In Pursuit of Jesus

15 EASTER REFLECTIONS FROM

OUR DAILY BREAD

“

This Easter, let’s be in pursuit of this Jesus, the one who first came in pursuit of us.”

CON CAMPBELL —author

Easte r Ref lect ions f rom

COVER IMAGE © Shutterstock / John Theodour

EDITORIAL TEAM Monica Brands, Anne Cetas, Tom Felten, Tim Gustafson, Alyson Kieda, Becky Knapp, and Peggy Willison

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.

All rights reserved. © 2021 Our Daily Bread Ministries® • All rights reserved.

Printed in Europe.

INTRODUCTION

Easter.

J

esus died. Jesus rose from the dead. And the world changed forever.

But what is the significance of these things?

Why did Jesus die, and what does His resurrection mean? How is the world changed by these events?

How does it all affect our lives today?

When we think about someone’s death, we can’t really appreciate its significance unless we know who we’re talking about. The significance of the death of Abraham Lincoln can only be fully felt when we understand who Lincoln was—and the same goes for the likes of Julius Caesar, Mother Teresa, and other historical figures. The deaths of such people mean so much to us because of who they were. Their lives changed the world, and their deaths did too.

From a purely historical point of view, there’s no one in human history whose life changed the world more than Jesus.

More biographies have been written about Him than any other person (Lincoln is second). Indeed, the original four biographies

of Jesus, collected together in the New Testament, are a large part of why the Bible is the number-one-selling book on the planet every single year. In fact, The New York Times Best Seller list ignores the Bible; otherwise, it would top the list every week.

No one’s teaching has had a wider or deeper impact on culture, politics, morality, justice, philosophy, and human character than Jesus Christ’s. Two thousand years later Jesus is regularly quoted (consciously or unconsciously) even in our increasingly secular world, with many of His stories having become cultural idioms—like the Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan. His moral teaching—such as the Golden Rule and the importance of compassion, forgiveness, and mercy—likewise forms a bedrock for billions around the world. Indeed, Jesus continues to set a standard that our modern world still fails to live up to two thousand years later. How well do we love our enemies today? Do we pray for those who persecute us? Christ’s vision for humanity pushes us to a higher plane.

And all of that is only taking into account the Jesus of history. What about when we consider who Jesus was according to His own claims?

According to Jesus and His first followers, He wasn’t an ordinary man.

He was God’s appointed king, who came in fulfilment of promises made centuries before. He came in order to reveal God to us through His own embodiment of the divine nature. He was, and is, God the Son, who by His own claim existed from the very beginning and is the One through

Jesus continues to set a standard that our modern world still fails to live up to two thousand years later. whom His Father crafted the entire cosmos—including the humanity of which Jesus Himself chose to partake. If these claims are believed, there can be no question that Jesus was the most significant man who ever walked the earth.

This is just a glimpse of the significance of Christ’s life. But it’s enough to start to appreciate the significance of His death. When we realise that the One through whom humanity was crafted died as a man, we begin to see the depths of this event. In fact, once we understand who Jesus is, we should not at all be surprised that He would rise again from the dead. The truly remarkable thing is that He died at all! How could the Author of life be put to death? How could the Creator be killed by His own creation? How could the greatest of men be overpowered by evil and weak men?

The answer is love. As the apostle John says, “God is love”

The truly remarkable thing is that He died at all! How could the Author of life be put to death?

(1 JOHN 4:8), and the gift of His eternal Son is the ultimate demonstra-

tion of His love. Jesus chose to take up human life and to lay down His life so that we broken, rebellious, proud human beings might be brought into loving relationship with our heavenly Father—our Maker and our Judge. If Christmas celebrates God’s gift of Jesus into our world, Easter celebrates what that Gift came to do. He came to die that we might live. His death spells our life because of who He is. He is God Himself come to us as one of us so that He might bring us home with Him. If Christ’s death can only be appreciated by understanding who Jesus is, so too His resurrection from the dead. Lazarus was raised from the dead (by Jesus), but his resurrection didn’t change the fate of humanity. So why did Christ’s resurrection from the dead change humanity? For starters, poor Lazarus had to die again one day. His resurrection didn’t permanently overcome death. It didn’t destroy death. Lazarus cheated death temporarily. But when Jesus was resurrected, He overpowered death. He broke death. Jesus conquered the

last great enemy of humanity—death itself. That’s why Jesus will never die again, unlike Lazarus. He rose victorious over death, and death no longer has any claim on Him. Death could literally not hold Him down.

My death will not last. Your death will not last. No one who hopes in Jesus will stay dead.

While death still has its way with us, Jesus promised that through Him death wouldn’t have the last word. My death will not last. Your death will not last. No one who hopes in Jesus will stay dead.

He promised that one day He’ll call each of us by name. He’ll call us out of our graves, and we’ll literally live again. Our bodies will be resurrected like His. Death will have no further claim on us. Death will die.

That’s why that first Easter was the most important weekend in human history. God remade humanity in three days through the death and resurrection of one man. The ultimate Man died the ultimate death so that our ultimate fate would be eternal life with Him. This Easter let’s be in pursuit of this Jesus, the one who first came in pursuit of us.

CON CAMPBELL

Easter Ref lections from

Welcome to this 15-day Easter reading plan which explores Christ’s life, death, and resurrection.

TO DAY’S S C R I PT U R E

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J O H N 20:1–18

1 Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 2 She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

3 Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. 4 They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in. 6 Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, 7 while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. 8 Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed— 9 for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead. 10 Then they went home.

11 Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. 12 She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her.

“Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”

14 She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognise him. 15 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?”

She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”

16 “Mary!” Jesus said.

She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).

17 “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message.

J O H N 20:18

“I have seen the Lord!”

GRIEF OVERTURNED

A

ccording to Jim and Jamie Dutcher, filmmakers known for their knowledge of wolves, when happy, wolves wag their tails and romp about. But after the death of a pack member, they grieve for weeks.

They visit the place where the pack member died, showing grief by their drooping tails and mournful howls.

Grief is a powerful emotion we’ve all experienced, particularly at the death of a loved one or of a treasured hope. Mary Magdalene experienced it. She’d travelled with and helped support Jesus and His disciples (LUKE 8:1–3). But His cruel death on a cross separated them. The only thing left for Mary to do for Jesus was to finish anointing His body for burial—a task the Sabbath had interrupted. But imagine how Mary felt when she found not a lifeless, broken body but a living Saviour! Though she hadn’t at first recognised the man standing before her, when He spoke her name, she knew who He was—Jesus! Instantly, grief turned to joy. Mary now had joyful news to share: “I have seen the Lord!”

(JOHN 20:18).

Jesus entered our dark world to bring freedom and life. His resurrection celebrates that He accomplished what He set out to do. We too can celebrate His resurrection and share the good news: He’s alive!

LINDA WASHINGTON

When have you experienced a time when your sadness turned to joy? How will you share the news of Christ’s resurrection this week?

Jesus, I celebrate Your resurrection and the new life I can experience in You.

TO DAY’S S C R I PT U R E

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RO M A N S 3:10–18

10 As the Scriptures say,

“No one is righteous—not even one. 11 No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. 12 All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.”

13 “Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies.”

“Snake venom drips from their lips.”

14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”

15 “They rush to commit murder. 16 Destruction and misery always follow them. 17 They don’t know where to find peace.”

18 “They have no fear of God at all.”

Notes

E P H E S I A N S 2:8

God saved you by his grace when you believed.

And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.

A GOOD MAN

“J

erry was a good man,” the pastor said at Jerald Stevens’ memorial service. “He loved his family. He was faithful to his wife. He served his country in the armed services. He was an excellent dad and grandfather. He was a great friend.”

But then the pastor went on to tell the friends and family gathered that Jerry’s good life and good deeds were not enough to assure him a place in heaven. And that Jerry himself would have been the first to tell them that!

Jerry believed these words from the Bible: “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (ROMANS 3:23) and “the wages of sin is death” (6:23). Jerry’s final and eternal destination in life’s journey wasn’t determined by whether he lived a really good life but entirely by Jesus—the perfect Son of God—dying in his place to pay sin’s penalty.

He believed that each of us must personally accept the free gift of God, which is “eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (V. 23).

Jerry was a good man, but he could never be “good enough.” He, like us, had to learn that salvation and righteousness aren’t the results of human effort. They’re gifts by God’s grace (EPHESIANS 2:8).

“Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!” (2 CORINTHIANS 9:15).

CINDY HESS KASPER

How is it freeing to know you’ll never be ‘good enough’ to get into heaven? How will you approach someone who believes their good works will earn a place for them there?

Dear God, thank You for Your freely given gift of eternal life to all who have faith in You. I’m so thankful I don’t need to earn my way into heaven.

TO DAY’S S C R I PT U R E

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E Z E K I E L 36:26–31

26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.

28 And you will live in Israel, the land I gave your ancestors long ago. You will be my people, and I will be your God. 29 I will cleanse you of your filthy behaviour. I will give you good crops of grain, and I will send no more famines on the land. 30 I will give you great harvests from your fruit trees and fields, and never again will the surrounding nations be able to scoff at your land for its famines. 31 Then you will remember your past sins and despise yourselves for all the detestable things you did.

Notes

E Z E K I E L 36:26

I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you.

HOW TO GET A NEW HEART

A

friend who’s a heart transplant cardiologist has an appreciation of Ezekiel 36:26 that not many of us can understand. Mike manages the pre-operation and post-operation care for heart-transplant patients. He’s often in the operating room as surgeons remove diseased, discoloured hearts and replace them with vibrant, pink ‘new’ donor hearts.

Mike explains that the process for selecting who gets a ‘new’ physical heart is similar to who can get a “new heart” from God (EZEKIEL 36:26).

In both cases, need alone is the criterion.

Ezekiel’s mention of the people of Israel someday getting a “new heart” is a foreshadowing of the change that takes place at salvation.

Ephesians 4:24 and 2 Corinthians 5:17 refer to it as “new nature” and “new person.” For the Israelites of Ezekiel’s day and for those of us living today, only one criterion must be met for us to acquire a ‘transplant.’ We must need it. It matters not whether we’re rich or poor, respected or scorned. Citizenship, social status, and ethnicity are inconsequential. If we need a new heart from God, we can have one through faith in Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection.

What indicates that need? As sinners, all of us need a new heart.

DAVE BRANON Have you had a spiritual heart transplant?

How is it comforting to know that the only requirement for a new heart is need alone? If you’ve received your new heart, how’s it working?

Thank You, God, for giving a new heart to all who ask.

Help our new hearts to beat in time with Yours.

TO DAY’S S C R I PT U R E

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2 T I M OT H Y 1:6–14

6 This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

8 So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News. 9 For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. 10 And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Saviour. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News. 11 And God chose me to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of this Good News.

12 That is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return.

13 Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me—a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus. 14 Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you.

Notes

2 T I M OT H Y 1:9

God saved us and called us to live a holy life.

A NEW CALLING

T

eenage Casey led his gang to break into homes and cars, rob shops, and fight other gangs. Eventually, Casey was arrested. In prison, he became a ‘shot caller,’ someone who handed out homemade knives during riots.

Sometime later, he was placed in solitary confinement. While daydreaming in his cell, Casey experienced a ‘movie’ of sorts replaying key events of his life—and of Jesus, being led to and nailed to the cross and telling him, “I’m doing this for you.” Casey fell to the floor weeping and confessed his sins. Later, he shared his experience of God’s grace with a chaplain, who explained more about Jesus and gave him a Bible. “That was the start of my journey of faith,” Casey said. Eventually, he was released into the mainline prison population, where he was mistreated for his faith but felt at peace, because he’d “found a new calling: telling other inmates about Jesus.”

In his letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul talks about the power of Christ to change lives: God calls us from lives of wrongdoing to follow and serve Jesus (2 TIMOTHY 1:9). Like Casey, they experienced God’s grace, and now the Holy Spirit empowers them to be living witnesses of Christ’s love. Through the Holy Spirit’s enabling, we too have a new calling to ALYSON KIEDA share the good news (V. 8).

When have you shared the gospel with someone?

What was the result? Did it ever lead to suffering?

What happened?

Dear God, thank You for offering us a new calling through Your Son. And thank You for giving us the Spirit to live inside us to guide and empower us to serve You.

“

Religion alone can only take a person so far. Religion can make us nice, but only Christ can make us new. Religion focuses on outward behaviour. Relationship is an inward transformation. Religion focuses on what I do, while relationship centers on what Jesus did. Religion is about me. Relationship is about Jesus.”

CRAIG GROESCHEL — pastor

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TO DAY’S S C R I PT U R E

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CO LO S S I A N S 3:1–4, 17

1 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honour at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Notes

CO LO S S I A N S 3:17

Whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus.

ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING

A

high school basketball team faced a challenge because of the religious convictions of its star player. The accomplished athlete played every game, usually leading his team to victory—except on Friday nights. A devout Jew, the young man stayed at home because Friday evening is the beginning of the Sabbath. And his team would typically lose. “His absence on the Sabbath,” one teammate wrote, “was a witness that something else had hold of his time, something even more important than basketball. He was different. He had . . . a calling, a commitment.”

As believers in Jesus, we have a calling that should impact every decision of our lives. Our decisions communicate what we value.

There’s no portion of our life, however small, that we should hold back from God. We surrender everything, absolutely everything, to Jesus.

“Whatever you do or say,” Paul says, “do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus” (COLOSSIANS 3:17). In whatever we do—in every relationship, every business decision, every choice about our future, every passion—we do it all in Jesus’ name, surrendering each and every piece of us to Christ’s authority. It’s through these everyday details that we “set [our] sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits” (V. 1).

Devotion to Jesus will require us to make some hard sacrifices.

WINN COLLIER Let’s not hold back. Let’s give Him everything!

What part of my life have I thought too small for God to care about? How does it change my perspective to think that He wants even the small bits?

God, I’ve thought I could keep parts of my life to myself.

But You want absolutely everything.

Help me give it to You. All of me.

TO DAY’S S C R I PT U R E

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2 CO R I N T H I A N S 5:14–21

14 Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. 15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

Notes

1 J O H N 3:1

See how very much our Father loves us.

INNOCENCE FOUND

“I

’m not who I once was. I’m a new person.”

Those simple words from my son, spoken to students at a school assembly, describe the change God made in his life. Once addicted to heroin, Geoffrey previously saw himself through his sins and mistakes. Now he sees himself as a child of God. The Bible proclaims: “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 CORINTHIANS 5:17).

No matter our past, when we trust Jesus for our salvation and receive the forgiveness offered through His cross, we become someone new. Since the garden of Eden, the guilt of our sins separated us from God, but He has now “brought us back to himself through Christ . . . no longer counting [our] sins against [us]” (VV. 18–19). We are His dearly loved children (1 JOHN 3:1–2), made new in His Son’s likeness.

Jesus is innocence found. He liberates us from sin and its dominating power and restores us to a new relationship with God—where we are free to no longer live for ourselves but “for Christ, who died and was raised for [us]” (2 CORINTHIANS 5:15). As with Geoffrey, Christ’s transforming love gave him a new identity and purpose to point others to the JAMES BANKS Saviour. And He does the same for us!

What does it mean to you to know that a new beginning is possible with God? How can you live as His new creation today?

Abba, Father, thank You for sending Your Son to save me so that I could be Your child. Please send me to someone who needs to come home to You today!

TO DAY’S S C R I PT U R E

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M A R K 5:1–20

1 So they arrived at the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gerasenes. 2 When Jesus climbed out of the boat, a man possessed by an evil spirit came out from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain. 4 . . . No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones.

6 When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him. 7 With a shriek, he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, don’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had already said to the spirit, “Come out of the man, you evil spirit.”

9 Then Jesus demanded, “What is your name?”

And he replied, “My name is Legion, because there are many of us inside this man.” 10 Then the evil spirits begged him again and again not to send them to some distant place.

11 There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby. 12 “Send us into those pigs,” the spirits begged. “Let us enter them.”

13 So Jesus gave them permission. The evil spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd of about 2,000 pigs plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.

14 The herdsmen fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. People rushed out to see what had happened. 15 A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid.

16 Then those who had seen what happened told the others about the demon-possessed man and the pigs. 17 And the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone.

18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him. 19 But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.” 20 So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.

M A R K 5:19

Tell them everything the Lord has done for you.

FROM MESS TO MESSAGE

D

arryl was a baseball legend who nearly destroyed his life with drugs. But Jesus set him free, and he’s been clean for years. Today he helps others struggling with addiction and points them to faith.

Looking back, he affirms that God turned his mess into a message.

Nothing is too hard for God. When Jesus came ashore near a cemetery after a stormy night on the Sea of Galilee with His disciples, a man oppressed by darkness immediately approached Him. Jesus spoke to the demons inside him, drove them away, and set him free (MARK 5:1–13).

When Jesus left, the man begged to go along. But Jesus didn’t allow it, because He had work for him to do: “Go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you” (V. 19).

We never see the man again, but Scripture shows us something intriguing. The people of that region had fearfully pleaded with Jesus to leave (V. 17), but the next time He returned there, a large crowd gathered (8:1). Could the crowd have resulted from Jesus sending the man? Could it be that he, once dominated by darkness, became one of the first missionaries, effectively communicating Jesus’ power to save?

We’ll never know this side of heaven, but this much is clear. When God sets us free to serve Him, He can turn even a messy past into a message of hope and love.

JAMES BANKS What has Jesus set you free from? How can you share what He has done with others today?

Beautiful Saviour, I praise You for Your amazing power!

No darkness can stand against You! Help me to walk in Your light today.

TO DAY’S S C R I PT U R E

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M A R K 10:26–31

26 The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked.

27 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.” 28 Then Peter began to speak up. “We’ve given up everything to follow you,” he said.

29 “Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, 30 will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life. 31 But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.”

Notes

M A R K 10:28

We’ve given up everything to follow you.

SURRENDERING ALL

T

wo men remembered for serving others for Jesus left careers in the arts to commit themselves to go where they believed God had called them. James O. Fraser (1886–1938) decided not to pursue being a concert pianist in England to serve the Lisu people in China, while the American Judson Van DeVenter (1855–1939) chose to become an evangelist instead of pursuing a career in art. He later wrote the hymn, “I Surrender All.” While having a vocation in the arts is the perfect calling for many, these men believed God called them to relinquish one career for another.

Perhaps they found inspiration from Jesus counselling the rich, young ruler to give up his possessions to follow Him (MARK 10:17–25). Witnessing the exchange, Peter exclaimed, “We’ve given up everything to follow you” (V. 28). Jesus assured him that God would give those who follow Him “a hundred times” as much now and “in the world to come . . . eternal life” (V. 30).

No matter where God has placed us, we’re called to daily surrender our lives to Christ, obeying His gentle call to serve Him with our talents and resources—whether in the home, office, community, or far from home. She surrendered to God’s call to share the gospel in Sweden. As we submit to His call, He’ll also inspire us to serve others.

AMY BOUCHER PYE

Who comes to mind when you think of someone who’s sacrificed for Christ? How is God calling you to surrender?

Father in heaven, I surrender all to You. Help me to love and trust You and to serve others.

“

We’ve made elevator music of Jesus Christ. We’ve made Him the most boring, bland, blah person; and He was the most revolutionary man.”

JOHN ELDREDGE — author

“

The most important aspect of Christianity is . . . the relationship we maintain [with Jesus] and the surrounding influence and qualities produced by that relationship. That is all God asks us to give our attention to, and it is the one thing that is continually under attack.”

OSWALD CHAMBERS — evangelist, teacher

TO DAY’S S C R I PT U R E

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M A R K 12:41–44

41 Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. 42 Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins.

43 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. 44 For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.”

Notes

M A R K 12:44

She, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.

GIVING OUR ALL

W

hen Bobby, who was raised in a poor Scottish family, attended a missions meeting at the local village church, he made a decision to receive Jesus as his Saviour. When the offering plate reached him, he asked the usher to place it on the floor. Stepping into it with his bare feet, he said, “I don’t have any money to give to God, but I give myself!”

Bobby was Robert Moffat, who later became a missionary in South Africa. He worked tirelessly to share God’s love, including translating all of the Bible into a local language. Moffat and his wife gave themselves to serving God. His story of wholehearted giving brings to mind the story in Mark’s gospel of a poor widow giving what appeared to be a small offering at the temple. Jesus, observing and knowing she gave “everything she had to live on,” told His disciples that she gave “more than all the others . . . making contributions” (MARK 12:43–44). While the others gave from their wealth, she gave from her heart.

Giving our all might mean serving people in another country as Robert Moffat did, but it could mean serving God with passion right where we are. We can give of our time, our financial resources, our prayers of intercession, and so much more.

Just as Jesus recognised the widow’s offering as a gift, God will see AMY BOUCHER PYE our heart and receive our offering with love.

How do you think those in the temple hearing Jesus speak reacted? If you had been there, how might you have responded?

Father God, all we have comes from You. Help me to give generously and with a glad heart, for You are the source of all things.

TO DAY’S S C R I PT U R E

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RO M A N S 12:9–21

9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honouring each other.

11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.

12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. 13 When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them.

Always be eager to practice hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. 15 Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!

17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honourable. 18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord.

20 Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.”

21 Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

Notes

RO M A N S 12:21

Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

THE MIRACLE OF FORGIVENESS

I

n 1994, when South Africa made the transition from government by apartheid (imposed racial segregation) to a democracy, it faced the difficult question of how to address the crimes committed under apartheid. The country’s leaders couldn’t ignore the past, but merely imposing harsh punishments on the guilty risked deepening the country’s wounds. As Desmond Tutu explained in his book No Future Without Forgiveness, “We could very well have had justice, retributive justice, and had a South Africa lying in ashes.”

Through establishing the Truth and Reconciliation Committee, the new democracy chose the difficult path of pursuing truth, justice, and mercy. Those guilty of crimes were offered a path to restoration—if they were willing to confess their crimes and seek to make restitution. By facing the truth, South Africa began to find healing.

In a way, South Africa’s dilemma mirrors the struggle we all face.

We’re called to pursue both justice and mercy (MICAH 6:8), but mercy is often misunderstood to be a lack of accountability, while pursuing justice can become distorted into pursuing revenge.

Our only path forward is a love that not only hates what’s evil (ROMANS 12:9) but also longs for the transformation and good of our “neighbour” (13:10). Through the power of Christ’s saving grace, we can all experience the miracle of forgiveness and overcome evil with good (12:21).

MONICA BRANDS

Have you witnessed times when the goal of mercy and grace seemed distorted to enable injustice? When have you seen both justice and mercy at work harmoniously?

Loving God, when the pain and injustice around us breaks our hearts, help us to still believe in Your love and power to transform and heal. Help us to point with our lives to Your justice, mercy, and love.

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J E R E M I A H 2:13, 20–22

13 “For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned

me—the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!

20 “Long ago I broke the yoke that oppressed you and tore away the chains of your slavery, but still you said, ‘I will not serve you.’ On every hill and under every green tree, you have prostituted yourselves by bowing down to idols. 21 But I was the one who planted you, choosing a vine of the purest stock—the very best. How did you grow into this corrupt wild vine? 22 No amount of soap or lye can make you clean. I still see the stain of your guilt. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”

Notes

1 J O H N 1:7

The blood of Jesus, [God’s] Son, cleanses us from all sin.

WASHED CLEAN

I

couldn’t believe it. A blue gel pen had hidden itself in the folds of my white towels and survived the washing machine, only to explode in the dryer. Ugly blue stains were everywhere. My white towels were ruined. No amount of bleach would be able to remove the dark stains.

As I reluctantly consigned the towels to the rag pile, I was reminded of the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah’s lament describing the damaging effects of sin. By rejecting God and turning to idols (JEREMIAH 2:13), Jeremiah declared that the people of Israel had caused a permanent stain in their relationship with God: “No amount of soap or lye can make you clean. I still see the stain of your guilt. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!” (V. 22). They were powerless to undo the damage they’d done.

On our own, it is impossible to remove the stain of our sin. But Jesus has done what we could not. Through the power of His death and resurrection, He “cleanses [believers] from all sin” (1 JOHN 1:7).

Even when it’s hard to believe, cling to this beautiful truth: there’s no damage from sin that Jesus can’t totally remove. God is willing and ready to wash away the effects of sin for anyone willing to return to Him (V. 9).

Through Christ, we can live each day in freedom and hope. LISA SAMRA Where do you go with your guilt? How might you live differently today knowing that Jesus’ death has the power to completely remove the guilt and “stain” of your sin?

Loving Father, thank You for removing the stain of my sin through the saving work of Your Son! Help me to move forward in freedom.

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J O H N 11:1–14, 40–44

1 A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. 2 This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. 3 So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.”

4 But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” 5 So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, 6 he stayed where he was for the next two days. 7 Finally, he said to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.”

8 But his disciples objected. “Rabbi,” they said, “only a few days ago the people in Judea were trying to stone you. Are you going there again?”

9 Jesus replied, “There are twelve hours of daylight every day.

During the day people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world. 10 But at night there is danger of stumbling because they have no light.” 11 Then he said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.”

12 The disciples said, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better!” 13 They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died.

14 So he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.”

40 Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” 41 So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. 42 You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” 43 Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”

J O H N 11:44

The dead man came out.

ALIVE AGAIN

H

enry Ossawa Tanner burst onto the art scene in 1896 with his masterpiece The Resurrection of Lazarus. The painting earned a medal at the Paris Salon, making Tanner a phenomenon.

The most stunning feature of Lazarus is the many evocative expressions painted on the faces of those gathered around Jesus and Lazarus. Tanner explained his desire to illuminate the biblical narrative while also adding the human touch “which makes the whole world kin.”

Tanner knew that whatever our differences, we’re all bound together by the inevitability of death. And we all together find our hope in Jesus who is victorious over death. In John, it was “a man named Lazarus [who] was sick,” but the truth is we’re all sick (11:1).

We’re all, one way or another, doomed to the grave. Though Mary and Martha asked for Christ’s help, Lazarus died before Jesus arrived. Surely, then, this was the end of the story. Everyone knew death owned the final word.

Jesus disagreed. Standing before the dead man’s tomb and the astonished crowd, He thundered, “Lazarus, come out!” (V. 43). And Lazarus walked out of his crypt.

All of us know the weight and fear of death. The death of our bodies and our relationships and our hopes. Jesus has the final word. His transforming ways continue to bring light and life to our world.

WINN COLLIER

How have you experienced the bitter effects of death? Where do you sense God speaking life into you and your experience?

Jesus, there’s death everywhere. Would You bring me Your life? Would You speak the final word?

“

I don’t know what you think when you hear the name Jesus. But the Bible says the demons shudder over that name.”

FRANCIS CHAN — author, speaker

“

You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” PETER THE APOSTLE — Matthew 16:16 NIV

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ACT S 2:22–36

22 “People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus the

Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know. 23 But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him. 24 But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip. 25 King David said this about him: ‘I see that the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. 26 No wonder my heart is glad, and my tongue shouts his praises! My body rests in hope. 27 For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave. 28 You have shown me the way of life, and you will fill me with the joy of your presence.’

29 “Dear brothers, think about this! You can be sure that the patriarch David wasn’t referring to himself, for he died and was buried, and his tomb is still here among us. 30 But he was a prophet, and he knew God had promised with an oath that one of David’s own descendants would sit on his throne. 31 David was looking into the future and speaking of the Messiah’s resurrection. He was saying that God would not leave him among the dead or allow his body to rot in the grave.

32 “God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. 33 Now he is exalted to the place of highest honour in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today. 34 For David himself never ascended into heaven, yet he said, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit in the place of honour at my right hand 35 until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet.”’

36 “So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!”

Notes

ACT S 2:24

Death could not keep [Jesus] in its grip.

IMPOSSIBLE TO HOLD

S

wimming with friends in the Gulf of Mexico, Caitlyn encountered a shark, which grabbed her legs and pulled at her body. To counter the attack, Caitlyn punched the shark in the nose. The predator unclenched its jaws and swam away in defeat. Although its bite caused multiple wounds, which required over 100 stitches, the shark was unable to keep Caitlyn in its grasp.

This story reminds me of the fact that Jesus delivered a blow to death, ending its power to intimidate and defeat His followers. According to Peter, “Death could not keep [Jesus] in its grip” (ACTS 2:24).

Peter said these words to a crowd in Jerusalem. Perhaps many of them had been the ones yelling out, “Crucify him!” to condemn Jesus (MATTHEW 27:22). As a result, Roman soldiers fastened Him to a cross where He hung until they confirmed He was dead. Christ’s body was carried to a tomb where it stayed for three days until God resurrected Him. After His resurrection, Peter and others spoke and ate with Him, and after forty days they watched Him ascend into heaven (ACTS 1:9).

Jesus’ life on earth ended amidst physical suffering and mental anguish, yet God’s power defeated the grave. Because of this, death—or any other struggle—lacks the ability to keep us in its grip forever. One day all believers will experience everlasting life and wholeness in God’s presence.

Focusing on this future can help us find freedom today.

JENNIFER BENSON SCHULDT

How does it bring hope to know that one day all our suffering will be no more? Who needs to hear those freeing words today?

Dear Jesus, Your victory over death gives me hope! I praise You as the resurrected One who died so that I could have eternal life.

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J O H N 21:15–19

15 After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.”

“Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.

16 Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

“Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.”

“Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.

17 A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.

18 “I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go.

But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.”

Notes

J O H N 21:16

Take care of my sheep.

“FEED MY SHEEP”

I

n a lecture in 1911, Oswald Chambers reflected on being a young shepherd in the highlands of Scotland: “When you have to carry across your shoulders a dirty old [goat] and bring it down the mountain-side, you will soon know whether shepherding is poetry or not.” He didn’t want to romanticise this form of labour as ‘poetry’ but rather called it “the most taxing, the most exhausting, and the most exasperating work.” This hard work of shepherding people is what Jesus entrusted to Peter, for Peter would face many challenges in caring for His flock.

Chambers reflected, “To whom did He say, ‘Feed My lambs?’ To Peter. Who was Peter? A very wayward sheep.” Even though Peter had denied knowing Jesus (SEE JOHN 18:15–27), Jesus met him on the beach and lovingly restored him in front of the other disciples (21:15–19). Peter’s bitter experience taught him to be tender and watchful over the Lord’s sheep. Having received the Holy Spirit, he was ready for the toil and joys of being a shepherd.

Like Peter, we may have failed Jesus through denials, wrongdoing, selfishness, or pride. But He seeks us out and forgives us, just as He did Peter. He restores us and gives us a new commission. As we follow Jesus, AMY BOUCHER PYE we share our love for Him with others.

How do you think Peter felt while eating the bread and fish Jesus prepared for him? How do you react when you’re extended love and forgiveness?

Jesus, You said we’d face trials in life. Give us strength to keep trusting You in the hard times.

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P S A L M 51

1 Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love.

Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. 2 Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.

3 For I recognise my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. 4 Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgement against me is just.

5 For I was born a sinner—yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. 6 But you desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even there.

7 Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8 Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me—now let me rejoice. 9 Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. 11 Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. 13 Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you. 14 Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves; then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness. 15 Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you.

16 You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. 17 The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.

You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. 18 Look with favour on Zion and help her; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then you will be pleased with sacrifices offered in the right spirit—with burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings. Then bulls will again be sacrificed on your altar.

Notes

P S A L M 51:2

Wash me clean from my guilt.

Purify me from my sin.

A CLEAN SLATE

A

fter being released from prison, Michael was eager for a fresh start.

As he ventured back into the world, he wanted to have the gang related tattoos that covered his body removed. The tattoos were reminders of the way he’d lived before serving fifteen years in prison; removing them helped him move forward into a new life.

When we go to God for forgiveness, we begin a new life too. He performs an inward cleansing on our hearts—one that removes the ‘tattoos’ of our wrongdoings. The psalmist, King David, describes his inward cleansing from sin in Psalm 51. He writes with pained awareness of the ways he’s wronged God, knowing he has “done what is evil in [His] sight” (V. 4). David trustingly asks God to wash away those stains: “Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow” (V. 7).

We can’t see the physical evidence of God’s inward cleansing of us.

Yet when we trust in the sacrifice Jesus made to purchase that forgiveness, we can be assured that we’ve been washed clean. Even though the consequences of our actions may remain—the son born of David’s adultery died—our hearts are free from the ‘tattoos’ of our past. Lord, we too have done evil in Your sight. Please wash us clean! KIRSTEN HOLMBERG What ‘tattoo’ would you like to remove?

How have you been inwardly cleansed?

God, we love You! Help us to come to You for cleansing and forgiveness.

“

Jesus . . . wants you to be free.

That’s what He created you for.”

PRISCILLA SHIRER — actor, author, speaker

A FINAL THOUGHT

God’s Pursuit of You.

M

y pursuit of Jesus took me across five continents with Our Daily Bread Films. I sought to experience how encounters with people from all over the world would help me discover Jesus in new ways. What I found has radically shaped my own pursuit of Jesus.

C. S. Lewis wrote in the Four Loves, “In each of my friends there is something that only some other friend can fully bring out. By myself I am not large enough to call the whole man into activity; I want other lights than my own to show all his facets.”

The people I encountered in my travels have likewise brought out aspects of Jesus I might never have considered. They also help me realise the powerful truth that, since we are all made in the image of God, there is something everyone can teach us about Jesus.

In Sweden, I saw Jesus more clearly as the One by whom “all things were created, in heaven and on earth” (COLOSSIANS 1:16 ESV). Daniel, the nature-loving outdoorsman, and Eda, the reindeer-herding Sami woman, revealed to me an awe and rever-

ence for creation that I often miss in my own concrete and asphalt surroundings. We can know something of who Jesus is through the world He created.

In Singapore, I experienced Jesus more personally as the Divine Son who offers love to the world. Pastor Tze demonstrated a concept known in Asia as filial piety, which reveals a devotion to parents that runs much deeper than what I would be aware of given my Western individualism. This leads me into a deeper understanding of Jesus’ relationship to God the Father.

In Argentina, my guide and interpreter Alejandro helped me to appreciate the hospitality and love Jesus displayed when He shared the Last Supper with the disciples. Argentine culture focuses on the meal (usually with their world-famous steaks!). I saw that culture reflected in Jesus.

In South Africa, I saw Jesus as hope. This was through the person of Winne, who endured the injustice and despair of apartheid, but who found joy and inspiration in the One who has promised to rescue us all from brokenness.

In Israel, I talked with Sabha, an elderly, blind Palestinian woman, who sees Jesus as worthy of her praise even though she’s been rejected by her Muslim family because of her faith. She reveals the supreme power of Jesus in striking ways.

In the faces of those we meet, each one moulded by the hands of God, we find glorious aspects of Jesus we otherwise wouldn’t see. Who are the people in your life who reflect the character of Jesus in some unique way? Who are the relatives, friends, and acquaintances that show you Jesus today?

There’s one key question to be answered. Have you received the gift of eternal life offered by the One who’s been pursuing you?

Ever since sin entered the human experience (SEE GENESIS 3:1–19), we’ve been estranged from our Father in heaven. We see this estrangement in broken relationships with God, others, and even in how we relate to creation. But, in love, He’s been pursuing us.

Our heavenly Father sent Jesus His Son into the world to provide a way back to God. In each of the countries I visited, I met people who

experienced His love firsthand. Jesus lived a perfect life. He took our place as a sacrifice for our sin (our disobedience against God). Christ’s death dealt with our sin—the very thing that made our return to the Father impossible! As the apostle Paul explained: “Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said” (1 CORINTHIANS 15:3–4).

This is good news! Because of God’s amazing love, the brokenness we experience in and around us can be healed. He was willing to pay the

Because of God's amazing love, the brokenness we experience in and around us can be healed. ultimate price to allow you to have a restored relationship with Him. Scripture reveals you simply need to accept this free gift of forgiveness and restoration to receive salvation and eternal life: “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (ROMANS 10:9).

My pursuit of Jesus around the world taught me one thing very clearly: God’s pursuit of you leads to real life—both now and forever. Only one question remains: Will you accept this amazing gift by faith? Will you pursue Jesus too?

RASOOL BERRY

Jesus is one of the most talked about figures in history. Some love Him. Some hate Him. Many are simply indifferent. No matter where you stand on that spectrum, He’s notable enough that it’s worth looking into His teachings, His promises, and His resurrection. This booklet contains an introduction that explains why Jesus is so important and reflections that help you get to know Him better.

So open up these pages and begin your pursuit of Jesus this Easter.

ourdailybread.org

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