Day 48

After laying His life down for you and me, two men come to retrieve His body and prepare it for burial. One is Joseph of Arimathea, and the other is our friend Nicodemus. As you read today, take special note of these two men. The Lord has risen indeed!


Read: John 19:31-20:31; Luke 23:50-24:49; Matthew 27:57-28:15; Mark 15:42-16:18

List all the verses describing the disciples’ mental attitude as you study these passages.

Why is the resurrection so important to the Christian Faith? (1 Cor. 15:1-19)

Because of the resurrection of Jesus, what is now true about the life of Jesus?

He has risen from the dead! Death could not hold Him down! Jesus, my savior, triumphed over death and rose in victory. The Bible says that with Jesus’ resurrection, “Death has been swallowed up in victory’ ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:54-57). The power to live life is in the power of Jesus’ victory over death. Jesus rose as the first of many who will rise: “now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 6:8-11). That is powerful! That is the resurrection of Jesus- it gives us the power to defeat sin in our lives as we yield ourselves to the transforming work of the Father. The power of Jesus and His resurrection flows through us as we set aside our will and allow Jesus to live in and through us.

Resurrection leadership is leadership that allows Jesus to live in and through oneself. The servant leader, the submissive leader, the passionate leader, and the effective leader is the one who has Jesus in them, living through them. Leadership, Jesus’ style, is a radically different type of leadership than what our world models for us. Worldly leadership is a self-absorbed, control-oriented leadership that presses the leader’s will onto the people. It lords itself over them, controls and is demanding, harsh, and cruel. Jesus’ type of leadership is gentle, kind, loving, compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving kindness, and grace-filled. Which kind of leader are you? What kind do you want to be?

Speaking of leaders, what did you discover about Joseph and Nicodemus? Joseph was a member of the ruling Council, and a good and righteous man. Nicodemus was a Pharisee who had come to Jesus by night. We discover these two leaders in Israel were secret disciples (John 19:38). They were undercover Christ-followers who believed that Jesus was the Messiah but hid their beliefs for fear of the Jews. Their fear immobilized them, and they kept their faith a secret. They feared suffering for the name of Jesus or damaging their reputation among the religious crowd. Do you know any undercover Christians? Are you an undercover Christian? What are you afraid of? What if people found out that you were a Jesus follower? Jesus publicly went to the cross for me, and yet, at times, I still find it hard to stand for Him. To my embarrassment, there are times when I have not stood up for the One who gave everything for me. I know I am not alone. But we must remember that there is nothing this world has to offer that even comes close to knowing Jesus- Nothing!

Are you an undercover Christ-follower? Commit to stand for Jesus, and you will feel His resurrection power flow through you. Speak His name and tell others of His sacrifice. What does it mean to “make it known” that you are a true Christ Follower? I’m sure you know- we can say many things- but do our lives reflect it?