by Pastor Brian Petak
We break our fast tomorrow on Easter Sunday celebrating our Savior’s resurrection! For today, we reflect on the reality that following his death on the cross and burial, he remained in the tomb a second day.
“There is no voice which has ever been heard, either in heaven or in earth, more exalted, more holy, more fruitful, more sublime than the prayer offered up by the Son to God himself in John 17.”
~ Philip Malancthon, 16th Century German Reformer and collaborator with Martin Luther – Wittenburg, Germany
Meditation
Reflect on these words about the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus:
“That which the thrust of the spear ascetertained as a fact, the burial colored and characterized, and thus made public.”
~ Klaas Schilder, 19th Dutch Reformed Pastor and Writer – Kampen, Netherlands
Call to Worship
Hear God call you to worship through his word:
10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.
Zechariah 12:10
Adoration
Pray this praise to God:
O dearest Jesus, what law have you broken
that such sharp sentence should on you be spoken?
Of what great crime have you to make confession,
what dark transgression?
They crown your head with thorns, they smite, they scourge you;
with cruel mockings to the cross they urge you;
they give you gall to drink, they still decry you;
they crucify you.
Whence come these sorrows, whence this mortal anguish?
It is my sins for which you, Lord, must languish;
yes, all the wrath, the woe that you inherit,
this I do merit.
What punishment so strange is suffered yonder!
The Shepherd dies for sheep that loved to wander;
the Master pays the debt his servants owe him,
who would not know him.
The sinless Son of God must die in sadness,
the sinful child of man may live in gladness;
we forfeited our lives, yet are acquitted;
God is committed.
I’ll think upon your mercy without ceasing,
that earth’s vain joys to me no more be pleasing;
to do your will shall be my sole endeavor
henceforth forever.
And when, dear Lord, before your throne in heaven
to me the crown of joy at last is given,
where sweetest hymns your saints forever raise you,
I too shall praise you.
~ Johann Heermann, 17th Century French Lutheran Pastor & Hymnwriter, suffered from chronic illness – Strasbourg, France
Confession of Sin
Confess your sins to God:
O God the Father of heaven, have mercy upon us.
O God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy upon us.
O God the Holy Spirit, have mercy upon us.
Be merciful to us and spare us, O Lord.
Be merciful to us and deliver us, O Lord.
From all sin, from all error, from all evil – deliver us, O Lord.
From the wiles of the devil and from everlasting death – deliver us, O Lord.
Lord Jesus, by the mystery of your holy incarnation,
by your holy nativity,
by your baptism, fasting, temptations – deliver us, O Lord.
By your agony and bloody sweat,
by your cross and passions, by your death and burial,
by your resurrection and ascension,
by the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter – deliver us, O Lord. Amen.
~ Martin Bucer, 16th Century English reformer & influencer of John Calvin – Cambridge, England
Assurance of Pardon
Receive these words of comfort from God:
24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
Romans 4:24-25
Prayer of Intercession
As you make your requests to God, pray this prayer:
O Lamb of God, most stainless!
Who on the cross did languish,
Patient through all your sorrows.
Though mocked amid your anguish;
Our sins you did bear for us,
Else had despair reigned o’er us:
Haver mercy upon us, O Jesus!
Amen.
~ Nicolaus Decius, 16th Century Pre-Reformation German hymnwriter – Stettin, Germany
Further Petition
Pray for:
- Personal: pray for those in your immediate family who need to more deeply experience the power of Christ’s resurrection in their lives.
- Church: pray today that The Ascent Church would be marked by the inexhaustible grace, joy and peace that result from Christ’s resurrection, and that each of us would live in the light of this reality.
- Community: pray for all of the churches in our community who are preparing to celebrate Easter on Sunday, and especially for the pastors, staff teams and volunteers who will be serving their churches and welcoming visitors.
- World: pray that the world would be changed by the reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Connect the Heart
Consider the following questions to better connect your head and your heart:
- What did God show you about Himself through today’s devotional?
- What did God show you about yourself through today’s devotional?
- What is something you need to surrender to God today as you pursue greater intimacy with Him?
Benediction
As you close your time of meditation and devotion, receive by faith this blessing from God:
14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
2 Corinthians 13:14
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Content for our 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting devotionals is adapted from several sources, books on prayer, meditations and liturgies, drawing heavily from O Sacred Head, Now Wounded by Jonathan Gibson (copyright 2024 by Crossway)