Youth Group Devotionals

Jesus appeared to the rest of the group of women who went to the tomb after they saw that it was empty and were visited by angels. Mark tells us two of the women, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, the mother of John and the other James whom Jesus called the "Sons of Thunder".

Jesus’ time on earth didn’t end with his resurrection; he remained for another 40 days. We're going look at what the Bible says about that period. One of His first appearances was to Mary Magdalene at the tomb.

This week we’ve been talking about how every person is made in the image of God, Imago Dei. But we know that not long after Adam and Eve were created, sin entered the world and everything changed. They were separated from God, and that brokenness has affected all of us ever since.Throughout the devotionals this week, I’ve been using the idea of a mirror, but I left the reflection blank on purpose until today. Think about it this way: if we perfectly reflected God, the mirror would be whole and clear. But when we sin, it’s like the mirror starts to crack. The reflection is still there, but it’s distorted and broken, it doesn’t look the way it’s supposed to. That’s what sin does in our lives. We were created to reflect God’s love, goodness, and truth, but sin damages that reflection, and we can’t fix it on our own, no matter how hard we try.But Jesus can. He is the perfect image of God, no cracks, no distortion. And instead of leaving us in our brokenness, He chose to take our place. This is what Easter did for Eden: Jesus took the punishment for our sin so we wouldn’t have to. On the cross, He carried all the sins we’ve committed and will commit and paid for it completely. Because of Him, God no longer sees us as cracked and distorted; through Jesus, we are forgiven and being restored, slowly made new so that our lives can once again reflect Him more clearly.I’ll be taking next week off because of spring break, but it’s also Holy Week, which makes it a great time to spend time in Scripture. I’d encourage you to read Matthew 21 (which we celebrate this Sunday as Palm Sunday), and then Matthew 26–28 over Easter weekend as we remember what Jesus has done for us.

Since every person is created in God’s image, we are called to approach others with compassion and empathy. In the Old Testament, we see this reflected in God’s repeated restoration of the Israelites, His chosen people, even after they turn away and break their covenant with Him.In the life and ministry of Jesus, this compassion becomes even more tangible. He heals the sick, disabled, and demon possessed. Through parables like the Good Samaritan, He teaches what it means to truly love others. He even weeps at the tomb of Lazarus before raising him, revealing a deep, personal empathy. All of this models how we are meant to live out the command to love our neighbors as ourselves.To me, all of this is encapsulated in James 1:27, “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”. We are to be the hands and feet of God and care for all His image bearers, especially the most vulnerable.P.S. If you want to read a lived illustration of God’s behavior towards His people check out the book of Hosea. God tells Hosea to marry a woman that continually cheats on him and then God instructs Hosea to go find her and bring her home demonstrating the depth of God’s love for His people.

“Imago Dei” is Latin for “image of God”. A quick aside, it’s also the name of the church that was in the building before Grace took over the propertyBefore you achieved anything or proved yourself, God created you in His image. That means your worth isn’t based on your looks, abilities, or what others think. It’s something God gave you simply because you exist.This is true for everyone. Every person you know, whether it’s your friends, strangers, or people you don’t like, they all carry the same dignity. And just like you it wasn’t earned, it was given.But it’s easy to forget. Life can feel like a constant comparison, where your value depends on how you measure up. You either feel like you’re not enough or start thinking you’re better than someone else.Imago Dei changes that. If you understand that worth comes from God, you don’t have to prove anything. You already matter. And if others are made in His image too, you can’t treat them like they matter less.So, as you go about your week and look around your school and see all the different people you interact with, remember they are all made in God’s image. And if you start to beat yourself up because of something that happened, you are made in God’s image.You are Imago Dei.