Today's Devotional
A week after witnessing the traumatic crucifixion of their beloved teacher, the disciples were locked in a room together. As the evening shadows crept across the room, they felt the darkness of yet another long night of the soul.
The disciples were overwhelmed by grief, fear and doubt. They were consumed by sorrow and inconsolable despair and plagued by thoughts of persecution and uncertain futures. Doubt was a constant presence, challenging the validity of their faith and the promises they had believed in.
In this dark and isolated room in Jerusalem, the disciples were overwhelmed by a deep sense of loss, confusion and vulnerability. They stood united in anguish, held captive by troubled hearts, minds and faith.
Suddenly, the resurrected Christ appeared among them, bringing light to their darkness, filling the disciples with joy.
In that divine encounter, we learn that Jesus' presence and peace can pierce through and overcome any obstacle in our lives and any dark place in the world.
When Jesus breathed on his disciples, the very breath of God touched their souls. It was not just air that passed through their lungs, but the Spirit of God. This sacred exhale united the disciples with God and each other intimately and missionally. It empowered and transformed their lives, and through their testimony and the testimony of disciples throughout the ages, continuously renews and transforms the world.
The disciples' lives were set ablaze by the breath of the Holy Spirit and the peace that Jesus offered, just as a fire ignites when the wind blows upon the embers. The flame of Jesus’ peace within them sent them as ambassadors to continue his work by proclaiming the good news of salvation, healing the broken-hearted, advocating for justice and embodying God's love and compassion in a world desperate for reconciliation and renewal.
Is your heart ablaze with God’s Spirit this Easter? To whom is Jesus sending you this week to share hope, encourage a broken heart, advocate for justice and embody God’s love and compassion so that closed hearts will be opened and shadows dispelled?
— Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr.
bishop@ctcumc.org or bishop@ntcumc.org
