Daily Devo for 4/21 – 2nd Week of Easter

The “Daily Devos” are authored by my colleague and friend, Phil Brandt, and may contain edits and adaptations by yours truly.

Mea Cupa (My Fault)…. If you are wondering what happened to Monday’s devotion then wonder no more… it didn’t happen. But here’s Tuesday… and we’ll start with the Collect of the Week…

Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter – Prayer for the Week 

Almighty God, grant that we who have celebrated the Lord’s resurrection may by Your grace confess in our life and conversation that Jesus is Lord and God; through the same Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

In the season of Easter, the Christian greeting is “He is risen!” and the response is “He is risen indeed, Alleluia!” 

But if you meet your neighbor on the opposite side of the  street today and they are worried about their job, their family, their friends, or simply are at their wit’s end with being sequestered in their homes with their family, this might not be well received. They might respond, “That was 2000 years ago, what has He done lately? He doesn’t seem to be getting us out of this mess!” Perhaps you don’t need a neighbor to say it to you. Perhaps you or one of the sequestered in your home are asking that question and wondering where Jesus is today and what He is doing. 

Ancient Christians differentiated themselves from their pagan neighbors by saying that their God was alive. By that, they seemed to have meant that Jesus was present and doing things, unlike the mute and motionless idols which occupied the pagan temples of that time. They lived in a current relationship with Jesus who was present in their lives for their blessing. We need to remember this truth which inspired our ancient ancestors in the faith. 

One of the reasons Jesus has risen from the dead is so He could take care of you. You are the sheep of His fold, after all. He is the Good Shepherd. He has risen for a purpose and you are the object of his affections. Please don’t imagine that means all goes swimmingly. Some of those early Christians sang Jesus hymns on their way to martyrdom. Jesus did not show up with a legion of angels to snatch them from the lion’s jaws. But He who had been to hell and back and suffered death at the hands of Roman soldiers, walked with them every step of the way to face that martyrdom. Make a list today of all the things that Jesus is doing for you right now. Trust Him and confess Him in word and deed, and in a little conversation.