March 27th Daily Devotion

A SERIES OF DEVOTIONS BASED ON ACTS

CHRIST IS RISEN!  ALLELUIA!

Acts 1:1-3  “In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day He was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen. After His suffering, He presented Himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that He was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.”

If you remember, in a recent devotion based upon the Gospel of Matthew, the morning of Jesus’ resurrection, the frightened soldiers rushed back into Jerusalem to report to the Jewish leaders Jesus’ tomb was empty.  They were bribed by the Jewish leaders to report that Jesus’ body had been stolen. 

Of course, Matthew reports in his gospel, the soldiers report was a lie.  Jesus’ body was not stolen.  God raised His Son from death back to life.  And, Jesus almost immediately thereafter showed Himself to the women who had come to the tomb to finish the customary process of burial that had been begun on Good Friday, but could not be completed due to the beginning of the Sabbath. 

In the ensuing days Jesus appeared twice to His disciples in the upper room.  At the second appearance Thomas, who was absent at the first one, was led by Jesus to exclaim, “My Lord and my God.”  From the women to the disciples to a crowd of five hundred followers of His, Jesus appeared and ministered.  Truly, He arose from the grave.  He had won His battle with sin, Satan, and the world.  He is the Savior of the world.  “He presented Himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that He was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.” (Acts 1:3)

Prayer:  Thank You Jesus for the proofs You gave of Your resurrection and victory over sin, Satan, and the world.  Keep me in the true faith to life everlasting.  Amen.

Christ is arisen
From the grave’s dark prison
So let our joy rise full and free;
Christ our comfort true will be;Alleluia!

Were Christ not arisen,
Then death were still our prison,
Now, with Him to life restored,
We praise the Father of our Lord.Alleluia!

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia! 
Now let our joy rise full and free;
Christ our comfort true will be. Alleluia!

Christ Is Arisen // LSB 459

Text: © 1969 Concordia Publishing House. Used by Permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000198