58.2 – Devotion

Have you ever watched a thunderstorm? The sky darkens from bright blue to dark gray as the clouds cover the sky. Rain pours down, lightning cracks through the sky, and thunder shakes the house. It might even seem like the sun has gone away and isn’t coming back, and we might get scared. Thankfully, thunderstorms don’t last forever. After a time, the sky turns blue again, and the rain slows down and stops. The sun reappears from behind the clouds, back in its rightful place in our sky. And we can go back outside and jump in the puddles the storm left behind.

Jesus’ followers might have felt like this during Easter weekend. When Jesus died on Good Friday, they felt discouraged and hopeless. They were in the middle of a thunderstorm that seemed like it would last forever. Then all of a sudden, Jesus appeared to them, alive and well! They were able to celebrate and joyfully share the Good News, including His resurrection.

We might also feel this way when we go to a Good Friday service. The church is dark, the songs are serious, and we mourn the death of our Savior. But we still know that we only need to wait a few days before the most exciting celebration! At Easter, we rejoice that Jesus has risen from the dead, and we thank Him for forgiving us of our sins. While we don’t see Jesus face-to-face, like Mary and the disciples walking to Emmaus did, Jesus is still with us wherever we go. We can celebrate in His resurrection by praising Him and serving Him.

  1. How do you feel during a thunderstorm? How about afterward?
  2. If you were a disciple at the tomb, how would you have reacted to Jesus’ resurrection?
  3. How can we share the Good News of Easter with others?

Let’s pray:

Dear Jesus, thank You for rising from the dead on Easter morning! Help us to share the Good News of Your salvation with other people, so they can praise You too. Please comfort us when we are discouraged or scared, and remind us that You have risen and forgiven us. In Your name we pray. Amen.

Call: Alleluia! He is risen!
Response: He is risen indeed! Alleluia!