Saturday after the Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord

Scripture: Isaiah 44:21-28 (NKJV)
44:21 “Remember these, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me!

22 “I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, and like a cloud, your sins. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.”

23 Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it! Shout, you lower parts of the earth; Break forth into singing, you mountains, O forest, and every tree in it! For the Lord has redeemed Jacob, and glorified Himself in Israel.

24 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, and He who formed you from the womb: “I am the Lord, who makes all things, Who stretches out the heavens all alone, Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself;

25 “Who frustrates the signs of the babblers, and drives diviners mad; Who turns wise men backward, and makes their knowledge foolishness;

26 “Who confirms the word of His servant, and performs the counsel of His messengers; Who says to Jerusalem, ‘You shall be inhabited,’ to the cities of Judah, ‘You shall be built,’ and I will raise up her waste places;

27 “Who says to the deep, ‘Be dry! And I will dry up your rivers’;

28 “Who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd, and he shall perform all My pleasure, saying to Jerusalem, “You shall be built,” and to the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid.”’”

Devotion

“Remember these, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me! I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, and like a cloud, your sins. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.”

Throughout the entire Old Testament the Lord, through His prophets, told His people He would redeem them from sin, death, and Satan. With all these Old Testament reminders of the faithfulness of the Holy Triune God, you and I will listen to Jesus’ Word to His people on this coming Sunday, “Peace to you,” with the ears of faith (John 20:21). He is with us. He has been with us, and will continue to be with us, in Word and Sacrament and He says, “Peace to you.”

In John 20:29 Jesus says to us who have celebrated the joyous festival of Easter, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John then goes on to say, “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” By His grace in Word and Sacrament you and I, indeed, have been given faith, and we do believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and we do have life in His Name.

We pray: Grant, Almighty God, that we who have celebrated the solemnities of the Lord’s resurrection may, by the help of Thy grace, bring forth the fruits thereof in our life and conversation; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.