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Devotional 4.1.2026


April 3, 2026  – From Sorrow to Celebration

 

1 Peter 1:3–5

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

 

Scripture Reading – John 20:1-23

 

Our Good Friday reading, Isaiah 53:5-6, reminds us that Jesus was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities—our sin laid fully upon Him. Good Friday invites us to sit in the weight of that truth: the cross was not accidental, but deeply personal. Yet the story does not end in sorrow. In 1 Peter 1:3-5, we are told that through the resurrection, we are given a living hope and an eternal inheritance. As we read John 20:1-23, we see grief turn to astonishment and fear transformed into peace. The wounds of Christ are not erased—they are redeemed. Good Friday prepares our hearts to see that the cross and the empty tomb together reveal both the depth of our sin and the greatness of God’s mercy.

 

The songs we sing help carry these truths into our hearts. Man of Sorrows and Hallelujah What a Savior remind us that Jesus bore our guilt willingly, stepping into our place with sacrificial love. All Sufficient Merit anchors our hope not in our striving, but in Christ’s finished work. Then the tone shifts: Rise My Soul The Lord Is Risen and Christ is Risen call us to lift our eyes from the grave to victory, declaring that death has been defeated. Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me)captures the full story—love, death, burial, and resurrection—ending in the joy of salvation. Together, these songs move us from sorrow to celebration, teaching us that the cross was not defeat, but the very means by which Jesus secured our redemption and new life.

Further reading: Romans 5:6-11; Colossians 2:13-15; Luke 24:44-47

 

Reflection Questions:

1.     How does understanding that Jesus suffered for you personally shape the way you view the cross? 

2.     What does it mean for your daily life that your hope is “living” because of the resurrection?

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank You for bearing my sin and taking my place on the cross. You were wounded for my transgressions, yet You rose to give me living hope. Help me not to rush past the weight of Good Friday, but to truly see the cost of my redemption. Prepare my heart to celebrate Your victory with deeper joy. Shape my life in light of Your sacrifice and resurrection, that I may live with gratitude, obedience, and unshakable hope. Amen.

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