Tag Archives: Passion Week

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Hope Alive: The Power of the Resurrection

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CLICK HERE For FREE RESOURCE: Hope is Alive: A Devotional Journey through Holy Week!

The morning sun rises over Jerusalem. The city is still quiet, unaware that everything has changed. A few women make their way to the tomb, carrying spices, their hearts heavy with grief. Jesus is dead. They saw Him take His last breath. They watched His body wrapped and sealed behind a massive stone.

But when they arrive, the stone is rolled away. The tomb is empty. Hope is alive.

An angel stands before them and speaks the words that have echoed through history:

“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen!” (Luke 24:5-6)

And in that moment, everything shifts.

Hope That Defeats Death

On Friday, it looked like death had won. The cross had the final word. But today, the grave is empty, and Jesus is alive.

This is what sets Christianity apart from every other belief, every other religion. Our Savior is not in a tomb. He is risen. Death could not hold Him. The power of sin could not defeat Him. He has conquered the grave.

And because He lives, we have hope that death is not the end for us, either.

Hope That Restores What’s Broken

When Jesus walked out of that tomb, He didn’t just defeat death—He defeated everything that separates us from God.

  • Our sin is forgiven. (1 Peter 2:24)
  • Our shame is erased. (Romans 8:1)
  • Our fear is cast out. (2 Timothy 1:7)
  • Our future is secure. (John 11:25-26)

Because Jesus is alive, we are no longer slaves to sin. We are no longer defined by our past. We are no longer without hope.

Hope That Calls Us to Live Differently

The resurrection isn’t just a story to remember—it’s a truth that should transform us. The disciples went into the weekend broken, scared, and lost. But after encountering the risen Jesus, they became bold, fearless, unstoppable.

The same is true for us.

If Jesus really rose from the dead—if death is defeated, if eternity is secure—then how should we live?

  • With courage, because death has no power over us.
  • With joy, because Jesus has made us new.
  • With purpose, because the world needs to hear this good news.

Walking in Hope Today

Today, we celebrate the greatest victory in history. The cross wasn’t the end. The tomb couldn’t hold Him. Hope is alive, and His name is Jesus.

So lift your eyes. Lift your heart. He is risen! He is risen indeed!

Thanks for reading.

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Finding Hope in Heartbreak: Mary Magdalene’s Encounter

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The events of the past few days have certainly been difficult. Watching someone you are close to suffer the excruciating horror of crucifixion is enough to make even the hardest person’s emotions raw. For those close to Jesus, the grieving process had to pause a bit because of the Sabbath, but now that it is over, it is time to pick up where they left off earlier: visiting the tomb to ensure a proper burial. The Gospel writers tell us Jesus’ friends headed to the cemetery as soon as the sun was rising and the Sabbath was ending. Heartbroken, they didn’t want to waste any time.

CLICK HERE For FREE RESOURCE: Hope is Alive: A Devotional Journey through Holy Week!

John’s Gospel specifically tells us Mary Magdalene was the first to go and realize the tomb was empty. Mary thinks she’s going to ensure a proper burial, but she finds an empty tomb and neatly folded linens with no Jesus. What happens next shows us the compassion the Lord has for the broken-hearted.

John 20 records, “Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her.

“Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”

Mary is seeing something here that looks an awful lot like the Ark of the Covenant. Prior to now, the Ark of the Covenant, which represents the Lord’s presence, was only accessible in the Holy of Holies, and only one day a year by one person – the High Priest. But not now! The presence of the Lord is accessible to this heart broken woman.

She is not the High Priest nor is she in the Holy of Holies. She is a common person standing in a garden, outside an empty tomb, in tears because she doesn’t know what is happening. The person she cared about so deeply was ripped from her life, he was tortured to death, and now she can’t even make sure he has a decent burial because he is missing. Heartache is stacked on top of her heartbreak. Can you understand how she feels?

We are certainly not strangers to this pain. Heartache comes to us in any number of ways. The person we thought we were going to marry walked away from us. The child who should have outlived us didn’t. The husband who pledged his faithfulness was anything but faithful. The spouse of 50 years was ripped from our arms by death. The pain of a broken heart is not a foreign experience.

Maybe you’re thinking to yourself, “Yeah, I know how she feels. It is exactly how I feel today.” If so, please remember, you are not alone in this moment.

Mary’s story shows us we are not left to drown in the tears of our heartache. As she is standing there crying, Mary is not alone. John 20 continues, “She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. ” Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?”

She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.” “Mary!” Jesus said.

She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).”

Jesus does not leave Mary standing in the garden with tears running down her face. The tomb is empty, and Jesus is right beside Mary amid her heartbreak. He brings compassion and grace. He brings encouragement and comfort. Jesus brings himself to the heartbroken Mary, and he brings himself to those who are heartbroken today.

Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.”

When our hearts are broken, we can look to an empty tomb and find a Savior who comes to the heartbroken. Just like he was with Mary amid her heartbreak, he is with us amid our heartbreak. The same accessibility and compassion are present. Jesus does not flee from the heartbroken; he comes to us. Jesus is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those with a crushed spirit.

Because of an empty tomb, you and I do not have to be alone in our pain. We can allow the Lord to come close and rescue our crushed spirit.

Thanks for reading.

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Finding Hope in Silence: The Meaning of Holy Saturday

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The crowds have dispersed. The shouting has stopped. Jesus’ body lies in a tomb, sealed behind a heavy stone. Saturday is a day of silence.

Can you imagine what the disciples felt? Yesterday, they saw their Teacher, their Messiah, breathe His last. The One they had left everything to follow was gone. The hope they had in Him, the belief that He would be their King, now seemed buried with Him.

And now… nothing. No miracles. No answers. Just silence.

Hope That Holds in the Waiting

We don’t talk about Holy Saturday as much as the other days of this week. It feels like an in-between day—a pause between the horror of Good Friday and the joy of Easter morning. But in many ways, Saturday feels the most like real life.

Because we know what it’s like to wait in silence.
To pray and hear nothing.
To grieve and feel no comfort.
To wonder if God is really going to come through.

The disciples didn’t know what we know—that Sunday was coming. For them, this was a day of confusion, of sorrow, of doubt. And maybe that’s where you are, too. Maybe you’re in a waiting season, longing for breakthrough, but all you hear is silence.

Here’s the hope of Holy Saturday: Just because God is silent doesn’t mean He isn’t working.

Hope That Works in the Darkness

Jesus’ body was in the tomb, but God’s plan wasn’t buried with Him. Behind the scenes, beyond what human eyes could see, redemption was unfolding.

In the same way, when we can’t see what God is doing—when it feels like our prayers are hitting a wall—He is still working. He is moving in ways we can’t yet comprehend.

Think about a seed buried in the ground. It looks like nothing is happening, but under the soil, life is beginning. That’s what Saturday is. It’s the day between death and resurrection, between heartbreak and restoration. It’s the day that reminds us:

Just because hope is hidden doesn’t mean it’s gone.

Hope That Waits with Expectation

The disciples didn’t know what was coming. But we do.

We know that the silence of Saturday is not the end of the story.

If you’re in a season of waiting, let Holy Saturday remind you: Sunday is coming.

Your prayers are not unheard.
Your grief is not the final chapter.
Your silence is not the absence of God.

He is working. He is moving. And when the time is right, the stone will be rolled away.

Walking in Hope Today

So today, sit in the silence—but don’t lose hope.

Because this story is far from over. It hits a powerful climax tomorrow!

Thanks for reading.

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Overcoming Uncertainty: Embracing Hope After Trial

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CLICK HERE For FREE RESOURCE: Hope is Alive: A Devotional Journey through Holy Week!

Friday was a rough day for the disciples. They had just watched Jesus be crucified, and the weight of it all was overwhelming. Emotionally drained, they were stuck in the aftermath of something they didn’t fully understand. What they didn’t know was that Sunday was coming—a day that would change everything.

And so, Saturday arrived. A day in between. A day of uncertainty. A day of trying to figure out what’s next. Some of the disciples did the only thing they knew how to do—they went back to fishing. If only they knew what tomorrow would bring. If only they realized that hope was already on its way.

Life has a way of putting us in these “in-between” moments too. Maybe you’re recovering from something that shook you to your core. Maybe you’re stuck between sickness and healing, between heartbreak and love, between loss and life after it. These seasons of waiting, of wondering, can feel endless.

But here’s the good news: Sunday has already come. Hope isn’t just a distant possibility—it’s already here. No matter what you’re facing, you can move forward knowing that God is still working. You don’t have to stay stuck in the in-between. You can hold onto the hope that never fades, never weakens, and never disappears.

So if you’re feeling lost today, remember—Sunday came, and with it, victory. Hold onto that hope. And if you know someone who needs to hear this, share it with them.

Thanks for reading.

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Good Friday: Finding Hope in Suffering

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The sky grows dark. The earth trembles. The crowds that once cheered, “Hosanna!” now stand in stunned silence. Jesus is dead.

This is the day we call Good Friday—but from the outside, nothing about it looks good. The Messiah, the One who healed the sick, raised the dead, and offered hope to the hopeless, now hangs lifeless on a cross. His body is broken, His blood poured out. His disciples are scattered, hiding in fear. The hope that had once felt so sure now seems crushed beneath the weight of suffering.

And yet, in this moment—in the suffering, in the silence, in the final breath—hope is being secured.

Hope That Takes Our Place

The cross wasn’t an accident. It wasn’t a tragic twist in Jesus’ story. It was the plan all along.

From the beginning, sin had separated us from God. No amount of good works, no sacrifice, no religious effort could ever bridge the gap. The price of sin was death (Romans 6:23), and Jesus came to pay it for us.

  • When He stretched out His hands and took the nails, He took our place.
  • When the crown of thorns was pressed into His head, He bore our shame.
  • When He cried out, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46), He felt the weight of our separation from God.

And then, with His final breath, He declared, “It is finished.” Not “I am finished.” IT IS FINISHED!

The debt was paid. The barrier between us and God was torn down. Hope was sealed in His sacrifice.

Hope That Holds in Suffering

It’s easy to find hope when life is good, when prayers are answered, when we can see God’s hand at work. But what about when the sky turns dark? When we face grief, pain, or unanswered prayers?

Good Friday reminds us that Jesus understands suffering. He is not a distant God who watches from afar—He is a Savior who stepped into our pain, our sorrow, our loss.

If today feels heavy, if you’re carrying grief or doubt, know this: You are not alone. Jesus has been there. He is with you now. And because of the cross, even in our darkest moments, hope is still alive.

Hope That Leads to Resurrection

For those standing at the foot of the cross, it must have felt like the end. The One they loved was gone. Hope seemed buried in a borrowed tomb.

But what they couldn’t see in that moment was that Sunday was coming.

That’s the beauty of Good Friday. It reminds us that even when it looks like all is lost, God is still at work. Even when we can’t see the resurrection yet, hope is not dead.

Walking in Hope Today

Take a moment today to sit in the weight of Good Friday. Feel the sorrow, but don’t lose sight of the hope. Because this story doesn’t end in death.

Hope is hanging on the cross today. But in just three days, hope will walk out of the grave.

Thanks for reading.

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Finding Hope in Despair: Lessons from the Cross

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“My God, my God, why have you left me?”
That was his desperate cry as life’s weight came crashing down, suffocating him. He felt completely alone, abandoned. He called out, hoping someone would hear — but no one answered. No one was there. His enemies circled around him, closing in, and all he could hear was silence. His cries just seemed to fade into the wind.

CLICK HERE For FREE RESOURCE: Hope is Alive: A Devotional Journey through Holy Week!

Most of us, when we hear those words, think of Jesus on the cross — and we should (we’ll talk more about that in a minute). But those words didn’t start with Jesus. They were David’s words first.

In the middle of deep suffering, David cried out to God and got nothing but silence in return. The weight of life mixed with the silence of God felt unbearable. So he asked, “Why, God?”

And if we’re honest, we’ve all been there. Maybe not in the exact same way, but we’ve felt the crushing pressure of life and wondered if God had forgotten us. Maybe you’ve lost people you love, one after another, and you feel abandoned. Maybe your home or everything you’ve worked for was destroyed in a moment — and you feel lost, alone, and overwhelmed. Maybe the weight of life is pressing down so hard, you’re crying out, “Why, God?”

But here’s the thing — even in those moments, we can find hope.

And we find that hope when we look at the cross and look to Jesus.

The cross reminds us that Jesus gets it. He knows exactly what it feels like to be abandoned, to feel completely alone, and to be crushed by sorrow. Remember, He even prayed, asking if there was another way. But the cross still came. And those hours of suffering? We can’t fully grasp how painful they were, but we know they were excruciating. Jesus endured all of that, and because He did, He understands exactly how we feel when life is too heavy to carry. And the best part? He’s promised to be right there with us through it all. Hebrews 13:5 says, “I will never leave you. I will never abandon you.”

Looking at the cross gives us hope, not only because Jesus understands, but because it reminds us that this isn’t the end of the story.

On that day, as Jesus endured the weight of God’s wrath, He knew vindication was coming. He knew victory was just around the corner. His pain wasn’t the final word. Hebrews 12:2 says, “Because of the joy set before him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” The cross wasn’t the end — the empty tomb was.

And the same is true for us. When life feels unbearable, we can look ahead to victory.

This season of struggle won’t last forever. There’s vindication, restoration, and joy coming.

Psalm 22 — the same chapter where David cries out in despair — doesn’t end in hopelessness. It ends with victory. Verse 24 says:
“For he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy.
He has not turned his back on them,
but has listened to their cries for help.”

So if you’re feeling crushed right now, like there’s no way out — look to the cross. Look to Jesus. He knows exactly how you feel. And just like His story didn’t end in suffering, neither will yours. Victory is coming.

Thanks for reading.

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Maundy Thursday: A Different Kind of Love

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He removed his robe, and wrapped a towel around his waist. One by one, he washed every foot in the room. This was not a job reserved for the teacher but the rookie servant, yet Jesus did it. He did it to show his love and compassion for his disciples.

He didn’t feel too important or think of himself too highly to meet the obvious need. His love compelled Jesus to meet his disciples’ needs.

After washing all 24 feet, Jesus sits down and challenges us to have the same kind of love. “And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you” (John 13:14-15).

This is a different kind of love. It is a love that seeks nothing in return. It is a love that may break the norm. It is a love that looks at others’ needs with a desire for them to be met.

Today is Maundy Thursday, and the challenge for Christians is to show this love – a different kind of love. Love that makes us stand out from the world. How are you going to meet that challenge today?

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Holy Wednesday: Can We Find Hope in the Resurrection?

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Yes, because of its validity, value, and victory.

Hope can be found in Christ’s resurrection.

The Validity of the Resurrection

With courtroom-like precision, Paul builds the case for Christ’s resurrection. The eyewitness accounts are overwhelming.

1 Corinthians 15:5-8 states, “He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time. Most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he was seen by James and later, by all the apostles. Last of all, I also saw him.”

It is easy to dismiss one person’s testimony, and perhaps the 12 disciples could be written off as hallucinating. But it is not as easy to discount 500 people seeing the same event at the same time. Jesus appeared to all these individuals after his resurrection.

He ate with them. He talked with them. He walked with them. They could see and touch his physical body. He was there. Those who saw Jesus could factually say he was no longer in the tomb.

The resurrection was not a myth. It was a historical event which brought value and victory.

The Value of the Resurrection

1 Corinthians 15 goes on to explain there is much value in the resurrection.

  • Our dying bodies are buried, and a body, which will live forever, is raised up.
  • Our broken bodies will be exchanged for glorious bodies.
  • Our weak bodies will be replaced with strong bodies.
  • Verse 44 says, “They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.”

In other words, we will shed all the struggle and heartache in this life. Our physical and mental difficulties will no longer plague us. The value of the resurrection is a new body granted through Christ’s victory.

The Victory of the Resurrection

“Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘death is swallowed up in victory.’ ‘O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’ For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But, thank God, he gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ,” says 1 Corinthians 15:54-57.

Death, which is man’s great equalizer, has been beaten by Christ. The day of Christ’s resurrection, he struck a death blow to death and brought victory.

As we search for hope in this life, we can find it in the validity, value, and victory of Christ’s resurrection.

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Holy Monday: A Reminder Forgiveness is Free

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“When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves” (Mark 11:15-17).

It was commonplace in Jesus’ day for the outer courtyard of the Temple to be a marketplace. Merchants had a variety of animals available for purchase. They were turning the need for sacrifice into a business; however, Jesus brings an end to it today.

The Gospel writers tell us Jesus entered the Temple with a whip in hand. He overturned tables and prevented merchants from moving about. Basically, Jesus cleaned house. And, in doing so, reminds us all forgiveness is free.

The Bible reminds us forgiveness is free. It is a gift given to us by the Lord. Ephesians 2:8 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God. “

As you begin the work week, remember to pause and thank the Lord for his gift of grace.

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Palm Sunday: An Announcement Like None Other

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As the donkey carried him into the city, the crowd met him. John 12:13 says, “They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,,“Hosanna! ”,“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”,“Blessed is the king of Israel!”

Today is the day. 3+ years of ministry led up to this announcement. Jesus is their king; he is the king they’ve been waiting on, but his kingdom is like none other.

You see, the people of Israel were awaiting a king to come and overthrow Rome. They believed this would give them freedom again, but Jesus had a different strategy. As king, Jesus is coming to not just engage a political foe, but to conquer the real enemy of death.

Today is a celebration of a kingdom being announced. A kingdom that strikes a death blow to death. Because of King Jesus, you and I have hope:

  • Hope of eternal life.
  • Hope of seeing our loved ones again.
  • Hope of knowing the difficulties and struggles of this life are only temporary. They are achieving an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

Hold tightly to this hope as you celebrate Palm Sunday.