DEVOTION – DAY 24

Read:
Matthew 27:62-66

 

Listen:
Jesus told people many times that He was going to die and then come to life again, but no one really believed Him. Even His closest friends, the disciples, did not understand this truth. However, the religious leaders, who hated Him, remembered that Jesus said He would be buried for three days and come to life again (Matthew 12:38-40). They thought the disciples might come and take Jesus’ dead body out of the tomb so they could say He had come back to life. The religious leaders did not want people to believe that Jesus had the power to come to life again. That would prove Jesus was not blasphemous but was the Messiah King.

A large heavy stone already blocked the opening of the tomb, but the religious leaders added a seal to make sure the stone was not moved. The leaders were so afraid of what would happen if Jesus’ body left the tomb that a guard kept watch day and night. They made it impossible for anyone to steal Jesus’ body. No one could have taken Jesus’ body from the tomb. Only God’s power could raise Jesus to life and free Him from the tomb.  

 

Truth:
Only God’s power could raise Jesus to life.

 

Discuss:

  1. What did the religious leaders think might happen to Jesus’ body?
  2. Why did they want to seal and guard the grave of Jesus?
  3. Would it have been possible for anyone to steal the body of Jesus?

 

Memorize:
Acts 2: 36-39 —week 4
Discuss v.37 “and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers what shall we do?’”