Marissa Henley

Encouraging weary women to hope in Christ alone

The Great Swap {No Matter What Monday}

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Have you ever wanted to trade places with someone? Many mornings, my dog torments me by curling up in the empty space I just left in my bed. As I stand at the bathroom sink getting ready for the day, I’m forced to watch him lay his little white head on my pillow and doze off. 

His life seems so easy: sleep, eat, repeat. But then I remember that he eats the same thing every day and has to go outside to use the bathroom, even in frigid temperatures and thunderstorms. Maybe the trade wouldn’t be so great after all! 

This month’s devotionals will focus on the benefits we receive from Christ’s death and resurrection. Today we’ll see how and why Jesus traded places with us. Our Savior saw our hopeless condition—we were sinners who could not save ourselves. He humbled Himself to take our place on the cross, so that we might have a place with Him forever. 

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Christ became sin for our sake. In this passage, Paul is talking about reconciliation—specifically, how sinners are reconciled to a holy God. Christ took the punishment for our sin so we could be reconciled to God. Paul says He “became sin,” receiving what our sin deserved. 

Christ became sin even though He was sinless. If He had sinned even once, the punishment He received would be His own. Only a sinless Lamb could trade places with us and take our place on the cross. 

Christ became sin so that in Him we might receive righteousness. We can think of this as “The Great Swap.” On the cross, Christ took our place and received the punishment our sin deserved. In exchange, He gives us His perfect record of obedience–His righteousness. We receive what Christ has earned: right standing before a holy God and eternal life with Him. 

This Great Swap is the good news of the Gospel: those who are in Christ look at the cross and see their punishment given to Christ and the righteousness of Christ given to them. 

No matter what you face this week, our sinless Savior became sin so sinners might receive His righteousness. 

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The Enormity of the Empty Tomb {First 5}

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I’m sharing over at First 5 today about Christ’s resurrection as we make our way through a study of 40 days through the Bible. Here’s a preview . . .

Today’s Reading: Luke 24

Luke 24:6a (ESV) “He is not here, but has risen.”

I’ll never forget the look of joy on his adorable 3-year-old face when he heard the news. One morning during breakfast, my son Christopher started asking questions about Jesus. He knew that Jesus died on the cross for his sins, but apparently there were gaps in his knowledge. When I mentioned that Jesus rose from the dead, his eyes grew wide and he exclaimed, “Jesus is alive?!?!” He clapped his hands exuberantly and shouted, “Yaaaaaay!”

For most adults, the good news of the resurrection doesn’t surprise us anymore. When we read about the women on their way to Jesus’ tomb with their spices, we know what they’ll find. So I think we miss the enormity of the plot twist in this passage.

What if Luke 24 was a description of the women caring for the dead body of Jesus? What if Cleopas’ narrative of Jesus as a crucified prophet was the end of the story? (Luke 24:19-20)

If Jesus is still in the grave, our faith is worthless. The bodily resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of our Christian faith because our salvation depends on the tomb being empty. (1 Corinthians 15:14) These seven words change everything: “He is not here, but has risen” (Luke 24:6a). Jesus is alive!

I hope you’ll head over to First 5 and check out the rest of today’s teaching or download the app and join us as we continue our study!

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Jesus Christ gives us the victory {No Matter What Monday}

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Have you ever seen the Who Would Win book series? These children’s books depict a hypothetical battle between two animals and predict the outcome. Could a giant squid defeat a whale? What if a tiger and a lion dueled to the death? What about a tarantula vs. a scorpion? That’s a match I hope I never have to see! 

Some days, the world around us might make us wonder, “Who’s gonna win? Will God really come out on top here, or are the forces of evil too great?” It seems like sin, wickedness, and death are winning. We watch as violence rages around the world, disease threatens those we love, and sin rips families apart. 

The Bible is the ultimate Who Would Win book, and the outcome is not hypothetical. Spoiler alert: Jesus wins. And because we are united to Him by faith, His victory is our victory. 

“Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)

Through all of April, we’ve been looking at the benefits of Christ’s death and resurrection. He took our condemnation, gave us His righteousness, secured our forgiveness, and conquered death. As we live out our days as those who have been redeemed, we also have His power as we deal with the evil we face in this world. We face temptation and we grieve the effects of this fallen world. But there is hope! 

First John 4:4 proclaims that He who is in you (God the Spirit) is greater than he who is in the world (the devil and the forces of evil). God’s victory has already taken place. Jesus Christ sits at the Father’s right hand and reigns over all powers and dominions (Eph. 1:19-21). His Spirit dwells in us, reminding us to not lose heart because glory is coming (2 Cor. 4:16-18). 

As you wade through the muck of sin, evil, and the difficulties of life in this fallen world, the One who is in you – the One who will never leave you or forsake you – is greater than your most threatening enemy. You have overcome, because He has overcome. 

No matter what you face this week, Jesus Christ gives us the victory. 

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Jesus Christ conquered death {No Matter What Monday}

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I’ll never forget the look of joy on his little three-year-old face when he heard the news. My son Christopher was eating breakfast at the kitchen table when he started asking questions about Jesus. He’d heard repeatedly that Jesus had died on the cross for his sins. But apparently we failed to mention one crucial piece of information—Jesus didn’t stay dead. When I mentioned that Jesus rose from the dead, his eyes grew wide and he exclaimed, “Jesus is ALIVE?!?” He clapped his hands exuberantly and shouted, “Yaaaaaay!” 

It was such a joy to witness the moment my son first learned the good news of the resurrection. He realized for the first time that death didn’t win. Jesus isn’t still in the grave. He is risen! 

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep . . . “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (I Cor. 15:20 and 55, NIV)

Friend, this is good news: Jesus is alive! He isn’t just a suffering Savior who died in your place but a reigning King who conquered the power of death. He rose victorious over the ultimate enemy. We read in Revelation 1:18 that Jesus holds the keys to death and hades. Death has no power over Him.

Our risen Savior is the firstfruits of the resurrection. “Firstfruits” implies that there are more resurrection fruits to come! When He stepped out of the grave, He made a way for us to have new life in Him now and eternal life with Him forever. Death has no power over Him, and it also has no power over those of us who are in Christ. 

This is another one of the benefits of Christ’s death and resurrection that we’ve been studying this month. Jesus Christ has paid our debt, given us His perfect record, forgiven our sin, and conquered death for us. 

Even though we feel the pain of death here temporarily, we can look at the empty grave of Christ and say with Paul, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” Jesus Christ took the sting of death for us, so we wait eagerly for the day when we feel it no more. 

No matter what you face this week, the risen Christ conquered death for you. 

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