Day One
Scripture: Matthew 21:1-11
Jesus didn’t come as a warring king on a chariot ready to set the people free by force. Rather, He entered Jerusalem peacefully, on a donkey. On Passover (lamb selection day), God was saying, “Here is my lamb. Will you choose Him?” He was a peaceful king, the true Messiah, and the spotless lamb—sent by God to set us free from sin’s rule in our life!
Prayer: Dear God, may I fix my eyes today on the perfect lamb, Jesus. May I, like a lamb, simply surrender my rights and be silent before You. And may You, my God, consume my life and my thoughts this week. To you be the Glory, Amen.
Day Two
Scripture: Luke 23:34
The first word from Jesus on the cross has to do with forgiveness. God has forgiven our sins! This is the point of the cross. God “has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west” (Ps 103:13). What great news!
Prayer: May I live today as a forgiven person, opening my heart to You, choosing not to sin because the power of sin has been broken by Your salvation. All praise be to You, Lord Jesus!
Day Three
Scripture: Luke 23:43
Our relationship with Him comes down to simple trust. “Jesus, remember me,” we cry. And Jesus, embodying the mercy of God, says to us, “You will be with me in paradise.” We are welcome there not because we have right theology, and not because we are living rightly, but because God is merciful and we have put our trust in Jesus.
Prayer: Like the criminal, may I be desperate for you God. May I stake my life on You and Your love for me. May Your promise of paradise provide me perfect peace and perspective today. Today I live, trusting You and You alone. My life, now and in the world to come, is in Your hands. Amen.
Day Four
Scripture: John 19:26
We’re reminded of the prophecy of Simeon shortly after Jesus’ birth, when he said to Mary: “And a sword will pierce your very soul” (Luke 2:35). This scene helps us not to glorify or spiritualize the crucifixion of Jesus. He was a real man, true flesh and blood, a son of a mother, dying with unbearable agony. His suffering was altogether real, and He took it on for you and for me.
Prayer: O Lord, how can I begin to thank You for what You suffered? My words fall short. Thank You for bearing my sin on the cross. I give You my praise, my love, my heart . . . all that I am, because You have given me all that You are. All praise be to You, Lord Jesus, fully God and fully human, Savior of the world–my Savior! Amen.
Day Five
Scripture: Mark 15:34
Jesus was abandoned by the Father so that we might not be. His perfect Son bearing our imperfections was unbearable to see. “He who knew no sin became sin, in order that we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21).
Prayer: Lord God, it is hard to understand this reality of God forsaking God. Yet even my miniscule grasp of this reality calls me to confession, to humility, to worship, to adoration. “Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small; Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.”-The Wonderful Cross
Day Six
Scripture: John 19:28/Psalm 69
Being fully God but also fully man, Jesus was genuinely thirsty. Knowing His pain and suffering was real, He can relate to every struggle we experience.
Prayer: Lord, may I stop pursuing the never-quenching water of this world. In times of difficulty, may my soul yearn for the living water that only You supply. May You give me courage to offer others this water—so they may taste and see that You are good.
Day Seven
Scripture: John 19:30
Jesus accomplished His mission. He announced and inaugurated the kingdom of God. He revealed the love and grace of God. And He embodied that love and grace by dying for the sin of the world, thus opening up the way for all to live under the reign of God. Because Jesus finished it, we don’t need to add to it!
Prayer: Lord, thank You for being faithful in life and faithful in death. As the great High Priest, once and for all, by Your blood You paid the price for my sins. Forgive me for trying to add to what You already accomplished. May I rest in Your grace today. Amen.
Day Eight
Scripture: Philippians 4:19
We use the word “need” routinely don’t we? But the longer we linger at the empty tomb, the more we realize that all we really need is…Jesus. His love and grace and peace and hope and faith is all we need. Nothing else compares to His glory!
Prayer: Lord, the Bible and the cross and the empty tomb aren’t really about me and my needs. It’s about You and only You. It’s about You doing what only You can do. So may You fill me to the brim today with Your glorious riches. And may I seek You first today and for the rest of my life. Amen.