Exploring Easter 4/7/23

Early in the morning on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone was moved away from the entrance. She ran at once to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, gasping for breath. “They took the Master from the tomb. We don’t know where they’ve put him.” Peter and the other disciple left immediately for the tomb. They ran, neck and neck. The other disciple got to the tomb first, outrunning Peter. Stooping to look in, he saw the pieces of linen cloth lying there, but he didn’t go in. Simon Peter arrived after him, entered the tomb, observed the linen cloths lying there, and the kerchief used to cover his head not lying with the linen cloths but separate, neatly folded by itself. Then the other disciple, the one who had gotten there first, went into the tomb, took one look at the evidence, and believed. No one yet knew from the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead. The disciples then went back home.
John 20:1-10 MSG

I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it. I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.
Philippians 3:10-14 MSG

Day 5
Resurrected
He is Risen

            Jesus did not remain at the cross. Isn’t this great news? He rose victoriously from the dead, defeating death and removing its sting, setting all who believe in Him free. This is the Gospel, friends!
            In His resurrection, Jesus placed the seal on the Gospel message that we share with others and encourages us to move on beyond the past and into the future.

The Past Is Gone 
            Are there any experiences in your life that you need to leave behind to step into the newness and the promises of God? Whatever the situation may be, getting stuck in the old prevents us from moving on and entering the fullness of life that Jesus bought for us.
Philippians 3:10-13 puts it like this:

‘I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead…’
 
No matter what circumstances you may find yourself in on Easter Sunday, let’s remember to not leave Jesus at the cross where He died. Let’s remember that He performed the most miraculous, powerful, life-saving and life-giving act in all of history – He rose!
Let’s take the resurrected Jesus home with us and share Him with anyone and everyone we can.

Questions
Q1. What does today’s scripture reveal to you?
Q2. What do you need to leave in your past to reach forward into your future?
Q3. What excites you about your future and can motivate you to keep moving forward in life?

Exploring Easter
Youversion devotional
PUBLISHER
CBN Europe