People know only so much about you. Your neighbors, the people at work, even your friends—they all know only a part of you. However, what they know paints their picture of you.

Christ is risen! God the Father raised His Son from the dead so we can have everlasting life, and He sends us to share this Good News with others. Today we read about the first people God sent to share the Good News of the resurrection: the women who visited the tomb that first Easter morning. Our devotion comes from LifeLight: Luke, Part 2—Leaders Guide.

Today we focus on the Gospel of the day, which describes Jesus’ burial and the setting of a guard outside His tomb. Our devotion comes from Concordia Commentary: Matthew 21:1–28:20.

“It is finished.” Yes, it is finished on the cross. But living in a world full of sin, sometimes we don’t feel like it is finished. Read about this in today’s devotion, which is drawn from Words of Life from the Cross: Resources for Lent–Easter Preaching and Worship.

Jesus knows our sin. But He loves us anyway—so much so that He died on the cross to earn our salvation. We read about this wondrous love of His in our devotion, which comes from Places of the Passion: Resources for Lent–Easter Preaching and Worship.

Concordia Ann Arbor has a problem.

They’re running out of Bibles in their chapel.

Jesus didn’t run away from the cross. He went to it willingly, knowing full well the pain it would cause Him. As we read today about the Last Supper, we recognize that He went to the cross for our forgiveness, for our salvation.Our devotion comes from Church Year Connections: Year C.

Easter morning, a mother and her daughters dressed up and walked to church. It was snowing when they returned, but the girls didn’t mind the cold. The Easter lilies and story of Jesus’ resurrection were all they could think about. When they reached their house, they found a white package on their step.

“Abortion is not normal.”

—Abby Johnson, Former Planned Parenthood Director

This post is adapted from my newest women’s Bible study, Joy: A Study of Philippians.

I watch for the mailman, and I check my email and text messages a little more often than I’d like to admit, in the hopes that a personal note will be there. I get so excited to receive mail that I might even do a joy dance!