Bright Thursday
This Season Won't Last Forever (Hope Inside)
Darkness Doesn’t Get the Final Word
— Resurrection Does
Gospel Reading:
“Jesus stood among the disciples and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence.
Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you— that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.”
Luke 24:36b-48
The disciples were huddled together, scared and confused after Jesus’ death. And then—He appeared. Not as a ghost or a vision, but as the risen Lord, standing right in the middle of their fear.
His first words?
“Peace be with you.”
He didn’t scold them for being afraid. He didn’t wait until they had it all figured out. He showed them His hands and feet—the proof that pain had been real, but so was resurrection.
We’ve made it through another winter—and not just the one outside. We are now experiencing Spring as a resurrection. If you’ve been walking through a heavy season, I want you to hear this loud and clear: your season of darkness won’t last forever.
That might be hard to believe when things still feel cold, or uncertain, or heavy. But I’m reminded in this beautiful moment from the Gospel of Luke that Jesus is always present with us.
Let This Sink In…
If Jesus showed up to the disciples in their doubt and disbelief, He’ll do the same for us. He brings peace into the storm. He brings life after the winter. And He brings purpose, even when we feel unsure.
Spring is a season of awakening. Trees bloom, the air shifts, and something stirs in our hearts, too. It’s a quiet invitation from God:
“You were made to bloom.”
Even if you’re still waiting to feel it, resurrection is at work. And just like the disciples, you’re a witness of these things.
May this season be a sacred reminder: that resurrection is always on the other side Winter. Even in seasons of waiting, God is nurturing something beautiful within you. Trust the process. The light is coming.
A Prayer
Risen Christ,
As we witness the rebirth of Spring, may we be reminded of our rebirth into Your body. Awaken our souls with the light of Your resurrection. You have made us to bloom—remind us that even in seasons of fear or doubt, You stand among us and speak, “Peace be with you.”
Open our minds to understand Your Word and strengthen us to be Your witnesses. May we abide in You and bear good fruit—not through our own strength, but through the power of Your risen life in us.
Amen.
He has drawn near and we are never the same again.
Gracefully,
Daisy
