Sunday, March 31 Watch the current episode of the miniseries The Bible, airing Sunday night on the History Channel. Discuss the episode with your family, using these questions to guide your discussion. What was biblically accurate about tonight s episode? What was inaccurate? How did seeing these biblical events portrayed visually deepen your understanding and appreciation of them? What about tonight s episode was portrayed differently than you had imagined it? He is risen! He is risen indeed! On Easter morning, we rejoice that our Savior lives again! Meditate on these words from the beautiful hymn, Christ Jesus Lay in Death s Strong Bands. 1 Christ Jesus lay in death s strong bands for our offenses given; But now at God s right hand he stands and brings us life from heaven. Therefore let us joyful be and sing to God right thankfully loud songs of alleluia! Christ Jesus, God s own Son, came down, his people to deliver; Destroying sin, he took the crown from death s pale brow forever. Stripped of pow r, no more it reigns; an empty form alone remains; its sting is lost forever. It was a strange and dreadful strife when life and death contended. The victory remained with life; the reign of death was ended. Holy Scripture plainly says that death is swallowed up by death; its sting is lost forever. Here the true Paschal Lamb we see, whom God so freely gave us; He died on the accursed tree - so strong his love - to save us. See, his blood now marks our door; faith points to it; death passes o er, and Satan cannot harm us. Then let us feast this Easter Day on Christ, the bread of heaven; The Word of grace has purged away the old and evil leaven. Christ alone our souls will feed; he is our meat and drink indeed; faith lives upon no other! 1 Christ Jesus Lay in Death s Strong Bands, verses 1,3-5,7. Christian Worship Supplement. Northwestern Publishing House: Milwaukee, WI: 2008. 1
Monday, April 1 Read Matthew 27:1-66 with your family, then spend a few minutes talking about the lesson. Use these 1) What parts of this account jump out at you? What catches your eye? 2) In the Apostle s Creed, we use the phrase, [Jesus] suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. It s a short phrase that we can recite without thinking about it. What was included in Jesus suffering? What does that tell you about God s love for you? 3) What does Jesus mean when he says, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Tuesday, April 2 Read Luke 24:1-49 with your family, then spend a few minutes talking about the lesson. Use these 4) Put yourself in the disciples place. In the last few days they had seen their teacher arrested, beaten, mocked, flogged, crucified, killed, and put in a hole in the ground. What do you think was running through their heads when they heard about the empty tomb and saw it for themselves? 5) Some people say that Jesus only rose in spirit, not in body. How would you use these verses to show that Jesus resurrection was a bodily resurrection? 6) Why is peace be with you (verse 36) such an appropriate greeting from the risen Lord? Wednesday, April 3 Read John 20:19-21:14 with your family, then spend a few minutes talking about the lesson. Use these 7) The resurrection of Jesus provides believers with incredible comfort. What are some of the comforts that the resurrection gives you? 8) Jesus resurrection not only gives us comfort, but it also gives us a commission. What does Jesus tell his disciples to do, especially in verse 21? 9) John 20:31 gives us a purpose statement for the Bible. Why has God given us his Word? What does that lead you to pray for? Thursday, April 4 Read Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:1-11 and 2:1-41 with your family, then spend a few minutes talking about the lesson. Use these 10) What is so remarkable about the disciples in Luke 24:52-53? 2
11) What does Acts 1:11 tell us about Jesus second coming? 12) What points of Peter s sermon grab your attention? Friday, April 5 Read Revelation 5:1-14 and 21:1-27 with your family, then spend a few minutes talking about the lesson. Use the provided 13) In Revelation 5, Jesus is referred to as both a lion (verse 5) and a lamb (verse 6). How are both animals fitting pictures of Jesus? 14) Look again at Revelation 21. What will heaven be like? 15) What parts of heaven in Revelation 21 do you find the most comforting? Saturday, April 6 Thank you for participating in these daily readings and devotional questions as you watched the Bible miniseries. We pray that your faith was strengthened as you saw these familiar stories come to life on the small screen, then went back and read those stories for yourself. Let these words from Isaiah comfort you as you hear God s promise that his Word will be powerful and effective on your heart: As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. May God bless your life-long study of his Word! He is risen! He is risen indeed! Answers to questions: Q1) Different things will jump out at different people, but here are some of the more notable moments in Matthew 27: 1) Judas remorse over his betrayal. He was sorry for his sin, but he missed a key part of repentance - believing that God forgives all sins. 2) Jesus silence before his accusers. He doesn t even try to defend himself, but goes forth to suffering and death without complaining. 3) The brutal nature of Jesus suffering. See the next answer for more on this. 4) The indignity of Jesus death. He was mocked and ridiculed by everyone around him as he was being killed in one of the most painful ways. 5) The events that happen immediately after Jesus death. They showed that Jesus truly was the Son of God. 6) The generosity of Joseph of Arimathea. 7) The disciples, conspicuous only by their absence. They had deserted Jesus, but he remained faithful to them and to his mission to save the world. 3
Q2) Jesus suffered greatly in many ways - physically, emotionally, and spiritually. His physical suffering was severe. He was beaten, flogged, struck, and crucified (which combined severed pain with suffocation as the victim s strength gave out). His emotional suffering was intense. He was abandoned by his closest friends and mocked and ridiculed by many. He felt like he was all alone. But worst of all was his spiritual suffering. When Jesus cried out, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? he truly was alone. God had turned his back on him, saying, What son? I have no son. Jesus was suffering the pain and torment of hell. Can you imagine the depth of love that Jesus had for us, that he would suffer all of this willingly? His love for you knows no bounds - he suffered hell so that you wouldn t have to. What an amazing Savior we have! Q3) See the answer to question two. Q4) While we don t know for certain all the thoughts the disciples had, we can take some educated guesses. We do know that Peter left the empty tomb wondering what had happened. We hope that the disciples were remembering Jesus many predictions of his death and resurrection. We hope that there was at least a twinge of hope and joy in their saddened hearts. But think of the overflowing joy they experienced when they saw Jesus in the flesh and fully believed that he had risen from the dead. What excitement that must have been! What joy! Q5) Jesus walked alongside the disciples on the road to Emmaus - he clearly was not just a disembodied spirit walking next to them. According to the disciples in verse 23, Jesus body was not in the tomb - his body had risen, not just his spirit. Jesus also broke bread - a tough thing for a spirit to do. The disciples recognized Jesus, so he could not have been a spirit inhabiting a random person s body - it was Jesus himself. Finally, the disciples could touch Jesus (verse 39), and they saw him eat broiled fish in their presence. Jesus rose from the dead, and it was a bodily resurrection. Q6) The disciples were not at peace when Jesus appeared to them. They were confused, scared, worried, and wondering about past and future events. But then their Lord and master appeared to them, saying, Peace be with you. How wonderful to have THE peace-bringer bring peace to their troubled hearts! The good news of Jesus resurrection gives peace that passes all understanding. May this peace fill your heart this Easter season! Q7) The comfort of Jesus resurrection is truly incredible. His resurrection assures us of so many things. First of all, God accepted Jesus payment for our sins. The resurrection of Jesus is God s stamp of approval and acceptance of his sacrifice. Second, we know that Jesus promise, Because I live, you also will live (John 14:19) is true. His resurrection means that we, too, will one day rise from death to meet our Lord face to face. Third, we know that death is defeated for good. Death holds no fear for a believer, for death is just a sleep from which we will wake to see our Savior. Finally, we know that Jesus truly is Lord of all - not even death could hold him! Our Savior lives - alleluia! Q8) The comfort of Jesus resurrection overflows into a commission - get out there and share the comfort that is yours! Jesus is sending you to proclaim that his death and resurrection have paid for everyone s sins, and that heaven now stands open to those who believe. What a privilege to share this blessed message of God s grace! Go and tell others about Jesus, the Savior of all! Q9) God has given us his Word so that we may believe it, and that by this faith we may live with him forever in heaven. He gives us all we need to know and believe - nothing more, nothing less. When I consider this grace of God, I pray a prayer of thanksgiving that God has graciously given us his blessed Word. I also pray that God keeps me connected to his Word, that I do not despise preaching and his Word but gladly hear and learn it (Luther s Small Catechism - the meaning of the 3rd Commandment). I pray that God spread his Word to all people, especially those who haven t heard it yet. I pray that God use me, weak jar of clay that I am, to spread his Word to many others. 4
Q10) The disciples knew that although Jesus had physically left them, he would always be with them (Matthew 28:20). Still, after watching their Lord ascend into heaven, you might expect a bit of sadness from the disciples. Yet Luke tells us that they returned in great joy, worshiping and praising God. It s an incredible reaction from disciples who had, at times, wavered in their faith. Not one ounce of sorrow - just pure, unadulterated joy in their risen Lord. Q11) Jesus second coming will be similar to his ascension. He will return in the same way he went. Mark 14:62 is Jesus own foretelling of his second coming: You will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven. Every eye will see him when he returns in this way (Revelation 1:7). This second coming will be glorious and not at all humble, as his first coming in the manger at Bethlehem was. The risen Lord will come from heaven in all his glory, and it will be a day of joy for his people. Q12) Several things jump out at us from Peter s Pentecost sermon. Peter shows that this special day was not an accident, but a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. He tells us that Jesus was true God, as his many miracles attested. He proclaims the resurrection, again using Scripture to support this truth. He uses the law to cut people s hearts and show them their sins, then heals them with the balm of God s gospel. Q13) The lamb is a fitting picture of Jesus because he was THE sacrificial lamb of God, the sacrifice that actually and finally took away the sins of all people. But Jesus is also like a lion - a powerful king and ruler that conquers all. The two pictures may seem contradictory, but both are fitting images of our Lord. Q14) Heaven will be brand new, a beautiful place where God will dwell with his people. Revelation 21:4 says this about heaven: He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. Heaven will be a place of joy and happiness. Death and sorrow and pain will not exist. Heaven will shine with the full glory of God, and God s people will bask in the light and splendor of their Savior. What joys await us in heaven! What bliss beyond compare! 5