Easter Sunday
HE IS RISEN! Happy Easter! Let us recall the scriptures today as we celebrate our Lord conquering death and giving us the gift of our salvation through faith in Him.
The Resurrection
Matthew 28:1-10
On the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene and Mary went to visit Jesus’ tomb. An angel of the Lord descended from Heaven and rolled the stone away! The guards were shaking with fear as the angel was sitting upon the stone. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you,” (Matt. 28:5-7) As the women ran away in shock and great joy, Jesus met them and greeted them! They praised Him, worshipping at His feet.
The Great Commission
That day, Jesus met the eleven disciples in Galilee as He had said. Jesus gave them the great commission, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matt 28:17-20) As we return to our daily lives next week, let us remember that Jesus has called us to spread the Good News and share His love with the nations!
Written By: Catherine Cagnina
Good Friday
Good Friday
Matthew 27:1-61
As morning came, the chief priests and elders met officially, following their unofficial and illegal meeting the night before. This morning's trial was the same as the night before…”They conferred together against Jesus to put Him to death. They bound Him, led Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate the Governor.” (Matt. 27:1-2)
Judas’ Remorse
Matthew 27:1-9
When he saw Jesus was going to be put to death, Judas regretted betraying Jesus and went to the elders, begging them to stop what they were doing. They did not care nor want the money back, so Judas threw back the thirty pieces of silver and left. In his unrepentant despair, Judas took his own life. Considering the money as unclean, the priests decided to use it to purchase the Potter’s field as a burial place for strangers. “And that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: ‘And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of the one whose price had been set by the sons of Israel; and they gave them for the Potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.’” (Matt. 27:9-10, Zechariah 11:12-13)
Jesus Before Pilate
Matthew 27:11-26
As they delivered Him to Pilate, the priests accused Jesus of claiming to be a king and defying Caesar (Luke 23:2). Standing beaten and bloody before Pilate, the governor asks with probable sarcasm, “‘Are you the king of the jews?’ and Jesus said to him, ‘It is as you say,” (Matt. 27:11).
The chief priests were shouting and accusing Him of many things, yet He remained silent. Pilate was puzzled and amazed that Jesus remained quiet to the various allegations being raised against Him.
At the feast of Passover, it was custom for the governor to release a prisoner of the people’s choosing. Pilate knew the elders had handed over Jesus because of envy and emotion, and he hoped to release Jesus. At the time, a notorious prisoner Barrabas was being held. So, Pilate asked the people, “‘Who is it that you would like me to release for you, Barrabas, or Jesus who is called the Christ?’” (Matt. 27:17). The elders swayed the crowd and they began to shout for Barrabas. Pilate asked what then shall he do with Jesus, and the crowd roared “Crucify Him!” (Matt. 27:22-23).
Jesus’ cross was for Barrabas. He probably heard the crowd yell, “Crucify Him!” and thought he was awaiting death as guards appeared at his cell. Barrabas knew the meaning of the cross before we did, but we do not know if he took it to heart.
Pilate knew Jesus was innocent and declared Him as so. He washed his hands in front of the crowd as a meaningless act to absolve his guilt and proclaimed Jesus’ blood is on their hands, not his. “And all the people said, ‘His blood shall be on us and on our children!’ Then he released Barrabas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he handed him over to be crucified.” (Matt. 27: 25-26).
Knowing Jesus was innocent, Pilate chose to have him flogged, an act done before every Roman execution with the purpose of weakening the victim near to the point of death. Jesus was struck numerous times with iron balls, leather thongs, and sheep bones that tore into His flesh and muscles.
Jesus is Mocked
Matthew 27:27-32
“The soldiers of the governor took Jesus into Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him.” (Matt. 27:27) Only a few soldiers would have been necessary, yet the whole cohort of soldiers arrived to beat and mock Jesus.
They stripped Jesus of His clothes, mocked Him, beat him, and humiliated Him. They put a scarlet robe over His bleeding, fleshed back, twisted together a crown of thorns, pressed it into His head, and put a reed in His right hand. They mocked Him by kneeling and sneering, “Hail, King of the jews!” (Matt. 27:29). Then the mockery turned to cruelty. They took the reed from Him and beat His head repeatedly with it. Before leading Him away, they took off the scarlett robe and put back on His garments. Jesus was brutally beaten and utterly exhausted. As He began carrying His cross, which weighed close to 100 lbs, soldiers found a man named Simon and forced him to carry Jesus’ cross. Though Simon was a traveller and possibly unaware of who Jesus was other than an accused criminal, Mark 15:21 and Romans 16:13 share that Simon’s family became early leaders in the Christian church!
The Crucifixion
Matthew 27:38-41
Jesus arrived at Golgotha, the Place of a Skull, and he was offered “wine mixed with gall” but refused to drink it. This was a pain-numbing drink commonly offered before being hung on the cross, yet Jesus refused it. (Matt. 27:33-34)
The Romans crucified Him. On the cross above His head, they put a sign that read “THIS IS JESUS KING OF THE JEWS”. They sat to keep watch over Him and divided up his garments among themselves by casting lots. Beside Jesus were two criminals. The bystanders, chief priests, and crowds were all mocking him, saying if He is God that He should save himself. “He trusts in God; Let God God rescue Him now, if He delights in Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”(Matt. 27:37,43)
At the sixth hour, complete darkness covered the earth until the ninth hour. And “Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘ELI, ELI LAMA SABACHTHANI?’ that is, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?’” (Matt. 27:46). The crowd speculated that Elijah may come save Him and someone ran to give Jesus a drink on a sponge.
Jesus’ Death
Matthew 27:50-54
As Jesus takes his last breath, God makes it known that Jesus was His Son.
“And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up His spirit. And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and rocks were split. The tombs were opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;” (Matt. 27:50-52). The Roman soldiers keeping watch over Him instantly knew He was God.
Burial of Jesus
Matthew 27:59-61
As the evening came, a rich man named Joseph went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. He agreed, and Joseph wrapped Jesus’ body in linen cloth and laid Him in a new tomb that he had made. Joseph rolled a large stone to cover the tomb.
Written By: Catherine Cagnina
Maundy Thursday
Maundy Thursday begins with Jesus intimately celebrating Passover dinner with His disciples. He institutes the Lord’s Supper signifying the New Covenant made with His sacrifice to come. Jesus and the disciples move to the Mount of Olives and enter the Garden of Gethsemane. Here, Jesus prays earnestly to God, asking that this cup may pass from Him. Judas arrives with a crowd of soldiers, betraying Jesus with a kiss. Jesus is arrested, brought to the chief priests, and is held in an unjust overnight trial by the chief priests and elders. In a single night, Jesus moves from camaraderie and explanation with His disciples, obedience and anguish with God in the garden, and condemnation by the elders.
The Last Passover & The Lord’s Supper
Matthew 26:17-35
On Thursday morning, the First Day of Unleavened Bread, the disciples asked Jesus where they should prepare for Passover, which was to be had that evening. Jesus said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near; I am to keep the Passover at your home with my disciples.”’” (Matt. 26:18).
The disciples did as Jesus asked and prepared for Passover.
Passover had been the central act of redemption for Israel as it remembered the Jewish people’s deliverance from Egypt. Now, Jesus is providing a new pinnacle of redemption with His sacrifice on the cross. He reinterprets the meal around Himself
In the Jewish tradition, days began in the evening. So, Jesus ate this Passover meal Thursday evening, which would have been Friday in the Jewish tradition. Friday was Passover. Jesus knew His time was short and chose to have the meal earlier. Jesus ate Passover on the same day as the Jews and the same day He was crucified. The timing aligns Jesus' crucifixion on Friday with the time the Jewish people were sacrificing lambs for the Passover meal that evening.
This timeline is debated. Trivial discussions on chronology can take away from the most important message–Jesus became the sacrificial lamb for us!
As Jesus sat at the table with His twelve disciples, He said that one of them would betray Him. “And Judas, who was betraying Him, said, ‘Surely it is not I, Rabbi?’ Jesus said to him, ‘You have said it yourself’,” (Matt. 26:25). Every disciple questioned themselves, not each other. Judas responds in complete hypocrisy, knowing he had already betrayed Jesus.
The Lord’s Supper
Dinner continued. Jesus washed the feet of the disciples and Judas left. Jesus then took bread, blessed it, and broke it with the disciples. Everything eaten at the Passover meal had symbolic meaning. The bread signified those who are hungry and afflicted to come to eat. Jesus IS the bread of life. His blood represents that which was shed as the sacrificial lamb on the cross for our salvation. “Take, eat; This is my body…This is My blood of the new covenant,” (Matt. 26:26-27). “Take” signifies that it will not be forced upon you. “Eat” signifies that this is vital for everyone.
After the meal, scripture says they sang a hymn. The Passover meal often ended with three Psalms known as the Hallel, Psalms 116-118.
“For you have delivered my soul from death, My eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.” Psalm 116:6-8
“I will take up the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord.” Psalm 116:13
“The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation.” Psalm 118:14
These are the songs Jesus sang as He headed for the garden of Gethsemane. They paint an accurate picture for what is to come.
Jesus was able to sing on the eve of His crucifixion. How often are we able to express such worship amidst our trying circumstances?
The Garden of Gethsemane
Matthew 26:36-46
After supper, they went to the Mount of Olives. Jesus told the disciples that tonight they would all fall away and stumble, even Peter. Jesus tells them this in advance to show them again that He is in control. In protest, Peter said he would never fall away. But Jesus knew, saying, “Before a rooster crows three times, you will deny Me three times,” (Matt. 26:34).
Gethsemane means “olive press” and was a place for olives to be crushed for oil. As such, Jesus would be crushed in the garden.
As they arrived at the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus went to pray and asked the disciples to keep watch. He was in mental agony knowing what was to come. He was so distressed that he was sweating blood. Jesus pleaded to God, asking, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will,” (Matt. 26:39).
He again asked the disciples to pray after He found them sleeping. Going away a second time, He prayed, “saying, ‘My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done,’” (Matt. 26:42). Again, He found the disciples sleeping and urged them to pray because His hour had come.
Jesus was not forced to save us. In the garden, He is completely aware of the suffering ahead yet chooses to move in obedience towards the cross.
Jesus’ Betrayal & Arrest
Matthew 26:47-56
“While He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came up accompanied by a large crowd with swords and clubs, who came from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now he who was betraying him gave them a sign, saying, ‘Whoever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him.’ Immediately Judas went to Jesus and said, ‘Hail, Rabbi!’ and kissed Him. And Jesus said to him, ‘Friend, do what you have come for.’ Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized Him.” (Matt. 26:47-50)
Peter drew his sword and cut the ear off a soldier. Jesus picked up his wounded flesh and healed him, saying, “Put your sword back into its place; for all who take up the sword shall perish by the sword,” (Matt. 26:52).
Jesus looked at the crowds, asking, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would against a robber? Every day I used to sit in the temple teaching and you did not seize Me. But all this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures of the prophets,” (Matt. 26:55).
They took Jesus away and all of the disciples fled.
Overnight Trials: Jesus Before Caiaphas
Matthew 26:57-67
Those who seized Jesus brought Him to Caiaphas, where all the scribes and elders were gathered. Peter followed at a distance so that he could see what was happening.
As the trial continued in the middle of the night, chaos ensued and legal protocols were ignored. Jesus was not given a fair trial as the proceedings were rushed and driven by emotion rather than justice or logic. Instead, He endured injustice so that we will be spared from justice we deserve for our sin.
“Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death. They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward,” (Matt. 26:59-60). Through the chaos, Jesus kept silent. Men came forward and claimed Jesus said He could tear down the temple and rebuild it in three days. And the high priest again asked Him what He answers to those testifying against Him, but again Jesus kept silent.
The high priest commanded Jesus to tell them if He is the Christ. “Jesus said to him, ‘You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds of Heaven.’” (Matt. 26:64)
In response, the high priest tore his robes and proclaimed that Jesus had blasphemed. He asked the Council, “Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy; what do you think?” and they answered, “He deserves death!” (Matt. 26:65-66).
They spat in His face and beat Him with their fists. “Others slapped Him and said, ‘Prophesy to us, You Christ; who is the one who hit you?’” (Matt. 26:67-68).
As Peter sat outside the courtyard, bystanders recalled him to be a disciple. He denied knowing Jesus to two different woman, and as a third called out, “he began to curse and swear, ‘I do not know the man!’ and immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered…he went out and wept bitterly.” (Matt. 26:74-75).
Written By: Catherine Cagnina
10 Years of God’s Faithfulness: A Reflection on His Work Through AmazingGrace.Life
This year, we are celebrating 10 years of God’s faithfulness through AmazingGrace.Life! What began as a simple desire to share the hope of Jesus has grown into a decade of partnership, discipleship, scripture distribution, and tangible expressions of Christ’s love across communities — locally and globally. Every story, every life touched, and every moment of transformation belongs to Him. As we look back, we do so with gratitude and awe for what God has done through the generosity, prayers, and participation of so many!
Over these 10 years, God has allowed us to link arms with ministries and leaders who are faithfully serving in His kingdom’s work. Together, we’ve watched hope and restoration reach hearts across the world.
The testimonials shared below come directly from our partners, sharing what God has done through AmazingGrace.Life.
Refuge for Women recently shared how AGL’s provisions have allowed the Gospel to transform lives in their recovery programs. One resident described her journey this way: “From broken ground, God is growing something beautiful, and your love and support has watered that soil. Because of your support, I am standing in a new season of healing and hope.” Her healing is rooted in the living Word of God, shared through AGL’s resources.
Children and youth have been reached through Youth Believing in Change and encountered Christ through after-school mentoring, worship, and God’s word. As Vince from YBC shared, “Thousands of children have accepted Christ, and AGL literature has reached families across our community.” Some have gone on to join the military, attend universities, embark on mission trips, and lead others in faith — carrying the Gospel into new places we could never reach alone.
Our Calling shared how AGL’s support has equipped Care Ministers to sit with the homeless, pray with them, walk with them, and form community among those who are often unseen. Juliana Williams said, “Together, we are demonstrating Christ’s love in action and being His hands and feet to those who need it most.” Recently, the launch of OurCommunity created a consistent place of belonging for elderly homeless neighbors — a reminder that dignity and love reflect the heart of Christ.
In South Sudan, we’ve seen the incredible impact of the Avokaya Bible translation project. Doug Wicks told AGL, “Because of this partnership, the Avokaya people are reading, worshiping, and praying in their heart language, many for the very first time.”
One pastor shared the joy of hearing his wife read the Bible aloud at home after years of not being able to read in any language. The Gospel is not just reaching them — it is growing among them!
At Pine Cove summer camp, AmazingGrace.Life has “helped thousands of campers encounter the Gospel” and come to know Jesus. Susan Andreone reflects over AGL’s commitment to Pine Cove, saying, “Because of their generosity, many children and families have experienced the love of Christ in life-changing ways.“
One parent said, “Our daughter came home with the goal of setting aside time each day to ‘be quiet with Jesus.’ She has never pursued Him like this before.” Another shared, “Both of my boys have a renewed passion for the Bible. Your generosity is shaping their faith forever.”
For eight years, AGL has partnered with West Dallas Community School. Elizabeth Garrison lovingly shared her sentiments towards AGL, saying, “Through their generosity, more children in our community have been able to access high-quality, Christ-centered education. Together, we are equipping students to live purposefully in service to God and others.”
Scripture booklets distributed through The Pocket Testament League have reached nearly 400,000 people with the Gospel. One young boy who received a booklet hugged it close and said quietly, “Then I will carry hope with me.”
And through Mercy Street, Rivertree Academy, Refuge City, West Dallas Community School, and many others, we have seen these seeds of hope multiply into discipleship, community, and transformation that continues long after the moment of first encounter.
All of these stories are testimonies of God’s love — and you are part of them!
We are deeply grateful for every partner, supporter, and friend who has walked with us over the past decade. As we enter the next decade, we do so with faith, thankfulness, and joy — knowing that God will continue to lead, provide, and transform lives through AGL in the years to come. Thank you for being a part of our mission!
Written By: Catherine Cagnina
Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?
You’re in a conversation and someone asks, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” What would you say?
One of the oldest questions in the human experience... asked by people in all times and places throughout history... is why bad things happen. When tsunamis drown cities, or terrorists kill, or a child dies of cancer, we wonder why a good and loving God would allow such horrible events to happen to us.
While there are no easy explanations for any specific incident of evil and suffering, Christianity offers an explanation of reality that is big enough to acknowledge and explain human suffering, while also giving us reason to trust that God is in control and is still good and loving.
The next time someone asks, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” here are three things to remember:
First, to meaningfully talk of “bad things” and “good people” requires that we live in a moral world.
When skeptics and cynics claim that an all-powerful, all-good God would never allow bad things to happen to good people, they are assuming we live in a world where it makes sense to speak of “bad things” and “good people”... a world in which there is such a thing as good and bad, and that humans can know the difference between good and bad.
But what are “bad things” in a world without God, in which death, violence, and natural disasters are just natural parts of an evolutionary process? What are “good people” if human behavior is really no different than animal instinct, within a world in which “survival of the fittest” ultimately determines the future of all living things, and humans have no freedom to act against it?
In other words, a universe without God is not a morally intelligible one.
When we recognize something as “bad,” we are suggesting that whatever happened is not the way it is supposed to be. But if there is no Creator, no design or purpose to the world, then there is no way things ought to be, only how they are. And there is no moral standard to which humans are accountable.
But we do sense the world is a moral place and we have an ability to know when something is bad. If there is no God, that sense is meaningless.
Second, Christianity teaches that bad things are the result of sin.
Christianity acknowledges that often this world “is not the way it’s supposed to be.” Suffering, violence, and acts of evil are deviations from God’s original intention for the world and for people who are created in His image and were tasked with caring for the world.
How did the world get this way? The Bible’s answer is that when the first humans used their God-given freedom to disobey God, the world was plunged into moral and natural chaos.
So, in an ultimate sense, bad things happen in the world because of people. We live in a world that is deeply marred by human sin and in which people, who are deeply marred by sin, often make bad choices that continue to harm the world and each other.
Many wonder why God would ever allow humans to ruin His creation... Why doesn’t He prevent them from committing acts of evil against each other? Why doesn’t He just put a stop to all the bad things in the world?
These are all very good questions, and there are answers that are plausible... for example, God wished to create creatures who were not forced to obey but would choose to love Him and others freely. God wanted humans and not robots. And to rid the world of the evil humans caused would be to rid the world of humans.
As C.S. Lewis wrote, the gift of freedom makes evil possible, but it “is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having.” God apparently thought this “a price worth paying.”
Not everyone finds the Christian explanation of evil and suffering satisfying, especially in the face of personal suffering. But, unlike atheism, Christianity has an explanation to offer. Even more, God offers Himself to those who suffer.
Third and most importantly, God’s final answer to sin and suffering is Jesus Christ.
The sinless Son of God, Jesus Christ, was a truly “good person” who suffered evil and injustice. In other words, God experienced what it’s like to live in this fallen world, to suffer injustice, to weep by the grave of a friend, and to be abandoned by those closest to him, even to be abandoned by God as He bled and suffocated to death. He experienced it all and can say to anyone who has endured evil or suffering: “I feel your pain.”
God did not abandon us in this fallen world of sin and suffering. The central teaching of Christianity is that in the person of Jesus Christ, God entered the world He made, shared in the suffering of those He made in His image, bore the weight of our sin and guilt, to reconciled us to God and, one day, to restore all things. Rather than exempting Himself from the evil humans caused, Jesus took it on the cross, tortured to death, but ultimately defeating it by rising from the dead three days later.
In other words, the answer to the anguished human question, why doesn’t God just do something is, He did. And no other religion or explanation of reality offers what Jesus has done.
As the theologian Edward Shilito described, after witnessing the horrors of World War I:
The other gods were strong; but Thou wast weak;
They rode, but Thou didst stumble to a throne;
But to our wounds only God’s wounds can speak,
And not a god has wounds, but Thou alone.
Though Christianity does not offer an explanation for every particular act of evil or experience of suffering, it explains why should hate and grieve these things, while also knowing that God hates and grieves them more... so much so that He acted. And Scripture promises that Jesus, who shared in our suffering, will one day wipe away every tear from our eyes.
So, the next time someone asks, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” remember these three things:
First, to meaningfully talk of “bad things” and “good people” requires that we live in a moral world.
Second, Christianity teaches that bad things are the result of sin.
Third and most importantly, God’s final answer to sin and suffering is Jesus Christ.
Written By: Colson Center