Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed: "You who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem. Let this be known to you, and listen to my words. You who are Israelites, hear these words. Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs, which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know. This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God, you killed, using lawless men to crucify him. But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it. For David says of him: 'I saw the Lord ever before me, with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed. Therefore my heart has been glad and my tongue has exulted; my flesh, too, will dwell in hope, because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld, nor will you suffer your holy one to see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.' My brothers, one can confidently say to you about the patriarch David that he died and was buried, and his tomb is in our midst to this day. But since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne, he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that neither was he abandoned to the netherworld nor did his flesh see corruption. God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses. Exalted at the right hand of God, he received the promise of the holy Spirit from the Father and poured it forth, as you (both) see and hear.

Christ has indeed been raised, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

—1 Corinthians 15:20-22

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Being eternal is nothing new; in the beginning, God made us to live forever in fellowship with him. Being like Jesus (1 John 3:1-3) completely, eternally, will be new, however, when we're raised from the dead. When Jesus' lifeless body was placed in the ground, our lives with God forever in glory hung in the balance with him. Praise God. The Spirit of God revived Jesus from his death sleep. Jesus' resurrection also ensures our own, because our lives are hid with Christ in God (Colossians 3:1-4), that death can no longer claim us. The only death that really matters for us is dying to our sin, through faith in baptism with Jesus (Romans 6:4). If we have shared in that death, we will most certainly share in his resurrection (Romans 6:5). Jesus was "the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep." This means that because God raised Jesus from the dead, we too can be confident that we "will be made alive" in Christ and live with him forever. His resurrection forever guarantees our own (Romans 8:11). Praise God, indeed!

My Prayer...

Almighty and graciously powerful God, I praise you. I praise you today because of your grace given to me through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. I know I will see you face-to-face and share in your glory. Help me now to live that resurrected life before others, as the Holy Spirit transforms me each day into greater and glorious likeness to Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:18). In whose name I pray. Amen.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse.

—Proverbs 19:1

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Ⓒ 1996-2026 Heartlight, Inc. This material may not be reproduced in part or whole for commercial use without written consent.

Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High.

—Psalm 50:14

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Ⓒ 1996-2026 Heartlight, Inc. This material may not be reproduced in part or whole for commercial use without written consent.

Then Jesus climbed a hill and sat down with his disciples around him. (It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration.)

—John 6:3-4 NLT

Key Thought

If God's people live with a proper sense of urgency and passion before the lost world, they are going to grow weary. They will grow weary physically. They will grow weary spiritually. They will grow weary of all the demands placed upon them. Jesus frequently got away from the crowds, or at least tried to get away from them for a time, and he spent that time with his disciples. Some of that time was for rest. Some of that time was for teaching. Some of that time was for prayer. We must realize that we all need some "into the hills" time where we can be in Jesus' presence, learn from him, rest in his grace, and speak with him without being in a hurry and without the urgency of pressing demands. How are you doing with your "into the hills" time? A short devotional by email or online fits our harried lifestyles and can sustain us for a time, but we all have to have some prolonged "into the hills" time. Set aside some time each day to be in the Father's presence and go "into the hills" with Jesus!

Today's Prayer

O my, dear Father, I often lose track of how busy I let myself get. It seems that I try to cram my time with you into the few quiet moments I can find. Please open up some time for me in my schedule to spend some unhurried and concentrated time with you. Tug my heart so that I yearn for that time. Give me the conviction not to let other things deter or distract me. I confess that I cannot make it without your presence and power in my life. Draw me close, O LORD. In Jesus' name, I ask this. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

• Matthew 4:23-5:1
• Mark 6:30-32
• Luke 5:13-16

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Ⓒ 1996-2026 Heartlight, Inc. This material may not be reproduced in part or whole for commercial use without written consent. What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form. Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.