April 5 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Mark 16:1–8

Devotional

At the grave of Jesus, the risen Christ leaves a message for His unworthy followers. Do you know yourself as an unworthy one? Are you, like the disciples, too great a sinner to expect any dealings from this King? Is your condition also so bad that you cannot believe that a message is left for you at the empty grave?

We are all unworthy, but we must also experience it. Judas was unworthy. Caiaphas and Pilate were unworthy. The scribes and Pharisees were unworthy. All these were as unworthy as the disciples, but none of them recognized their sinful condition. To these Christ did not send the message that He would go before them to Galilee. There would have been no room for that message; for they did not miss Jesus and neither were they conscious of any guilt.

Therefore, be careful not to conclude that the salvation of your soul is secured because you are an unworthy sinner. God’s grace is abundant and free, but it will not be wasted. You cannot make yourself a partaker of His grace without knowing what personal sin is. Or do you think that the disciples said to each other: “Salvation is for unworthy ones; therefore we can be assured that everything will turn out well for us”? If we really have become unworthy, we will not have rest until we have personally received His salvation in our lives.

 

From The Everlasting Word by Frans Bakker, compiled and translated by Gerald R. Procee. Reformation Heritage Books and Free Reformed Publications, 2007. Used by permission. For further information, click here.