Posts tagged with 'Easter'

From Triumph to Tragedy

  • Posted on April 15, 2022 at 8:33 pm

And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”

So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”  ~Matthew 21:10-11

For much of Jesus’ ministry, he didn’t want a lot of fanfare, but when he rode into Jerusalem, the whole city paid attention. Those who didn’t know Jesus before were hearing about Him now and wanting to know, “Who is this man? He is obviously an important person. Do tell.”

I am glad I don’t know the future, but Jesus did know that the glory He was receiving now would be short-lived. These fickle people who were singing His praises would be crying out for His crucifixion in no time.

It’s amazing how quickly people can change their minds depending on the atmosphere and views of their peers. This is why it’s important to know what you believe and why, to know the Bible so well that no one can sway your opinion just because it sounds good or is the common view.

On this day of triumph, Jesus didn’t act any differently than usual. He cleared the temple of sellers, healed people, rebuked Pharisees, and taught His disciples. Just a typical day in our Savior’s life.

Fast forward to the night of Passover. Jesus eats and drinks with His disciples, knowing that it will be the last time that He does so this side of Heaven. He tried to brace them for that fact, but they couldn’t grasp it. Jesus was young. He hadn’t attained His kingdom yet. Surely, He must be joking. Little did they know how quickly their lives were going to change.

And because of Jesus, our lives should be changed as well. I think people often want to bypass the Cross and get to the Resurrection. We are eager to reign with Him, but we don’t want to go through the suffering that this entails. We despise the thought of crucifying our flesh, thinking there must be a way to have the world and Heaven too, but it doesn’t work that way. If you want to know where you are at with the Lord, examine yourself in the light of His Word. He is our litmus test. Are you willing to be obedient to the Father unto death? Have you truly surrendered all? Does your life reflect His ways in everything that you do? We can learn so much from His life and His death. Yes, Sunday is coming, but Friday is here. Maybe Saturday by the time you read this. This is a time to be sober, to put yourself in the disciples’ shoes. What would it be like to watch someone crucified for crimes they didn’t commit? Someone that you have spent every day with for the last three years? Someone whom you’ve grown to depend on? Whom you love dearly? If you are a professing Christian, it shouldn’t be hard to imagine this since you should feel the same way about this man. I like how Dottie Rambo put it:

He left the splendor of Heaven
Knowing His destiny
Was the lonely hill of Golgotha
There to lay down His life for me.

If that isn’t love
The ocean is dry
There’s no stars in the sky
And the sparrow can’t fly

If that isn’t love
Then Heaven’s a myth
There’s no feeling like this
If that isn’t love

You would have to be pretty hard-hearted to look at the Cross and everything that Christ suffered and yet not feel anything. I pray that I do not become that calloused but that I continue to become ever more like Him.

Sunday Has Arrived

  • Posted on April 4, 2021 at 4:29 pm

 

Jesus’ followers just experienced the worst weekend of their lives. They were going about as normal, celebrating the annual Passover, laughing, joking, and probably even arguing a bit, and now their mentor and closest friend had been brutally murdered. That must have continued to hang over them as they observed the Sabbath. They had to stay home on that day and do no work, which included going to check on the tomb of their beloved. As soon as Sunday rolled around, however, a couple of women did go to the tomb and were shocked to find the stone rolled away from the entrance with no body inside. They ran to tell the disciples who thought there must be some mistake! So Peter and John ran to the tomb to see for themselves. The women were right! This could only mean one thing: Jesus had risen! He promised He would, and He kept His word once again! Reactions varied from different ones who heard the news. Some believed while others doubted. I imagine I would have been in the latter camp. How could a man who was so obviously dead come back to life? And yet He did.

No one alive back then could have imagined everything that Jesus’ death and resurrection accomplished, but praise the Lord, because He lives, we too can live. He left us an example to follow, to be holy as He was holy. He showed us how to pray, how to be led by the Spirit, and how to rebuke self-righteous Pharisees when necessary. If He had remained dead, His followers would probably not have written down His works. There would be no need for us to study Him. Sure, we could take note of Him being a good man, but He was so much more than that.

As Sunday draws to a close, I would like to challenge each of us to examine His life, to learn to live as He lived, to love as He loved. Let’s strive to be more like Him than ever before. Let’s make sure that, as far as we are concerned, He did not die in vain.

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