The Bunny is Gone, So What's Next? Devotion #2: Following the Road - Monday Morning Devotion
The Easter ham is gone. The hard-boiled egg shards scatter the floor. The Easter bunny has hopped on. So what do we do now? How do we continue to live in the joy of Easter?
We follow the example of Jesus' closest followers and we follow the road laid out before us.
(Need to start at the beginning? Here's Week 1.)
Have you ever found yourself traveling down the road on your way to something you know will be a significant moment in your life? Perhaps you were on your way to your first day of college or to interview for your dream job. Or maybe you were driving to your wedding or speeding to the hospital for the birth of your child. Undoubtedly, this ride is different from your usual trip to the grocery store! Your heart is racing as your mind plays out every possible scenario.
I imagine that's how Jesus must have felt as He traveled down the road about to enter Jerusalem, knowing that this road ultimately would end in His death. Jesus knew that He’d be betrayed, imprisoned, tortured, and killed, but He also knew that “the hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified” (John 12:23). You see, Jesus was on a mission to tear down the great divide between God and man (2 Corinthians 5:18), to render sin powerless (Romans 6:6), to defeat death (1 Corinthians 15:55), and to set us free (Galatians 5:1). Nothing was going to stop Him from fulfilling His mission to rescue mankind.
In Acts 9, we read about a Pharisee who was also traveling on a road to complete a mission. And just like Jesus, this man believed he was fulfilling God’s work. But unlike Jesus, he had no idea where this road would lead him. His name was Saul of Tarsus, a man known for persecuting believers, for “breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord” (Acts 9:1). His mission? To arrest Christ followers and bring them to Jerusalem for trial (9:2), which essentially guaranteed they’d be stoned unless they denied their faith.
But on this road, Saul came face-to-face with Jesus, the very One whose followers Saul was persecuting! And in the midst of their encounter, the zealous Pharisee, who was no doubt humbled by the sight of the Light of the world, was given a new name (Paul, which means humble) and a new mission.
Some Native Americans today follow the way of the Red Road. No two tribes have the same beliefs, and the Red Road is an overarching value system, bringing together the basic elements of various tribes into one pan-Indian philosophy for the right was of living. The beliefs align very closely with the teachings of Jesus: walking with the Creator to live a life of humbleness, respect, truth, and love, but it's not a road where you are likely to find Him.
Many are struggling on this road. Past trauma and pain cloud their vision and the path falls out of view. It is on this road that we meet them. It is here, we tell them about Jesus, listen to their stories, and allow the Holy Spirit to work in their hearts. It is here, we hope, like Saul, that their eyes will be opened to the Savior who died for them and they will continue on the road with Him.
What road are you on today? Are you still on the road with Jesus?
Where has your journey taken you? Sometimes, life takes us down a dark road, and we wake up one day wondering how we got this far. But the good news is that Jesus traveled the road we never could and “for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross” (Hebrews 12:2). He humbly took that road, riding on a donkey just as it was foretold in Zechariah. And because of this, no matter what road we’re on or where our ride has left us, Jesus will be there to meet us and shine His light on us!
Take time today to reflect on the humility of our Savior and what you can do to embody that same servant-heartedness. Who can you help to find their way to (or back to) Jesus' road?
Read Week 3
This devotion is based on Calvary Fort Lauderdale's series: "'It is finished' was just the beginning."