By CTA--Christ to All
What is a promise? Have you ever made a promise to someone? Did you keep your promise? Has anyone ever broken a promise he or she made to you? How did that make you feel?
Promises are important. They tell others what kind of person you are: Someone who keeps a promise can be trusted. Someone who breaks a promise cannot be trusted to do anything he or she says.
Sometimes we make promises that we cannot keep. If I promise that we’ll go on a picnic Friday and then it rains all day Friday, I’ll have to break my promise. I’m not able to control the weather. I can’t make it stop raining. I don’t have enough power to keep my picnic promise.
If my best friend moves far away, we might promise to write to one another. Then as time goes by, we will make new friends and our old friend will be forgotten. We fail to keep our promise because we forget all about it.
People make promises. Sometimes they forget about their promise. People also break promises. It’s so good to know that when Jesus makes promises, he keeps them. Always. How can we trust that Jesus will keep his promises? Because Jesus is God’s Son. He is stronger than any situation. Jesus’ power is beyond what we can even imagine.
Listen to a very important promise Jesus made to his friends. An angel is reminding Jesus’ friends of this promise. It’s early Easter morning and Jesus’ friends have gone to his grave, expecting to find Jesus’ body. Here’s what the angel said. I’ll read it from Luke 24:6–7 (ESV):
He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.
Jesus kept his promise. He died for our sins. Jesus didn’t want us to take the punishment for sins, so he died in our place. Jesus promised that he would rise from the grave. He promised to come alive again. Jesus kept that promise. Jesus keeps all his promises. Always.
Do you know that Jesus, your Savior, made many, many promises to you? It’s true! You can find some of his promises in the Bible verses here: Psalm 34:17 (Jesus hears our prayers and helps us); Psalm 85:2 (All our sins are forgiven in Jesus); Matthew 28:20 (Jesus is always with us); John 3:16 (Through Jesus, we have eternal life).
Pray: Thank you, Lord God, for sending Jesus to be our Savior. Thank you, Jesus, for keeping all your promises—especially your promise to overcome sin and death. Help us to trust all your promises. Always. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Editor’s note: Today’s entry is slightly adapted from the free, downloadable 6-part Ministry Message to accompany the New Day, New Life Family Lent Activity Box.
