Seeking the Life in Christ: April 2026

Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Be Sure of This

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

April 21, 2026

Be Sure of This

“And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:20b

Goodbyes are difficult. I don’t mean casual good-byes at the end of an evening together. I mean goodbyes when we know we will be separated by time and distance, and especially not knowing when or if we will be together again. Jesus had thrilled his disciples with his post-resurrection appearances to them. He had commissioned them to carry on his work of making disciples and building for the Kingdom of God. Then he left them. Matthew does not record much of the details surrounding Jesus’ departure, other than remembering these beautiful words Jesus spoke, “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

I suspect some of the disciples, if not all of those gathered with Jesus that day, took His words to mean that he would be with them through their memory of all the places they had gone and all the teachings they received from Him. Ten days later they realized that Jesus meant exactly what he said, “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” On the Day of Pentecost, the promise of Jesus was fulfilled as he indwelled them through the presence of the Holy Spirit.

It is so very important for the followers of Christ to hold onto the promise that God is still working to bring about the complete reality of His New Creation. The way of the world today is not the way it will always be. Most certainly, Jesus is coming again in final victory at the end of this age, but we are not left alone just trying to stay busy until Christ returns. “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

My Takeaway: Before this day is over, there is a very reasonable chance your faith will be tested by some circumstance. In the moment of your testing: remember, you are not alone!

“And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life. The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Monday, April 20, 2026

“The Father and I are one.”

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

April 20, 2026

“The Father and I are one.”

John 10:30

Seeking the life in Christ as our way of life is to open our hearts to Jesus and allow the fullness of God’s love to flow through us. As we learn to love ourselves for God’s sake, we become willing participants in God’s plan to transform our lives. To fully cooperate with God working in us, we want to grasp God’s purpose for our lives. To what end is God working in us? Henri Nouwen, in his book, The Return of The Prodigal Son, answers this question by helping us correctly understand Jesus’ parable of The Prodigal Son (Luke 15).

"If the only meaning of the story were that people sin but God forgives, I could easily begin to think of my sins as a fine occasion for God to show me forgiveness. There would be no challenge in such an interpretation. I would resign myself to my weaknesses and keep hoping that eventually God would close his eyes to them and let me come home, whatever I did. Such romanticism is not the message of the Gospels. What I am called to make true is that whether I am the younger or elder son, I am the son of my compassionate Father. I am an heir. . . . as son and heir, I am to become successor. I am destined to step into my Father's place and offer to others the same compassion that he has offered me. The return to the Father is ultimately the challenge to become the Father. . . . Being in the Father's house requires that I make the Father's life my own and become transformed in his image." (Emphasis mine)

My Takeaway: It is God’s work to form Christ within me. It is my work to accept my acceptance and to become a successor, to step into my Father's place and offer to others the same compassion that he has offered me. This is seeking the life in Christ as my way of life.

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Friday, April 17, 2026

Jesus Reaches Down to Help Us

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

April 17, 2026

Jesus Reaches Down to Help Us

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Romans 12:2

The most distinguishing mark of the Christian faith is that our God died in our place so that through faith we may live eternally. In no other religion does their deity stand in the place of humanity to receive punishment for the sin of humanity. But our God doesn’t stop there. There is yet another distinguishing characteristic of the Christian faith, one that also separates Christians from every other religion in the world. Because of the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, the Christian lives in Christ and Christ lives in the Christian by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is this truth that enabled the Apostle Paul to proclaim:

“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13), and

“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).

It is because of these truths proclaimed by Paul that Christians can easily embrace the imperative of Romans 12:2. God doesn’t give us an arduous and seemingly impossible task and then stand back to observe and judge how well we do. No, we are not called to do the heavy lifting alone; Jesus bends his back and reaches down to help us.

Jesus told his disciples that “What is impossible for people is possible with God” (Luke 18:27). Now, because the Christian lives in Christ and Christ lives in the Christian by the power of the Holy Spirit, we have a new way of looking at the impossible. God is inviting us to make a leap of faith and believe that through our transformation to become the children of God, the impossible has become possible.

My Takeaway: I sense God is calling all the followers of Jesus to revisit the seemingly impossible chore of dying to the customs and behaviors of this world that are contrary to life in Christ. In the words of Psalm 46:10, God is calling us to “Be still, and know that I am God!” Because with God the impossible has become possible, “let God transform (us) into a new person by changing the way (we) think.”

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Thursday, April 16, 2026

What Do You Want Me to Do for You?

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

April 16, 2026

What Do You Want Me to Do for You?

“And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.”

Mark 10:52

Blind Bartimaeus is an example of someone coming boldly to the God’s throne of grace. (Mark 10:46-52) The blind beggar was sitting beside the road when he heard that Jesus was nearby. He began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.” Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and went to Jesus. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked. “My rabbi,” the blind man said, “I want to see!” And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.”

Blind Bartimaeus believed Jesus was the Messiah, that’s why he called out to Jesus as “Son of David.” Bartimaeus answered Jesus using the title “My rabbi” and made his relationship to Jesus personal as he rushed to the throne of grace. He knew Jesus could heal his condition, and Jesus affirmed his faith.

In Bartimaeus’ culture, a blind beggar was almost totally ignored by society. His coat was his total possession and was all the protection he had from the elements. Bartimaeus “threw aside his coat” when he ran to Jesus. He left his only security behind as he ran to the throne of grace. The closest I have ever been to where Bartimaeus walked is when I was rolled into the operating room for cardiac bypass surgery following my heart attack. I was helpless. I hoped that God would use this procedure to save my life. My only prayer was a line from Psalm 23: “Thou art with me.” (Psalm 23:4 KJV)

Other than that experience, I have always had several options in life. When I travel, I have a cell phone and AAA. If the electricity is out, I have a back-up generator. I have family, friends and neighbors I can call. I have plenty of security blankets. I am blessed. I don’t believe God is calling me to throw aside all my security in this world. He is, however, calling me to cast aside anything I am tempted to use to validate my worth and my value as a human being. He is calling me to trust in the sufficiency of His grace, and only His grace to validate my life.

When I cling to things such as wealth, fame, possessions, the opinions of other people, power and influence to validate my humanity, I am a blind beggar. When, like Bartimaeus, I call out to Jesus and throw my security blankets aside, I can instantly see my way to follow Jesus.

My Takeaway: Bartimaeus’ story begs two questions. What security blanket do you need to drop to hear Jesus say, “What do you want me to do for you?” And, if you hear his question, how do you respond to Jesus?

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Wednesday, April 15, 2026

But Who Do You Say I Am?

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

April 15, 2026

But Who Do You Say I Am?

We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

1 John 1:3

The Apostle John was not boasting of his personal relationship with Jesus. His invitation to share in fellowship was based on one of the greatest mysteries, and one of the greatest blessings, of the Christian faith. While John did, in fact, walk and talk with Jesus face to face, by faith, the followers of Jesus may enjoy a communion with Jesus just as intimate as did the original disciples.

My knowledge of Jesus came first from what I heard from others who knew him. Then I turned to scripture, and my knowledge about Jesus increased. Then one day, I heard Jesus’ question in scripture as though he was standing right next to me: “But who do you say I am?” (Matthew 16:15). The first time I had this experience, I think I responded with the words of Peter in scripture, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). On other occasions, I responded to Jesus with words I had heard from a pulpit, or from another person. But then came the day when the words of Peter and of others seemed somehow inadequate; they were the words of others, not my words. Praise God! On that special day, Jesus called me unto himself. From now on, when I speak of Jesus, I use my own personal words because like John, I have spoken to Jesus, and I have heard Jesus speak to me.

My Takeaway: If you haven’t had an experience of hearing Jesus, ask you, “But who do you say I am?” – hold on, your day is coming. In the meantime, you can begin preparing your answer. Imagine if a young child asked you, “Who is Jesus to you?” How would you answer?

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Tuesday, April 14, 2026

Is He Personal to You?

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

April 14, 2026

Is He Personal to You?

For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

1 Corinthians 2:2 (NRSV).

For a long time, Paul’s introductory statement to 1 Corinthians troubled me. It seems like such a crass way to announce the bedrock of his teaching and preaching in Corinth. The unnamed woman in Luke 7 helped me grasp the depth and intimacy of Paul’s statement.

Jesus concludes his meal at Simon the Pharisee’s house with his announcement, “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love” (Luke 7:47a). This woman’s love and adoration for Jesus was her expression of gratitude for his forgiving touch. Can you imagine how this personal relationship with Jesus gripped her heart as she watched him hanging from the cross? For her, the one hanging on the cross is the one who loved her and forgave her.

Paul’s personal experience of Jesus is similar. Jesus confronted Saul on the road to Damascus. There Saul was held accountable for persecuting Jesus, but Jesus wasn’t judging Saul and kicking him to the curb. Jesus gave Saul a new name, and Paul was consecrated and commissioned as the Apostle to the Gentiles. For Paul, the one who was crucified is the one who loved him, forgave him and commissioned him.

My Takeaway: I have learned to claim Paul’s words to the Corinthians as an expression of my own devotion to Jesus: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:10 NRSV). For me, the one who was crucified is the one who made me what I am by his grace. His grace is personal to me. As he was to the woman at Jesus’ feet in Simon’s house, and to Paul, the one who was crucified is very personal to me.

Is he personal to you?

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Monday, April 13, 2026

The Land of Open Eyes and Light Divine

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

April 13, 2026

The Land of Open Eyes and Light Divine

“I am sending you to the Gentiles to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.”

Acts 26:17b-18

In Saint Paul’s stunning encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, he heard Jesus say the words quoted above from Acts 26. As the followers of Jesus, we too are called to hear these same words. We too are sent by Jesus to the people of the world “to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.”

Our first step is to appropriate King David’s prayer, “Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow; “Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.” (Psalm 51: 7, 10). We can’t open the eyes of others unless our eyes are first open. We can’t turn others from darkness to light unless we are walking in the light, and we can’t lead others to become set apart by faith until we are first set apart by faith in the risen Christ.

Being set apart by faith means we are living by faith, rather than seeking to justify our right-standing with God through a performance-based-acceptance lifestyle. We all are a work in progress, and while we may agree with John Wesley that we are going on to perfection, we know we haven’t yet arrived at that destination. But we have begun our journey, and along our trail we look for markers to indicate our progress toward the land of open eyes and light divine.

Here are a few of the markers I look for on my journey. Is my life more spacious, or is it too full to allow room for others? Is my attitude toward others more hospitable or critical? Do I tend to be more compassionate or judgmental toward the failures I see in others? My judgmental and critical attitude towards others is the revelation of my judgmental and critical attitude toward myself. When I become thus aware, I know I need to spend time contemplating the furious longing of God for me, because in the land of open eyes and light divine, “I am my beloved’s, and his desire is for me” (Song of Solomon 7:10).

My Takeaway: “But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.” This new way of living in the Spirit will lead us progressively toward the land of open eyes and light divine.

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Friday, April 10, 2026

Teach Me Wisdom in My Secret Heart

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

April 10, 2026

Teach Me Wisdom in My Secret Heart

You desire truth in the inward being;

therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.

Psalm 51:6 NRSV

I think King David’s prose in Psalm 51, one of the Seven Penitential Psalms, is some of the most beautiful and profound in the entire Bible. Verses such as seven and ten have captivated souls for generations: “Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow; and “Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.” I appreciate Psalm 51 for its honesty and self-reflection. It is a model of an authentic prayer that seeks God’s mercy, forgiveness and healing. Psalm 51 is so very poignant because of the depth of King David’s sin, and the harm he caused through his adultery with Bathsheba. (See 2 Samuel 11-12) If God’s mercy and forgiveness is sufficient to cleanse, renew and restore David, can there be anything in my life that is beyond God’s capacity to forgive?

However, as a child of God, I must not just relish in David’s prose; I want to make his prose become the cry of my heart. I am motivated toward this goal for two reasons. First, to deny my failures creates a false image of me, one that will not attract others to the Kingdom of God. Secondly, my sins are every bit as repugnant to the holiness of God as were David’s. I stand in need of forgiveness, cleansing, renewal and restoration every bit as much as David.

My Takeaway: “Go and sin no more” Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery (John 8:11). Sadly, although she may have desired Jesus’ words to be her goal, the reality of life is that she did sin again. So did David. So do I. Forgiveness, cleansing, renewal and restoration are not once and no more experiences with God. Forgiveness, cleansing, renewal and restoration are the natural rhythm of daily life for those seeking the life in Christ as their way of life.

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Thursday, April 9, 2026

Allow God to Make It Redemptive

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

April 9, 2026

Allow God to Make It Redemptive

Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

2 Corinthians 4:10

In the glorious chapter four of Second Corinthians, Paul affirms that we are fragile human beings. We are fragile both in our physical bodies, and in our human emotions. Within our human weakness, clay jars or earthen vessels is the metaphor Paul uses in verse seven, the trials and tribulations of life assail us; but even though we may get knocked down, we are not destroyed. God uses the difficulties of our lives in a redemptive way so that, “Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies” (2 Corinthians 4:10).

Jesus embraced the symbol of his brokenness, the cross, and made it redemptive for all humankind. We too are invited by God to embrace our brokenness and thus allow God to make it redemptive to those we encounter. How do we do this? I suggest that you make a list of all the places you are broken.

Begin with the places where your body is broken and scarred. Then list the ways your heart has been broken. Are there any broken relationships in your life? If so, list them. What about your mind? Some may experience more difficulty in accessing our memory; if this includes you, add this to your list. For many, the ways the world, and even our own nation seem to be turning against people of faith, and this can affect our spirit. Are you becoming less hopeful and more cynical? If so, add your broken spirit to your list.

My Takeaway: Prayerfully, submit your list to God and ask for His blessing:

“Loving Father, please bless my brokenness for my purification and sanctification, and may my brokenness be used by you for your redemptive purposes. Amen.”

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Wednesday, April 8, 2026

The Blessing That Sustains

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

April 8, 2026

The Blessing That Sustains

And a voice from heaven said,

“You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”

Mark 1:11

For three years following his baptism, Jesus called disciples and announced the coming of God’s Kingdom. Throughout his journeys, whether he was receiving praise or abuse, he held onto the blessing he had received from his Father. That blessing sustained him from the Jordan River to the wilderness, from Jerusalem to Galilee and down to Jericho. That blessing sustained him in the Garden of Gethsemane, before the Chief Priest and Pontius Pilate, and on Golgotha Hill.

The Good News of Jesus Christ is that each one of the followers of Jesus receives that very same blessing from our Heavenly Father. You are the beloved son, the beloved daughter of God, with whom God is delighted and upon whom His favor rests. It is God’s plan that His blessing sustains you through all the twists and turns of your life. May I suggest a spiritual discipline of incorporating this blessing into your daily prayers?

Each morning as you give God thanks for the gift of a new day, thank Him for choosing you to be his beloved child. Thank Him for taking delight in you and for giving you His favor for the coming day. At noon time, as you give thanks for your lunch, again give your Heavenly Father thanks for your blessing. Also include thanks for your divine blessing at your evening meal, and again as you prepare to take your nightly rest.

My Takeaway: Maintain this discipline until you can journey through each day absolutely persuaded that you are God’s chosen and His favor rests upon you.

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Tuesday, April 7, 2026

Being Chosen

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

April 7, 2026

Being Chosen

You didn’t choose me. I chose you.

John 15:16a

Those of us with a Wesleyan background will recognize prevenient grace in this statement of Jesus. Prevenient grace is divine grace that precedes human decision. Before we had the capacity to choose God, God chose to reveal himself to us, thus enabling within us an awareness of the love of God and God’s offer of forgiveness through faith in Jesus. We could spend a lot of time pondering the depths of this theological concept, but instead of taking that road, let us back up and ponder the depths of just what it means to be chosen by Jesus.

Sometimes the enormity of scriptural revelation overwhelms us. Jesus said,

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3:16 NRSV).

That passage is so familiar it may have lost some power in our lives. Because that passage is only true if God loves us one at a time, change the text a bit so you can make it personal to you:

For God so loved me that he gave his only Son, so that by my believing in him, I will not perish; I have eternal life.

Read this personal version again and let it sink deep in your spirit. Own it! With the passage in John 15, no editing is required, but you do need to stand back and let the truth wash over you.

“You didn’t choose me. I chose you.” What a phenomenal statement Jesus made. I am not aware of any of the other religions of the world that have anything that remotely compares to the tenderness, the intimacy, the indomitable power in Jesus’ words:

“You didn’t choose me. I chose you.”

Because of the tenderness, intimacy and power in these words of Jesus, we know Saint Paul was absolutely speaking the mind of Christ when he wrote,

“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:14, 16 NRSV).

My Takeaway: You were chosen by Jesus to become the child of God, the Father Almighty. There is no competition within the Trinity, no rivalry. Therefore, as God gives us grace to embrace our own chosen-ness, we are given eyes to see the chosen-ness of others. With grateful hearts let us rejoice.

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Monday, April 6, 2026

Wounded Healers Listen

Meditations on

Staying in the Grace for Today

April 6, 2026

Wounded Healers Listen

But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.

2 Corinthians 4:7

Because our wounds have been healed by Jesus, we have oneness with God. God’s Spirit has come to make His home within our fragile, mortal lives. Therefore, even though we face many difficulties in life, we are not destroyed. As we die to our own self-interest, the life of Jesus becomes visible in our mortal flesh. (2 Corinthians 4: 8-12) It is this truth that empowers us to listen with our wounds.

Whenever we are with a person who is suffering, there is a HUGE temptation to share our own story, our own experience of pain and suffering. However, a wounded healer is one who can listen to a fellow sojourner without succumbing to the temptation to talk about their own pain and suffering. Our wounded experience can empower us to listen with empathy, compassion and love. Having to remember and talk about our own experiences may well be an indicator that we have not yet experienced the fullness of God’s healing in our own lives.

The psalmist implores us to be still and know God. (Psalm 46:10) His inspiration came from God’s promise to King Jehoshaphat,

“Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s” (2 Chronicles 20:15).

This too is God’s promise to us! The Apostle Paul affirmed this when he wrote, “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13). This means that when we are with another person who is going through a time of trial, we can be still and trust that God is at work. We can trust that our own wounds will empower us to listen with our whole being.

My Takeaway: Listening as wounded healers will allow us to be vessels of healing for the other person, while we receive God’s grace for our own continued healing.

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Sunday, April 5, 2026

He Knows My Name

Easter 2026

April 5, 2026

Easter Sunday

He Knows My Name

“Mary!” Jesus said.

John 20:16

Read: John 20:1-18 (Part 2)

The details in the conversation between Mary and Jesus in today’s passage are life transforming for me!

Mary is lost in her grief. The tomb is empty. In every other encounter between humans and angels, the humans pull back in fear and awe. Mary’s grief is so consuming, she seems unmoved by her encounter with the angels and offers the angels a simple reply to their question. In her grief, she didn’t recognize Jesus standing before her and offered him a simple reply to his question. Then Jesus called her by name, and everything changed.

Has Jesus ever called you by name? I haven’t had this experience often, but I have heard him call me by name. I remember a time in March 1990 when I was weary and burned-out. As I sang in a chapel service during a Tres Dias retreat, I heard Jesus say to me, “Alex, I have left the 90 and nine and come for you.” My life changed that day because the promise of scripture was fulfilled in my life: Jesus “calls his own sheep by name. . .” (John 10:3b).

Next, consider the message Jesus gave to Mary: “But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God’” (John 20:17b). Jesus didn’t say “go find my disciples,” or “go find my servants,” or even “go find my friends.” Jesus said, “go find my brothers.” Another name Jesus has for you, my dear friends, is brother or sister! The Lord of the universe knows you as his brothers and sisters. Jesus, the Lord of the universe, was preparing to ascend to his Father and our Father, to his God and our God. Jesus related to Mary, and he relates to us, in the perfect Trinitarian unity he prayed for us in John 17.

My Takeaway: Take time today and open your heart and your mind to embrace the intimacy of the way the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit relate to you, and “be transformed by the renewing of your minds” (Romans 12:2a NRSV).

Sē’lah

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My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Saturday, April 4, 2026

I Am the Resurrection and the Life

Holy Week 2026

April 4, 2026

Holy Saturday

I Am the Resurrection and the Life

Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed— for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead.

John 20:8-9

Read: John 20:1-18 (Part 1of 2 readings)

John is still supplying important details. First, there is Mary Magdalene. She is mentioned four times in John’s Gospel. She is identified as being at the foot of the cross (John 19:25) and in today’s passage she is named three times: she was the first person to discover the empty tomb, she was the first person to see the risen Lord, and she is the first evangelist as she goes to tell the disciples Jesus is Risen.

In the previous passage, we learned that “Following Jewish burial custom, (Joseph and Nicodemus) wrapped Jesus’ body with the spices in long sheets of linen cloth” (John 19:40). In today’s passage we learn that Jesus’ tomb was empty except for the “linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings” (John 20:6-7). John follows this with an autobiographical statement, “Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed” (John 20:8). What did John believe, and how did the linen cloths factor in his leap of faith?

First, if someone was going to steal Jesus’ body, I doubt they would have taken the time to unwrap all the linen cloths before moving the body. Secondly, I suspect John immediately thought of the scene recorded in John 11:43-44, “Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!” I suspect John also remembered the words of Jesus, “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25a).

My Takeaway: And, I suspect John may have been the first person to say,

He is Risen!

He is Risen indeed!

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

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