Read Matthew 28:1–15 and focus on the angel’s words in verse 6: “He is risen, just as he said.”

Prayer:

Almighty Christ, death could not hold you! The Father accepted your holy sacrifice—your innocent suffering and death—for the forgiveness of all our sins. Once that occurred, the grave had to release you. Your body would not see decay.

Today we celebrate your rising from the dead. The angels rolled away the stone, not to release you from the tomb, but to reveal to your disciples—and to us—the miracle that had taken place. 

You did what you had promised to do—you defeated death itself! In your resurrection, we see our own. You have brought us unimaginable joy and peace. 

Make this a glad day for all hurting people as you encourage them in the truth that you are their Mighty God and Everlasting King! Give us courage to share our Easter joy with others.

 We ask it all in your glorious name. Amen.

You are welcome to copy this article for one-time use in your organization as long as you will receive no monetary benefit from it. Please include this copyright line and submit an actual copy of use to CTA, attention Editorial Manager.

Used with permission grant #050310. © 2010 CTA, Inc. No duplication of this article is allowed without the express written consent of CTA, PO Box 1205, Fenton, MO 63026-1205. www.CTAinc.com.

As enemy forces advanced, Baker Company was cut off from the rest of the regiment. For several hours, headquarters tried again and again to contact the missing unit. Finally, a faint signal crackled on the radio.

Straining to hear each word, a corpsman asked, “Baker Company, do you read me?”

“This is Baker Company,” came the reply.

The corpsman asked, “What is your situation?”

“The enemy is to the east of us. The enemy is to the north and south of us.” Then after, a brief pause, “The enemy is on the west, too. They won’t get away from us now!”    

As Jesus hung on the cross of Calvary, Satan’s forces moved in, certain of victory. But like some gullible fish in a murky river, the enemy did not see the steel barb of Christ’s divinity hidden beneath the flesh of his human nature. The enemy would not get away. His defeat was sealed.

It certainly did not appear that way on Good Friday afternoon. Jesus’ friends must have felt disgraced and shameful, defeated and hopeless. There was shame, of course, but none of it belonged to our Lord. By Easter morning, all the angels of heaven and every demon in hell would soon discover that the only ones disgraced and defeated on Calvary that day were Satan and his cohorts.

Jesus used death to defeat death. Like some divine martial arts expert, our Lord overpowered the rulers and authorities that had held the human race in bondage. And he had used weakness to do it! He not only disarmed them, he humiliated them.

How sweet is the cross of Jesus. How powerful is the cross of our Lord, too! May it always be that Paul’s boast will be ours as well:

May it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (Galatians 6:13)

Prayer starter: Jesus, you are my pride and joy. I boast in you and in your cross! The power of the cross has brought me freedom from sin’s slavery and death’s domination. Nothing else in my life comes close to the joy and pride of belonging to you . . .

 Editor’s note: For the next several Monday’s, our blog will include devotions appropriate for the Easter season. In liturgical churches, the season of Easter continues for 50 days, concluding with Pentecost Sunday. This week’s devotion was written by Pastor Barry J. Keurulainen for CTA’s devotion book, The Power of the Cross and has been adapted slightly for use here.

As a child, I lived with a fear of dying. Many small children do, but few perhaps take it to the extreme I did. It all but paralyzed me!In response, I prayed this prayer at bedtime month after month, year after year: “Lord, don’t let me die tonight, let me live till I am 76.” At that time, 76 seemed ancient. I laugh now, but not then. 

Then one day I heard my pastor read these words, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? . . . Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:55, 57). With these words, I felt the chains that had me in bondage drop away. I was free. The fear was gone. 

Fast forward to a point many years later. My father had just died. The morning of his funeral, I went to the cemetery. Peering into the hole that would soon hold his casket, I said out loud: “You hold nothing over my dad. You could not hold onto Jesus and you cannot hold onto anyone who is ‘in Jesus.’ Someday, you will be forced to give up the body we will place here today.”

That is the power of Easter, the power of the cross, the power that defeats the power of death and the grave. Through faith in Jesus, we died—2000 years ago on Calvary! Through faith in Jesus, we received new life, eternal life, an Easter life—when Jesus came out of the tomb!

The Bible describes each of God’s children in these words: “having been buried with [Christ] in baptism and raised with him through . . . faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead” (Colossians 2:12). Joined with Jesus in his burial, we broke free from the grave when he did. Death will not hold us.

 I won’t reach age 76 for several more years. But even when I do achieve that milestone, the grave will remain powerless. Death will score no victory.

Prayer starter: Victorious Jesus, grant your confidence and comfort to those who struggle today with the death of a loved one. And teach me to view death through the lens of your open tomb . . .

While it’s on my mind, I wanted to alert you to the fact that Tim Wesemann wrote the cover article for the February issue, focusing on the topic of clinical depression. If you are a pastor or serve in some other care ministry, I encourage you to read Tim’s insightful comments. He shares his own personal story from the heart. It includes priceless insights for those who minister. (Since pastors and other church professionals are not exempt from this malady, it may help you on a personal level, too.)

Oh, and don’t miss this month’s Smiles as You Serve. Also written by Tim, these are among the best we’ve published in recent months.

Not yet a Grab & Go subscriber? Find CTA’s home page and scroll down until you see the E-mail Sign Up field in the far left-hand margin.

Many blessings on your continued service for Jesus and his people!

Past issues of our ministry newsletter articles are available here.

As a CSR for CTA, I recently talked with pastor who had just read, Grieving with Hope . . . Leaning on Jesus. He passed it on—to a family grieving the loss of a child several years ago. The family came back a few days later to say, in essence, “We so wish we had read this at the time of our child’s death!”

Grief seldom evaporates the day after the funeral! Many people continue to grieve for months and even years. Experts in grief tell us that individuals each grieve in their own way, following their own timetable.

Do you have friends who struggle with grief? When you act in faith, our Savior will step in to care for those whose lives you touch. It’s never too late to bring the hope of Jesus to those who are grieving.

Editor’s Note: CTA’s Grieving with Hope . . . Leaning on Jesus has become a best-seller in only a few months! It costs much less than most sympathy cards and it comes with an envelop for easy mailing.  The Christ-centered message coupled with four-color, eye-striking photos, make it a truly valuable ministry tool! Churches, Stephen Ministers, chaplains, and others will want to buy a case to have on hand.

Please don’t think I’ve lost my way or that I’m ready to abandon my faith. My walk with the Lord is more real than ever; indeed, I think I’ve grown closer to Him during this season of struggle.

But stuff happens. The loss of a son to suicide. Distance with a grieving spouse. Fathering two head-strong teenage daughters. The financial pressures of being the lone breadwinner.

In such times, any sign that God knows and God cares is a welcome relief. Strangely, I have found that relief in recent days from an air freshener. That’s right, an air freshener from CTA that hangs from the rear-view mirror in my Buick.

The Lighthouse Car Air Freshener has been a surprising reminder – to both my nose and eyes – of God’s blessings in my life. Every time I get in my car, the fresh “ocean” scent and the visually striking lighthouse let me know that my Savior is bigger than any problem I face and that He will guide me through the darkest nights of my life.

Who would have thought an air freshener could do that?

“I recently ordered copies of “Facing Illness with Hope” and “Grieving with Hope” from CTA. I shared a copy of “Grieving with Hope” with a recent widow from our church. I knew she needed encouragement as she had not returned to church since her husband died several months ago.

She told me it was just too hard to think of going alone. I mailed the booklet trusting that God would use it to lift her spirits. Several days later she called to thank me for the booklet and to tell me how much it has meant to her. She reads it over and over and finds it provides her with a much needed boost of hope and confidence in the Lord’s provision for her. She has marked her favorite pages and prayers and turns to them first thing each morning and night. She even commented on the beautiful photos that accompany each page. She is ordering copies of “Grieving with Hope” so she can share them with the members of her grief support group.

Best of all, she has been able to return to the fellowship of her church family due, at least in part, to the encouragement and gentle reminders of God’s love for her in this book. Thank-you, Rev. Wesemann, for allowing God to use you in such a meaningful way. And thanks to CTA for providing this resource for us!”

- Cindy S., Missouri

And what about Grieving with Hope outside the congregation? Funeral homes always keep resources on hand to give grieving families. Make sure your local funeral director knows about this book! Grief support groups. Hospice Care. Counselors. Why and where else could copies be helpful? Share your ideas with us!

As the author, here’s my vision. Let’s start with churches. CTA offers a discounted price for larger purchases of both books. Imagine if congregations kept a large number of these on hand for their people to purchase at church (not trying to make a profit from them, of course) or even provided them free for their members. Individuals and families could then keep several of each at home, ready to share when a need arose. Every one of you can probably name several people facing an illness or dealing with grief at this very moment–family members, co-workers, neighbors, and even acquaintances God has placed in your life. Think of the personal ministry possibilities! Especially if you don’t have the right words yourself, let this Christ-centered, Scripture-based resource speak for you to all those affected by an illness or death–family members (parents, children, grandchildren, brothers and sisters, all) and even friends. You can easily provide hope and encouragement for those you see hurting, and what a blessing if you can also know you can pick more up at church whenever you need them. Catch the vision! Provide these resources to empower everyone in your congregation to bring hope in Christ to the hurting!

Has your church, group, or ministry caught the vision in a special way? Have you? Let us know via email.

By the way, how have you or someone you know benefited by the books? Are there other details about the book you found helpful?