LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
By Pastor Mensa Otabil
 
Sunday 5th April 2026

CHRIST IS RISEN

Scripture Reading: Matthew 28:1-10
 
But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. Matthew 28:5-6
 
Hallelujah! Jesus is alive! The women who went to the tomb on resurrection morning were not expecting a risen Saviour. They had heard about all the predictions of Jesus concerning His death and resurrection, but the events of the last few days had shattered their hopes.
 
They had seen their powerful teacher and rabbi betrayed, arrested, beaten, mocked, judged, humiliated and crucified. They saw His agony on the cross and heard His gasps for life, and then death and burial. Hope was dead.
 
They went out that morning seeking the Jesus who was crucified and encountered the Jesus who is risen. The angel’s announcement was at once frightening and exciting, ‘He is not here.”
 
What kind of Jesus are you looking for? Are you looking for a great teacher, religious leader and prophet who died two thousand years ago; or a risen Lord and Saviour who is alive and still at work?
 
If you go looking for a dead Jesus, you will not find Him but if you go looking for a risen Jesus, you will find new life and new hope.
 
Today, the message of the angel still speaks to us: ‘He is not here.’ You will not find Him in the grave. So where can we find Him? We can find Him at the right hand of the Father; you can find Him in the hearts of true believers; you can still find Him at work on the earth forgiving sins, changing lives and making people well. Jesus is Alive!

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I celebrate Christ’s victory over death. Help me to walk in the power of His resurrection. In Jesus’ name, Amen.