03-29-13 Good Friday

Read John 18-19; Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 23

Good Friday.  Sounds like a oxymoron - a contradiction of terms, doesn't it? Really.  How can the day we honor the death of our Lord and Saviour be 'good'?  

We don't even really know how the term originated.  Cruising around the internet, some countries say it was derived from 'God's Friday'; some countries say that it actually means Great or Holy Friday; some countries call it Long Friday; and some call it Sorrowful or Suffering Friday.  These do sound more appropriate and make sense to our finite minds, don't they?

I've come to believe that what make this day 'good' is that it turns the hearts of God's people, and even those who are yet to come into His grace and mercy, a time to really think about what Jesus did for us.  What Father gave up.  

He was led like a lamb to slaughter.  He was beaten and whipped and bruised and his body was unrecognizable - Isaiah 51:13-15.  

Some other tidbits of what may have occurred to someone who was cruelly crucified... excerpt from:

http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Basics/lets_talk_about_the_blood.htm

Turn down sound - piano is kinda loud.

• His skin was whipped off (Psalm 22:17),
• His beard was torn out of his cheeks (Isaiah 50:6),
• They spit in His face (Matthew 26:67),
• His head pierced with thorns (Mark 15:17),
• His face beaten to a pulp. He was unrecognizable. The Bible says that Jesus' face was more marred than ANY man (Matthew 26:67; Isaiah 52:14; Mark 14:65),
• His hands and feet were nailed through with spikes (John 20:25; Colossians 2:14),
• His side pierced with a spear after He died (John 19:34).

For those who have children, who have sent them off to war and have lost them, I'm sorry for your loss.  I believe that comes very close to what Father felt by sending His only Son to earth - to a battle that He knew would end (at least for a time) in the death of His Son.  Father had never turned His face away from His Son, but the Bible records Matthew and Mark that Jesus cried out Eli, Eli, Lema Sabachthani?  MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?  Until then, Jesus had always sensed or KNEW Father was with Him, but He could no longer sense Father because of all the sin of all of us and those before us and those ahead of us was on Him.  

I saw this morning that the traditional view that God turned His Face away, was really not the case.  Father had to look on the sin in order to judge it and to judge Jesus.  As I write this, there are tears in my eyes because I know the times that I've FELT Father or Jesus wasn't with me, but Jesus felt it millions of times more.

So, for us the 'good' part of today, is in remember that there was the One God, Who sent His Only Son, to die for our sins so that if we accept what He's done for us and ask forgiveness of our sins and invite Him to come into our hearts - He will.  He promises He will forgive all our sins, because He's already taken them, we only need to receive it.

Above All - Michael W. Smith

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjYiEyu8Si8

Tomorrow will be silent..... see you Sunday!

03-28-13 Maundy Thursday

Today is Maundy Thursday, or Holy Thursday.  The term 'Maundy' comes from a latin word meaning commandment (mandatum). 

Jesus demonstrated two commands on this evening before His Crucifixion.  One, to become humble servants to one another; and, two, to remember the Sacrifice He was soon to perform.  This was the  mandatum, meaning "commandment," Maundy refers to the commands Jesus gave his disciples at the Last Supper: to love with humility by serving one another and to remember His Sacrifice.

John 13-18:11

Before the Last Supper, Jesus washed the disciples feet.  Can you imagine walking with Jesus, hearing His teachings, believing He's the Messiah and the Son of God - and then He disrobes, puts a towel around Himself and commences to systematically wash the disciples feet?  Peter even objected this by saying "You shall never wash my feet".  Jesus came back with “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.”  Peter changed his mind - repented.

I can't imagine washing Judas' feet knowing that he was about to betray Him. In my opinion, He regarded Jesus as Lord and Savior - as Who He says He was.  If He did, then he allowed greed to overshadow his beliefs to reveal his heart.  In these scriptures that I list above, they say that 'Jesus loved them until the end'.  This includes Judas.  He could have repented and turned back to Jesus and the love of God, the Father in Jesus would've forgiven him, but he didn't.

Jesus left them with this command after the foot washing - starting at 13:15 "I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Judas soon gets up and hurries off to collect his money by betraying his friend.  We've all felt the pain of betrayal... Jesus did too.

Jesus lovingly looks at Peter and predicts his denial of knowing Him.  More betrayal, of which Peter absolutely did not believe he would do.... ever.

Jesus comforts the disciples in Chapter 14 of John.  He's going away, but He goes to prepare a place for them that will be unbelievably beautiful.  He tells them Who He is - that since they've seen Him, they've seen the Father and that He is the only way to the Father.  Then He promises to send back His Holy Spirit - HIS VERY SPIRIT to help and comfort and lead them.  Oh, and by the way, US!

The Last Supper represented the Sacrifice that Jesus knew He was about to make.  He broke the bread and said this is My Body broken for you, do this in remembrance of Me.  Then He took the cup and said, This is My Blood, the wine of my new covenant, whenever you do this remember Me.  The Body and Blood during communion that many of us take, whether it's a representation of Jesus' Body and Blood or is just a mystery - it has healing and restoring properties.

He prays for His disciples, encouraging them. Then He prays for all believers (including us).

John doesn't record going to the garden of Gethesame, but the other gospels do (Matthew 26; Mark 14; Luke 22).  It was a time of great grief and preparing Himself for what was about to come.  He even asked a few of the disciples to come with Him and take watch.  They kept falling asleep.  His friends couldn't even stay with Him during this time of painful emotions.  But Father was, He was there listening, strengthening His Son.

Soon after, the crowd comes, led by Judas to take Him away.  Who knows all that He endured that night with a crowd revved up like they were.  Jesus knows - Father knows.

This was the beginning of the end... or was it the beginning of the beginning?

03-27-13 Tenebrae Wednesday

Why is Wednesday of Holy Week called Tenebrae? Tenebrae - is literally translated from Latin to mean 'darkness' or sometimes we'll see the word   'shadow'. 

Both are true.  In the evening of today, many church will observe a solemn, quiet service - where the lights are turned down slowly and the candles or lamps are extinguished to symbolize the shadow of the darkness of the suffering that Jesus endure in the next few days.

This evening turns our focus off of the miracles that Jesus performed; the parables He spoke; the triumphal entry into Jerusalem where people, including children were shouting out 'Hosanna in the Highest - Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord'; the driving out of thieves from His temple.  

It's interesting to note that Hoshana (Hebrew) literally means 'Save us'.  The people were looking to Jesus to be their great deliverer from the hand of Rome.  To us now it's a term of adoration, because He has become the Great Deliverer in our lives in many, many way.  

Tonight takes our focus off ourselves and our own suffering and places our focus on the suffering that Jesus went through to 'Save us'.  

It's a time to reflect; a time to remember; a time to offer ourselves as living sacrifices to the Lord - Romans 12:1 "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship."  Tonight - many of us have church services to go to or times of reflection.  

Let us all remember what the next few days represent and really put some thought into what it means personally to offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God, the Father - just as Jesus was no doubt beginning to think the same thing.
We know how the story ends (or was that just the beginning?) - but let's go back with Jesus to where He was during this time - let's share in His sufferings and really make this Resurrection season meaningful for not just today, but throughout our lives.  

May this be a day of quiet reflection.  May you be changed by sacrifice.

No Sacrifice - Jason Upton
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGV_LEnx79I

03-26-13 Holy Tuesday

On this day, Jesus is in Jerusalem.  There are several roads we can travel down today.  I want to focus on one of them.

John 12: 23-29 States that Jesus knew the time had come for Him to fulfill the mission God had given Him on this earth.  The parable He gives is about a kernel of wheat that falls to the ground.  When it dies and is buried, it comes back up to produce many more seeds.  To give life, if you will, to many.  He could have stayed away from Jerusalem, but He chose to go - to go to His death so that we might Live.  He goes one to say that His soul (His mind, will and emotions) were troubled, but He knew why He had come to this point in time.  He actually praised Father and Father answered in a voice that others around Him heard.  He glorified His Name through Jesus and He would glorify His Name again when Jesus rose from the grave.  

Jesus then said that "now the prince of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” I'm reminded as many people are Numbers 21, the people had once again given in to complaining and such... God sent a plague of snakes - I would say as a kind of discipline.  Many people were bit and died. The people repent right quick.  The Lord told Moses to make a bronze snake and put it on a pole and those who looked at it would be made whole.  It was a symbol of their suffering and a symbol of the consequences of their sin.  Just as Jesus taking on our suffering was our salvation and the consequences of our sin was His death.  It would've been our death if He would not have consented to go through with these final days.  

People questioned whether or not He was the Messiah, saying things like "We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?” 

I don't think Jesus even really answered their question. He basically just said either faith to believe that I am the Messiah or not, but there are consequences if you don't.  

“You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” 

WE are children of the light, because we put our faith in Who He says He is.

Then, when all was said and done, he left to go away by Himself - He wanted to be alone - with Father (He wasn't really alone).  If I had the weight of the world about to be put on my shoulders, I would want to be alone also.  He was starting to prepare Himself for the coming days - I can't even begin to imagine what was going through His mind and heart.  I also believe His mind and His heart wasn't on just Himself, but what was He going to leave His disciples with?  

Lift Up the Suffering Symbol - Michael Card  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5E8CmqGVVI