Greg Laurie daily devotion - Apr. 27, 2011

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

A Second Chance at Easter

And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” —Matthew 28:9

The resurrection of Jesus reminds us that God provides second chances. When Jesus was crucified it came as a shock to His followers. They just did not seem to understand that He would be crucified and rise again on the third day. When the Crucifixion actually took place, it shattered their faith. But after His resurrection we see the risen Lord seeking out these discouraged, disheartened disciples to revive them, to reignite them.

How easily Jesus could have written them all off and said, “You didn't stand by Me in My greatest hour of need; now I am not going to stand by you in yours.” But no—the Lord sought to restore them.

When Mary Magdalene went to the tomb of Jesus early in the morning, the angel told her that the Lord had risen. As she and the other Mary “went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, ‘Rejoice!’ ”(Matthew 28:9). She found the living Lord to restore her hope and purpose in life.

Thomas missed the meeting when Jesus had appeared to the other disciples, but He reappeared when Thomas was back with the group. How gracious of Jesus to condescend to the skepticism of one single man. It almost appears that He came to that meeting simply to restore Thomas.

Remember the two discouraged disciples on the Emmaus Road? As He spoke to them, their deadened hearts began to reignite. “And they said to one another, ‘Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?’ ” (Luke 24:32). Jesus went out of His way to restore their hope.

Maybe you have doubts or fears today. The same Jesus who restored Mary, the disciples on the Emmaus Road, and the skeptical Thomas, will restore your faith. You too can find that Jesus gives second chances.

Explore:

Read (or re-read) chapter 7 of Road to the Resurrection to learn why we can be confident that Christ really did rise from the dead.

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Today’s devotion speaks of second chances. Think about how you can give a second chance to someone in your life today.

Access more devotions and downloads by visiting the Road to the Resurrection at risen.harvest.org.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Bible text from the New King James Version is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000.

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