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Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Hope. Do you know what that word means? When you know your birthday is coming up, you hope for some great presents. If it’s a rainy day, you hope the sun will come out. If your friends or parents have been really busy lately, you hope they’ll have time to play with you soon. Hope is looking forward to something good. Hope is believing that something good is going to come in the future.

Sometimes, that’s hard. It’s hard to have hope. Instead, we feel hopeless. Do you know what that’s like? Feeling hopeless is when it seems like everything goes wrong, like nothing ever goes right, like your life is never going to be good or happy. It can feel like nothing will get better.

Are you feeling hopeful or hopeless today? (You can answer in your head right now.)

There were some Christians in the Bible who were tempted to feel hopeless. Life had been hard for them. The worst part was that people were mistreating them because they were Christians. They wondered if there was any hope at all.

Was there? Yes! How? Listen, “In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3-4).

As hard as their lives were, those Christians had a “living hope,” a hope that kept on going and going and living and living no matter what. It didn’t run out. It didn’t disappear. Where did that hope come from? Jesus! The fact that Jesus rose from the dead meant that they could always have hope.

Why? Because Jesus had given them something that could never perish, spoil, or fade. He had planned something really good for them that no one and nothing could ever take away. What was it? Heaven. Jesus’ resurrection gives us the living hope of heaven.

Even when life is hard, you have a living hope: Jesus! Even when everyone seems against you, there is someone who is for you: Jesus! Even when this world makes you sad, you have something you can look forward to: Heaven with Jesus! No one can take that away from you. Easter gives us living hope in Jesus.

Dear Jesus, sometimes we feel hopeless. It can seem like everything is hard and bad and we don’t have anything to look forward to. That’s not true! Use the message of Easter to fill us with a living hope in you and your promise of heaven. Amen.

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Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. Acts 2:14,22-24

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

On the night before Jesus died, Jesus’ disciple Peter did a bad thing. A really sad thing. Do you remember what he did? After Jesus was arrested and brought to trial at the high priest’s house, Peter followed along. He wanted to see what happened to Jesus. But people recognized Peter. Three different people said, “You’re one of Jesus’ disciples, aren’t you?” Do you remember what Peter said? He was scared. So he cried out, “No!” Peter denied Jesus three times. Isn’t that awful?

Actually, we’ve all done that, haven’t we? Maybe there have been times at school when your classmates have done or said something wrong, and you’ve been afraid to let them know that you believe in Jesus. Maybe you stayed quiet when you could have said something kind. Maybe there have been times at your house when you’ve chosen not to go to church or read a Bible story because you think you have something more important to do. Just like Peter, it’s easy to deny Jesus. It’s easy to be quiet about Jesus. It’s easy to shake and shiver in our faith in Jesus.

But something changed Peter. Just 50 days later, on the day of Pentecost, Peter stood up in front of thousands of people and boldly proclaimed his faith in Jesus. He wasn’t scared anymore. Isn’t that surprising? In just 50 days, Peter went from denying Jesus before a few people to boldly proclaiming his faith in Jesus before thousands of people.

What changed? Peter explained: “God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it.” Seeing God raise Jesus to life on Easter changed Peter’s heart and life. Jesus’ resurrection took Peter’s doubts away, and when he received the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, Peter was ready to stand up and let everyone know that Jesus is the Savior.

Are you? You can be confident too. Seeing how Jesus was willing to die for you and was able to rise for you is meant to change your life. How can you be ashamed of your Savior who gave his life for you? How can you be afraid to follow your Savior who rose from the dead? You have a Savior who has even conquered death. He loves you! He is with you! He helps you be brave. Every day, you can be confident in Christ.

Dear Jesus, just like Peter when you were arrested, it’s easy for us to be ashamed of you and pretend we’re not followers of you. Forgive us! Instead, just like Peter on the day of Pentecost, use your resurrection and your Holy Spirit to make us confident in you. Help us be brave and talk about you. Amen.

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After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 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. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” Matthew 28:1-10

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

What are you afraid of? There are lots of things that can make us scared. Maybe you’re afraid of spiders, snakes, or bugs. Maybe the dark or a big thunderstorm scares you. Or maybe you don’t like being home alone. Everyone has something that makes them afraid!

One of the scariest things for people is death. Kids might not think about it much, but adults do. Death can feel very, very scary. Some parents worry the most about losing their kids. Of all the scary things in the world, death seems the scariest.

That’s why Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were so sad as they went to Jesus’ tomb on Easter morning. They remembered how horrible it was to see Jesus die on the cross. They were scared and worried as they carried spices to his tomb.

But when they got there, something amazing happened. Jesus wasn’t in the tomb! Instead, they saw an angel. Do you remember what the angel said first? “Do not be afraid” (Matthew 28:5). That must have been surprising! How could they not be afraid? Jesus had died! Then the angel shared the best news ever: “He is not here; he has risen, just as he said” (Matthew 28:6).

Can you imagine how happy the women must have been? They ran from the tomb, still a little afraid but filled with joy, when suddenly they saw someone. Who was it? Jesus! He said exactly what the angel had said, “Do not be afraid” (Matthew 28:10).

Do you get the point? Do not be afraid! Not even of death. Jesus has power over death. That means death isn’t the end for everyone who believes in him. Just like Jesus rose from the dead, he will raise us too.

For Christians, death is the day we get to be with Jesus forever in heaven. So do not be afraid!

Dear Jesus, there are a lot of scary things in life, including death. Thank you for rising from the dead and promising to raise everyone who believes in you. Help us not to be afraid, even of death. Amen.

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Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed. 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“I saw it with my own eyes!” Have you ever said that to convince someone that you were telling the truth? It’s frustrating when people don’t believe us. Sometimes the best way to show someone the truth is to say, “I saw it with my own eyes! I know it’s true!”

Did you know some people don’t believe that Jesus rose from the dead? They think that after Jesus died on the cross, he just stayed dead. They think it’s impossible for someone to come back to life.

But God made sure we could be certain that Jesus really rose. Paul wrote in the Bible, “I saw it with my own eyes!” We can be sure Jesus rose from the dead because he appeared to many people to prove he was alive.

First, Jesus appeared to Cephas—that’s another name for Peter. Then he appeared to his twelve disciples. Then he appeared to more than 500 people at the same time—wow! Then Jesus appeared to his brother James. And last of all, he appeared to Paul himself. Paul said, “I saw it with my own eyes!”

Jesus wants you to be certain he is alive. It might sound impossible for someone to rise from the dead—but Jesus isn’t just anyone. Jesus is true God and true Man at the same time. With God’s power, Jesus can do anything—even rise from the dead!

Jesus also wants you to know why his resurrection is so important. When he rose from the dead:

So don’t listen to people who say Jesus didn’t rise. He did! Paul says it best: “I saw it with my own eyes!”

Dear Jesus, it’s amazing to think you have the power to raise yourself from the dead. Help us never to doubt your resurrection, and one day raise our bodies too so that we can live with you in heaven. Amen.

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“In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry. You hurled me into the depths, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me. I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.’ The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head. To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you, LORD my God, brought my life up from the pit. “When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, LORD, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. “Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them. But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the LORD.’” Jonah 2:2-9

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

God uses surprising things to save us. Have you noticed that? When a shepherd boy named David had to fight against a giant named Goliath, God used a stone and a sling to give David the victory. Not a sword. A stone and a sling! God uses surprising things to save us.

Like a big fish. The prophet Jonah wasn’t facing a giant. He was facing a huge storm on a big sea. Jonah had been thrown from his ship and was sinking down, down, down into the waves. He was sure he was going to die, until God saved him. With what? A big fish! That fish swallowed Jonah, but he didn’t die. Jonah lived inside that big fish’s belly for three days and three nights. Jonah was saved by a fish! All of that led Jonah to say, “Salvation comes from the Lord” (Jonah 2:9).

Here’s the most surprising part: Do you know why Jonah was sailing across the sea in the first place? He was running away from God. Is that a good idea? No! God had told Jonah to do something he didn’t want to do. Instead of listening to God, Jonah ran away from God. That’s how Jonah got in trouble. He had sinned against God. He didn’t deserve to be saved.

But God still sent that big fish to rescue Jonah. Why? Because God still loved him, even though he didn’t deserve it. God forgave Jonah, even though he didn’t deserve it. God used those three days and three nights in the belly of a fish to save Jonah’s life.

Just like God used three days and three nights in something else to save you. Someone else spent three days and three nights in a dark place. Do you know who? Jesus did! After he died on the cross for our sins, Jesus was in the dark tomb for three days and three nights. Just like God used that big fish to save Jonah, God used Jesus’ death and resurrection to save us.

God uses surprising things to save us, doesn’t he? Like a fish. Like a tomb. Thank you, Jesus!

Dear Jesus, just like Jonah spent three days in a fish, you spent three days in the tomb to save us. Help us to never run away from you, but when we do, please save us by your grace. Amen.

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Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. John 19:28-30

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

When people are very sick or close to dying, their bodies usually become very weak. They might not be able to talk much or think clearly.

But Jesus’ death was different. Even while Jesus was suffering on the cross, he knew exactly what was happening. He spoke clearly. He even made sure his mother would be taken care of. The Bible tells us that Jesus knew God’s promises in the Scriptures were coming true right at that moment.

At one point Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” That showed he was truly human and really suffering. But it also happened so that God’s promises in the Bible would be fulfilled. Nothing that happened on Good Friday was an accident.

Then something very important happened. After Jesus received a drink, he said three powerful words: “It is finished.” What was finished? Jesus was finishing the job God sent him to do. Jesus lived the perfect life we could never live. He never sinned—not even once. And on the cross he was paying for all the sins of the world. When he said, “It is finished,” it meant the work of saving us was complete.

The Bible says Jesus then bowed his head and gave up his spirit. That means no one took Jesus’ life from him. Jesus chose to give his life for us. Jesus was not helpless. Even while he was suffering, he was still the powerful Son of God who loved us enough to save us.

Why did Jesus do that? Because we could never save ourselves. Our sins separate us from God, and we cannot fix that problem by trying harder. So, Jesus did everything for us. He took our sins, paid the price for them, and finished the work of salvation completely. That means your sins are forgiven. You belong to Jesus. And because he finished the work, you never have to wonder if you are saved.

Good Friday is a sad day because Jesus died. But it is also a wonderful day—because Jesus finished the work that saves us. Never before had dying been done with so much life, so much power, and so much love. Sin finished with Jesus—so it will never finish you.

Dear Jesus, on this day we confess that it was our sins that put you on the cross. We deserve nothing but punishment. Yet in your mercy, you endured hell in our place. We give thanks for the ultimate sacrifice you paid to buy us back and give us salvation. Amen.

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Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, “We will do everything the LORD has said; we will obey.” Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.” Exodus 24:7-8

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

A covenant is a very special promise. Today we’re going to hear about a promise God made because he wanted to be close to his people—and he wants to be close to you too.

Long ago, God rescued his people, the Israelites, from slavery in Egypt. God did amazing things to help them. He sent plagues to make the Egyptians let them go. He opened the Red Sea so they could walk safely through it. Later, he even sent bread from heaven and birds for them to eat. God took care of them every day.

But the people kept forgetting what God had done. They complained. They got scared. Sometimes they even doubted that God would help them. Even after all the miracles, they struggled to trust him.

Still, God did something wonderful. He made a covenant—a special promise—with his people. God said, “I will be your God, and you will be my people.”

To show how serious this promise was, sacrifices were made and blood was used to seal the covenant. It may sound strange to us, but in the Bible, blood showed that a promise was very serious and important. God was showing how much he wanted his people to belong to him.

God even invited some of the leaders of Israel to come close to him, see his glory, and eat and drink in his presence. Imagine that! The Holy God welcoming people to be near him. That shows how much God loves his people.

But sadly, the people kept breaking their promises. They disobeyed God and worshiped other gods. The old covenant depended on people obeying perfectly—and no one can do that.

That’s why Holy Thursday is such an important night. On Holy Thursday, Jesus gave us a new covenant—a new promise from God. At the Last Supper, Jesus took bread and said, “This is my body.” Then he took the cup and said, “This is my blood.” Jesus knew we could never be perfect, so he came to be perfect for us.

The blood of animals in the Old Testament could never truly take away sins. But Jesus’ blood can. When Jesus died on the cross, he paid for every sin—once and for all. Jesus said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, poured out for you.” Did you notice those words? “For you.” Jesus wants you to know his forgiveness is meant for you personally.

In the Lord’s Supper, Jesus gives his body and blood with the bread and wine. It’s a wonderful gift where we can receive and be sure of his forgiveness. God wants us to know that he truly forgives us and brings us close to him.

God still wants to be close to you today. Through Jesus, your sins are forgiven and you belong to him forever.

Dear Lord, thank you for giving yourself for me. Thank you for your Holy Supper where I can taste and touch your forgiveness and grace. Amen.

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Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the warhorses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. Zechariah 9:9-10

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Have you ever watched a parade when an important person comes to town? Maybe people cheer, wave, and clap. Something like that happened when Jesus came to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday!

Palm Sunday can feel a little confusing. During Lent we remember that Jesus suffered and died for our sins. That makes us feel sorry for our sins. But on Palm Sunday people were cheering and celebrating Jesus. They sang joyful songs and waved palm branches. Why would people celebrate if Jesus was going to die only a few days later?

When Jesus came into Jerusalem, the crowd spread their coats on the road like a red carpet. They waved palm branches and shouted with joy. Those were things people did for a king! But many people thought Jesus came to be a powerful king who would beat their enemies and make their country strong again. They wanted help with their problems right away. They didn’t understand that Jesus came for something even more important.

God had already told people what to do on that day. Through the prophet Zechariah he said, “Rejoice!” God wanted people to celebrate because his Son had come. That was wonderful news! Jesus is a righteous King. That means he is perfectly good and holy. We are not perfect—we sin. But that’s exactly why Jesus came. He came to save us from our sins.

Now notice something surprising: Jesus did not ride a big war horse like a powerful king. He rode a donkey! That showed that Jesus came gently and humbly. He came to bring peace, not to fight a battle.

There’s another interesting detail. Many donkeys have a dark stripe down their back and another across their shoulders, making the shape of a cross. It’s a quiet reminder of why Jesus came. Right in the middle of the Palm Sunday celebration, God reminds us that Jesus was on his way to the cross.

Jesus went to the cross willingly. No one forced him. He did it because he loves you. He came to forgive your sins and give you eternal life. That’s why Palm Sunday is such a happy day. Our King came to save us!

Let’s say the Palm Sunday words together: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

Dear Jesus, thank you for willingly going to the cross for me. Amen.

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[Jesus said] “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.” John 11:25-26

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

You believe in Jesus, but sometimes we still get sick. We still sit in hospital rooms holding hands. We still hear bad news from doctors. We still say goodbye to people we love. We might wonder: Does God really care? Does he really have the power to help?

In the Bible, Lazarus got very sick. His sisters, Mary and Martha, called for Jesus. But Lazarus died before Jesus came. Jesus knew what was happening. He knew it would break Mary and Martha’s hearts.

But Jesus cared about something even more—more than wanting Lazarus to be well right then—even more than he wanted them to have a life free from pain. He wanted them to have this: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (John 11:25-26). Jesus wanted them to know him as the Savior from death and sin. He wanted them to see that life with God never ends.

Jesus wants the same for you. He wants you to enjoy your family, friends, and good health. But even more than that, he wants you to know even if you get sick, even if you die, you will live forever with him.

Death is our problem, but Jesus is our solution.

Dear Jesus, you have defeated sin and death for me. Teach me not to fear the day I die, but to look forward to the eternal life I’ll one day enjoy with you. Amen.

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And by him we cry, “Abba, Father. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. Romans 8:15,17

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

How big is God? Think about it for a moment. God describes himself as filling the whole universe. That means He is everywhere—here with you right now, across the world in China, and even up on the moon. All of God is in all those places at the same time!

And how far does God’s “bigness” extend? Listen to this amazing part: “And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’” “Abba” is an old (Aramaic) word that means, “Dad.” So, a little child would say, “Abba, Abba,” just like little kids would say, “Daddy, Daddy!”

Can you imagine it? The holy, all-powerful God looks at you and says, “I want you to talk to me, and you can call me ‘Dad.’” Not “All-Powerful One.” Not “O Amazing One.” Instead, he says, “You get to call me ‘Dad.’” That’s amazing!

Why can we do that? Because God adopted us into his family. He sent Jesus to become our brother. But we weren’t perfect brothers and sisters—we were sinful, selfish, and made wrong choices. So Jesus our brother did what we couldn’t do—he went to the cross to pay for all our sins.

The result? Listen: “We are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17). An “heir” (not “hair”!) is someone who inherits things from their parents. That means one day, we will share in the same wonderful life that Jesus has with God forever. What an incredible act of mercy! God loves us so much and he lets us call him “Dad.” What a gracious God we have!

Father in heaven, thank you for making me your child. Help me to speak with you daily in prayer. Lead me to look forward to the glorious inheritance awaiting me in heaven. Amen.

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