Sunday Scripture for Easter 2026

 

 Years ago (2014) I did a four-week "Why Easter Matters" study from Good Morning Girls and have written only five posts from that study -- one in 2014 , two in 2022, one in 2024, and one in 2025.  Since today is Easter Sunday, and since it really does matter tremendously to us, I felt it was important to take a break from our regular Sunday Scripture posts and share more of my study with you.  The Scripture passage to be SOAPed today is Luke 24:45-48, and it is from the third week of the Easter study.  The week is titled "Why the Resurrection Matters".

S= "Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
"And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day;
"And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 
"And ye are witnesses of these things."  (Luke 24:45-48)

O= This records an incident following Christ's resurrection.  Luke shares several appearances of Jesus after He was raised from the dead: He appeared to Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and other women very early that morning; He appeared to the two on the road to Emmaus later that day; and that evening, He stood in the midst of His disciples.  He showed them His wounded hands and feet.  He even ate some broiled fish and a piece of honeycomb.

Then He opened their understanding so that they could understand the Scriptures.  He explained it was written that Christ should suffer but would rise from the dead on the third day.  He added that they were witnesses of these things, and that 

repentance
and remission of sins

should be preached in His name
among all nations,
beginning at Jerusalem.

Warren Wiersbe explains: "Jesus not only enabled them to understand the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms, but He also reminded them of what He had taught them, and He explained how it all fit together.  Now they began to understand the necessity for His suffering and death and how the cross related to the promise of the kingdom ... But privilege always brings responsibility; they were to be witnesses of all that He had said and done."

A= I am so blessed to have multiple copies of God's Word, the Bible, in my own language.  I have the indwelling Holy Spirit to help me understand it.  Since coming to faith in Him many years ago and having walked this far with Him, there is much that I can be a witness of.  My relationship with Christ and my knowledge of Him gives me a responsibility to share His truth.

As Wiersbe says, "A witness is someone who sincerely tells what he has seen and heard, and the word witness is used in one way or another twenty-nine times in the book of Acts.  As Christians, we are not judges or prosecuting attorneys sent to condemn the world.  We are witnesses who point to Jesus Christ and tell lost sinners how to be saved ... We go forth in the authority of His name, in the power of His Spirit, heralding His gospel of His grace."

Am I telling others sincerely what I have seen and heard -- about the work Christ has done in my life?  This is His purpose in saving me -- that I will bring honor and glory to Him and point others to Him!

P= "Lord, I thank You for Your Word and for Your Holy Spirit that helps me understand it and apply it to my life.  

"I thank and praise You for bringing me to the understanding that I needed a Savior and that Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection was for me.  Help me to share this truth with others who need to know the Savior.

"Help me also to share the blessings of the Christian life with other believers and to encourage them in their walk with You.  I thank You for all You will do, in Jesus' glorious name, Amen."

Today, Mr. T and I would like to wish all of our friends a blessed and meaning-filled  day of celebrating Christ's resurrection.  "He is risen, as He said"!  (Matthew 28:7) 

Our Resurrection Day celebration will begin with a meaningful outdoor service and a bountiful breakfast with our church family.  

Later, we will enjoy a celebratory Easter dinner with our local daughter and her family.  We hope that all of you will have as lovely a day and that you will spend time pondering on what Christ's resurrection means for you personally.  May you have the opportunity to share Him with someone today!

Happy Easter!