(Translated version, original article written in Chinese by Pastor Mickey Hsiao)
Worship
By singing praises and hymns, awake your soul, open your heart to the Lord, and prepare yourself to welcome the presence of God and receive the Word of God that will be given to you.
Thanksgiving
Petition with thanksgiving to God for a wonderful day and pray sincerely for a focused Scripture reading time! (Do not rush into reading the Bible without starting with prayers!) (e.g., you may start with a simple prayer like this: “Dear Lord, what will you be speaking to me today?)
Scripture Reading
Get the following items ready in advance: your devotional notebook, paper, pen, and/or electronic devotional articles so that you can easily write down the Bible verses, questions, and thoughts you have noticed! You are encouraged to open your Bible and vocally read out the scriptures (Try to practice this reading method daily or once a week)!
Scripture Reading: Luke Ch. 24 (ESV)
Meditation
Take a moment to quietly reflect on today’s Scriptures. Through such exercises, let God’s Word be gradually written into our hearts and be inscribed to our mind.
Devotional
Read the devotional articles prepared by CBCLWA (*Read the Bible first before reading any devotional materials.)
(vv.1-12) On the first day of the week, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb, only to find it empty. Angels proclaimed to them that Jesus has risen from the dead. Most people who heard of this news found it difficult to believe, even though Jesus had predicted, on multiple occasions, that he would rise on the third day. The disciples had heard Jesus’ detailed predictions about his death and resurrection, but they did not take His words to heart until the resurrected Jesus appear to them. In regards to Jesus death, Paul has this to say in Romans and Colossians:
Romans 1:4 “…and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord…”
Colossians 2:12 “having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.”
Objectively speaking, Jesus’ true identity was made evident by His resurrection. He came down from heaven to earth, performed many miraculous signs, and experienced death and resurrection. Personally speaking, to every brother and sister who put their faith in Jesus, the resurrection signifies that we share in Him the power of resurrection, which can enable us to live a godly life.
Normally we are reminded to look at the cross. Today I invite you to imagine yourself standing in front of the empty tomb, looking to the place where Jesus’ body had been laid to rest. Our Lord is the One who had victory over death, darkness, and the power of sin. Our resurrected Lord is victorious over all. Do you still have lingering doubt or fear? Today you can depend on the risen Lord to cast aside any habits that hinder you from walking with Him!
(vv.13-35) Two disciples traveled on the road to Emmaus, discussing with each other about Jesus’ resurrection as they went. One of them was named Cleopas. The Scripture says that their eyes were darkened, for they did not recognize Jesus when He walking along with them. They did not recognize Jesus when He spoke to them about His words, his actions, and his crucifixion. Jesus was standing right in front of them, and yet they did not recognize Him!
From Jesus’ words, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe”, it is evident that they had great difficulty believing Jesus had risen. Similar doubts also occurred among the eleven disciples. (Mark 16:14)
What caused these two disciples’ eyes to be darkened? We may never know. What we do know is that we sometimes have difficulty seeing Jesus clearly.
What caused these two disciples to be slow to believe in the empty tomb and its significance? We may never know. But we must admit that that our rational intellect has its limitations, and together with a paucity of faith, we sometimes fail to understand the will of God. If our resurrected Lord were to appear beside us and walk along with us, would you be able to recognize Jesus?
These two disciples urged Jesus to stay with them. They sat down to share a meal with Jesus. It was then that their eyes were opened, and they recognized Jesus. May we never cease to immerse ourselves in the Word of God as a way to stay close to Jesus. When God’s Word is opened to us, making our hearts burn, we will be able to more fully recognize Jesus.
(vv.36-53) The Bible is the Word of God. In His plan throughout the ages, could some of its details be forgotten? In the last chapter of Luke, Jesus twice mentioned everything that was written about Him in the Scripture:
Luke 24:27 “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”
Luke 24:44 “Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”
Jesus wants us to see the connection between the Scripture and himself. All the Old Testament Scripture passages concerning Jesus must all be fulfilled. In the Bible, God revealed to us His awesome plan of salvation by grace for all the peoples and nations. This plan of salvation was achieved through the Son of God, Jesus. Today the responsibility of carrying out this plan falls on the Church. We must preach in the name of Jesus, the message of repentance to all nations. We must join the long procession of saints throughout the ages to witness for Jesus!
Pray
Give thanks to God for His enabling us to read the Scriptures and for our response for living out the Word of God today! (e.g., You may start with a simple prayer like this: “Dear Lord, what/where are you going to lead me to today?”)