“Where death once reigned, life is now victorious.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – May 2, 2026
Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.”
So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?”
Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?”
But He was speaking of the temple of His body. Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said. John 2:13-22, NKJV
The resurrection of Jesus changes everything. Whatever we knew or thought before is seen in a new light and interpreted now through this singular lens. Christ is risen from the dead, and the world can never return to a time when this is not true or still a future hope. Yet in our personal lives and stories, we have moments that were understood in one way, yet after encountering the risen Lord, we see it through an entirely different lens.
Consider, for example, this profound story from John 2. Prior to the resurrection, our Lord’s words were unintelligible, something a madman might say! The Jewish leaders weren’t crazy when they said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” Even the silence of his disciples in this moment is telling. Lord, what on earth are you talking about?! Yet look again at verse 22: “Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.”
The resurrection of Jesus gives us eyes to see the world as it truly is. Our ability to cling to hope in the face of despair is not blind optimism but is rooted in the reality of the empty tomb. Where death once reigned, life is now victorious. Our resurrected king sits on his throne, and we, therefore, like the disciples of old, can only understand his words, the Scriptures, and our own lives when we read them through this lens.
Choose today to live with resurrection eyes. If you encounter sorrow and despair, remember that both have been defeated once and for all. Death can never again claim the final word, for Christ is risen and life reigns.
Prayer
Father, help us afresh to live every day in light of the glory and hope of the resurrection, we pray through our living Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Application
How can you live your life today with resurrection eyes?
Related Reading
Luke 24:44-45; 1 Corinthians 15:54-55; Ephesians 1:18-20
Worship Resource
Phil Wickham: Living Hope
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