Charles Stanley Daily Devotional 20th April 2025 (In Touch) Sunday Message
TOPIC: Why Today Matters
SCRIPTURE: 1 Corinthians 15:13-23
Many people look at Easter as an occasion for buying new clothes and going to church. But it’s not just a day to celebrate the empty tomb and move on as if nothing has changed. We didn’t witness the risen Christ after His burial, so imagining the first Easter morning is difficult. Not only that, but our familiarity with the story can make it easy to overlook the stunning magnitude of what transpired.
In today’s passage, Paul gives us a glimpse of the resurrection’s importance by describing what would have happened if Jesus hadn’t been raised. Our celebrations would be a lie, and our faith would be worthless. We’d still bear the guilt of our sin—with no hope of forgiveness, salvation, or eternal life. If Jesus hadn’t been raised, His death would have accomplished nothing.
That’s why Easter is an awesome reason for celebration. Jesus died in our place to satisfy the requirement for our atonement—a price too high for us to pay. The resurrection proves that God was satisfied with the Savior’s sacrifice (Romans 3:25) and counted it sufficient for the forgiveness of all our sins (1 Cor. 15:20-23). And because of Christ’s victory over death, we too will be resurrected and receive an imperishable inheritance reserved for us in heaven. This hope enables us to rejoice every day.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Kings 18-19
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: Today, as you celebrate the resurrection of Christ, rejoice in the certainty of an eternal home with Him.
Dr. Charles F. Stanley was the founder of In Touch Ministries and a New York Times best-selling author. Throughout his ministry, he demonstrated a keen awareness of people’s needs and provided Christ-centered biblically based principles for everyday life.