He is Risen! Celebrating Easter 7-Day Reading Plan

Achieve a greater understanding of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus during this glorious season of the year with 7 daily readings from NIV Scripture passages that examine the Passion narratives in the Gospels.

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2. D a y 1: D a y 2: D a y 3: D a y 4: D a y 5: D a y 6: D a y 7: Intima c y with Him Crucifixion T he T hi r d D a y Y ielded Up His Spirit It is Finished T he R esur r ection H o w Do W e Help Our Child r en Under s tand the Meaning Behind Good Frid a y and Ea s t er? He is Risen! Celebrating Easter 7- D a y Reading Plan

3. D a y 1 Intimacy with Him I am Immanuel—God with y ou. Y our pursuit of Me is actually a r esponse t o My a r dent pursuit of y ou. Y ou don’t h a v e t o b a t ter d o wn doors bet w een us. R a the r , as y ou open the door of y our heart t o M e , y ou find Me gloriously p r esent— h a ving al r eady th ro wn open My door t o y ou! My de a th on the c r o s s f or y our sins w as sufficient t o open up My door t o y ou permanentl y . E v er sin c e y ou tru s t ed Me as S a vio r , y our s tanding with Me has been e t ernally secu r e . So y ou need not f ear th a t on a d a y when y our per f orman c e is bel o w par I might shut the door in y our f a c e . W ith My help y ou can b r eak out of th a t nar r o w enclosu r e of per f orman c e anxiet y . I designed y ou t o flourish in the wide open spa c es o f My g ra c e and glor y , whe r e y ou a r e f r ee t o c eleb r a t e My P resen c e e xube r antl y . S tand tall and shout p r aises t o M e , r emembering y ou a r e r o y alty in My kingdom of n e v er-ending Li f e . I w an t y o u t o r eali z e h o w ut t erly sa f e y o u a r e—i n My per f ect , persi s ten t L o v e . Y o u under s tand th a t th e s t r ength o f y ou r l o v e i s insufficien t t o k ee p y o u c onnec t e d with M e . Y o u kn o w y o u canno t r ely o n y ou r o w n f aithfulne s s. T h a t ’ s w h y y o u mu s t depen d o n M y un f ailin g p r o vision. L o v e an d f aithfulnes s mee t t ogethe r i n Me ; mo r e o v e r , th r oug h th e sacrifi c e o f M y blood , righ t eousne s s and pea c e kis s eac h othe r . D r a wn f r om Jesus Calling D e v otional Bible . “Behold, the vi r gin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and th ey shall call His name Immanuel , ” which is t r ansl a t ed, “God with us . ” —M a tth e w 1:2 3

4. D a y 2 Crucifixion A t the time of Jesus’ de a th, crucifixion w as c onside r ed the mo s t painful and deg r ading f orm of capital punishment in the R oman Empi r e . It w as c onside r ed so horrible th a t it w as used b y the R omans only f or sl a v es, those f r om the p r o vin c es under their c ont r ol, and the l o w e s t types of criminals. It w as not t o be used f or a R oman citi zen. T his is in a c c o r d with the biblical a c c ount of Chri s t ’ s de a th and with chu r ch t r adition, which a s serts th a t P e t er w as also crucified, but P aul, a R oman citi zen, w as beheaded. Crucifixion as a means of e x ecution p r obably g r e w out of the p r acti c e of displ a ying the heads of captu r ed enemies or criminals on a w ooden s ta k e li k e those used t o build a w all or e r ect f ortific a tions. L a t e r, enti r e bodies w e r e impaled. B y Jesus’ tim e , crucifixion w as a c ommon sight. Although methods of crucifixion seem t o h a v e v aried th r oughout the R oman Empi r e , th r ough biblical and hi s torical a c c ounts the basic p a t tern is kn o wn. T he c ondemned person w as fir s t s cou r ged with a flagellum, a whip of le a ther thongs with bits of metal or bone a ttached. T his whipping g r e a tly w ea k ened the victim, who then had t o carry the c r o s sbeam t o the pla c e of e x ecution. A sign specifying the crime w as of t en pla c ed a r ound the criminal ’ s neck or on the c r o s s. T he person w as s tripped na k ed, laid on the g r ound with the c r o s sbeam under his shoulders, and tied or nailed t o it. Nailing made the victim die quic k e r, as it did Jesus, whom the J e wish officials w an t ed dead be f o r e the Sabb a th. T he c r o s sbeam w as lif t ed and secu r ed t o a po s t so th a t the person ’ s f eet w e r e hanging ju s t off the g r ound. Some a r chaeologi s ts think a pin or w ooden block w as pla c ed half wa y up the po s t t o p r o vide a se a t f or the body so th a t the nails w ould not t ear open the w ounds, causing the body t o f all. T he f eet also c ould be nailed or tied t o the po s t. Althoug h th e pai n w a s e x crucia ting , som e victim s survi v e d on th e c r o s s f or d a y s . A s i n th e cas e of th e t w o criminal s crucified wit h Jesus , th e leg s of a crucifie d perso n w e r e sometimes b r o k e n t o ma k e th e suf f e r er di e . T his cause d ma s si v e shock, f oll o w e d b y lo s s of ci r cul atio n an d heart f ailu r e . Although c omple t ely inno c ent of all sin, Jesus suf f e r ed the mo s t horribl e , disg r a c eful punishment kn o wn. But His agonizing de a th w as not an o r dinary de a th, f or it w as not the final chap t e r. Jesus turned this appa r ent de f e a t in t o the mo s t glorious vic t ory the w orld has e v er kn o wn. A t the C r o s s, He suf f e r ed f or the sins of the w orld. T hen af t er His r esur r ection f r om the dead th r ee d a y s l a t e r, Jesus emp o w e r ed His disciples with a n e w me s sag e , the Good N e w s th a t He had finally de f e a t ed the p o w er of sin and de a th. Th r ough the C r o s s, Jesus of f ers sal v a tion t o all who will beli e v e in Him. D r a wn f r om the NKJV S tudy Bible . T he re w e re also t w o others, criminals, led with Him t o be put t o de a th. And when th ey had c ome t o the pla c e called Cal v ar y , the r e th ey crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. T hen Jesus said, “ F a the r , f o r gi v e them, for th ey do not kn o w wh a t th ey d o . ” —Lu k e 23:32 - 3 3

5. D a y 3 Y ielded Up His spirit Chri s t ’ s de a th w as v oluntary t o the v ery end, f or e v en on the C r o s s, His li f e c ould not be ta k en f r om Him again s t His will. Chri s t a c c epts de a th on the C r o s s neither t o r e c ei v e the F a the r ’ s punishment on our behal f , nor t o s a tisfy the F a the r ’ s need f or blood-ju s ti c e (as if God w ould demand such thing s ), but so th a t b y en t ering de a th as the divine Son of God, He can de s t r o y this la s t ene m y , which is de a th itself (1 C orinthians 15:20–28). D r a wn f r om T he Orthod o x S tudy Bible . And Jesus cried out again with a loud v oic e , and yielded up His spirit. —M a tth e w 2 7:5

6. D a y 4 The Third D a y In o r der t o dispel a n y doubt, the angel c onfirms his me s sage b y r ecalling Chri s t ’ s o wn w o rds. In calcul ating the thi r d d a y , the fir s t d a y is Frid a y , the d a y on which Chri s t died be f o r e sund o wn. T he se c ond is S a tu r d a y , the Sabb a th on which Chri s t r e s t ed in the t om b . T he thi r d d a y , which begins af t er sund o wn on S a tu r d a y , is the d a y of R esur r ection, Sund a y . D r a wn f r om T he Orthod o x S tudy Bible . T hen, as th ey w e re af r aid and b o w ed their f a c es t o the earth, th ey said t o them, “W h y do y ou seek the living among the dead? He is not he r e , but is risen! Remember h o w He spo ke t o y ou when He w as s till in Galilee , s a ying, ‘ T he Son o f Man mu s t be deli v e r ed in t o the hands o f sinful men, and be crucified, and the thi r d d a y rise again . ’” —Lu k e 2 4:5 - 7

7. D a y 5 It is F inished Finished is bet t er t r ansl a t ed “ a c c omplished” or “fulfilled”— not meaning Chri s t ’ s li f e is ended, but sh o wing His divine plan of sal v a tion has n o w been c omple ted. B o wing His head, He g a v e up His spirit: S t. John Chr y so s t om wri t es th a t Chri s t did not die fir s t, with His head f alling as a r esult of de a th. In s t ead, as L o r d e v en of His o wn de a th, Jesus fir s t b o w ed His head, and then willingly g a v e up His spirit. D r a wn f r om T he Orthod o x S tudy Bible . So when Jesus had r e c ei v ed the sour win e , He said, “It is finished!” And b o wing His head, He g a v e up His spirit. —Joh n 19:3

8. D a y 6 The Resurrection T he R esur r ection of Jesus Chri s t w as a p h y sical r ealit y . When He “ s t ood in the mid s t of them , ” the disciples w e r e shoc k ed, “ t errified, and frigh t ened” ( v erse 3 7). T h e y thought Jesus w as a gho s t. Jesus r ead their hearts, and t o p r o v e Himself p h y sically ali v e , He sh o w ed them His pie r c ed hands and f eet and i n vi t ed them t o “handle” and “ see” Him ( v erse 3 9). T hen He w ent one s t ep further t o dispel their unbelief b y asking f or and e a ting f ood—something no disembodied spirit c ould d o . D r a wn f r om T he W oman ’ s S tudy Bible . N o w as th ey said these things, Jesus Himself s t ood in the mid s t o f them, and said t o them, “ P ea c e t o y ou . ” But th ey w e re t errified and frigh t ened, and supposed th ey had seen a spirit. And He said t o them, “W h y a r e y ou t r oubled? And w h y do doubts arise in y our heart s ? Behold My hands and My f eet, th a t it is I M y sel f . Handle Me and se e , for a spirit does not h a v e flesh and bones as y ou see I h a v e . ” When He had said this, He sh o w ed them His hands and His f eet. But while th ey s till did not beli ev e for j o y , and mar v eled, He said t o them, “H a v e y ou a n y f ood he r e ?” So th ey g a v e Him a pie c e o f a b r oiled fish and some hon e y c om b . And He t ook it and a t e in their p r esen c e . —Lu k e 2 4:36-4 3

9. D a y 7 H o w Do W e Help Our Children Understand the Meaning Behind Good F rid a y and Easter? Child r en and Ea s t er—n e w li f e and n e w beginnings. Wh a t bet t er time t o sha r e the gospel with y our child r e n ? He r e a r e the basics: 1. T each y our child r en who God is and h o w He l o v es them. T h e y need t o kn o w wh a t sets Him apart f r om humans: God is holy and per f ect. P eopl e , h o w e v e r , a r e not per f ect. God is ju s t and al w a y s f ai r . W e a r e not ju s t in all our decisions. God is l o v e and desi r es a r el a tionship with us. W e a r e not al wa y s moti v a t ed out of l o v e f or anothe r . In s truct y our child r en th a t their sins mu s t be f o r gi v en ( see R omans 6:23). Ma n y pa r ents f eel un c om f ortable talking about hell. While God is p a tient, He is not t ole r ant. His ju s ti c e calls f or an a t onement (a p a yment, a penalty) f or human sin. Our child r en mu s t h a v e some under s tanding th a t their sins can k eep them out of he a v en. T heir sins mu s t be paid f o r , and th a t is wh a t Jesus Chri s t did f or us on the c r o s s. T r ain y our child r en t o r e c ei v e God ’ s f o r gi v ene s s th r ough f aith in Jesus Chri s t ( see Ephesians 2:8, 9). F aith i n v ol v es r epenting f r om sin, turning t o God in f aith, and tru s ting Jesus Chri s t t o be S a vior and L o r d. T a k en f r om F amilyLi f e Marriage Bible . F or b y g ra c e y ou h a v e been s a v ed th r ough f aith, and th a t not o f yoursel v es; it is the gift o f God, not o f w orks, le s t a n y one should boa s t. —Ephesian s 2:8- 9

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