Christ Church Daily Devotion March 31 2024

The transcription is a daily devotion for March 31st, 2024, discussing the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It mentions how the women went to the tomb and found it empty, encountering two men who told them that Jesus had risen. The disciples initially did not believe the women, but Peter went to the tomb and saw the evidence. Later, Jesus appeared to the disciples, proving that he was not a ghost. He reminded them of his teachings and the fulfillment of scripture. The devotion emphasizes the importance of personal experiences with Jesus and the mission to share that experience with others. It encourages believers to stay connected to Jesus and make the resurrection a way of life. It also invites readers to join in worship services on Easter Sunday. Welcome to Christchurch's Daily Devotion for March 31st, 2024. Today we will be reading from Luke, Chapter 24, Verse 1-12 and Verses 36-49. On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright, the women bowed down with their faces to the ground. But the men said to them, Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here. He has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee, the Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified, and on the third day be raised again. And then they remembered his words. When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them, who told this to the apostles. But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves. And he went away, wondering to himself what had happened. While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, Peace be with you. They were startled and frightened, thinking they had saw a ghost. And he said to them, Why are you troubled? And why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself. Touch me and see. A ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have. When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it, because of joy and amazement, he asked them, Do you have anything here to eat? They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence. He said to them, This is what I told you while I was still with you. Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms. Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, This is what is written. The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised. But stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high. When we hear of people who do not believe in the resurrection of Jesus, it is good to be reminded that his disciples were the first ones to not believe the news that he had risen. Until they had their own experience with their risen Lord, they could not bring themselves to believe. But when they did, they were then ready to go tell all the world. That is still our calling today. Those of us who do believe we have been given a mission to help people have their own experience of Jesus, we are to be constantly turning our life over to him, inviting this Holy Spirit to live in us and work through us, and the whole community that is the church, so that other people can experience the hymn for themselves. Our goal is to get to experience Easter throughout the year, as people around us allow him to come alive in them. And just as those first disciples continue to experience him in new ways in the days ahead, so will we. I pray it often and invite you to as well. Lord, help us stay so connected to you that we can help others come to know you. Let's let Christ is risen be more than just an Easter slogan. Let's allow it to be a way of life. Christ is risen indeed. Your personal worship option today is to join us for the biggest day of the year in the life of the church. Come on out at 7 a.m. if you can, and then let's worship together at either 9.30 or 11.15. And there's no better day to bring a carload with you.