Do You Need a Nap?
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him. -1 Peter 3:18-22
LENT DEVOTIONS
Mrs. Hillary Krahn
4/4/2026
Have you ever felt like you needed a nap? You wake up tired in the morning, already looking forward to bedtime. Maybe you stayed up late the night before, or several nights in a row, or maybe you’re fighting off a virus and you can feel it sapping your energy. You want a nap, but you have to keep working and doing your daily tasks. There’s no time for rest if you’re to fulfill your obligations. While we see Jesus taking a nap on occasion, think calming the storm and disciples mad that he was sleeping, Holy Saturday was not one of those occasions. Could Jesus, who prayed so deeply in the garden that he bled, or was beaten so horrifically he couldn’t stand, or spent grueling time on the cross have taken a nap at long last? Sure. If anyone deserved a nap it was our Savior. He could have laid there swaddled up in burial garments in a nice dark and quiet cave and rested, but he didn’t. He had an obligation. He had a job to do.
Simon Peter tells us what Jesus’ obligations were from the time of his death to the time of his ascension. We hear what Peter says and take it as truth, not only because the scriptures are inerrant and inspired, but also because Peter had his mind open to the truth by Jesus himself (Luke 24:45). Jesus did not stay and nap in the tomb. He descended to hell, to those who did not obey when they should have and were now suffering for their unbelief. He proclaimed his victory over death and the devil to those imprisoned and then he resurrected. This was a big job. He proved that he was truly God and truly Savior, and that the work he did on the cross was effective. So as we wait for Easter and the resurrection, we wait for our nap as well. We have work to do. Important work of proclaiming Christ crucified and victorious! Enjoy your rest after Easter services and lunch, and think of how Jesus did not rest but fulfilled his duty to us all on that Holy Saturday.
Prayer:
Jesus we praise you as Christ Victorious! We thank you for saving us through the waters of baptism, and we thank you for your hard work that you did for us. Amen.
