TODAY’S DEVOTION (SUNDAY 5TH April 2026)
“Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.
And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.”
Matthew 28:1-4 NKJV
WELCOME TO THE 95TH DAY OF OUR YEAR OF STRATEGIC VICTORY
Today is Easter Sunda, or Passover Sunday.
We commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ that happened over 2000 years ago on a day like this. We honor what happened that day because it changed everything that happened in the garden of Eden over 5000 years ago; a development that placed humanity in eternal damnation.
Yes, God came in form of man and walked the earth, for 33 and half years, and took the greatest pill no man would want to take for the other, the pill of the sacrifice of death. The death not for crimes committed, but for the salvation, acquittal and justification of those who committed them.
He would grow from a babe in the womb of Mary to the King on the cross. It all ended few days back over 2000 years ago, after He was betrayed by one of His closest and taken through a painful journey called, “Golgotha” and died. He was buried but on a day like today, the Spirit of the LORD entered the grave and brought Him out.
We celebrate because it was a price He paid to free us forever from the penalty, practice and presence of sin. We celebrate because it was a redemption of our souls. We celebrate because it was freedom from the slavery of sin, Satan and the evil and corrupt system of this world.
We celebrate because it was a death that killed death itself. Hallelujah!!
It was a death the earth has never seen. In fact, when it was getting to the hour of that death, the sun closed its eyes. It decided not to give light in submission. It went for a three-hour break to honor Him. The Bible says,
“By now it was noon. The whole earth became dark, the darkness lasting three hours—a total blackout. The Temple curtain split right down the middle. Jesus called loudly, “Father, I place my life in your hands!” Then he breathed his last.
Luke 23:44-46 MSG
WHAT MANNER OF DEATH IS THIS? WHAT KIND OF DEATH WILL MAKE THE SUN CLOSE ITS EYES? SO, TO SPEAK.
What kind of death will make the very thick curtains of the temple that was some meters away from where the death occurred split right down in the middle? It was not the death of a man, but the death of a God-in-Man. Yes, a kind of death the earth has never seen. It was a death that cancelled the eternal, spiritual and natural death of those who will give their lives to the one who died the death.
It was a death creation had never witnessed before. Yes, creation had witnessed the death of Abel, the death of the righteous men and women who walked with the LORD. But it had never seen this one.
Yes, it has seen the death of the prophets who walked the earth and had seen the death of so many righteous Patriarchs, Matriarchs and kings like Abraham, Sarah, David, Josiah and Jehosaphat, but had never seen this kind of death. It has never seen a death that tore the veil of deception and spiritual blindness as soon as it happened.
Oh yes, it has never seen a death that brought the dead out of their graves three days later. This is not a myth but a message from the Holy Scriptures and even documented in History. It is something that happened and sent shivers into the spine of the evil ones. It was a death the entire gates of hell had not seen before.
It was a death that released so much power into the spirit and natural realm; yes, a death that split rocks and open graves. The Bible says:
“And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.
Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;
and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.
Matthew 27:50-53 NKJV
THIS SCRIPTURE TELLS US HOW DIFFERENT THE DEATH OF JESUS WAS.
It was, indeed, different than any death that has ever occurred or will ever occur. It was a death that destroyed death and brought the dead out of their graves, without living the one who died in the grave. It was a death that gave men life, both spiritual eternal and natural life.
It was a death that brought immortality to mortal men. Yes, it brought immortality.
Come to think of it, how can death bring life and immortality? Death takes life and is opposite of immortality. But this one brought both life and immortality, making it one great death that the world has never seen. It was a death that opened the gates of Heaven to lost man. It established an eternal reason why men and women are in Heaven and why many more will be there at the end of their days.
Yes, it established the reason why sin, iniquity and trespass will have no dominion over us eternally. It is the reason the Holy Spirit was poured, the Church planted and the great commission executed and is still been executed. It is the reason for our having the Easter or Passover celebrations.
This death was accompanied by a powerful resurrection of the one who died, because it was impossible for death itself to hold Him captive. Friend, if the one with power over death dies, death will die. That is why we celebrate. Yes, He died, and death died, and He came out of the grave on a day like today. Hallelujah!!
Our devotional text says:
“Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.
And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.”
Matthew 28:1-4 NKJV
IT WAS INDEED A DEATH THAT RATTLED THOSE WHO MADE IT HAPPEN AND DESTROYED THEM ETERNALLY.
Obviously, creation had never seen a death that did not only kill death itself but stripped and then destroyed Satan and rendered his legal right over the souls of men illegal, that was why it reacted with an earthquake. It had never seen a death that killed death and made the one that had its power regret of killing the one that died.
What is the message of today’s devotional? The message is simple; there are deaths and there are deaths. Some are useless and a terrible waste. But the death of Jesus is one the earth had never seen. It was a death that lasted only three days and three nights, then it got death itself killed and was cancelled.
Then on the third day, the one who died came out of the grave. And because He is out of the grave, we are free, delivered and blessed. Yes, because He is out of the grave, the enemy shall not outwit us in battle, and the sons of wickedness shall not afflict us any longer. The gates of hell, death and grave are forever paralyzed.
As the song writer puts it, “there is no longer death for us, no more no more!! There is no longer death for us!! For many thousand years!!” Amen and Amen!!
Happy Easter/Passover!
MAKE THIS SCRIPTURE AN ADDITIONAL MEDITATION FOR THE DAY!
“However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”
1 Corinthians 2:6-8 NKJV
