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Today is Good Friday. But what is so Good about it. Our Savior was killed on this day many years ago. Often people can wonder how with the Christianity that we believe, one of the biggest highlights of the Christian calender year is the idea that we are "happy" for his death. What kind of religion can we be they may ask. He died and you call it good Friday.
When Christ died, he was dying so that we don't have to. If someone was to take all your sins, all your wrong doings that you deserve death for and put them on himself so that he was to die and you may live, how would you feel? I don't know about you but I would feel pretty good.
But there is another part, I think sometimes a part of this story that is overlooked. Many of you know the crucifixion story (if you don't then read it here)
There were two other crosses up there along with Christ, one on his left and one on his right both occupied by thieves. One thief hurled insults at him while the other one repented and ask if Christ would remember him at his resurrection. This thief knew that he was wrong and that he needed forgiveness. That my friends, is a representation of the choice that we have to make. Which thief are you? Are you the one hurling insults, telling Christ to save you just because he should and he can. Or are you one that is accepting responsibility for mistakes in life and asking for forgiveness. Christ wants to reside in your heart, make it his home, but is it a true home? Or are there some doors that you have locked and are not letting him in. Pray about it and find that key to let him in.
Luke 22:7-23
The Last Supper 7Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”
9“Where do you want us to prepare for it?” they asked. 10He replied, “As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, 11and say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 12He will show you a large upper room, all furnished. Make preparations there.” 13They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. 14When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” 1718For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19And 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.” 20In 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. 21But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. 22The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed, but woe to that man who betrays him.” 23They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this.
The Passover will soon have a new meaning!!
Ok, I'm referencing that comment to this scripture, not to what might happen this year. Have you ever noticed the parallels between the first passover (for all Israel) and this passover (for the disciples)?
Hold that thought for a bit.
Ever since that first Passover that was held by the Israelites and eaten in a hurry, the annual Passover meal had become for the Israelites like what Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner has become to families of today. It was a time when families would get together and share in a good meal and celebrate something important. Planning was to be made to make sure that a "proper dinner" would take place, I mean the Passover was a big deal to the Jewish people. So despite all the hub-bub that was going on with Jesus this week and his disciples, how did it get to be that not even one of them thought about the upcoming passover and make sure at least something was set up for it? How is it that not even 1 of the 12 even remembered about the Passover
The day of the meal is when Jesus tells them to go prepare, he doesn't ask if they have, he tells them to do it because he knows they haven't. (once again, he bails them out) but he also knows that everything is going to be done in a hurry tonight, just like it had been many years before in Egypt. Christ new what was coming but once again, the disciples were blind as to what was about to happen. They didn't realize just how fast the next 24 hours would go. But how could they not know? it's not like they hadn't been told on a few different occasions what was going to happen.
Wait, is this like us? We know what is going to happen, Christ will return..... Are we ready??????
The passover no longer means that the angel of death has passed over the Jews, but it now means that the wages of sin have been paid. Do you accept that?
Not much is said (actually, nothing that I can tell) in the scriptures for this 4th day of Holy Week. The closest we even get to mentioning this day is in Mark chapter 14 (part of which I referenced yesterday) where we go from 2 days before the Passover to the Day off the passover. So, we go from Tuesday to Thursday just like that.
What happened on that 4th day? Maybe Jesus just needed a "day off" everyone needs one of those right? and not to sound condescending to any other type of profession but people in ministry need one just as much as anyone else. Yes, a lot of things have been going on the last few days and even more were going to be happening in the next couple days, can we really criticize Jesus for taking a "day off" to rest and prepare is soul (he was human remember) for what was to come?
Now, lets say you were only going to live until Friday what would you do? Would you try to get as much fun stuff in as possible? That's a good possibility but I think if we look at it in the old popular phrase of W.W.J.D. (what would Jesus Do) Jesus would spend a day just relaxing and visiting with his closest friends and companions (disciples) and just getting himself (and soul) ready for what was about to come. It looks as though he didn't spend it trashing the temple again, or doing as many miracles as he could that day, but he spent it in rest.
How do I know he took a day off? I don't, but it's just my guess/belief that he did, like I said, he was a 100% God but also 100% man. He had the same needs of rest like every other person ever needed. I get warn out on Sundays when it comes to 2 church services, a Sunday school class, usually a meeting and a youth group, by the end of the day I'm beat. People say/believe that people physically age faster in Ministry, can you imagine that if Jesus had been a common man and had the ministry that he did? He'd be the only white-haired balding 33 year old in the world. (thankfully he was more then just a common man)
Why do I believe he took the day off? Through a combination of the 4 Gospels we can see that just about everything Jesus did during the week and every nuance he might have had so why does no one mention anything about Wednesday? You would think that if it was anything like any of the other days there would at least be passing reference to it somewhere, but there isn't. I don't think it was just from an oversight from the 4 writers either, as each Gospel is written the farther into his life they get, more and more attention is paid to the details and then they all of a sudden they just skipped a day? I doubt it.
As I was looking into some stuff I stumbled across another blog by a Army Reserve Chaplin named Timothy (I'd give him more credit if I could but that's all I know about him, but some of what he wrote also influenced some of the things I have written here) but there is one section he wrote about this that I want to share with you so let it be known that the following are not my words, but his...
I think it’s more plausible that Jesus “took a day off”.
The question that begs to be answered is “Why?”
I have one idea, one “speculation” (and let me stress: this is mere “speculation.” ). Bear with me: Have you ever been to a more “liturgical” kind of church service? For those of us who have, you will recall that the basic structure of the whole service is what we call “antiphonal.” An “antiphonal” service has a compelling format because it is the format of “dialogue”: First, God speaks and humans listen. Then, humans respond and God listens. What if this antiphonal dialogue is rooted in Holy Week? I think it is.
You see what I’m driving at? What if Jesus’ last week is antiphonal? First, God speaks and humans listen. Then, humans respond and God listens. Maybe Jesus “took a day off” because he was listening: listening to his Father, but also listening to see humanity's response to what he just did the day before (he taught in the temple and on the Mount of Olives, remember?) Maybe, Jesus was just listening. Just resting and
listening.
God is speaking to us this week, have we been listening? Are we responding to what he's been saying because he is listening to us as well.
"Amen, Come Lord Jesus"
Mark 14Jesus Anointed at Bethany 1 Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. 2 “But not during the festival,” they said, “or the people may riot.”
3 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.
4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.
6 “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. 9 Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. 11 They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
When is the last time you gave up something costly for God without worrying about how much it cost? Have you ever saved up money to buy some new $600 computer without thinking twice but really had to debate about putting 20 bucks in the collection plate at church?
In this story, it is a woman (probably Mary, sister of Martha and Lazerous) anointing Jesus with a Jar of pure nard. Now it is referred to that this jar of nard could have been sold for the equivalent of 300 days wages for a common laborer. Last time I checked, a woman during those days didn't even classify as a common laborer so imagine just what it might have actually taken for her to purchase this. Jesus knew what he was about to give up and I believe Mary realized it as well (whether directly or indirectly)
Christ gave up who he was on this earth, he gave up his body so that we might have our body in Christ. What have we given up for, or even given to God. Now I'm not saying we have to save up a bunch of Money, buy some super expensive Calvin Klein perfume and go around dumping it on people, but Christ gave his life to us so that we might live in him. Are we ready/willing/able to give our lives to him so that others might know the gift he gave us all so that others may have Christ live in them and they in him?
" In Christ alone my hope is found He is my light, my strength, my song This Cornerstone, this solid ground Firm through the fiercest drought and storm What heights of love, what depths of peace When fears are stilled, when strivings cease My Comforter, my All in All Here in the love of Christ I stand In Christ alone, who took on flesh Fullness of God in helpless babe This gift of love and righteousness Scorned by the ones He came to save ‘Til on that cross as Jesus died The wrath of God was satisfied For every sin on Him was laid Here in the death of Christ I live There in the ground His body lay Light of the world by darkness slain Then bursting forth in glorious Day Up from the grave He rose again And as He stands in victory Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me For I am His and He is mine Bought with the precious blood of Christ No guilt in life, no fear in death This is the power of Christ in me From life’s first cry to final breath Jesus commands my destiny No power of hell, no scheme of man Can ever pluck me from His hand ‘til He returns or calls me home Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand
Mark 11: 11-25
11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
Jesus Curses a Fig Tree and Clears the Temple Courts 12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14 Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.
15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”
18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.
19 When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.
20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”
22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”
Right after Jesus entered Jerusulam he left again only to re-enter about 24 hours later? Does anyone else view that as a little bit strange? Or does it possibly have some significance? I don't know, maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. What relevance does his cursing of a fig tree have to do with anything?
Does the mature fig tree represent the Jews of the day? Mature fig trees with they leaf (bloom) also produce fruit at the same time (or very shortly after) but for some reason this fig tree did not. Is it a representation of the Jews the day before? Did they put on a good show but really produce nothing else? Do we?
Continuing on, we get to the story of Jesus cleansing the temple. Often though I look at this as a representation of Jesus cleansing myself. Today there is not one actual physical temple that Christ dwells in. Instead he sees us as his temple. But how does your temple look right now? Is it a place that you can actually see God living, or is it a place of robbers, using your life for your own advancement and gain like the people using the temple were in this story? What kind of Spiritual Warfare was going on in the minds of those who were in the Temple? Satan is not like God, he can not be at all places at one time, he can only be in one place at a time. Was he in the Temple at that point in time? Planting ideas in the minds of the money changers, cheating people with bad returns on money exchanges and forcing them to buy different animals for the ritual sacrifices? How many of these people were just one day earlier waving palm branches, putting on a good show like the fig tree only to a few hours/days later being the ones who were cursed and cursing God?
Remember that in this week called Holy, we are to make ourselves Holy before God and not be like the teachers of the Law and try to find any way possible to remove Christ from our lives. And not just this week, but every day of our lives
I looked up, and I saw my Lord a Weepin
I looked up and I saw my Lord a weepin for my soul
Alleluia he is coming
Alleluia he is here
Alleluia he is coming
Alleluia he is here
John 12: 12-18Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King 12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 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!”
14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:
15 “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion;
see, your king is coming,
seated on a donkey’s colt.”
16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.
17 Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. 18 Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”
Wow, how quickly people can change there opinions. That is the capability that we have as humans, think back to the days of your childhood and think at the people that you had as your best friends. How many of them were still your best friends a few years later. How many of them were still even your friends?
At this time in History Jesus was just about everyones best friend (notice I say just about, he wasn't one of the Pharisees and Saducees, and well, the Romans) How quickly things would change over the course of the week though.
Did you know that the book of John is the only one of the 4 gospals that actually uses the phrase "Palm branches"? Matthew and Mark use the phrase "branches" and the gospal of Luke says "cloaks" So why do I want to focus on the book of John? Well, would you believe that the Jews "kinda got it right?" They were just off by about a week and the style was just a little wrong. Palm Branches back in that day were what were waved around to celebrate a victory and with Jesus' entry into Jerusulam, that is what they (thought) they were celebrating. They thought they were celebrating Jesus' victory over the Roman empire which would lead to Jewish Rule in the world. But instead of being the ones to celebrate the victory, they helped lead to the victory, and it wasn't Jesus' victory over the Roman rule, but instead it was the victory over the power of Satan. It gives us hope for the future and something to really look forward too with his second coming.
Yes, yesterday was Palm Sunday...... But maybe it's on Easter Sunday that we should actually decorate our church with Palm Branches, to celebrate Christ's victory over death.
Hey, it's a thought
"I looked up, and I saw my Lord a'comin
I looked up and I saw my Lord a'comin Down the roadAlleluia he is coming
Alleluia he is here
Alleluia he is coming
Alleluia he is here"
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