God Speaks
Jesus Rose from the Dead, Met with His Disciples and Commisioned Them to Take His Message to the World
Verse of the Day: Then Jesus came to them and said, “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 NIV 2011)
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We Respond
Matthew 28
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding each chapter of Matthew 13:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
1. God always keeps His promises. Both Jesus Himself and the Old Testament prophets promised that He would suffer, die and rise from the dead. He fulfilled it all, and He will fulfill any as yet unfulfilled promises.
2. People need to trust and obey the LORD in spreading the Word and completinng the assignment He has given them.
Prayer: Dear Gracious God, You always keep Your promises. Many times, Jesus, You told Your disciples that You would be betrayed, put on trial, tortured, crucified, and resurrected the third day. This was also prophesied in the Hebrew scriptures. Whatever was related to Your first coming all came to pass, just as You said. You will fulfill all the promises of Your return as well. Please help me to learn, believe, and put into practice all that You accomplished through the cross and resurrection. May I be as excited to tell others as those women were. You told us to make disciples for You wherever we go and whatever we do. Holy Spirit: help me to do so. AMEN
Action: With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will interact with God about my emotions, bringing them under His control.
- I will pray for believers who are being persecuted for their faith–rejected, betrayed, put on trial, tortured, or killed. [See material from Voice of the Martyrs or Open Doors]
- I will use a good study bible or other reference to locate at least 10 verses containing promises of Jesus’s return. I will begin memorizing them.
- I will participate in my church’s outreach cohort where we pray and encourage each other to build relationships with our neighbors and demonstrate the love of Christ to them.
Mark 16
Reflection: Since the gospel of Mark was the first account of the resurrection written down, what Mark writes is very significant. I am personally very thankful to God for using various means and people to preserve it, one of the oldest of the books of the New Testament, for two thousand years. Although ancient manuscripts vary as to the ending, the message is the same: on that morning long ago, women going to the tomb to anoint Jesus’s dead body learned that He had risen from the dead. Whether they, in fear, didn’t tell anyone at first or they told the disciples but were not believed is irrelevant. What is important is that He was indeed raised from the dead. He did meet with many other men and women over a period of 40 days before His ascension. They were so convinced of His resurrection that many were martyred for their vibrant witness. That is true even today. Through His Holy Spirit working in His faithful followers, Jesus is still turning the world upside down (or as someone else has said, right side up).
Prayer: Father God, I come to the Bible seeking to honor Jesus just as the women did that first resurrection day. Help me to be prepared to serve Him all day (and life) long. Remove any and all barriers that would keep me from seeing that He has risen. Help me to not be afraid but to obey the instructions of Your messengers and go and tell others the Good News. Please help me to be like Mary Magdalene and the two walking in the country who did hurry to tell others that they had seen You, alive. Help me to truly believe and to see You do mighty works in Your Name, in and through me and other believers for Your glory. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will spend specific time studying the Bible to see what Jesus had His disciples write about Him.
- I will spend specific time talking with Jesus in prayer about who He is and who He is helping me to become.
- I will share what I’m learning about Jesus with someone like the disciples who already know Him.
- I will share what I’ve learned about Jesus with someone who doesn’t yet know or trust Him.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.