A healthy church has a pervasive concern with church growth – not simply growing numbers but growing members. A church full of growing Christians is the kind of church growth I want as a pastor. Some today seem to think that one can be a “baby Christian” for a whole lifetime. Growth is seen to be an optional extra for particularly zealous disciples. But be very careful about taking that line of thought. Growth is a sign of life. Growing trees are living trees, and growing animals are living animals. When something stops growing, it dies.
Mark Dever

54 CHRIST IS RISEN

54 CHRIST IS RISEN F O O T ================================

  • H O L D

READING

54 CHRIST IS RISEN!

PRAY Ask God to help you experience the great joy of the resurrection.

READ Luke 24:1-35.

THINK Make a list of the people in this passage who found the empty tomb, or saw the angels or met Jesus. It seems that Jesus only appeared to his followers. Why? —————————————————————- FOCUS With joyful certainty we can say, ‘Jesus lives!’ What was the initial response of the apostles (9-12)? Cleopas and his companion had heard the women’s news, but obviously didn’t know what to make of it (22-24). They had to agree that the tomb was empty but they still thought the women were wrong. They hadn’t seen the risen Lord Jesus. They thought that there was nothing left but sadness (17). They couldn’t have been more wrong! When Jesus met them, he said they should read their Bibles more carefully (25). He said that he had come to give new life to all those who put their faith in him. His death was not a useless tragedy but part of a great triumph (26). His words were stronger than their thoughts and hearts that had been full of despair. The two travellers reached their home and invited Jesus in as their guest. But when they saw him taking the bread and breaking it (30) they realised that he was acting as head of the household. And something in his action made the disciples recognise his true identity. What a difference that made to them! Notice their immediate response (33,34). —————————————————————- PRAY Ask yourself: what difference will the fact that Jesus is alive make to my life today? Pray that you may be really aware that Jesus is with you and that you may hear what he has to say to you.