But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. Lo, I have told you."

Matthew 28:5-7, RSV

If you have never read the life of Jesus so quickly as you have these last three days, then this fourth day will likely be one that will make an impression upon you that hopefully will last a lifetime. Beginning in the 22nd chapter of Matthew we read of Jesus' parable of the wedding banquet. In this parable Jesus reveals that many who thought they would be saved because they were worthy would suddenly find out that they were not, but that many who thought they had no chance at salvation would rejoice to find that very opportunity given to them. This, in large part, is what we are seeking to discover in this quest to find God's will in this 30 day challenge.

But then we move on to the arrest of Jesus. We read how he was beaten and spat upon by both Jew and Gentile. We read how he was mocked, stripped of His clothing, nailed to a cross, lifted up, and then mocked again as He died slowly upon that cruel cross. But then we read of the most thrilling event in the history of mankind:

Jesus arose!

He arose from the dead in a miraculous resurrection accomplished by God, His Father. And because of this resurrection we too have the opportunity to be raised on that final day to live with Him forever. But there are conditions to this second chance that is afforded to all men, and we must read with care as God's holy Word reveals the clear and exact terms of His offer of life eternal.

I hope that you are taking your time as you read these chapters. I hope that you will search through these Scriptures as carefully as would skilled men looking for treasure in an area they know for certain it will be found if only they will be diligent in that search. These past few days of reading will have made an impression upon you by now. By now you will have seen that there is a purpose in life that is far beyond this mere physical world. Paul refers to it through Divine inspiration as God's eternal purpose (Ephesians 3:11) and it is this purpose we will certainly find if we will but seek, for we have already read in Matthew 7 Jesus' promise that all who seek will find, and we believe that promise.

After today's reading you should be feeling a sense of accomplishment that comes from a truly worthwhile pursuit. You are seeking God's will so that you can do it. My encouragement to you now is to finish what you started. You will never regret it for we, by the grace of God and the shed blood of Christ, are going to Heaven! We have our part in this eternal reward and that is why we are reading: To find out what our small part is, and then to do it!