Daily Devotional

They had endured the trials of that holy week in Jerusalem. Jesus entered the city to the waving of palms and the shouting of “Hosannah.” Shortly after that Jesus was betrayed, arrested, brutalized, and killed. This struck fear into the hearts of the ones who followed Jesus so closely.

While Easter doesn’t have as many Easter songs and we’re not inundated with Easter carols, there are still favorite Easter hymns. And one of my favorite traditional Easter hymns is “Up from the Grave He Arose.”

Easter people raise your voices
Sounds of heaven in earth should ring
Christ has brought us Heaven’s choices
Heavenly music let it ring
Alleluia, alleluia
Easter People let us sing

One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!
Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!

When I was in 2nd grade, I had my first occasion of spending the night at a friend’s house. In fact, I got to stay with two of my best friends because they were sisters.

Every year, I find the Good Friday worship service at St. Luke’s to be one of the most powerful worship services of the entire year. If you have never been to a Good Friday worship service before, I highly encourage you to make it a point to go this year. Typically, this service is what we call a “Tenebrae” service. Tenebrae is a Latin word that means “darkness.” As we go through the service, we begin to extinguish candles and lights in the room until we find ourselves in complete darkness as we remember the death of Christ on that first Good Friday.

“I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer…,” Jesus told his disciples. I’ve always been intrigued by the Last Supper. One of my favorite Christian songs is Come to the Table by Michael Card. He wrote the song in 1983, but the best version is a 1996 duet with Oklahoma City native John Michael Talbot on their album “Brother to Brother.”

Lent is a season of reflection for Christians as we prepare our hearts and minds to celebrate the resurrection of Christ on Easter Sunday. For me, reflecting on Christ’s life, love, and ultimate sacrifice causes me to look at the ever-changing seasons of nature around me. My heart can sometimes feel heavy when the Christmas festivities are over, and the weather remains cold and dreary. When I see empty fields, leafless trees, and empty gardens; I look to God for peace and comfort. It is in these moments that God speaks so clearly: “I am still working in you and through you. Even though you may not feel or see it, my Spirit is still working in your life and in those around you.”

And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that he thus breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome, who, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered to him; and also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.