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April 2005 Week 1 Matthew 28:11-15 Dear friends, may the blessings of our Lord Jesus, be with you this day. Our devotional for today is Matthew’s story of the guards, who had report the events of the empty tomb to the Jewish authorities. Please re-read chapter 27:62-65. This is the setting in which Matthew writes. Even years later, there is considerable doubt within the community, of the resurrection of our Lord. Matthew chooses to include this event of the plan to have the guards at the tomb and the report of the guards to the council, to show the communities intent in suppressing the resurrection of our Lord. Matthew writes, “This story has
been spread among the Jews to this day”. This controversy of the Jewish
unbelief at that time, explains the difficulty the early church encountered
in those opening decades of ministry. Matthew’s sole desire in writing to the
Jewish Christians and the community at large in Matthew wants his readers (us), to know that Jesus’ resurrection was for our sake. There is more to human life than just the physical life. There is more to human life, than just the relational existence with God during our physical life. There is a spiritual life beyond the physical life, beyond the grave. Resurrected life is a new life. It is a life with God in his kingdom for all eternity. It is a life without separation and brokenness. It is a new life, which is one with God. That is God’s promise. That is what sustains us in this life. That is what makes the relationship with God, meaningful and true. That is what Matthew’s message to his people is all about. These promises come to us through the promised Messiah, this Jesus of Nazareth. That is the gift of Easter. It is ours. Thanks be to God. Prayer Concern: Members of Augustana’s family, whose last name begin with the letter “A”. Luke 24:13-27 Dear friends, God’s message of grace be with you today. Our devotional for today is the conversation between Jesus and two of his followers on the road to Emmaus. It is Easter Sunday afternoon. Jesus meets two of his disciples and walks with them. This is one of several appearances that Jesus had with his followers after his resurrection. In the concluding chapters of the gospels, the writers share short stories about Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances. Jesus did not stay with them for any lengthy period of time. It was just enough to enable them to recognize him and realize that he was alive, raised from the dead. His visits with them, was to convince them of the resurrection, yet also to teach them, that the relationship with him has changed. The story of the walk to Emmaus and the supper meal with them (tomorrow’s devotion), are faith stories. These stories are an introduction to the readers that now in the post-resurrection era. The relationship with the Lord has now changed from the physical presence to the spiritual and from sight to faith. As Jesus encountered the disciples on the road, they did not recognize him. Only later, did they recognize the events that took place and the conversation itself. In many respects, the conversation is the beginning of the new relationship. It is here, that the revelation begins to take place. How is this done? On the road,
Jesus asks them a question. They explain all that had taken place. They also
explained that it was their hope that this Jesus was the one who would redeem
Luke
24:28-35 Dear
friends, God’s message of love be to you through our Risen Lord. Our
devotional for today is a continuation of Jesus conversation and encounter
with two of his disciples on the road to Emmaus. The setting is as they
neared the After the meal, Jesus broke bread
and gave it to them. The reference of the breaking of bread is now in the
context of the Lord’s Supper. Later in the Book of Acts, we read that it was
a meal shared together by the gathered believers. In the breaking of the
bread, the two disciples’ eyes were opened and they recognized Jesus. Then he
disappeared from their sight. The conversation on the road and the breaking of
the bread were enough, to convince the two, of who Jesus was and that indeed
he was alive. They had seen Jesus. They also recognized another event.
Earlier, while they were walking, Jesus spoke to them about the Messiah.
Something was "burning" within. How mysteriously, the Holy Spirit
works. Going back to Can you begin to imagine what was taking place that day? Scared and disillusioned, the disciples scattered. As reports about the empty tomb beginning to surface, they gathered together. Suddenly all that had seemed lost now gave way to joy and hope. The One, whom they had followed and believed in, had not failed them. Instead, he was victorious over death and the grave. Through this glorious event, our Lord gave to the disciples, the world and us, a new meaning of joy and hope. Soon, he would reveal all things further and would fulfill the promise made earlier, by sending the Holy Spirit. Soon, they would be called to bear witness of all that had taken place. The result: the church, the people of God coming together as believers in the Crucified and Risen Lord Jesus, would be born. Throughout the centuries, the church has proclaimed this message. To us this day, the message and the sacrament, reveals to us who this Jesus of Nazareth is. He is our Lord. Thanks be to God. Prayer Concern: Members of Augustana’s family, whose last name begin with the letter “C”. John 20:19-23 Dear friends, may the peace that comes to us through our Lord Jesus, assure you this day. Our devotional for today is the setting in the evening of the resurrection. After Peter and John visited the empty tomb, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene and then to two of his disciples on the road to Emmaus. He then revealed himself to them in the breaking of the bread. Now, in the latter part of the day, with his disciples, (except for Thomas) assembled in the upper room, Jesus came before them and offers himself to them. One can only begin to imagine the joy these disciples felt when Jesus appeared before them. John records that they were assembled together because they were afraid of the Jews. (We need to keep in perspective, the events that had just taken place). The door was locked and suddenly Jesus was there standing there in their midst. He offers himself by declaring, "Peace be with you". What assurance this must have been for them. He, who was dead, is alive, just as Mary and the other two disciples said. What assurances do you feel when the offering of peace is given? Every Sunday, we exchange this offering of greeting. On Sunday, what does it mean to you, when I (or another pastor) declares, "The Peace of the Lord be with you"? When the exchange is made, I have a sense of community and wholeness. I feel complete in a sense of unity. We have a common bond in and through the assurance of the promises offered by our Lord. Exchanging the peace of the Lord is a comforting word of assurances of his love for us and us with one another. I think two important events happen during this time. Not only do we "hear" the words of peace exchanged, but on those times when we participate in communion, as we eat and drink together, the bond established first through our Lord is strengthened. Together, we share the knowledge just as his disciples. Indeed our Lord did rise to life. In the offering of "go in peace and in joy", we leave the table of our Lord, knowing the presence of our Risen Lord, grants to us the promises of his gifts. Let us give thanks for this gift. Prayer Concern: Members of Augustana’s family, whose last name begin with the letter “D”. John
20:24-29 Dear friends, may the hope which comes in the gift of salvation be with you. Our devotional for today is the encounter between Jesus and Thomas. Today’s Gospel lesson is the appearing of Jesus before his disciples in the upper room. (Yesterday’s devotional) We see in this lesson, that when Jesus appeared to them that Easter evening, Thomas was not present. When the disciples did see Thomas and told him that they had seen Jesus, Thomas replied that, unless he sees Jesus personally, he would not believe. Today’s devotional, is one week later in the upper room. Again his disciples are there and Thomas is with them. Suddenly, Jesus appears amongst them and approaches Thomas and says, "Here, place your finger in my hands and in my side. Stop doubting and believe". Thomas responds, "My Lord and my God". If one would look closely at Thomas’ response, one would really acknowledge that it is a confession of a believing Thomas. Why then, do we call him doubting Thomas? Is it because Jesus calls him that? Or is the emphasis so placed upon the initial response of Thomas, that we really don’t see the second and most important post-resurrection confession? That morning, didn’t the other disciples question? Didn’t they scorn the women for their empty tales? Even seeing the empty tomb, did they really understand? Only after Jesus appeared to them, did the disciples believe. Here, Thomas, openly states his case, and he responds the same way. I enjoy the human story of Thomas. There is a little bit of Thomas in each of us. We have many questions. We have many doubts. Sometimes, they are expressed openly. Sometimes, they are kept in silence. However the response, our Lord comes into our midst and reveals himself to us. We can identify with the characters through each of the post-resurrection stories that we read in the gospels. Through their writings, we do see with our eyes and we do hear his voice with our ears. This is the ‘good news". Surely then, we too proclaim like Thomas, "My Lord and my God!" Prayer Concern: Members of Augustana’s family, whose last name begin with the letter “E”. John
20:30-31 Dear friends, may God’s blessings be with you this day. Our devotional for today is the concluding statements of chapter 20. It is the closing thoughts of John, to the life and ministry of Jesus. (Many commentators believe that this is the closing chapter of John’s gospel and that chapter 21 is added to the manuscript.) Nevertheless, John’s gospel was written as a response to the question, who is this man they call Jesus? Is he the Son of God? From the beginning, we read about the many signs Jesus performed. In John’s gospel, "signs" are the miracles of Jesus. The "signs" (miracles) and the discourses of Jesus (teachings), serve a specific purpose. So from the beginning, from chapter to chapter, John relates the incidents of Jesus’ ministry to the reader. His purpose was to build up his reader to be assured that this man they called Jesus, is indeed the Son of God and Savior of the world. Thus John concludes, "These things are written so that you may believe". For us, the gospel was written to fulfill God’s desire that all may believe in him and have life. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, and whoever believes in him, shall not perish, but have eternal life". For us, the gospel shows who Jesus is. Jesus is "the" Christ, meaning that Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled all that was spoken by the prophets. He is the Christ (Messiah) and he is the divine Son of God. As the verse says, "those who believe will have the gift of eternal life". This is God’s plan for his people. It is also for you and for me. As we read these concluding words of John, I offer these words for you. Know that all these things were written for you. As you continue to seek God’s presence in your life, continue to pray for our Lord’s guidance. John summarizes his intent for the message of the gospel. This is true as well for the other gospel writers as well. As you do, may you be blessed by the holy presence of the Lord and his great love for you and for all of his people. Prayer Concern: Members of Augustana’s family, whose last name begin with the letter “F”. Week 2 Luke 24:36-49 Dear friends, may God’s grace through the promises be with you this day. Our devotional for today, ( vs. 36-43) is Jesus’ appearance before the disciples on the very evening of his resurrection. Here, after visiting with two of his disciples earlier, Jesus comes before the eleven and reveals himself as the glorified, Risen Lord. In Luke, we read these events which are short and factual, whereas in John 20, they are more in detail in the respective conversations between Jesus and his disciples. (We have read similar stories in John 20). As we look at the closing comments of Luke, we see how Jesus reveals himself to his disciples. He invites them by touching him, to observe the wounds he endured in the crucifixion. To further reveal himself, he accepted food and ate with them. He does this, to enable them to fully recognize who he is, the Risen Lord Jesus. We also look at the latter part of our passage, (vss.44-49), and see Jesus speaking to them and revealing many things. These verses are associated with moments before his ascension. Luke does not divide these verses into a new section, but includes them in one story. Nevertheless, it is here that Jesus gives to his disciples’ further instruction. He assures them that what was spoken of him by the Law of Moses, the prophets and in the psalms was fulfilled in his ministry amongst his people. Again, he opened their
minds so they could understand the scriptures. He commissions them to proclaim
all that had taken place, beginning in John
21:1-14 Dear friends, may the message of love be with you this day from our Lord Jesus. Our devotional for today is the third resurrection appearance of Jesus before his disciples as a group. Many commentators conclude that chapter 20:30-31, was the conclusion of John’s gospel. Chapter 21 many feel was an addition to the gospel, to show Jesus’ appearance to his disciples, as further proof of his resurrection. This chapter not only functions in that manner, but it is also serves as Peter’s commissioning. Nevertheless, it is a wonderful addition to the gospel in and of itself. John’s purpose for adding this chapter is shown to us in his concluding words in verse 14. "This is the third time Jesus showed himself to his disciples after he was raised from the dead". This is an interesting account. Here, Peter decides to go fishing. The other disciples also decided to go with Peter. They spent the night fishing and caught nothing. In the morning, Jesus appears before them. He provides one more miracle in the catch of fish. Hauling it in, the disciples recognize that it is Jesus. There on the shore, Jesus has a meal prepared for them and they eat. One of the things that caught my eye as I read was Jesus’ appearance on the shore while they were fishing. In essence, while the disciples returned to their former occupation, Jesus appeared to them and ministered to them. Isn’t that a comforting fact? It knows that Jesus is present in our midst, where we work, where ever that may be. He is there providing his guidance, through his presence. He is there, uplifting us when our task is difficult. He is there to celebrate with us in our successes. And he is there, providing the means to sustain us. Furthermore, he is present with us at our meal, when we conclude our day’s task. There he provides the food which strengthens us and sustains our bodies. There he is, providing his holy presence, as the day concludes, giving us rest and peace. What comforting thought this leaves us with this day. Prayer
Concern: Members of Augustana’s family, whose last name begin with the letter
“H”. John 21:15-19 Dear friends, may God’s message of
peace be with you this day. Our devotional for today is the commissioning of
Peter by Jesus. Here on the shores of the Through Peter’s confession, Jesus turns to him and declares, "Feed my lambs, feed my sheep". In turn, Peter becomes the instrument in which Jesus begins his church. Jesus’ affirmation of Peter before the disciples, institutes the commissioning of all people within the church. Here, Peter is charged to proclaim the gospel of a loving, forgiving Savior. He does this proclamation, knowing that he first of all, is a loved and forgiven member of God’s kingdom. Knowing this, he is free to proclaim it and declare it. In this very act on the shores of the lake, Jesus brings into being the nature of the church. It is a body of believers, who know the love of God firsthand and know it through his Son, Jesus our Risen Lord. In the same manner, we take this message with us each day. We know that we are loved and forgiven by our Lord. This message and exchange between Jesus and Peter also happen to us. Each day, we come before him, seeking his love and forgiveness. Each day, we seek the assurance of his love. Knowing that he provides this to us through his word and sacraments, we are then called to share this message with those around us. We are called/commissioned to proclaim this "good news". We, like Peter declare, "Yes, even to me, he declared his forgiveness and love". Like Peter, we can proclaim this to our world around us. Thanks be to God. Prayer Concern: Members of Augustana’s family, whose last name begin with the letter “I” John 21:20-25 Dear friends, may God’s message of hope be with you this day. Our devotional for today, are the final verses of John’s gospel. After Jesus’ commissioning of Peter, he shares with him a glimpse of the future of his role in establishing the church and his life. In many respects, it is a glimpse of a successful ministry, but also a tragedy in knowing the martyrdom that is to come. Peter knowing this throughout the rest of his life is faithful, even in the face of martyrdom. How many of us, would continue the course the Lord has set for us, if we knew in the end, our life would come to a close in a tragic manner? Yet, Peter sees John following them and asks, "What about him?" Jesus responds, "John’s destiny is his and his alone, as is yours. Follow me and trust in me". This passage gives us an opportunity to begin to understand the role of discipleship. This role is to follow the command of our Lord. It also implies an element of trust, which perhaps is the hardest to do, especially in our world, where we are taught to believe, our destiny is in our hands. Peter’s curiosity about John’s role in the ministry of the church was inquisitive. Jesus firmly reminds him that trusting in God to provide for his needs is the essential and not to worry about John. John, Jesus tells Peter, will need to do the same. Let us remember, where the future lies before us, filled with questions, Jesus’ command is clear, "Follow me and trust in me, and I will take care of your future". John now closes his book with his own testimony of that which was written. His testimony is a declaration of all that has taken place is true. Again we are reminded, that these things are written, "that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that believing, we might have life through his name". We close our study of the Gospel of John, with a word of thanksgiving. For John, that he was one of the chosen. That he was an eyewitness of the life and ministry of our Lord. That he witnessed our Lord’s death and resurrection. But above all, that he wrote this gospel for us and through it, we might believe and have life in our Lord’s name. Prayer concern: Members of Augustana’s family, whose last name begin with the letter “J”. Week 3 Matthew 28:16-20 Dear friends, may God’s blessings
be with you this day. Our devotional for today is the closing verses of
Matthew’s gospel. In these verses, we see the great commission of Jesus to
his disciples. It is a commission to go into the world to preach and teach
the message of salvation. It is to teach the nations (people) about the "Go and tell". These are the words of Jesus which were given to his disciples, moments before he ascended. These words are also given to us, his church. "Go and tell the story". We sing the hymn, "I love to tell the story, and I’ll sing this theme in glory and tell the old, old story, of Jesus and his love". That is the commissioning story. Making disciples, is telling the story which enables those who hear the story, to believe. A disciple then, becomes a follower of Christ through faith. Our commissioning is through the telling of the story and by baptizing into a relationship with God. That leads us to look at the closing statement in Matthew. Jesus leaves these words with his disciples, "Lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age". These are words of encouragement and assurance. Through our Baptism, Jesus promises to us the gift of his Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit, our Lord lives within us. That is his holy presence. It is our Lord’s commitment to us. It is his sign of union with us. As disciples of our Lord, we live in that promise. Our Lord assures us, that as we journey in our life, he makes that journey with us. By faith, we rest within the promise. The promise of his holy presence sustains us in our journey in this life and will bring us into his presence in the life that is to come. Prayer Concern: Members of Augustana’s family, whose last name begin with the letter “K”. Luke
24:50-53 Dear friends, God's gift
of grace be with you this day. Our
devotional for today is the Ascension story, which concludes Luke's gospel.
In the story, Jesus takes his disciples out to the countryside near the The Ascension of our Lord is the final and crowning act of his redemptive work. All things were accomplished. For three years during his public ministry, Jesus prepared his disciples and his people. At the conclusion of his ministry, he submitted to the will of the Father and gave of himself on the cross. There, before the world to see, Jesus died, so that the world might be forgiven. There, before the world to see, God raised his Son Jesus, thus giving new life to all who believe. This is the crowning glory. Jesus now ascends to the Father and prepares a place for all who believe. So after the disciples witness Jesus' ascension, they
returned to Prayer Concern: Members of Augustana’s family, whose last name begin with the letter “L”.
Mark 16:9-20 Dear friends, may the promises of God’s love that is offered to you this Easter season be with you this day. Our devotional for today in the concluding verses of the Gospel of Mark. In vss. 9-20, Mark summarizes the events of the forty days of the post-resurrection period. Earlier, we read these same stories in the gospels of Luke and John. As we read through these verses, we would have read the entire gospel accounts of the resurrection of our Lord and the post-Easter stories of his appearances as well. In reflection of our Lord’s resurrection, my favorite hymn, "I know that my Redeemer lives", shares some thoughts. 1) I know that my Redeemer
lives; What comfort this sweet sentence gives! 2) He lives triumphant from the
grave; He lives eternally to save; 3) He lives to grant me rich supply; He lives to guide me with his eye; 4) He lives to silence all my fears; He lives to wipe away my tears; 5) He lives to bless me with his love; He lives to plead for me above; 6)
He lives, my kind, wise, heavenly friend;
He lives and loves me to the end; 7) He lives, and grants me daily
breath; He lives and I shall conquer death; 8) He lives, all glory to his name!
He lives, my Savior, still the same; What
joy this blest assurance gives: I know that my Redeemer lives! Prayer Concern: Members of Augustana’s family, whose last name begin with the letter “M”. Week 4 I
Corinthians 15:1-11 Dear friends, may our Lord’s abundant peace be you this day. One of the most complete passages on the resurrection of our Lord is Paul’s message to the Corinthian church in chapter 15. Our devotional for today begins this important chapter. To begin to understand the complexity of this chapter, let us look at the context in which it is written. The Corinthian church was made up of people who for the most part of their lives had belonged to other religions. Amongst this diverse group, was belief of no future beyond the present life. Others believed that the soul rises only, leaving the body to decay without any hope of bodily resurrection. There were diverse opinions then on exactly what the resurrection meant. So, the Christians in this young Corinthian church wanted to know, what does Christianity have to say concerning the resurrection? The gospels had not been written. No formal creeds or any form of official statement had not been made. So the questions of the resurrection came from this young church. Those questions brought into being, a developed resurrection theology on which the church would base its confessions. In this first passage, Paul sums
up the gospel of Jesus Christ. He says that while Jesus was crucified and
buried, God raised him from the dead. In summary, he speaks more of the
resurrection of Jesus than of his death. He emphasizes that the resurrection
of Christ, was fact, not a symbol, or a legend, or any other idea created by
the Christian community. Christ, who was crucified, was raised from the dead.
He shares eyewitness accounts that Jesus first appeared to Peter and then to
the rest of the disciples. Then he appeared to more than five hundred and the
appeared to James and all the apostles. Finally, Jesus appeared to him on the
road to I Corinthians 15:12-19 Dear friends, may his abiding message of hope be with you this day. Our devotional for today is Paul’s response to those who declare "there is no resurrection of the dead". What is Paul describing here? Paul is attempting to express the certainty of the resurrection. He seems to move back and forth on the same thought. Paul’s argument is basic. His assertion is, if the body is not raised, then Christ is not raised and if so, then we remain in our sins and have no hope. Notice the "ifs" here in this passage. There are seven "ifs", which Paul uses in his argument. He challenges the Corinthian people who are making the statement of no resurrection of the body. He asks, what is their basis? Paul declares: "in the apostles, we have eyewitnesses of the resurrection of our Lord. So if that is true and what we preach is true, how can you say, "There is no resurrection?" So then, we come back to our Easter experience. What does resurrection mean to you? Is it fair to ask this question, can one believe and follow Christ, if one only believes a portion of the history of Jesus? Can we pick apart and say I only believe in his parables or in his miracles? Can we only believe in the cross and the pronouncement of forgiveness? Can we exclude the resurrection, because it is hard to believe, the dead, raised to new life? What Paul shares with us here in this passage, is that we cannot omit one part of the ministry of Jesus and build on the promise of the others. For the Christian, even in the midst of difficulty in understanding the resurrection and how can this be, one uses this as the basis of faith. It is in the resurrection, where the offering of new life is given. This opens the door to understanding the meaning in which the parables are taught. It is in the resurrection, that the beauty of the miracles is placed, for the resurrection is God’s greatest miracle. The resurrection is the healing power of the cross. It is in believing in the miracle of God, that forgiveness (cross) is proclaimed and then there is life and salvation (resurrection). That is God’s promise. It is done through our Lord. It is his gift to us. Prayer Concern: Members of Augustana’s family, whose last name begin with the letter “O”. I Corinthians 15:20-34 Dear friends, may the blessings which is offered to us through our Lord Jesus, be with you this day. In our devotional reading for today, Paul continues to respond to the question he raised earlier, "How can you say there is no resurrection of the body?" Paul tells us that our Lord was the first to be raised, thus assuring resurrection to those who have died. The first fruits spoken here, is a reference to giving to the Lord, the "first fruits", of the harvest. Just as that is a gift to the Lord, so also the first resurrection is given to the Lord, as a guarantee of resurrection for all of God’s redeemed people. In the next sequence, Paul identifies our Lord in contrast to Adam. We recognize in this passage that Adam is in exile from God. His relationship is broken. In Christ, the relationship is restored. This is a attempt by Paul to describe what had happened in the Garden of Eden and the fall into sin. This also helps us to recognize the contrast in this perspective, "death verses life". For as in Adam, came death, so in Christ through the power of the resurrection, comes new life. So then in these verses, we begin to see a glimpse of the resurrection, "when he comes, all who belong to him will be in the resurrection. This Paul tells us when Christ comes again, gives us an understanding when this event will happen for us. Thus we proclaim in the creed, "I believe in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting". One of the glimpses of the second coming of Christ and what will take place is in this passage in vss. 24-28. So we ask, what are the benefits of resurrected life? Here, we see that in our Lord’s second coming, our Lord will destroy all the natural orders of the world that has been corrupted by sin, dominion, authority and power. He will reign until everything is subjected "under his feet". The last to be destroyed is death itself. Then God’s kingdom will reign. Resurrected life for the believer begins in the new heaven and the new earth. John speaks of this event in the Book of Revelation chapters 20 and 21. Prayer Concern: Members of Augustana’s family, whose last name begin with the letter “P”. I
Corinthians 15:35-50 Dear friends, may God’s gift of grace through the promises of the resurrection, sustain you this day. Our devotional for today continues Paul’s discussion about resurrected life. Here in this passage, is a question that perhaps is the most often asked, "What will our bodies be like?" This is a natural question. It is one that we all desire to know and to understand. Throughout this section, Paul makes no attempt to describe "resurrection". There is nothing natural or inevitable about it. It is a miracle in and of itself. It is a direct act of God. What is Paul describing here? What he is describing is something new, something that is radically different. Look at the diagram that is offered: (which is sown) (which is raised) is perishable - is imperishable is dishonored - is glorious is weak- is powerful is "the image of the - is "the image of the man man of dust" (Adam) - of heaven (Christ) From a commentary: "Paul’s confidence about the future hope is not based upon any theory of human nature. It is rooted and grounded on faith in God. It is faith knowing that God, who raised his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, will also raise us in glory and victory with him". It is knowing that the promise is true. So for Paul, the question of resurrection is not, what will our bodies be like, for who can describe a "spiritual glorified body like our Lord’s?" But that in faith we declare and believe, Christ who the Father raised from the dead will also raise us from the dead. That is the promise Paul desires for us to know, to understand and to believe. May the Spirit of the Risen Christ, empower us to believe. Prayer Concern: Members of Augustana’s family, whose last name begin with the letter "R". I
Corinthians 15:51-54 Dear friends, God’s gift of love be with you this day. Our devotional for today closes Paul’s response to the question of resurrection. Read verse 51. Paul says, "Look, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will be changed". Here, Paul tells us of the wonderful miracle God has in store for each of us. Look at the sequence of events that will take place in the resurrection. These are not words of fear, nor are they words of discouragement. But they are words of promise and hope for those who believe. Verse 52 says, "In a moment, the blink of an eye, at the sound of a trumpet, all will be raised." Here, the mystery begins to unfold for us. You and I will be changed. No longer will we be enslaved in our mortal bodies. The sin that enslaves us, that ultimately destroys the body and ends in physical death, is destroyed forever. We are raised to the imperishable. No longer are we enslaved, no longer are we bound to our sin and our mortal bodies. We are freed in the imperishable body, in which we will live forever with our God. This is the promise of the resurrection. This is the miracle which is the mystery of God, now to be revealed to us. Take a moment and read Revelation 21. Here is the climax of the gospel message, the promise of resurrection. Here, there will no longer be the mystery of "how can this be". We will see our Lord face to face. We will see him and bask in all his glory. There we will sing praises to his name for all eternity. Isn’t this a beautiful picture? Close your eyes for a moment and envision this beautiful scene. You and I are placed before our Lord, dining with him at his banquet. Envision all that we know within the world, no longer exists. But that which is new is a part of our being. No longer do we live in sorrow, in pain and suffering. And he will wipe away every tear from our eyes. The old will pass away. So we take this great mystery in faith. Now we place our trust and hope in the promise, for it is the great mystery of resurrected life. Prayer Concern: Members of Augustana’s family, whose last name begin with the letter “S”. I
Corinthians 15:55-58 Dear friends, may the peace from our Lord Jesus, be with you this day. Our devotional for today is Paul’s song of victory that he proclaims. When our Lord’s second coming occurs, all that which has been written will come true. Look at the victory that Paul proclaims. Look at the proclamation we declare at our funeral worship services. "Death is swallowed up in victory. Death has been destroyed". (John shares that with us as well in Revelation 20:11-15). Look at these verses and notice the sequence in which the end of the old comes. Notice the finality of this sequence of events. Death is destroyed forever. Then Paul declares and asks the question, "Where O death is your victory? Where O death is your sting?" Paul then explains, "The sting, the sorrow, the pain, and the suffering and the eminent death is because of our sin, our brokenness, our fallen humanity. And the power of sin is the law which reveals this sin. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." The power, the miracle of the resurrection of our Lord by God himself, claims the victory. Death and the grave could not hold our Lord. And throughout the chapter, Paul expresses, if this is true of our Lord, it is also true for us. Jesus’ victory becomes our victory. Death and the grave cannot hold us. We are now a part of the new creation, the new heaven and the new earth, with imperishable bodies (Revelation 21). So Paul leaves this chapter with one word of encouragement. "Remain firm". Remain firm in the gospel, the promises of the Lord. Remain firm in the knowledge that we too with be with him and will live in a resurrected body for all eternity. We close with the promise. May the Holy Spirit empower us in faith, to hold on firmly to the hope of the promise of new life. May this promise sustain us in our living this day and always. Prayer Concern: Members of Augustana’s family, whose last name begin with the letter "T". . I
Corinthians 15 Dear friends, may the hope which comes to us through our Lord Jesus, be with you this day. Our devotional for today is to take a moment and re-read the entire chapter of I Corinthians. This is the only continuous passage concerning the resurrection of our Lord. There are many different thoughts in this passage. It covers many different subjects in and around the theology of the resurrection. For us, it gives us the basis of our faith in the confession we make. (I have found that each time I have read this chapter, something new comes to me. I think that is true for all the passages of scripture. The Spirit reveals something new each time.) What I would like you to do as you
re-read the chapter and especially the different sections of the chapter, is
to do an easy devotional exercise. (You may do this with any passage. This is
the method I use and from it write my devotions.) It is called the
"Lambeth" Bible Study, which comes to us from We have a prayer that goes with this exercise: "O Blessed Lord, who caused all Holy Scripture to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.” So as we conclude the passages that tell the story of Easter and the resurrection, may God bless us in our reflections and in the promises it offers. Prayer Concern: Members of Augustana’s family, whose last name begin with the letter “W”. |
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