Devotionals by Raul Ries

SUNDAY April 5, 2026

Easter Dawn

“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

Easter hails a new dawn for mankind. We all sit in the shadow of death, unable to do anything about it. The young tend not to think about this looming shadow, but there comes a time in every life when human frailty is realized––death is the end. Hopelessness can creep in, and people will ask, “What is the purpose of life if this is how it ends?”

The end of life is a dismal finality, yet hope arises. Why? At the high cost of Jesus’ life sacrificed on the Cross, this does not have to be our end. Hope was birthed Easter dawn. The morning message was proclaimed: “He is risen!” Jesus conquered death, and its shadow flees! Hopelessness is replaced with hope. A way has been made for us to have eternal life.

After the crucifixion of Jesus, a rich man of Arimathea named Joseph, a disciple of Jesus, asked Pilate for His body. The request was granted, and Joseph wrapped Jesus’ body in a clean, linen cloth and laid it in his own, new tomb (Matthew 27:57-60). After the Sabbath, on the first day of the week––Sunday morning––Mary Magdalene and several other women came to visit the garden tomb. All of a sudden there was a great earthquake. At the tomb, an angel of the Lord had descended from heaven, rolled away the stone, and sat upon it.

The angel proclaimed the Resurrection of Christ: “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). The message of Jesus’ Resurrection needed to be told to His disciples: “...go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead....” So they [the women] went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word (Matthew 28:7-8).

The message of the Resurrection of Christ has given our lives new meaning and a renewed hope.

Christ’s resurrection is the ground-work of our hope. And the new birth is our title or evidence of our interest in it.
~John Flavel~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!