Photo by...Photo by Rémi Walle on Unsplash
Paul’s in prison when he writes to Timothy, his young friend and co-worker. Acts 28 tells us Paul was in Rome at the time, under house-arrest guarded by a soldier. It wasn’t two weeks of quarantine in a hotel to wait for any signs of a virus but two years under house arrest.
During this time and close to the end of his life, Paul writes and describes some disappointment in those he considered friends.
16 When I was first put on trial, no one helped me. In fact, everyone deserted me. I hope it won’t be held against them. 17 But the Lord stood beside me. He gave me the strength to tell his full message, so that all Gentiles would hear it. And I was kept safe from hungry lions. 18 The Lord will always keep me from being harmed by evil, and he will bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. Praise him forever and ever! Amen. 2 Timothy 4:16-18
I’ve highlighted the beautiful words of good news for Paul and for us. Jesus stood beside him.
Jesus’ disciples had a very interesting experience of the Lord standing beside them on the first Easter day. Jesus surprised them. Jesus came to bring peace and comfort to them in their fear.
But Thomas was missing and when they told him he wouldn’t believe it. Perhaps he thought it was too good to be true.
Many a sermon has been preached about Thomas and his doubting - with strong encouragement not to doubt like him. I wonder how many sceptic’s lives have been changed by those sermons.
It hit me this year (maybe it’s the isolation), Thomas isn’t the main character in this story, Jesus is. It’s about Jesus and his unending desire and determination to come alongside and help. He came and stood beside the group of disciples and they got it, he was alive. He came again, just for Thomas, and he got it.. Jesus didn’t want Thomas to be left in the dark of uncertainty. Jesus loved Thomas and wanted him to know the good news of his resurrection.
Jesus comes and stands beside us. He’s not satisfied till he knows that we know he’s alive, and that he loves us and is with us.
This is the good news of Easter!
When Christ knocks
by Mark Whitfield
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and eat with you, and you with me (Revelation 3:20).
Read Revelation 3:14–22
Are there times when your faith feels a little too familiar?
You know the prayers. You know the songs and hymns. You know the stories of Scripture. You may have followed Jesus for many years. Yet familiarity can sometimes become complacency. The wonder of grace can begin to fade, and you can forget just how much you need Christ each day.
That is why Jesus personally speaks these words to you: ‘Be earnest, and repent.’
But hear what lies behind those words. Jesus doesn’t speak them because he has given up on you. He says them because he loves you: ‘I reprove and discipline those whom I love.’
His purpose is not to condemn you, but to draw you back. Not to push you away, but to awaken you to his presence and renew your faith.
And then comes that beautiful picture: ‘I am standing at the door, knocking.’
Jesus is near you. He is speaking to you. He is inviting you to listen: ‘Tēnā, whakarongo mai – whakarongo ki tōku reo’, which in English means, ‘Please listen – listen to my voice.’
What might Jesus be saying to you today?
Perhaps he is calling you back from spiritual complacency. Perhaps he is reminding you of the wonder of his forgiveness. You may have something that you need to honestly bring before him. Or perhaps he is simply reminding you that you do not have to carry today in your own strength.
Jesus is still knocking.
You don’t need to have everything sorted out before you open the door. You don’t need to prove yourself worthy. Simply come as you are. Receive his grace again. Let him renew your faith, restore your joy and draw you into deeper fellowship with him.
Jesus doesn’t knock because he has given up on you. He knocks because he loves you.
Lord Jesus, help me to hear your voice today. Forgive me when I take your grace for granted. Awaken my faith, renew my joy and draw me closer to you. Amen.
Pastor Mark is a Kiwi and loves being pastor of St Paul’s Lutheran Church in Ōtautahi (Christchurch) on New Zealand’s South Island. He is bishop emeritus of the Lutheran Church of New Zealand (LCNZ), has served on the LCA Commission on Worship and represents the LCNZ on the Roman Catholic–Lutheran Dialogue Commission. He is married to Leanne and is dad to Chelsea (and Tim), Brittany and Charlotte. A musician (organist, pianist, singer and composer), Mark also enjoys gardening, making people laugh and following sport, especially cricket and rugby. And when the opportunity arises, he loves eating rollmops on fresh bread with his father-in-law, Kevin.
A meal that proclaims
by Mark Whitfield
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes (1 Corinthians 11:26).
Read 1 Corinthians 11:20–32
When you come to the Lord’s table, you are not simply receiving bread and wine. You are receiving Christ himself – his forgiveness, his grace and his life. At the same time, you are joining in a proclamation that has echoed through the centuries: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
In Māori, the words are beautifully simple: ‘Ko te tinana o te Karaiti mō koutou’, which means in English, ‘The body of Christ is for you.’
Those words are deeply personal. Christ gives himself for you, for your forgiveness, your healing, your strength and your hope. Whatever burdens you carry, whatever joys or sorrows fill your heart, Jesus meets you here with his love.
Paul wrote these words to Christians in Corinth who had forgotten that receiving Christ’s gifts changes how we live with one another. Some were being overlooked, while others thought only of themselves. Paul reminds us that the Lord’s Supper is never just about ‘me’; it draws us into Christ’s body and opens our eyes to others.
As you receive Christ’s self-giving love, you are also invited to reflect that love in your daily life – in kindness offered, forgiveness given, a listening ear, a word of encouragement or care for someone who feels lonely or forgotten.
Each time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. And through your words, actions and love, your life can also proclaim the grace of the One who gave himself for you.
Lord Jesus, thank you for giving yourself for me and feeding me with your grace. Shape my life by your love, so that I may share your kindness and welcome with others. Amen.
Pastor Mark is a Kiwi and loves being pastor of St Paul’s Lutheran Church in Ōtautahi (Christchurch) on New Zealand’s South Island. He is bishop emeritus of the Lutheran Church of New Zealand (LCNZ), has served on the LCA Commission on Worship and represents the LCNZ on the Roman Catholic–Lutheran Dialogue Commission. He is married to Leanne and is dad to Chelsea (and Tim), Brittany and Charlotte. A musician (organist, pianist, singer and composer), Mark also enjoys gardening, making people laugh and following sport, especially cricket and rugby. And when the opportunity arises, he loves eating rollmops on fresh bread with his father-in-law, Kevin.
God’s covenant, your response
by Mark Whitfield
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient (Exodus 24:7b).
Read Exodus 24:3–11
Perhaps you know the feeling. You hear God’s word, and something within you says, ‘Yes, this is how I want to live.’ You resolve to pray more faithfully, be more patient, forgive more readily, serve more generously or trust God more completely.
Your intentions are sincere, but then life happens. You lose your patience. You fail to forgive. You become distracted. You worry instead of trusting. Once again, you discover that good intentions do not always become faithful actions.
That’s why something important in today’s verse deserves your attention. Before Israel makes its promise, God has already spoken. God has established his covenant. God has taken the initiative. God has made these people his own and given them his word.
‘Ko te iwi a te Atua tātou’ (in English, ‘We are the people of God’).
And that is where your confidence begins. You are not God’s child because you have managed to get everything right. You are not held within God’s covenant because you have made strong enough promises. You belong to God because God is gracious and faithful.
Moses speaks of ‘the blood of the covenant’ God has made with his people. The covenant rests ultimately not on the strength of Israel’s promise, but on God’s faithfulness.
That’s the good news for you today. In baptism, God claimed you as his own, not because you promised to be perfect, but because God is gracious. Your obedience does not earn his love. Your obedience is your response to the love he has already given you.
So, hear God’s word today. Seek to live faithfully. But when you fail – and you will – don’t despair. Return to the God who forgives, restores and holds you securely in his covenant grace.
Faithful God, thank you for making me your own. Help me respond to your love with faithful obedience. When I fail, remind me that my confidence rests not in my promises, but in your unfailing faithfulness. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Pastor Mark is a Kiwi and loves being pastor of St Paul’s Lutheran Church in Ōtautahi (Christchurch) on New Zealand’s South Island. He is bishop emeritus of the Lutheran Church of New Zealand (LCNZ), has served on the LCA Commission on Worship and represents the LCNZ on the Roman Catholic–Lutheran Dialogue Commission. He is married to Leanne and is dad to Chelsea (and Tim), Brittany and Charlotte. A musician (organist, pianist, singer and composer), Mark also enjoys gardening, making people laugh and following sport, especially cricket and rugby. And when the opportunity arises, he loves eating rollmops on fresh bread with his father-in-law, Kevin.