Rescued
READ
There is a difference between knowing something is true and actually letting yourself rejoice in it. Many of us have the facts of Easter lodged firmly in our heads — Jesus died, Jesus rose, sin is defeated — but somewhere between our heads and our hearts, the celebration gets lost. We know it happened. We're just not sure we're allowed to be as joyful about it as it deserves.
But the resurrection of Jesus is not the kind of news that calls for a quiet nod of agreement. It is the kind of news that changes everything — the kind that makes you want to throw open the windows and tell everyone within earshot.
Take a moment to read Colossians 1:13-14:
"For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."
REFLECT
The truth found in today’s passage is not a future hope waiting to be fulfilled. That is a present reality waiting to be received. And a rescue this complete, this personal, and this permanent deserves more than a polite acknowledgment — it deserves a full-hearted, genuine, joyful response.
Think about what that word rescued actually means. It is not a gradual improvement or a slow negotiation. It is a decisive act — someone reaching in, pulling you out, and bringing you somewhere safe. That is what God did for us in Christ. He did not nudge us in a better direction. He pulled us out of darkness entirely and placed us in His Kingdom, under His love, with full forgiveness in hand.
The resurrection is God's declaration that the sacrifice was accepted, the debt was paid, and death itself could not hold the One who came to set us free. When Jesus walked out of that tomb, He wasn't just proving a point — He was opening a door that will never be closed again.
That is the source of our celebration. Not just that Easter is a beautiful holiday or a meaningful tradition, but that something real and irreversible happened in human history that has permanent implications for every single one of us. So celebrate. Let the joy be real. Let the worship be full. Let yourself feel the weight of what has been lifted — and then let yourself be genuinely, deeply glad that it's gone.
RESPOND
Take a moment to process what God might be leading you to do in light of what you read.
What would it look like to celebrate Easter this year not just as an event you attend, but as a reality you inhabit? What is one specific thing Jesus has freed you from that you want to take a moment to genuinely thank Him for today?
Is it easy or difficult for you to let yourself fully celebrate what God has done? What do you think gets in the way of moving the truth of the Gospel from your head to a place of genuine, heartfelt joy?
REST
Take a moment to rest in God’s presence and consider one thing you can take away from your time reading, then close your devotional experience by praying:
Jesus, thank You for the rescue — for reaching into the darkness and pulling me into Your light. I don't want to just know this truth in my head; I want to feel the weight of it in my heart and let it spill over into the way I live. Teach me to celebrate not just on Easter Sunday, but every day I wake up free. Today I choose joy — not because everything is perfect, but because You are risen and that changes everything. Amen.