It is here!  Sunday is here!  It is time to CELEBRATE! This past week, we have taken a look at each of the days in what we call Passion Week or Holy Week.  We have looked at how Jesus made His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, He was arrested, He suffered and died on the cross, but today, we can CELEBRATE because HE is ALIVE!  He defeated death!  He rose from the grave!  He is ALIVE! And, because He lives, we have HOPE today!
 
During the first Passion Week, there were those who were celebrating the fact that Jesus had died on the cross.  They believed that everything was finished, and this hype of a new King for the Jews was finally able to be put to rest.  Even the Pharisees and leading priests had recalled that Jesus had once declared He would rise from the dead after three days.  So, being fearful that followers of Jesus would move His body to help fulfill what He had said, they pleaded with Pilate to have the tomb where Jesus was buried sealed.  Guards were sent to watch the tomb until that time had passed. Then, early on Sunday morning, the women went to the place where they had seen for themselves that the body of Jesus had been placed to finish placing spices that they had prepared for His body.
 
When they get there, they see that that the stone to seal the tomb had been rolled away.  They walk inside and can’t find the body of Jesus anywhere.  They are thinking to themselves that they have to solve the problem of where Jesus is.  Where is our Lord? Who took him? They were about to become Nancy Drew detectives right there as they were determined to find out what happened to Jesus.

“While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.  In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?  He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:  ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’”  Then they remembered his words.” Luke 24:4-8 NIV
 
These women had this incredibly powerful moment where they realized that Jesus was ALIVE.  They did not have to figure it out on their own!  They just knew what they had seen for themselves!  He was not in the tomb!  They also remembered what they had heard Him say!  He is ALIVE!  He has risen!  They were ready to celebrate and share this GREAT NEWS with everyone they could find!  
 
That is why I love Easter Sunday!  There is HOPE and FREEDOM!  Jesus died a cruel death on Friday, He laid in that tomb on Saturday, but He conquered Death, Hell, and the Grave on Sunday when He got up out of that grave!  He did all of that so that each of us could experience FREEDOM from pain, loss, and sin.  Because Jesus is ALIVE, we can have HOPE in Him!  Because He LIVES, I can face whatever comes my way each day!  Jesus is ALIVE and that is reason to Celebrate on this Easter Sunday!

Just wait. Wait for it. It’s coming soon, be patient. Be still. Wait. These are all words that when spoken to child or adult alike, we as humans normally do not like to hear.  We are anxious and have trouble waiting when a special holiday or birthday is coming.  We tap our foot at the microwave.  We also rant in our car during traffic jams because we need to keep moving.  We get restless when having to stand in a line in a store for too long.  Waiting is a hard thing to do.
 
I imagine that the disciples and followers of Jesus were confused and struggling with the wait.  Jesus had given them hope that He was the Messiah, yet they had just watched Him die on the old, rugged cross.  Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate to be able to bury Jesus’ body and Nicodemus, who had met with Jesus at night came with him to help bury Jesus.  The body of Jesus was taken to a tomb that Joseph owned and had cut out of a rock.  No one had been placed in that tomb yet.  The scripture tells us that Joseph and Nicodemus took strips of linen and spices to give a proper burial to Jesus.  Even some women followed them to the tomb so they could see where the body of Jesus had been placed.

Now, all anyone could do was to grieve.  And, wait.  Their Lord, their Teacher, their Rabbi, was GONE.  He had declared Himself that IT IS FINISHED.  He was dead.  He was not alive.  What were they to do?
 
In the book of Luke, chapter 23, we read that the women who had come with Jesus went home and prepared spices and perfumes for His body, but they RESTED on the Sabbath.  They rested as they were being obedient to the commandment to Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.  In other words, they had to wait.  They had to rest and not do anything, but wait.  The disciples had to wait.  Many of them had scattered the night Jesus was arrested but also returned to the place where they saw Him crucified.  Jesus was no longer with them.  They were broken and devasted.  They were grieving and in pain.  But, all they were able to do on this Saturday, this Sabbath, was to wait.

You may find yourself in a place of WAITING on this Silent Saturday.  Perhaps you are waiting on a report from the doctor.  Perhaps you are waiting for a healing.  Perhaps you are waiting on a verdict from the court.  Perhaps you are waiting on a job offer.  Perhaps you are waiting for a relationship to be established or even one to be restored.  Perhaps you are waiting for your miracle.  

Take a moment to read Psalm 46:10 with me.
—“Be still and know that I am God!  I will be honored by every nation.  I will be honored throughout the world.”—

You can wait and have hope today that God is aware of who you are.  He knows where you are in this very moment.  God is aware of what you are going through and what you are feeling.  He sees you.  He will not leave you.  He will not forget you.  God is right beside you while you are waiting.

Just like those women that had prepared spices and perfumes for the body of Jesus, we can find strength in knowing that even though He was lifted up and crucified on a cruel cross, He will be honored in every nation and all over the world!  Even though the disciples may have grieved and longed to have Him return to them on the earth, we also can find hope in knowing that the grief and pain won’t last forever.  The wait will not last forever.  The last part of Psalm 30:5 reminds us that “Weeping can stay for the night. But, JOY comes in the morning!”  Hold on, dear friend.  This Silent Saturday—this wait—is NOT the end of THIS STORY.

Good Friday. The Friday before Easter. . . a day that was extremely good for us but not so good for at least three men. On this side of the cross, we reflect and honestly often take for granted just what Jesus did for us on that old wooden cross. Jesus, who was wrongly accused and sentenced to death by His own people and Pilate, is hung on a tree with nails pierced through His hands and feet. An excruciating form of torture and execution, to be an example for any that would defy Ceasar. A really not Good Friday for Jesus.

We see in Scripture that Jesus was not alone on the hill that day. He was flanked by two criminals. One on His left and one on His right. These two men were facing the same fate as Jesus and it wasn’t such a Good Friday for them either. We see that one man mocks Jesus and says, “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” This is a man that doesn’t care that Jesus is on the cross and is clearly not sorry for the crimes that he committed. All he wants is to be saved from the consequences of his sin. There is no repentance, there is only frustration that he was caught. He wants Jesus to get him off of his cross so that he can go about living his life the same way that got him to that cross to begin with.

The second man hears the mocking and immediately rebukes the first and says, “Don’t you fear God…since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Luke 23:41-42 (NIV)

The second criminal acknowledges that he has done wrong and there are consequences for his actions. He also acknowledges Jesus for who He is: the Savior of his soul. The True Messiah. On the cross, in the same excruciating pain as Jesus, he cries out asking Jesus to remember him when Jesus enters into His kingdom. The thief doesn’t even ask for salvation. He asks that he wouldn’t be remembered as a mere criminal but as a person that was sorry for what he did. Then something truly amazing happens. Jesus responds to this man in verse 43, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Jesus promises this criminal that because of his belief in Christ and his confession of sin, he would be with Jesus in paradise that very day.

I sometimes wonder if this criminal was the first person to enter into Heaven as the gates opened. He must have been one of the first people to pass into eternity AFTER Jesus conquered death. This criminal went from the worst and last day of his life to the first and best day of his life for the remainder of eternity.

As I think about Good Friday and the sacrifice that my Savior made on my behalf, I really have to challenge myself. Am I the man just trying to get off of the cross I put myself on? Or am I the man that seeks repentance and is grateful that one day I will be in paradise with my King?

We’ve come to “Maundy Thursday.” If you quizzed me before today, I’m not sure if I could have given you the exact meaning of maundy. “Maundy” comes from the Latin word mandatum. Mandatum means: “commandment.”

I’ve known I wanted to share about The Last Supper and communion for this day. I’d like to share a thought about food and eating. It can be a little wild to me how powerful our senses are. If I asked you to close your eyes, and think of the smell of cookies, could you smell them? Now, if I asked you to think about the best cookies you’ve ever had, could you picture them? Where are they from? Can you remember the last time you’ve had them? Who was with you? Can you remember what you were doing? Maybe you’re not a cookie person. Substitute cookies for the best meal you’ve ever had. What made is so special?

Several things happen on this Thursday in Jesus’ life. The Festival of Unleavened Bread is the seven-day observance and festival to remember God’s deliverance to Israel. Passover occurs on the first night of this festival. You can read Matthew 26:17 / Mark 14:12 / Luke 22:7 / John 13:1 where Jesus and the Disciples prepared to celebrate Passover. They make preparations by finding a home with a large, furnished guest room where they could celebrate and eat.

The Passover meal is a time where Jews pray, clean themselves, fellowship, sing, praise, eat, remember, reflect, and hope. There is symbolism all throughout the Passover meal. Each step is specific and has a purpose. An example is that they eat vegetables dipped in salt water to represent the salty tears that Jews shed during their slavery in Egypt. They even eat in a reclined position as a symbol of their freedom. They eat to remember and connect with their past. They celebrate their redemption from exile and slavery, as well as sing praises and prayer for a better future.

I love to imagine that Jesus and the Disciples were having an incredible time during this meal. Laughter, singing, discussions, and storytelling. I tend to picture my family’s Thanksgiving experience. Grabbing plates, nibbling on everything, catching up with everyone, and being present, not worrying about yesterday or tomorrow.  

Jesus shares in Luke that he eagerly desired to eat this Passover with the Disciples. Have you ever looked forward to a meal with someone? Were you excited to share something happening in your life? Were you excited to catch-up with them? Were you looking forward to the delicious food? Were you just wanting a break from everything going on?  I’d have to believe those things might have been on Jesus’ mind, but it’s clear that Jesus wanted to add to this meal by providing instructions to his believers.

Luke 22:19-20 “And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”

Matthew 26:26-28 “As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, 28 for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many.”

Jesus is introducing a new commandment and promise to the Disciples. He connects it with food and eating. He uses our senses to connect with Him, fellowship with Him, all of these years later.

That’s where I’m at today. I’m thinking of The Last Supper on this Maundy Thursday. I encourage you to think of communion, possibly even take it if you’re able to. Find a place to pray and praise. Find a place to read The Last Supper. Remember Jesus’ sacrifice. His body, real as the bread in your mouth, was given for us. Remember His promise of deliverance from sin. As you taste the juice, remember the sweetness of having your sins forgiven, because His blood was poured out for us. Prepare yourself for Easter Sunday.                                                                                                                                                                      

This day is known as the day Judas, the traitor, betrays Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.

In Mark 26, the story begins with Jesus and the disciples in Bethany at the home of Simon the Leper. Passover is just two days away. Shortly after that, Jesus will be crucified.

Mary, the sister of Martha, came in with a 12 oz bottle of perfume, broke it, and poured it over Jesus’ head, wiping his feet with her hair. The disciples were indignant and scolded her for this. Judas Iscariot couldn’t believe she would use a perfume worth a full years of wages saying, “what a waste!” Judas would rather the bottle be sold for money and be given to the poor.

John 12:6 “Not that he cared for the poor, he was a thief - and since he was in charge of the disciples money, he often stole some for himself.”

A heart of greed emerges from Judas. The traitor had long been on a trajectory of sin and hard heartedness. This was the last straw. Satan found a foothold in Judas’ heart.

We read about Judas running to the high priest. Angry, maybe a little embarrassed about what happened at Simons house. He agrees to betray Jesus for just 30 pieces of silver. A fraction of what the perfume cost. That’s worth about $25 today.

This is a reminder of 1 Timothy 6:10, “For the love of  money is the root of all kinds of evil.”

He was not a righteous lover of Jesus, he loved money. Judas was of the world and loved what it had to offer. His problem was his belief in Jesus wasn’t the type of belief Jesus requires of us.

Judas “believed” in Jesus, but he wasn’t willing to give his life for him.

Many “believe”, but they aren’t abiding, aren’t surrendered, aren’t sold out and obedient to his commands. Judas didn’t want that Jesus. He ended up bailing out and walking away from his only hope. Our only hope.

How many times have we judged Judas for this? Pointing the finger at him and looking down at him. If we were to pause, we all could admit that we’ve been Judas at some point in our lives. Haven’t we all betrayed Jesus for less? Greed and envy run so deep in us that we follow our desires more than we follow Jesus. We keep closed fists instead of open hands. We hurt instead love. We resent instead of forgive. Do you want the good news? We’re days away from Jesus dying on the cross for our freedom.    

I encourage us to take this time to reflect on our desires and what we pursue. Is it Jesus?                                                                                                                                                                           

During the last week of His life, Jesus was challenged publicly one final time by the religious leaders in Jerusalem. The Pharisees and Sadducees banded together to ask Him their “toughest” questions in a unified push to catch Jesus in a lie or any other slip-up that would legally allow them to bring Him before the Sanhedrin for punishment. (Notice the emphasis on legally. Because, spoiler, when this last attempt failed, they resorted to secret, illegal meetings at night with false witnesses.) I love reading Jesus’ response to their questions, documented in Matthew 21:23-22:46, Mark 11:27-12:40 and Luke 20. Jesus, without missing a beat, responds to their attempts in such a way that Matthew says in 22:46, “No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.” (NIV) Luke goes further to say in 20:26 that, “They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent.” (NIV)

Now I don’t know about you, but if I had just given someone my best attack in an attempt to prove that they weren’t who they said they were and their teaching was lies, and they answered to the point that I was astonished and silent, I just might change my view about that person. The religious leaders' hearts were so hard, however, that they were not able to see, understand, or accept the truth.

During these chapters, Jesus tells a parable of a man who owned a vineyard (God) and leased it to tenants (the Jewish people and religious leaders) who then abused the owner’s servants (prophets) and finally put the owner’s son to death (Jesus) when the owner sent him to collect fruit from the vineyard. After Jesus finished the parable, which clearly illustrated the guilt of the Jewish leaders, this was their response: “The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them.” (Luke 20:19, NIV).

They were faced with the truth. It wasn’t a pretty truth. In fact, it was a pretty ugly truth about their sin and their spiritual condition. Instead of accepting the correction with humility and a sorrow that would lead to repentance, they responded in all three Gospels with anger and denial. They didn’t want to be faced with the truth of their sin, so their response was to kill the messenger. Because if He could be killed, then surely that proves that He was wrong, and they were right. Their inability to admit their sin led to the greatest injustice upon the perfect, sinless Lamb of God. They proved that they were exactly like the tenants in the vineyard, who seized and killed the owner’s son.

Facing our sin is difficult. Whether it is through the prompting of the Holy Spirit while reading Scripture, or the godly words of a friend who is speaking the truth in love, it is not easy to hear where we are wrong. I know that my first response is almost always justification, denial, or anger. It is so much easier to push away the evidence of sin instead of facing the truth, asking God’s forgiveness, and allowing Him to cleanse and heal me. Jesus said in Matthew 13:15-16, “For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them. But blessed are your [His disciples] eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.” My prayer for us today is that we would not have the eyes and hearts of the Pharisees, who were blind to their sin, but eyes and hearts that are open to Jesus for His blessing and healing.

What stirs you up?  What really gets you upset?  Is it when your team loses a game?  Is it when the mayo doesn’t get put back in the fridge on the correct shelf?  What is it?  Is it when forms at work weren’t filled out correctly and you have to go behind and fix them?  I know … it’s traffic on I-4 or Hwy. 27!

Maybe we just need to be more like Jesus.  Yet … as we read about Passion week, following the Triumphal Entry of Palm Sunday, one of the things that Jesus does is go to the Temple.  There we read what happened when Jesus got stirred up.  It wasn’t over a game or being O.C.D. about the refrigerator arrangement.  It wasn’t even over traffic!  What stirred Jesus up was what was happening in the Temple.

Matthew 21:12-12 (NKJV) “Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’”

Wow!  What stirred Jesus to action that day was the condition of the place of worship.  Jesus quoted the Old Testament prophets when He said, “My house shall be called a house of prayer.”  The religious leaders had merchandised the place of worship.  “Don’t worry about bringing a sacrifice … we’ll sell you one right here … for a slight mark-up in price!”  They cheapened both the place and the practice of worship in hopes of enriching themselves.

We need to guard that our house of worship remains focused on the right things and shows the love of Jesus to everyone, no matter what may be stirring them up.  Our house of worship may be the actual facility where we come together with our church family, or our personal hearts are also places of worship, too.  On this Holy Monday, may we take a moment to set our hearts on the right trajectory and truly make them a place of worship and prayer.

A King’s Coronation

Almost one year ago on May 6, 2023, I found myself up extremely early to prepare for the big day.  There was hot tea to be made and biscuits to be found.  The one thing missing was a hat from my Grandmother’s collection.  It was Coronation Day for Charles Philip Arthur George and he was going to step into a role that he had been preparing for his entire life long.  He was going to be crowned King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain.  That day held a very detailed ceremony and processions that were viewed by some 18 million viewers, myself included in that number.  The coronation itself had clocked countless hours of preparation for the actual ceremony, as well as for all the events that were to follow that moment when there was to be a new King presented for this country.

I want to look at another Coronation Day that I imagine was just a little different.  See, The Triumphal Entry that took place with Jesus riding on a donkey into Jerusalem was a Coronation Day, as well.  In those days, when a new King would begin to reign, they would lead a procession through the land with great pageantry to announce to their country and all other surrounding countries that a new King was there, and things were going to change.
 
As Jesus made His way into Jerusalem for the Passover feast, He was fully aware of all that was going to happen and He set the Coronation Day into motion. Prior to their travels into Jerusalem, we read in Matthew 21 about how He gave two disciples specific directions on where to go and what to do to retrieve a donkey for Him to use for the processional.  The disciples didn’t understand why He had requested this animal, but they listened and followed through with what He had asked.

During that time, a King would often lead their Coronation procession into the land where they would reign with full military brigade, most likely riding in the most striking chariot or mounted on the strongest horse that was able to be found to indicate his power or wealth.
 
However, Jesus came on The Triumphal Entry Coronation processional into Jerusalem on a DONKEY!  He rode on an ordinary animal that was most often used in carrying heavy loads that are sometimes extremely difficult.  Jesus chose a way that was not flashy yet emitted complete humility.  What Jesus did fulfilled a prophecy that we read about in Zechariah 9:9, where He was announced as the King, Righteous and Victorious, while all the while, being humble, meek, and riding on a DONKEY.  This was Coronation Day for Jesus!

In London during 2023, there were thousands of people who assisted in preparing for the Coronation of King Charles, as well as hundreds of thousands of people making preparations to line the streets to catch a glimpse of their new King.  There were flags flying and excitement was in the air.
 
Much preparations went into the Triumphal Entry of Jesus, as well.  The crowd prepared for this day by gathering palm branches and laying both the branches and their coats on the ground to provide a smooth path for Him to travel.   Then, the crowd that had gathered went out to wait for His arrival.  John 12:13 says, “They took palm branches and went out to meet Him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the King of Israel!” They waved the palm branches just as gloriously as any country flag.  They were welcoming their King!
 
Yes, Jesus had a Coronation Day.  But, no—it was not one filled with horses, chariots, fancy robes, or golden crowns.  However, as He sat on that donkey, that ordinary animal, He made His way into Jerusalem to allow people to celebrate that He is the King of Israel! He is the King of Kings!  There is no one like Him!  There is none who can compare to Him!  I want to prepare my ordinary heart to be of service to my King of Kings, just like that donkey did that day.  I want to prepare my heart to proclaim and exclaim that He is here just as that excited crowd did on the streets of Jerusalem!  Jesus is the King of Kings!  What will YOU do to prepare YOUR HEART for the King of Kings?