Living Hope: A Countdown to Easterနမူနာ

“Follow Me.”

Peter sat in grief and darkness, his days marked by God’s silence. He had publicly denied knowing Jesus just before Jesus was dragged away to be crucified. And now for the past few days, Peter had to process his grief and guilt without any expectation that the pain would stop. 

But during the early morning of the third day, Jesus’ tomb was found empty and the stone rolled away. As Peter huddles in fear with the other disciples—trying to process the day’s events—Jesus suddenly appears to Peter fully alive! 

Instead of letting Peter live with the shame of his past mistakes, Jesus pulls him aside and asks him a question that propels Peter into his purpose: 

“Do you love me?”

With this question, Jesus invites Peter to reaffirm the relationship He’d denied. Jesus’ power over death and darkness meant that Peter didn’t have to stay defined by his past mistakes. He could still embrace the call on his life and become the leader Jesus always knew he could be. 

Like Peter, you have the opportunity to say “yes” to loving Jesus and being loved by Him. No matter how messy your life looks, or how far from Jesus you feel, there is nothing that can separate you from His love. Your past mistakes or current problems do not dictate your purpose when your life is rooted in Christ alone. 

The resurrection reassures us that no situation or mistake is impossible for God to redeem. There is no fear Jesus cannot conquer and no life He cannot heal. No darkness can stand against the power of the risen God who conquered death on our behalf. There is nothing our God cannot do. 

Pray: Jesus, thank You for conquering death for me. I’m thankful that nothing can separate me from Your love, and no mistake can disqualify me from Your plans. Today, remind me of who You’ve called me to be. And when I start to feel unworthy, help me remember to reflect on Your resurrection and rejoice that You alone are my salvation. I love You, and today I choose to follow You.