Stress Test Devotional April 27
April 27, 2024
JOHN 20:19-20 | 19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples
rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Good Friday was a day of bitter grief for the disciples. There is a clean and noble grief. When someone we love and admire breathes their last. It is a grief that reflects the depth of our gratitude for the gift of that person’s life and our knowledge that no one can replace the unique blessing they were to us. But many things can make grief bitter. For Jesus’ friends, family, and disciples the injustice of His death created anger and resentment. Their failure to support Him, their abandonment of their Lord and Master complicated their mourning with self-recrimination and regret. The manner of His death, with its shame and dishonor, embittered them.
But grief was not the final word! It gave way to joy, and the joy still echoes in our worship and our singing to this day.
What have your experiences of grief been like?
Do you have a favorite hymn of joy and praise?
When has your mourning turned to dancing?
