This Week’s Devotional (Mon–Fri)
Cherrydale Baptist Church | May 17, 2026
Sermon Title    Jesus Defeated Darkness
Speaker    Pastor Tom Oostdyk
Primary Passage    Matthew 26: 36-56

DAY  1

Sin Is the Fountainhead of All Our Pain 

 

Matthew 26:36–38
“My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.”

 

Meditation: The sermon begins with the helplessness we feel when someone we love is in deep pain and we cannot take the burden away. Beneath all that weighs us down is the curse of sin — sickness, grief, anxiety, death, broken relationships, and our rebellion against God. 

But Jesus did not stand far off from our agony. He entered the garden sorrowful and troubled, drawing near to the deepest darkness so He could defeat what we could never defeat ourselves.

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💭 Where do I feel helpless under the weight of pain, sin, or sorrow today?

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🙏 Lord Jesus, thank You for entering our pain and not leaving us alone under the curse of sin. Help me bring my helplessness to You with trust. Amen.

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✅ Optional Practice: Name one burden you cannot fix, and entrust it to Jesus in prayer.

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DAY  5

The Lamb Who Refused the Sword 

 

Matthew 26:52-56
“But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”

 

Meditation: When Judas comes with the crowd, Jesus does not lose control; He stands firm before betrayal, swords, clubs, and cowardice. He could call more than twelve legions of angels, but He refuses the sword because He has come as the Passover Lamb, the suffering servant, and the good shepherd struck down for the sheep.

This is how Jesus defeated darkness: not by escaping the cross, but by laying down His life. The garden was a throne, and from there our King moved toward the cross where God shows His love for us — while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

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💭 How does Jesus’ willing surrender move my heart to worship Him today?

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🙏 Lord Jesus, You alone defeated darkness. Thank You for laying down Your life for me; fill my heart with worship, love, and trust. Amen.

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This is how your congregation could walk with Sunday throughout the week.

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