Reflection

I wonder if you’ve ever had a moment when you’re just stunned? When words

escape you? Well, the disciples here experience exactly that. There were

reports of the resurrection from some of the women, Peter had gone into the

tomb and only found the linen cloths, and two of the disciples had met

Jesus while walking and then eating together. So naturally, the disciples

discuss all of these events but as they are speaking, Jesus stood among

them and said, ‘Peace be with you’. The result? Stunned silence. The

disciples thought that he was a ghost but in reality, it was Jesus. He is

risen! He didn’t stay dead and in fact, Jesus won the victory over death by

death itself!

He insists that he is real and not a ghost by pointing out his hands and

his feet and by eating real food. He is really alive and this was the plan

all along. It was written about him for thousands of years before him. He

reigns victorious over sin and death and so now, sins can be forgiven for

all who repent and believe in Jesus. This good news was to be firstly

peached in Jerusalem and then, as we see in Acts, to the ends of the earth.

This is indeed great news. We can be part of the kingdom, we can have

forgiveness, we can have peace, we can have rest, we can have certainty of

the future, all because our great King Jesus died and rose again. There is

no one else like our God. There is nothing else in this world that can

compare to having this sure and certain hope. So let us once again cast

ourselves on the mercy and grace of God afresh this Easter. MC

Questions

What does the resurrection of Jesus achieve? Why is it so fundamental to

our faith?

If you were to tell someone about the Gospel in under a minute, what would

you say?

What could you do this Easter to intentionally see God’s mercy afresh?

Prayer

Lord God, you are victorious and you have the authority over all things

including death itself. Thank you for the resurrection of Jesus and help us

to be continually renewed and refreshed in your good news day by day. Amen.