April 22 – HE IS RISEN!!!

Join with the Discover One Thing Online Study this week as we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ! You can join our study by reading today’s scripture below and journaling about it using SOAP (click on the “What’s SOAP?” link above to learn more). Below today’s scripture is an example SOAP from our team. Whether it’s your first time reading the Bible or you’ve been doing daily devotions for decades, God will use this One Thing to speak to you. We love hearing from you! Please use the comment section of our website to share your SOAP, thoughts or questions on the reading, or prayer requests. Join us as we build unity and community through God’s Word!

Matthew 28:1-10 Jesus Has Risen After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

SOAP Note

Easter Prayer | Becky Newman

Scripture

Matthew 28:5-7

Observation

On the third day after Jesus died, the women were headed to Jesus’ tomb. These were the same women who stood there at the cross as Jesus died and who were at the tomb when he was laid in it. They were keeping watch, ready. Though they may have thought that grief was driving them to be there, God had a bigger more awesome plan in their decision to stand by Jesus no matter what. They were the first to know that Jesus had risen and the first to be sent on a mission to spread the Good News that Jesus is alive.

Application

The angel’s words were not just for these women but for me and for all of us. Lysa TerKeurst wrote a beautiful devotion on these verses for Holy Thursday, and I’m relying on her application for mine today, to pray these verses with all their meaning and might.

Prayer

From Lysa Terkeurst’s “The 6 Prayers Your Heart Needs This Easter”:

• “Do not be afraid,” — Dear God, I hand over to You those things that make me so afraid. Resurrect the parts of my faith that are squelched by fear.
• “I know that you are looking for Jesus,” — God, when my soul is searching, may I know that the answer to every longing is found in You.
• “He has risen,” — God, the fact that Jesus is risen should lift my head, my heart and my attitude. Help me live today as if I really believe this with every part of my life.
• “just as he said,” — Dear Jesus, You keep Your promises. Show me how to live as though I believe that with every part of me. Help me trust You more, obey You more and resemble You more.
• “Come and see,” — Jesus, You had the angels invite the women in to see for themselves that You had risen. You invite me into these personal revelations every day. Forgive me for sometimes rushing about and forgetting to come and see for myself … You, Your Word, Your insights.
• “Then go quickly and tell his disciples,” — Jesus, I don’t want to be a secret-keeper with my faith. I want to be a bold and gracious truth-proclaimer. For You. With You. Because of You. Me, the girl whom You loved and redeemed.

The Discover One Thing main website follows a reading plan that goes through the entire Bible in one year. Click HERE to check out today’s Discover One Thing post.