From: March 12, 2026
“And he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.’” (Mark 16:6 ESV).
In the Gospel of Mark, he recorded that when the women came to Jesus’ tomb early on the first day of the week, they were met by an angel. The angel reassured them, telling them not to be alarmed, and then proclaimed the astonishing truth: the Jesus they were seeking—the same Jesus of Nazareth who had been crucified—had risen from the dead. The angel’s words emphasized that the very One who died had now been raised bodily. The resurrection was not symbolic or spiritualized; it was a real event in history. The empty tomb stood as physical evidence of this miracle, and the angel even invited the women to look at the place where Jesus’ body had been laid. Mark presented this moment as the foundational announcement of the Christian faith. The crucified Jesus had conquered death, vindicating His identity as the Son of God and confirming the saving mission He came to accomplish.
This passage reminds us that people often look for Jesus in the wrong place. The women initially came to a tomb because they expected to find a dead body. Yet the angel declared that Jesus was not there. He had risen. Even today, many people search for Jesus in ways that miss the truth of who He is. Some look for Him in empty religion or lifeless rituals, as if faith were merely a set of traditions. Others reduce Him to a historical teacher or moral example from the past. But the message of the resurrection confronts these misunderstandings. Jesus is not found in dead religion or confined to history. He is alive. He is the risen Lord who conquered the grave and reigns today. When we seek Him rightly, through faith in the living Christ, we encounter the Savior who changes our lives. The question for us becomes personal and searching: Are you seeking Jesus in the wrong place?
PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for the glorious truth that Jesus is risen and alive. Help us to seek the living Christ with faith and devotion. Open our eyes to see that the crucified One is now the risen Lord who reigns forever. Strengthen our hearts to trust Him, follow Him, and proclaim His resurrection to others. In Jesus’ name, amen.
From: March 12, 2025
“On the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and behold, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds” (Numbers 17:8 ESV).
The Lord had the heads of house from each of the twelve tribes carve their names into their staffs and Moses placed them in the tabernacle. The next day, all the rods were brought out, “and behold,” only Aaron’s staff had bloomed and brought forth almonds. This was done to put to rest the complaints of those who rebelled against Moses’ and Aaron’s leadership, and therefore God’s leadership as well. Only God could cause a dead stick to bud, blossom and bring forth fruit.
The Hebrew word for “almond” relates to “watching” or “awakening,” as the almond tree is the first to bloom, signaling the arrival of spring. Similarly, the prophet Jeremiah saw a vision of an almond branch and the Lord told him it signified His intent to “watch” over His Word and to make it come to pass (Jer. 1:11-12).
Aaron’s rod points us to Christ. He is the fulfillment of God’s Word, the One who brings forth life from death. Like the almond blossom, His resurrection signals the end of winter and the beginning of new life for all who trust in Him.
Just as God affirmed Aaron’s calling, He has also confirmed Jesus as our Great High Priest. In Him, we see the power of resurrection life. No matter how barren or lifeless our circumstances seem, God can bring fruitfulness and renewal. We can trust in Christ as the source of new and abundant life.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for Jesus, who brings life from death and fulfills Your Word. Help us to trust in Him completely and to watch for the ways You are working in our lives. May we remain faithful, knowing that You are always faithful to Your promises. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
From: March 12, 2024
“For it is not an enemy who taunts me— then I could bear it; it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me— then I could hide from him. But it is you, a man, my equal, my companion, my familiar friend” (Psalm 55:12-13 ESV).
In David’s 55th psalm, he expressed the painful sorrow of being betrayed by a friend. It seems certain that he was describing the betrayal of his confidant and counselor, Ahithophel. For when David’s son, Absalom rebelled against his father and sought to take the throne, Ahithophel joined with the conspirators (See 2 Sam. 15:31).
This psalm also has a prophetic sense. For it points to the betrayal of David’s future son, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who was betrayed by one of his very own disciples, Judas Iscariot. The pain of betrayal was expressed by Jesus when he asked, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” (Luke 22:48).
Yet both betrayers ended their own lives at the end of a rope. For both Ahithophel and Judas hung themselves (2 Sam. 17:23; Matt. 27:5). Betrayal is a bitter thing.
Why do these stories from David’s life repeat themselves in the life of Jesus? Didn’t the Lord give them as signs pointing to Jesus as Messiah? As Jesus said to those Jewish leaders who refused to believe in him, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me” (John 5:39-40).
They refused to believe how Jesus fulfilled the very Scriptures that they studied. Do you see how Jesus has fulfilled the Scriptures? Even his betrayal by a friend?
PRAYER: Dear Father, we have heard Your Word and believed in Your Son, Jesus. We are amazed that You would send Him to save us even while we were yet sinners. Thank You. Strengthen us this day to declare the Word of the gospel to others. In Jesus’ name, amen.
From: March 12, 2023
“Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” (Mark 16:3 NLT).
On the first Easter morning, the women who went to anoint the Lord’s body worried about moving the stone that sealed His tomb. Arriving there, they found that the enormous stone had already been rolled away, revealing the empty tomb.
English investigative journalist, Frank Morison, had a tremendous drive to learn of Christ and in 1930, wrote a book entitled, “Who Moved The Stone?” The resurrection story had captured his attention, and, influenced by skeptic thinkers at the turn of the century, he set out to prove that the story was only a myth. His research, however, led him to be convinced of the validity of the biblical record. For him, the stone to believing was moved.
Do you know someone that seems close to believing, yet there is a kind of immovable stone standing in the way? You can lead them to the cross and to the tomb, but only God can move the stone. Pray that the stone of blindness and unbelief is removed from their heart, so that they might believe and receive the Risen Lord Jesus.
PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank you that you have removed the stone from our hearts that we might believe in Jesus. Yet, we have so many family and friends around us who do not believe. Give us the words today to share a clear gospel with them. Go before us to remove the stone from their hearts that they might truly see and believe. In Jesus’ name, Amen.