Daily Digest

Luke 4:1-13

¹ Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, ² where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

³ The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”

⁵ The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. ⁶ And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. ⁷ If you worship me, it will all be yours.”

⁸ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”

⁹ The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. ¹⁰ For it is written:
“ ‘He will command his angels concerning you
to guard you carefully;
¹¹ they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

¹² Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

¹³ When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

Spiritual temptation is a tricky subject.  Because we can’t necessarily see it clearly, we can either be unaware that it’s happening, overwhelmed by it, or be dismissive of its impact on us.

But this passage reminds us that there are very real dark forces at work in this world that we must overcome. And it gives us some incredible insight on how Jesus overcame His temptations.

Some of the lessons we can learn are:

1. God understands what it feels like to be tempted – Jesus’s experiences with temptation means He can empathise with us in our human weaknesses. Since God understands, we can be confident that God will be merciful and graceful when we ask for help to overcome temptation.
2. Jesus overcomes temptation with the power of God’s Word – Each time He responds with “it is written” and then He quotes God’s Word. We need to know God’s Word so we too can fight lies with the truth.
3. Critical thinking is important – Jesus is tempted by lies and ‘twisted truth’. We need the Holy Spirit’s help to think critically about what we hear to and evaluate whether messages we are hearing are true.
4. God will give us what we need. Don’t give in to the temptation to take the “easy” way out – Satan tried to get Jesus to doubt God’s care for Him and take matters into His own hands. When we’re faced with a stressful situation, we can forget that God will always take good care of us and make poor choices or respond out of fear.

1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us that, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

Thank you, Jesus, that you understand what it’s like to be tempted and that you are full of grace and mercy towards us. And thank you for modelling how we can deal with temptation and that you have given us the power to overcome it.

Written by Shelley Witt

Luke 3:21-22

²¹ When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened ²² and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

I imagine hearing these words from my Father in heaven. You are my son. Whom I love. With whom I am well pleased.

Are these not three phrases every child wants, no needs, to hear from their parents? And these words are spoken to Jesus on the eve of His public ministry, before He’d preached a sermon, healed a sick person, relieves someone of demonic attack!

If this is the greatest example of the most perfect and complete relationship to ever exist for us to observe – between God the Father and God the Son empowered by God the Holy Spirit…

…then God wants a relationship with me based first and foremost in security with Him. Security of identity – my sonship too. Security of good will – I am loved too. Security of affection – I am well pleasing too.

How? By faith in Jesus who has made this possible for me too.

Lord, today, as every day, I practice resting in your security. This is the font of life, motivation, purpose and direction for me. Amen

Written by Ps. Rob Waugh

Luke 3:7-14

⁷ John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? ⁸ Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. ⁹ The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

¹⁰ “What should we do then?” the crowd asked.

¹¹ John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”

¹² Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”

¹³ “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.

¹⁴ Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”

He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”

John the Baptist has preached to the crowds and exhorted them to repent from their sins, return to God, and be baptised to show their allegiance to God and God’s ways. A large and diverse group have responded and come for baptism but John calls them out. It’s not enough to be baptised he says you must repent from your sins and change your ways. He reminds them of God’s teachings and laws that they would have known well from their learning of the scriptures. Scriptures like Micah 6:8b “… do Justice, love kindness and walk humbly with your God.” To care for the poor, help the hungry, do not exploit people, and live justly. He then clearly points out what each can do. Share your clothing, provide food to others, don’t take more from others than is necessary, and live as if God is with you in your midst. Finally, give thanks and live gratefully. 

These teachings from the Old Testament were fulfilled and exemplified in Jesus. In the New Testament, we see Jesus caring for the vulnerable and instructing people to care for one another. Love God and love people. Paul encouraged the early church to follow Jesus in living this way – care for the sick, the orphans, and the poor. For example James 1:27 “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.” Share with one another and care for your brother and sister in Christ. We too are called to follow Jesus and his ways. This is the way of peace, love, and goodness. It is the way of Shalom and the way to human flourishing for us and for those around us. It is the outworking (the revealing of) our salvation – not the way we get saved but the way we live because we have experienced God’s saving grace.

Jesus, help us to walk in your ways. May we love God and one another. May we be generous, loving, and kind because you have shown us this way! Amen

Written by Ps. Zoe Stewart

Luke 2:41-52

⁴¹ Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. ⁴² When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. ⁴³ After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. ⁴⁴ Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. ⁴⁵ When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. ⁴⁶ After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷ Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. ⁴⁸ When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”

⁴⁹ “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” ⁵⁰ But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

⁵¹ Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. ⁵² And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

It was the annual custom of Jesus’ family to travel to Jerusalem for the Passover festival.  After the festival people returned to their homes and so it was with Jesus’ family although unbeknown to Mary and Joseph, Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem.  After a day Mary and Joseph realised Jesus had not travelled with friends or relatives and frantically headed back to Jerusalem to locate Jesus. They found him safe and sound in the temple listening and asking the religious leaders questions. This left Jesus parents bewildered! It was apparent at a young age that Jesus had a zeal for God’s house.

As a parent I can’t imagine what Mary and Joseph went through trying to find Jesus for 3 days.  Searching, asking and looking here there and everywhere until they finally found him – what a relief! From this passage we can learn that it is possible to lose Jesus even if you know him. You can assume he is nearby, with family or friends perhaps but he’s not.  I am encouraged to keep my eyes on Jesus, to remain close to him so I can follow him.  This Scripture helps me to take stock – where is Jesus in my life, is he close or at the periphery?  

Dear Lord, please help me to keep my eyes on Jesus so I can follow him each day.  May I not wander off and be distant from Jesus.  Amen

Written by Ps. Ainslie Woods

Luke 2:25-35

²⁵ Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. ²⁶ It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷ Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, ²⁸ Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

²⁹ “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
³⁰ For my eyes have seen your salvation,
³¹ which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
³² a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”

³³ The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. ³⁴ Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, ³⁵ so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

Simeon lived in ‘prayerful expectancy of help for Israel’ (The Message version). Because he lived this way, he was actively looking for that answer to prayer. Because he lived this way, he didn’t miss the answer to his prayers when the answer walked into the Temple as a child. What are we living in prayerful expectancy for? Are we faithfully praying for our churches, our nation, our world?

As for Mary, I marvel at her as a mother. She is not told that her child would be liked, strong, successful, and have a long and comfortable life. She is told that her son would cause the rising and fall of many, that he would be rejected, that He would bring truth to light. She is told that a sword would pierce her own heart, that she would mourn. When we pray for our children what do we pray? Do we pray for success, friendship, safety, and happiness? These are excellent things to pray for. But are we also praying that our kids would be equipped to do what God asks of them even when it’s hard? This is a more difficult prayer.

Lord, please help us to live in prayerful expectation for our children, our families, our churches, our nation, and our world. Help us to see your answers to prayer even when the answers are surprising. Help us to trust you with our own lives and the lives of those we love the most, even when it’s hard.

Written by Rhiannon Mellor

Luke 2:15-20

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

We’ve just seen an astonishing, and confusing announcement by a whole host of angels to a group of insignificant shepherds. The saviour of the world is lying helpless in his mother’s arms. The Messiah, the anointed king of Israel, is in a feed trough in a stable in conquered Judea. The creator of the universe has come into his world as a tiny baby. They were probably thinking the same as Mary: “How can this be?” (1:34) Today we see four brilliant responses.

Even though it’s the middle of the night when their sheep are most vulnerable, even though its dark and the hills outside Bethlehem are rocky and steep, they go right away to see for themselves this baby that’s been announced. They allow God to take them completely outside their comfort zone because they trust him. They take their part in God doing something that is well beyond their imaginations and understanding. And when they find Jesus just as the angel had said, they freely tell them everything they’ve just witnessed.

The people who heard what they said, held it in wonder and amazement. They didn’t try to explain it. They didn’t judge what they had heard. They allowed this new thing that God was doing to unfold in its way.

Mary gave what they said great value and treasured their words in her heart. She pondered them, meditating on this new thing that God was doing. As Jesus grew up and began teaching, healing and announcing the kingdom of God in completely unexpected ways, sometimes she understood what he was doing and sometimes not. But she was always faithfully there with him, even at his execution. And she was there for his even more astonishing resurrection.

Finally, the shepherds respond to what they’ve seen by glorifying and praising God.

Jesus, thank you that are constantly exceeding my expectations. Holy Spirit, thank you that its safe to go well outside my comfort zone with you. Father, give me wisdom to understand what you’re doing and saying but also wisdom to recognise when I need to treasure and ponder it until you reveal more. I want to go with you and be part of the astonishing things you are doing. I worship you for the marvellous things you have done and for what you’re doing now, especially when you go beyond my understanding.

Written by David Cornell

Luke 2:1-7

¹ In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ² (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ And everyone went to their own town to register.

⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

David is often described as God’s “anointed” (messiah in Hebrew) king. When he asked to build a house for God, God promised him that he would build a house for David, and that one of his descendants would rule God’s house and kingdom forever (1 Chronicles 17:10-14). No natural son of David could do that, but now the Son of God was about to be born into David’s house, his line of descent. Jesus is the long-promised Messiah bringing in the kingdom of God, but in a totally unexpected way.

Ironically, Jesus was born in exactly the right place, Bethlehem, the city of king David, because another king, Augustus, wanted to count all the people he thought belonged to him. Little did he know that one of them, Jesus, was the true king of all creation and that everything is his.

Paul says the house Jesus is building is his people, the church – you and me – as the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16). We have a part to play in these events as we acknowledge Jesus are our Lord, worship him as who he truly is, and serve him faithfully.

Jesus, I choose to worship you for who you really are and what you are doing. Holy Spirit, live in me today. I want to bear your fruit. Father, thank you that you are bringing all that you have promised to completion.

Written by David Cornell

Luke 1:57-66

⁵⁷ When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. ⁵⁸ Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.

⁵⁹ On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, ⁶⁰ but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”

⁶¹ They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”

⁶² Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. ⁶³ He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” ⁶⁴ Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. ⁶⁵ All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. ⁶⁶ Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.

I like to talk. I can’t imagine what it was like for Zechariah to not be able to speak for 9 months! It got his attention – and the attention of the people around. If God were to strike me dumb for unbelief as he did Zechariah – I would probably never speak again. I identify with Zechariah. I too limit what I am prepared to believe based on what I think is possible rather than on God’s capacity and track record. So when I read the response of the people watching when John is born and Zechariah’s ability to speak returns – I am challenged afresh.

Verse 65 “Awe fell upon the whole neighbourhood, and the news of what had happened spread throughout the Judean hills.”

God is at work in and around my life so that the world will know Him, be in awe of Him, and seek Him out. I want to fully partner with God in this – so I have to be prepared to take a God at his word – and believe what He promises.

Lord – keep reminding me You are the God of the impossible. I choose again to live in the realm of faith – trusting in what You can do and will do – so Your Kingdom will come here on earth as it is in heaven.

Written by Ps. Linda Quinn

Luke 1:39-45

³⁹ At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, ⁴⁰ where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴² In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! ⁴³ But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴ As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵ Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

Mary is keen to seek out what God is doing. So she goes to see for herself how her cousin Elizabeth is faring in the midst of a miracle pregnancy. I’ve no doubt this would have built her faith, and why not. And how cool that the Holy Spirit encourages her so strongly as Mary takes these steps to build her faith in God.

What steps of opportunity do I take to build my faith in God and His work in my life. Mary is such a model and example to me in this regard. God is for her in this venture, giving very specific and profound encouragement to her by the Holy Spirit.

Lord, I thank you for this reminder that it is good to take regular opportunities to build my faith through others and what you’re doing in their life. Help me not neglect this great opportunity that is often far more normal and accessible (eg. Mary’s cousin) than I recognise. Amen

Written by Ps. Rob Waugh

Luke 1:5-25

⁵ In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. ⁶ Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. ⁷ But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.

⁸ Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, ⁹ he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. ¹⁰ And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.

¹¹ Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. ¹² When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. ¹³ But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. ¹⁴ He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, ¹⁵ for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. ¹⁶ He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷ And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

¹⁸ Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”

¹⁹ The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. ²⁰ And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

²¹ Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. ²² When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.

²³ When his time of service was completed, he returned home. ²⁴ After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. ²⁵ “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

Here we have an amazing story of Zechariah and his encounter with an angel. The back ground to this story is what is so amazing. Firstly, Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth were old – very old – well past having children old. So old, that naturally it was impossible for them to have children. No 21^st century medicine to support older women with child birth.

Secondly, despite being old, they have not stopped praying for a child. When it was easy to quit praying, they kept going. And then, one day, an angel turns up and says guess what? Your prayer has been answered; you are going to have a son!

I love Zechariah’s response in the Message Bible, “Do you expect me to believe this?” Yet, what is so amazing about this, is that they had not stopped praying. Their faith had not waivered. Even though he struggled to accept the answer, they hadn’t given up asking.

I can’t begin to list all the things that I have stopped asking God for. And to be honest, when you have been asking God for something for a long time, and there is no answer, and when it now looks like it is impossible, it’s easy to give up. We might even say it just wasn’t God’s will.

Well, as I read this story, I am encouraged, that it is never too late for God to answer my prayer. Until something else better comes from God, we should not let the naturally impossible be a reason to give up and stop asking God for it.

Father, forgive me for all the things that I have stopped praying for. For you, nothing is impossible, nothing is ever too late.

Written by Andrew Martin

Matthew 28:16-20

¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

How very like Jesus! Encouragement plus in this passage.

The disciples had all abandoned Jesus when he was arrested, except for Peter, who then denied knowing him. Yet here Jesus is, meeting with them at a pre-arranged place so that he could talk with them, encourage them and instruct them.

Let’s look at what he said. Jesus starts by proclaiming his authority – the same authority he is giving to his disciples. Yes, he is asking them to do something big in discipling all nations, but he is equipping them first.

Then, he is showing love to all people by instructing his disciples to reach out to all nations. In the Old Testament, Israel was called “God’s son” and was told to be a light for the nations, a task they unfortunately failed in. Here, Jesus is fulfilling the Old Testament. He is God’s true Son, and He is a light to all nations! All that remains is for us to be his mouthpiece – to tell others about Him, baptise them and teach them the same commands the disciples had already received.

Finally, Jesus encourages the disciples again. He will be with them (and us) to the very end of the age!

I admit that I find telling others about Jesus difficult at times. I miss opportunities or feel that I don’t say the right things. But I can take heart from this passage. Jesus is equipping me for what he has asked me to do, and he is with me always. I don’t need to be afraid.

Jesus, thank you that you equip me, fill me and go with me. Please help me to fulfil your ‘great commission’ by telling others about you. Amen

Written by Megan Cornell

Matthew 28:1-10

¹ After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

² There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. ⁴ The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

⁵ The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

⁸ So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹ Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

This passage is full of astonishingly wrong expectations. The women came in fear and grief expecting to find Jesus dead in a sealed tomb. The earthquake was the least astounding thing they found. What looked like just the dawn of a new day was the dawn of a whole new stage of history. Jesus is the first one raised from death to eternal resurrection life, and we will join him in that same resurrection life when he returns.

Jesus chooses these two brave, faithful women as his first witnesses. They tell his disciples to meet him in Galilee where Jesus will commission them to be his witnesses too. And they are to teach all Jesus’ followers to be his witnesses too. That includes you and me.

It’s both unexpected and significant that Jesus chooses women as his witnesses. No woman’s testimony would be accepted in their culture. Yet it’s these two brave, faithful women that Jesus chooses as his first witnesses, to announce him to the world. Its even more astounding that Jesus chooses me to be his witness too. But he does.

This is the beginning of Jesus reconciling and restoring all of creation. It’s already begun. Jesus gives us all a part to play now. And it will all come to a glorious completion when Jesus returns.

Jesus, we’re overwhelmed with joy and excitement that you are alive, and that you’re transforming us and our world now. I love that your Spirit is alive in me today. To be honest, I’m like these women and filled with both fear and joy that you choose me to be your witness too. Please give me just a bit of the bravery and faithfulness of these two women. Work with me in speaking your truth into my world.

Written by David Cornell

Matthew 27:57-61

⁵⁷ As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. ⁵⁸ Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. ⁵⁹ Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, ⁶⁰ and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. ⁶¹ Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.

When a person dies, it is a hugely difficult time for the family and friends of the deceased. The weight grief can be intense, and there are a huge number of arrangements that need to be made, and often there aren’t the skills, time and emotional resources to be able to organise things well.

In Jewish tradition, especially in Jesus’ day, funerals and burials were held within 24 hours of a person’s death, and Jesus’ burial was no different. What is perhaps unusual is that many people who were crucified were not given proper burials, because they were considered criminals by the Romans and cursed people by the Jews.

It is recorded in all 4 Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, that Jesus was buried at the request of Joseph of Arimathea, and that he was laid in a “new tomb.” The kindness of Joseph to step in and arrange this burial is so personal and deep. The disciples must have been so touched by Joseph’s generosity towards Jesus, as well as his action to respond so quickly in their time of grief. Joseph’s gift honoured Jesus, while blessing others.

Reflecting on this passage today has reminded me that whenever I show generosity and kindness to others, big or small, I honour Jesus and bless others.

Joseph’s generosity and compassion became part of the amazing testimony of Jesus’ resurrection, but my kindness also proclaims the resurrection of Christ through His life in me!

Lord, help me to live in a way that testifies to your life and resurrection.

Written by Ps. Justin Ware