Easter Season

Easter is here! Contrary to popular misconception, Easter isn’t just on Resurrection Sunday but actually a whole season (like Lent) until Pentecost Sunday. Easter season basically celebrates and reminds us that Jesus is alive, He has risen from the grave and is actively at work amongst us.

SONGS FOR PRAYER

reading for: Tuesday Night, 11 april

John 20:19-31

The Risen Lord who Meets with Each of Us

• READ

  Do you believe that the Risen Lord is alive and meeting with each person this Easter season? Are you open and praying to meet with the Risen Lord through His Spirit?

  When we come to this famous passage, we usually single out Thomas as the doubting one. He needed to see and touch Jesus physically, see Jesus’ nailed pierced hands and touch his pierced side before he could believe (v. 25). We focus of course on Jesus words to Thomas, “Do not disbelieve but believe.” (v. 27)

  But if we take a step back and look at the entire account, it wasn’t just Thomas who didn’t believe. In fact, all the disciples were fearful of the Jews (v. 19) and had to have a personal encounter with Jesus, touch his hands and side (v. 20). Jesus our Risen Lord actually first appeared and greeted the disciples with “Peace be with you.” (v. 19), which later he repeated when Thomas was with them (v. 26). Upon that greeting, he then showed them his hands and side.

  Mary who had first met with the Risen Lord had most likely already shared with the disciples that she had seen him (v. 18). But just as Mary had to see Jesus herself, the disciples also had to meet Him before they could also say “We have seen the Lord.” (v. 25).

• REFLECT

  In some ways, the pre-resurrected Jesus of 2000 years ago was more limited than the post-resurrected Jesus. Now with the sending of the Holy Spirit, God is able to meet and encounter many more of us than the pre-resurrected Jesus.

  God’s heart ultimately is that every single human being, every lost child of God, have that encounter that will enable him/her to believe. Just as John’s purpose of the gospel is to write and testify so that we might come to believe (v. 31). God knows the doubts and fears we have and as long as we are open and seeking to meet Him, He will certainly meet with you.

  Are you open, praying and seeking for an encounter with the Lord this Easter season?

  Are you struggling in your fear or doubt like the disciples?

  The Risen Lord knows and wants to meet with you. Will you make space in your life and set aside time for Him?

reading for: Wednesday Night, 12 april

Acts 2:14a, 22-32

The Risen Jesus Conquered Death and Corruption

• READ

  Do you think that the death and resurrection of Jesus was an accident? Or was it expected, allowed and planned by God?

  What implications does His death and Resurrection have for our lives today?

  In the first part of Peter’s sermon, he explains that they have now entered the “last days” (v. 17), when the Spirit will be poured out on all flesh. In this second part of his sermon, Peter now points to David and Psalm 16 that Jesus’ death and resurrection was actually God’s plan all along. In fact, it was foretold that a descendant of his would conquer death and corruption (v. 27 and 31). David wasn’t speaking about himself but the future Messiah, whom we now know is Jesus (v. 25 and 29).

  Living 2000 years ago, we can be certain that there would be many theories as to why Jesus had gone missing from the tomb. We could even think that it was “just another miracle of God” (v. 22) that Jesus performed as he did before. But Peter, knowing and realising the significance of what had happened, by the empowerment of the Spirit, explains that this was actually pre-planned and foreknown (v.23) by God. And its to Psalm 16 that he points his listeners to, a Psalm written by David. It is to this that we are witnesses of (v. 32). Because death and corruption has been conquered by Jesus, we can now be glad, rejoice and find hope (v. 26).

• REFLECT

  Just as Jesus has conquered death and corruption through His death and resurrection, we now live in the new creation (2 Cor 5:17). We now have a living hope, an inheritance that is not affected by death and corruption (1 Peter 1:4). And just as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:54, death has been swallowed up in victory.

  What that means for us is that we do not need to fear death and corruption anymore. The power of death and corruption has been broken and now a greater power, through our Risen Lord is in play. So no matter how dark or challenging or impossible the situation, relationship or obstacle is, no matter how forsaken, impossible and corrupted it is, we can now rejoice and find hope. For in our Risen Lord, a new power, the power of Resurrection that brings life instead of death is in effect.

  Are you seeking life and hope in any area, relationship or situation in your life this Easter? Will you take that step of faith to commit and ask the Lord for a breakthrough?

  Will you in faith look forward to rejoicing and being glad and resting in hope for that breakthrough?

reading for: Thursday Night, 13 april

1 Peter 1:3-9

The Risen Jesus Ushers in Our Future Inheritance

• READ

  Are you experiencing trials and challenges? What gives you hope in those dark and challenging times?

  The church that Peter was writing to was experiencing all sorts of trials and persecution (v. 6). So much so that it was causing them a lot of grief.

  Peter however was reminding them that through the Risen Jesus, all of us have been born into a living hope (v. 3). A hope now of our future inheritance that cannot be defiled, faded or decayed (v. 4). And God’s power is protecting us through our faith and trust in Him until that last day (v. 5). It is for this reason that we can be glad and rejoice, for our faith will one day reveal itself when Jesus comes again (v. 7).

  All of us like the church that Peter wrote to has to live by faith because none of us have actually physically seen the Risen Jesus. But what’s interesting is that all of us have a sense of love and trust in Him.

• REFLECT

  Are we growing in our love and trust towards Jesus? Are we growing in our ability to stand and ride through dark and challenging times?

  Yesterday Ps Terence called us to a renewed commitment to grow in our own relationship and experience with the Risen Jesus in 2023. All of us will meet with Jesus one day when He comes again. And we will want to be able to testify of our faith and steadfastness in Him that has grown over the years.

  One way we can grow in our love and trust is to grow in our understanding of the living hope which has come through Jesus’ death and resurrection. We can grow in our understanding of this future, imperishable, incorruptible inheritance that awaits us.

  How? By committing to study the scriptures, either a book or a topic like our future inheritance. This year, most of our gospel readings in our bible reading plan will be from Matthew (except during Lent season which just passed). Will you commit to finding a way to study and learn more about this hope that Jesus points to in Matthew?

reading for: Friday Night, 14 april

PSALM 16

The Risen Jesus is the Answer to This Prayer

• READ

  The Psalms is commonly known as a book of prayer. Its a collection of prayers made mostly by David in various situations in his life. Psalm 16 is titled as a Miktam Psalm along with Psalm 56-60.

  Miktam means golden, or a word meaning to cover. Although the exact meaning of the word is unclear, what’s clear is that its written in times of distress and crisis, Where David’s life is in serious danger. Putting the two together, its a prayer and cry of David where we see learning to run to God for cover in times of distress. Learning to stand secure in His identity as God’s son and servant even as he faces extreme distress.

  The first verse can be seen as a plea for protection and refuge (v.1)

  The second verse can be interpreted as an acknowledgement and re-commitment towards God Himself. David first acknowledges the God of Israel (LORD - Yahweh) as his Lord - Master/King. Which is similar to us acknowledging Ps Terence as our Senior Pastor or Ps Navin or Ps Jason as our Pastor. A specific person is acknowledged with the authority given by God.

  Verses 3 and 4 can be seen as a contrast between the holy people and ancestors who have walked the path faithfully and the idolatrous people who have strayed from God.

   Verses 5 - 8 then are confessions and further self reminders on David’s choice on this God he has chosen. Who will give him pleasant places, good heritage, counsel and steadiness.

  Verse 9 functions as a pause for David having recommited himself, acknowledged and reminded Himself of who God is, he is now able to be glad, rejoice and be secure. Despite the distressful time he is in.

  Why? Verses 10-11 tells us that God will save us even from death and show us the way to life, joy and pleasures with Him.

• REFLECT

  Peter in Acts 2 references David who in Psalm 16 is speaking prophetically about Jesus. Jesus God’s only Son went through persecution, rejection and crucifixion even to the point of death. Yet he was not abandoned by God but was delivered and resurrected.

  Jesus’ journey and victory over death however wasn’t just a personal one. It was for us. In many ways, if David many thousands years ago could cling on to God and see hope even in his life threatening crisis, Jesus shows us clearly how that is possible by his life taking crisis. How? He was given life again as He rose again from the dead.

  Are you in a life-threatening crisis today? Or are you feeling stress and feel like you have nowhere to turn to? Jesus is the answer but Psalm 16 is the way you can start by praying these very words.