. The resurrection reminds us that even in seasons of silence, grief, or uncertainty, God is not idle; He is accomplishing what we cannot see. In this episode, we’re invited to embrace Sabbath rest not as inactivity, but as trust—believing that because Jesus has secured the victory, we can rest in the confidence that God is always working on our behalf.

Scripture

1. Matthew 28:1

Reflection Questions

1. Where are you tempted to rush instead of rest?
2. What does Sabbath look like in your week—not just a day off, but real soul rest in God?
3. How does the resurrection give you confidence to rest, even in seasons when you don’t yet see the victory?
4. Are you willing to trust that God is working, even when it looks like nothing is happening?

Kid-Friendly Question

1. Have you ever had to wait for something really good? What did it feel like to wait?
2. Easter reminds us that Jesus is alive! What does that mean to you?

Spiritual Practice - Sabbath

Sabbath is hard enough for us when we aren’t going through a major trial of some kind. Odds are, there is an area of your life that feels dark and too heavy to hold. But resurrection means God is working even in what feels lifeless. Today, you are going to lay it down. It is time to rest.

If a full day feels out of reach, start with half a day or even an evening. Sabbath is not about perfection; it’s about creating sacred space to stop, rest, delight, and worship.

During this time, put your phone away. Stop obsessing over how you are going to solve the issues in your life and trust God instead. Ask yourself: What brings rest to my body and joy to my spirit? And then do those things. Fill your Sabbath with what restores your spirit. Sabbath is not meant to restrict us; it is meant to free us.

Ideas for Sabbath:

1. Worship or attend church
2. Take a walk in nature
3. Share a slow meal with loved ones
4. Read Scripture or a good book
5. Nap, journal, listen to music

As you rest today, remember: the tomb is empty, the Savior lives, and the story isn’t over. Rest in that truth.

Day 46 of our 47-day journey with Jesus to the cross.

Author & Voice: Glyn McKay

Jesus’ final command wasn’t just to “go,” but to live on mission as you are going. The Great Commission is not limited to distant places—it’s a call to make disciples in the everyday moments of life. In this episode, we’re reminded that wherever we are—at work, at home, or on the move—we are sent, and we do not go alone. The One with all authority goes with us, empowering us to live out His mission every step of the way.

Scripture

1. Matthew 28:16-20

Reflection Questions

1. Are you waiting for a “big moment” to share your faith or disciple someone?
2. Where do you already go every week, where God may be calling you to open your eyes and engage?
3. Have you let the idea of evangelism become intimidating, instead of relational?

Kid-Friendly Question

1. Who are some people at school or in your neighborhood that you think Jesus wants you to be kind to or talk to about Him?

Spiritual Practice - Community and Evangelism

1. Build Intentional Community

Identify 1–2 people in your daily or weekly rhythms who don’t know Christ or need encouragement in their faith. Invite them for coffee, a meal, or into your family’s life.

2. Live Missionally Where You Are

Write down 3 places you regularly go (e.g., gym, school drop-off, work). Ask God to show you how to be a disciple-maker as you are going into those spaces.

3. Pray the Commission Daily

Each morning this week, pray Matthew 28:18–20 aloud. Let it frame your day with purpose.

Day 45 of our 47-day journey with Jesus to the cross.

Author & Voice: Angela Obani

As the disciples obey Jesus and go to meet Him, some arrive with worship—and others with doubt. Yet Jesus meets them all, revealing that He is not deterred by honest questions but draws near to open their eyes. From mountaintop encounters to ordinary meals, His presence transforms uncertainty into clarity and worship into witness. In this episode, we’re invited to seek Him, trust Him, and remain open to how He reveals Himself—knowing that when He does, everything changes.

Scripture

1. Matthew 28:16-17, Luke 24:30-31

Reflection Questions

1. Where do you go to meet with Jesus?
2. In what ways do you need to be remade, like the disciples on the mountain?
3. How are you demonstrating the faith of the travelers to share and be welcoming?

Kid-Friendly Question

1. When you have quiet time with God, who is He telling you to share Jesus with?

Spiritual Practice - Silence & Stillness

1. Pray and ask God to reveal a dedicated place where you may consistently have a quiet time to experience His presence and worship in solitude.
2. Set calendar requests and alarms to block out and remind you of these times.
3. Sit in silence and reflect on ways your eyes need to be opened for Jesus.
4. As you sit in stillness, thank Him for always keeping His promises and meeting you wherever you are.

Day 44 of our 47-day journey with Jesus to the cross.

Author: Arlene Sanabria

Voice: Maddie Huang

When the women encounter the risen Jesus, they fall at His feet in worship—but He doesn’t leave them there. He lifts them with a mission: “Do not be afraid… go and tell.” This moment reveals the pattern of discipleship—encounter, worship, then witness. In this episode, we’re reminded that true worship doesn’t end at His feet; it overflows into obedience, as we are sent to share the hope of the risen Christ with others.

Scripture

1. Matthew 28:9-10

Reflection Questions

1. Am I truly surrendering my heart in worship, or just acknowledging Jesus without fully engaging?
2. What is keeping me from moving from worship to action?
3. Who is Jesus sending me to today with a message of hope?
4. What fear do I need to surrender to Jesus in order to obey His call?
5. How can my personal worship become a public witness this week?

Kid-Friendly Question

1. What would you do if you saw Jesus in front of you?
2. How can you tell someone that Jesus is alive?
3. Is there someone you can show God’s love to today?

Spiritual Practice - Thankfulness & Worship

Take a few moments today to reflect on who Jesus is and what He has done in your life. Make a short list of five things you’re thankful for—big or small. Then, turn those into words of worship. Say out loud or write a simple prayer of thanks:

“Jesus, I praise You because...” or “Thank You, Lord, for...”

Let your gratitude lead you into worship. True worship naturally leads to mission—when your heart is full of thanks, your mouth will overflow with testimony. The same Jesus who met the women on the road walks with you today.

Worship Him not only with your words, but with your willingness to go and tell.

Day 43 of our 47-day journey with Jesus to the cross.

Author & Voice: Erin. Benton

When confronted with the truth of the resurrection, the guards chose comfort over conviction—trading what they knew was real for what felt safe. This moment exposes a choice we all face: will we confess the truth of Jesus with our lives, or suppress it to protect our comfort? In this episode, we’re invited to choose truth over convenience, aligning not just our words, but our lives with the reality that Jesus is risen.

Scripture

1. Matthew 28:11-15

Reflection Questions

1. Where in my life am I tempted to deny the truth of who Jesus is, for fear of discomfort or inconvenience?
2. What might God be inviting me to confess, either in my heart or through my actions, that I’ve been holding back?
3. How might fasting reveal areas where I am choosing the comfort of this world over the truth of Christ’s resurrection?

Kid-Friendly Question

1. Is there something that you could give up, go without, fast from that would help you spend more time with Jesus?

Spiritual Practice - Confession & Fasting

Although we may have been practicing fasting as just a discipline throughout Lent, take this opportunity to fast with joy during Holy Week. Thank the Lord for wanting to transform us into His image and giving us practices for doing that. Take that humility that fasting created this season and turn it into thanksgiving and joy towards the One who wants to be with us!

Day 42 of our 47-day journey with Jesus to the cross.

Author & Voice: Chase Akin

The angel’s invitation is simple but powerful: “Come, see the place.” The tomb is empty—and that emptiness changes everything. What once held death, sin, and shame now holds nothing because Jesus has fully paid the price and defeated the grave. In this episode, we’re invited to look again at the empty tomb and remember that there is no debt left, no condemnation remaining, and nothing separating us from God—because He is risen.

Scripture

1. Matthew 28:5-6

Reflection Questions

1. What am I still carrying that Jesus already took to the tomb and left there?
2. How does the emptiness of the tomb speak to specific guilt or shame I’m holding onto?
3. What expectations do I need to surrender to see God’s reality instead?

Kid-Friendly Question

1. If Jesus took all our bad choices to the tomb and left them there when He came back to life, what does that mean about how God sees you?

Spiritual Practice - Prayer

Practice the “I felt , because , so I ” prayer pattern, then turn to the truth of the empty tomb. How to Practice:

Name your feeling and source: “I felt (afraid, guilty, weak) because …” Confess your response: “So I (tried to control, quit, yelled).”

Turn to the empty tomb: “But Jesus carried my(fear, guilt, shame) to the grave and left it there. The tomb is empty.”

Examples:

1. “I felt guilty because of my failures, so I avoided God. But my guilt isn’t in that tomb anymore.”
2. “I felt angry because I was hurt, so I held onto bitterness. But Jesus took my pain and left it in the grave.”

Day 41 of our 47-day journey with Jesus to the cross.

Author & Voice: Jason Paredes

Jesus’ final command was never just to teach His words—but to form disciples who obey them. In a culture where it’s easy to talk about faith without living it, this passage calls us beyond knowledge into action. In this episode, we’re challenged to examine whether our faith is merely spoken or truly practiced, remembering that real discipleship is not just hearing the Word—but doing it.

Scripture

1. Matthew 28:19-20

Reflection Questions

1. What are some things that you already know you should be obeying but still haven’t taken up in action? In other words, where do you see disobedience in your life?
2. How can you read God’s word toward action and not just knowledge?
3. How can accountability help you more from knowing Christ’s commands to observing Christ’s commands?

Kid-Friendly Question

1. If your parents tell you to clean your room, and you spend the afternoon memorizing their command instead of doing it, how will this make your parents feel? Why?

Spiritual Practice - Meditation & Memorization

Memorize the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20), but as you do, ask yourself how you can put this into practice. Come up with 2 or 3 action steps you can take based on this truth so that you can become a doer and not just a hearer of the word.

This is the week everything has been leading toward. Every moment of Lent has prepared our hearts to enter the final days of Jesus’ earthly life—His betrayal, suffering, death, burial, and ultimate victory over the grave.

These days are sacred ground. Walk through them not as a distant observer of history, but as a beloved disciple following your Savior to the cross.

This week follows the format of all the weeks of breaking down the text each day. This means that you will focus on the part of Matthew after the resurrection each day. Do not feel obligated to read that one. You can read some of the past devotionals that discuss what happened at the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, etc. You can sit in that moment with our risen Lord during the week in addition to these devotionals. However, we do hope that each reflection this week draws you nearer to the suffering and love of Christ, to help you see with fresh eyes what He endured for your redemption, and to rest in the hope that death is not the end.

As we approach Resurrection Sunday, may your heart be broken, stilled, and then awakened to the fullness of His victory.

Join us as we walk through Holy Week together at Fielder Church. You can find the details for all services at www.fielder.org/holyweek

Day 40 of our 47-day journey with Jesus to the cross.

Author & Voice: Erin Benton

In the quiet after the cross, everything feels still—hopes shattered, questions unanswered, and the Savior laid in a tomb. Yet beneath the silence, God is still at work. This moment of waiting reveals that the Sabbath is not wasted time, but a sacred space where trust is formed and faith is refined. In this episode, we’re invited to embrace the stillness, remembering that even when nothing seems to be happening, God is preparing what comes next.

Scripture

1. Luke 23:50-56

Reflection Questions

1. Where in your life are you currently being asked to wait rather than act—and what emotions does that waiting surface in you? (Fear, frustration, grief, trust, surrender, hope?)
2. What does it look like for you to trust God’s work when you cannot see progress or outcomes—especially in seasons of silence?
3. How can practicing intentional stillness this Sabbath help you declare trust in God’s timing rather than your own effort?

Spiritual Practice - Sabbath

In our own lives, there are times when we are in seasons of waiting, seasons where things feel still and nothing seems to be changing. But let us remember that rest doesn’t mean inactivity; it’s a moment to trust God and reflect on His sovereignty. Sometimes, in the silence, God is preparing something powerful.

The silent Sabbathis a reminder that waitingis part of God’s timing. The tomb was silent that day, but not for long. God was at work, preparing the victory of the resurrection.

Day 39 of our 47-day journey with Jesus to the cross.

Author & Voice: Maddie Huang

In the shadow of the cross, two criminals hang beside Jesus—one hardens his heart, while the other turns in humble faith. In his final moments, with nothing to offer but his need, the repentant thief receives immediate grace and the promise of eternal life. This episode reveals the power of the gospel: that salvation is not earned, but received—and that no one is beyond the reach of Jesus, even in the final hour.

Scripture

1. Matthew 27:38-40

Reflection Questions

1. Have you ever considered someone beyond the reach of God’s grace? How does the story of the repentant criminal challenge that view?
2. When have you personally experienced grace at your lowest point?
3. Is there a sin or burden you need to openly confess and release today?
4. Who can you specifically begin praying for and sharing the gospel with this week?

Kid-Friendly Question

1. Who do you know that needs to hear how much Jesus loves them? How can you show and tell them about His love this week?

Spiritual Practice - Community & Evangelism

This week, intentionally share the gospel with someone who doesn’t yet know Christ. Clearly communicate our human guilt, the reality of divine judgment, and the extraordinary grace offered by Jesus. Pray for specific opportunities, trusting the Holy Spirit to open hearts as you speak truth boldly and compassionately. Trust God to use your courageous obedience. If you need a refresher on how to share the gospel, you can check out “3-Circles Training Video.”