The chief priests and Pharisees went to the Roman governor Pontius Pilate and asked him to set guards at the tomb because they believed Jesus’ words more than His disciples did. They feared the resurrection, and they wanted to stop it. Today’s devotional explores how the enemies of Jesus sought to stop His resurrection.
This devotional is adapted from MY Journal, Leading The Way’s monthly devotional magazine. Sign up now for a free six-month subscription to MY Journal—Dr. Youssef’s gift to you.
If you would like more insight into today’s devotional topic, listen to Dr. Michael Youssef’s sermon Stopping the Resurrection?: LISTEN NOW | WATCH NOW
[00:00:00] You are listening to MY Devotional, the Daily Devotional from Dr. Michael Youssef and Leading The Way.
[00:00:30] He had a seal placed on the tomb. He stationed guards to prevent anyone from disturbing the grave, and yet, on Sunday morning, the seal was broken. The stone was rolled away, and the guards fell like dead men. There was no stopping the resurrection.
[00:00:51] Of course, the chief priests and the Pharisees didn't quit there. They bribed the guards to lie about what had happened to spread the rumor that the disciples installed in Jesus' body. Right, the same disciples who were too scared to come out of hiding after Jesus was arrested, overpowered, burly Roman soldiers, and took the body of the Lord. Not exactly a believable story, but the religious leaders had to try something, I suppose. Even after that their opposition continued. The
[00:01:21] disciples spent 40 days with the resurrected Jesus. They were empowered by the Lord, and they began performing signs and wonders in His name. They preached the gospel and brought more people into the way of Jesus, so the religious leaders locked them up, tried to silence them and even killed some of them. But even that could not stop the power of the resurrection. The persecution only emboldened the faith of Jesus' followers and brought more people into the fold.
[00:01:49] Just as those religious leaders tried to deny the resurrection all those years ago, there are many people today doing the same thing. For if the resurrection is true, then Jesus has a claim upon our lives. He calls us to something wonderful, of course. He gives us comfort, joy, peace, a sure hope, and eternal inheritance, and more. But he does require that we submit to Him as Lord.
[00:02:13] To be a Christian is to believe in the resurrection. There is no seal that can keep the truth silenced, no stone that can be rolled into place to limit the power of our great God, and no guard who can stop the Lord from bringing salvation to all those who call upon His name.
[00:02:30] Let's pray together. Lord, thank you for the resurrection. We know there is nothing that can stop your resurrection power at work in our lives. May we submit to Your will remembering Your promise that all things work for our good is Your children. We pray this in the name of Jesus, amen.
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