Daily Devotionals

John Gossner's Treasury

Devotional: April 14th

Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect In every good work to do his will. Hebrews 13:20-21. As Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4.

Why did God permit the Shepherd to be slain? Why did He raise Him up again? Only for the sake of the sheep. The Father loves the scattered sheep and could not let them pursue the wrong paths. Therefore He raised up again the Shepherd and gave the sheep back to Him. Are the sheep nevertheless to be lost? Will He not for the sake of the quickened Shepherd also endeavor to quicken the sheep and to give them new life, that the Shepherd and the flock may be one and together enter the eternal sheepfold? We should trust in the same power and walk in the same power, and lead a new life by the same power by which Jesus was raised from the dead. Such power is ours if we only use it and do not undertake to build on our power or purposely desire to become powerless that we may remain in the death of sin. Look to your great Shepherd. He was bruised, but He lives again, lives forever and shall die no more. The linen clothes and the napkin that were tied and wound about Him in death, He has loosened and buried in the grave (John 20:6-7). He went forth free. Now nothing on earth binds Him except His love to us. Thus, dear soul, should you also arise and break the fetters by which you are chained to the earth, the world and sin. Let them lie in the grave of this world, and follow your Shepherd in His ascension to the heavenly places whereunto He has quickened you.

Jesus lives! Henceforth, is death

But the gate of life immortal;

This shall calm my trembling breath,

When I pass its gloomy portal.

Faith shall cry, as fails each sense,

"Lord, Thou art my confidence! "