Weekend, March 30, 2024
The Day That Changed Everything
“He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying.” (Matthew 28:6 NLT)
The resurrection of Jesus Christ changed everything. It changed a group of disillusioned, discouraged, downhearted disciples into a group of on-fire, passionate preachers who turned their world upside down. And the resurrection of Jesus can change your life as well.
It can bring something we all need, something that seems to be in short supply today: hope. We must have hope to survive in life. Someone has said that we can live forty days without food, three days without water, about eight minutes without air, and about one second without hope.
The Bible tells us about two disciples of Jesus who had lost hope. It was their understanding that the Messiah would overthrow the tyranny of Rome. But in passages such as Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53, the Scriptures speak of a suffering Savior—not a militant Messiah.
However, the people seemed to miss that. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey and the people laid branches at His feet and shouted “Hosanna!” (Matthew 21:9 NKJV), they showed their misunderstanding of why He came. “Hosanna!” means “Save now!” So essentially they were saying, “Overthrow Rome now! Establish Your kingdom now!”
In their minds, everything seemed to be going beautifully. But suddenly and unexpectedly, one of Jesus’ own handpicked disciples betrayed Him. Jesus was sent to trial, and in a rush to judgment, they scourged Him and ultimately murdered Him in cold blood before their eyes.
His followers were absolutely devastated. This was their Messiah. This was their hero. And this was their friend. They still loved Him. They respected His teachings and honored His memory. But they felt He had failed. They thought He had come short of what He had arrived on this earth to accomplish.
Despite the fact that Jesus said He would die and rise again, they missed that memo. They wanted to get out of Jerusalem as quickly as possible. As two of Jesus’ disciples were walking and talking about everything that happened, Jesus came along and began walking with them.
He said to them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?” (Luke 24:17 NLT).
Did you know that Jesus is walking with you too? He noticed the sadness written across their faces, and He sees the same with us. If it troubles us, it troubles Him. If it concerns us, it concerns Him.
Although Jesus was walking with the two disciples, they didn’t know it was Him. Luke’s Gospel tells us that God prevented them from recognizing Jesus (see 24:16). In the same way, God is with us, whether we know it or not. When you put your faith in Jesus Christ, He becomes a part of your life and promises that He never will leave you or forsake you.
He not only is with you on sunny days, but He is also there on cloudy days. He not only is with you on the mountaintops, but He is also there in the valleys. He is walking with you through everything that you’re facing.
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Grief is one of life’s most difficult challenges. Pastor Greg Laurie experienced this truth when his son Christopher passed away suddenly. Discover comfort and healing in times of pain as you read his book Hope for Hurting Hearts. Receive your copy as our gift for your donation of any amount to Harvest Ministries this month.