“Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.” ~Luke 24:5-6
Reading for today: John 20:1-18, 30-31; 21:25
The power over disease, evil spirits, and nature. The power to forgive sins and the power over death. And then, on Easter, Jesus’ revealed his ultimate power and purpose – the power to save.
For all humanity, Easter morning was the dawning of a new existence. New life offered at the very moment that Jesus rose from the dead.
For all the power he had, Jesus chose to save us. To save us forever from the clutch of sin, to save us from the fear of death, and to save us from the overwhelming darkness that pulls us away from our Creator God. We are saved for eternity, by the power of Jesus.
But underneath all this power, there is yet a deeper power that courses through the veins of God himself. It is the power that drove, from the very beginning, his unwavering commitment to our salvation. It is the basis of God’s every action through the person of Jesus. This underlying power is love –God’s steadfast love for us.
It is God’s love that first created us. It is God’s love that set his plan of salvation in motion at the Garden of Eden when humanity first sinned against him. It is God’s love that heard humanity’s cry, “Lord save us!” It is God’s love that sent Jesus as Immanuel – God with us – to earth. It is God’s love that set Jesus’ face towards Jerusalem and the cross, as people shouted Hosanna – God save us. And it is God’s love that sacrificed his only Son, to be the answer to our cries.
In love, God sent Jesus, with all authority and power, in order to make a way for us to enter back into his perfect love. And God desires that you not only accept his love in faith, but also extend it outward to those who have not yet felt its warmth. For he who is mighty to save, has given his power to us. God’s loving promise to save is now upon us and we have the power to share his love with those around us.
I want you to know all about Christ’s love, although it is too wonderful to be measured. Then your lives will be filled with all that God is. ~ Ephesians 3:19 (CEV)
This week, spend some time basking in God’s love for you.
Day 2 – John 3:16-17; Ephesians 3:14-21
Day 3 – 1 John 4:7-12,16
Day 4 – 1 Corinthians 13
Day 5 – John 15:9-17