The Saturday within the Octave of the Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord
Posted on April 11, 2026 by under
Scripture: St. Matthew 28:16-20 (NKJV)
28:16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Devotion
“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”
Jesus has told the Eleven to meet up with Him. There should be Twelve. We have no confidence in the number. They are to meet Him on a mountain. Good things happen on mountains, but this one is in Galilee, “of the Gentiles.” We have no confidence in this mountain. The disciples are overjoyed, “but some doubted.” We cannot even have confidence in the Apostles’ confidence. It does not even say which ones doubted! They are all suspects!
And then Jesus speaks these words: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” When all else fails, Jesus holds; Jesus, and the things that flow from Him. These include the charge to make disciples. This is done by Jesus’ Baptism and Jesus’ Teaching. The things of the Lord stand, even when all else is to be doubted.
Christ is risen! And it remains true, even when doubted. Clinging to these, we have also His promise: I am with you all days; every day. This day, the Lord is with you according to the faith that His Spirit works in you. In tomorrow’s day, He will be with you still. We go through life clinging to the risen Christ, His Baptism, His teaching, confident that He is with us, now and forever.
Collect: Almighty God, Who, through Thine Only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, hast overcome death, and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life: We humbly beseech Thee, that, as Thou dost put into our minds good desires, so by Thy continual help we may bring the same to good effect; through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
