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Lent and Easter Resources 2016

Table of Contents

FAQs About Lent Page 2

Lenten Lights: Eight Biblical Devotions to Prepare Hearts for Easter Page 3

The Seven Last Words of Christ: Reflections for Lent or Holy Week Page 11

Walking with Jesus Through Holy Week: The Scriptures Day by Day Page 20

Palm Sunday Responsive Scripture Reading: Hosanna! Page 21

Palm Sunday Message: I Love a Parade! Page 22

Good Friday Responsive Scripture Reading: Behold the Lamb of God Page 25

Good Friday Message: How to Be a Living Sacrifice Page 26

Good Friday Devotion/Short Message: Love is a Verb Page 31

Easter Sunday Responsive Reading: The Gospel Truth Page 33

Easter Children’s Message: What Was in Jeremy’s Egg? Page 34

Easter Sunday Message: Do You Have 20/20 Vision? Page 36

1 Lent and Easter Resources, Western Territory, 2016

FAQs about Lent

What is Lent? The word “lent” originally meant spring, but it has come to be associated with a period of time, about six weeks, in the Christian calendar leading up to the celebration of Easter. It is a time of preparation for heart and mind to receive the resurrected Christ as Lord of our lives. It is a time to recognize our own sinful nature, our inability to save ourselves, and our need for a Savior

When is Lent?Lent takes place this year from February 10th until March 26th. It covers a period of forty days, not counting the Sundays. This is because Sundays have been traditionally recognized as remembrances of Christ’s resurrection. It begins on Ash Wednesday and ends during Holy Week with the celebration of the Risen Christ.

What is Ash Wednesday?This is the beginning of the Lenten season. This traditionally has been a day to reflect on the solemn truth that all brokenness: trouble between men, sickness, death in nature and in man, came into God’s perfect creation because human beings chose (and continue to choose) rebellion against Him.

Why do people wear ash crosses on their forwards?The ash is a reminder that we were created out of dust, and will one day return to dust. God could have given up on us, but He didn’t. He became man, sending His Son Jesus into this broken world to take upon Himself the deadly consequences of this rebellion. He did this by dying a hideous death on a cross.

Ashes and a cross—a way to remember our own sin and mortality, and our need of a Savior.

Why do people always talk about “giving up” something or another for Lent?Historically the Christian Church has observed the forty days of Lent with fasting in some form. Some suggest this is in recognition of Jesus fasting for forty days in the wilderness in preparation for His ministry, but the form of that fasting has varied greatly.

In more recent times the fasting has often taken the form of abstaining from some pleasure, i.e. giving up red meat or desserts or television. The idea of “self-denial” for the Salvationist takes this a step further as we take the money we would have spent on the movies, or lattes, or sweets and contribute it to the needs of those in greater need.

We must be careful not to take the idea of fasting lightly, like the comic on late night television who told his wife he was giving up kale and romantic comedies for Lent. We also must guard that in our hearts we don’t take pride in our fasts, becoming like the Pharisees who loved the show of religious observation more than the God they purported to serve.

Instead of giving something up this Lent, give something more. Give kindness, do the unexpected for someone in need, thank God for your blessings and share your lunch with the homeless man in the park. Volunteer in the food bank, babysit for a weary mom, take a senior to the doctor or to the grocery store. This is the kind of fasting that pleases God (see Isaiah 58:1-9)

Major Cathi Boyd 2016


This is a lovely way to celebrate Lent, with candles, and Bible readings that can be read on each Sunday leading up to Lent, including Holy Week. It could also be used every day in Holy Week.

Lenten Lights: Eight Biblical Devotions to Prepare for Easter

Article by Noël Piper (March 2007)

Introduction: Using These Readings

Each reading begins with a few sentences that summarize the thought for the day. All the rest is Scripture—letting God speak to us directly from his Word. This devotional may be used weekly or daily. And if you choose, it also can be used together with seven candles, representing the Light of the World.

Reading Weekly: There is one reading for each Sunday of Lent and for Good Friday and Easter.

Reading Daily: Daily use should begin on the Saturday of Palm Sunday weekend. This leaves Saturday, the day before Easter, with no devotional, a reminder of the emptiness experienced by Jesus’ followers between his death and resurrection.

Without Candles: These pages may be used simply for personal or family reading and meditation in preparation for Easter. In that case, please ignore the bracketed candle instructions within each reading.

With Candles: The readings may also be used in conjunction with any grouping of seven candles. On the first day, all seven should be burning as you begin reading the first devotional. Bracketed instructions within the reading tell you when to snuff out one candle. On the second day, six candles burn as you begin reading, and you snuff out one of them when instructed, and so on. On Good Friday, the last candle is extinguished. Then on Easter, there are instructions within the reading to light all seven candles.

The Symbolism of the Seven Candles

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). But for a while it seemed as if the darkness was overcoming—for a long while.

Your seven candles symbolize the Light of the World—the Light that was God’s glory and that illuminated God for us—the Light that, in the end, seemed to have been darkened. As we move through the season preceding Easter, the candles are snuffed out one by one, until all are dark on Good Friday, when Jesus died and the earth was covered with shadow. Darkness apparently had won. The Light of the World had been extinguished. It was finished.

But NO! Easter brings resurrection! Life! Return from death! The Light has won and all the candles burn as we praise him—the Light of the World, the Bright Morning Star, the Glory of God.


http://biblia.com/bible/esv/John%201.5

http://www.desiringgod.org/authors/noel-piper

First Reading

First Sunday of Lent (if reading weekly) or Saturday of Palm Sunday weekend (if reading daily)

[All seven candles lit before reading]

God created the universe—from galaxies to water spiders. He created the breeze that calms us and the hurricane that terrifies us. All of it is to show us what he is like, to display his glory and personality.

BUT people have let themselves be blinded to the truth. Some take all of God’s creation for granted and say it just got there somehow—no need for God. Others worship the things that were created and don’t see God behind it.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. . . . And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. . . . Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. . . .

[Snuff out one candle. Do not light it again until Easter]

They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.” (Taken from John 1:1-5; Genesis 1:1-2:3; Romans 1:18-25.)

Second Reading

Second Sunday of Lent (if reading weekly) or Palm Sunday (if reading daily)

[Six candles lit before reading]

God created people to give him glory. And he created a perfect place for them—a place that reflected his glory. He gave them everything they could need or want for happiness.


http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Rom%201.18-25

http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Gen%201.1-2.3

http://biblia.com/bible/esv/John%201.1-5

BUT they listened to God’s enemy. They didn’t really believe God’s gifts to them were enough for them. So they turned their backs on God, and they lost their perfect place to live and their perfect friendship with God. Now, they could see pain and futility and death in their future.

“And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground the LORD God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.... And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”. . .

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”...

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.... And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”

And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.”

He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”

The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”

Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?”

The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate”....

To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children....”

And to Adam he said, “Cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life.... By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

[Snuff the next candle. Do not light again until Easter.]

Therefore . . . sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned. . . .”

(Taken from Genesis 2:8-3:19; Romans 5:12)


http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Rom%205.12

http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Gen%202.8-3.19

Third Reading

Third Sunday of Lent (if reading weekly) or Monday before Easter (if reading daily)

[Five candles lit before reading]

Usually God holds back his anger over sin. But one time he let it loose, so we would know how serious it is to turn our backs away from God and toward the darkness, and so we would know how great his wrath is against sin.

BUT he did not totally destroy his creation. He showed us his mercy, through Noah.

“The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land....”

But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.... Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God....

Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh. . . . Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. . . .


“For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die. But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark.... And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark to keep them alive with you....” Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.

And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights.... The flood continued forty days on the earth.... He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground.... Only Noah was left, and those

who were with him in the ark.

But God remembered Noah.... And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided.... So Noah went out....

The LORD said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done....”

And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between

me and the earth.” (Taken from Genesis 6-9)


Fourth Reading

Fourth Sunday of Lent (if reading weekly) or Tuesday before Easter (if reading daily)

[Four candles lit before reading]

Even before the world was created, God knew that Jesus would be the Way, the Truth and the Life for all who believed in him. But God didn’t just ignore his people then, waiting until the time came for Jesus. No, he gave them a way to be forgiven. If they offered sacrifices from a heart of worship, they could renew their friendship with God as they proved their reliance on him.

BUT people did not rely on God. Some did not follow his way of sacrifice and worship. And there was an even deeper problem. Many may have followed the outward ritual, but they didn’t trust God in their hearts. They didn’t love him. They didn’t live lives that reflected his glory.

“The LORD called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock.

“He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD. He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.”

For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel. . . “In the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’ But they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward. From the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt to this day, I have persistently sent all my servants the prophets to them, day after day. Yet they did not listen to me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers.



“So you shall speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you. You shall call to them, but they will not answer you. And you shall say to them, ‘This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the LORD their God, and did not accept discipline; truth has perished; it is cut off from their lips.’”

(Taken from Leviticus 1:1-4; Psalm 51:16-17; Jeremiah 7:21-28)

Fifth Reading

Fifth Sunday of Lent (if reading weekly) or Wednesday before Easter (if reading daily)

[Three candles lit before reading]

God wants people to be happy. And the only way we can be happy is by following his instructions. So he gave us his Word, his written Word, to make very clear to us where our life comes from and how we can keep it.

BUT again and again we think our ideas are better than God’s. And we turn from life to death.

The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.

More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

I [Daniel] prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, "O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.


To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame . . . because we have sinned against you. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice.

(Taken from Psalm 19:7-11; Daniel 9:4-11)

Sixth Reading

Sixth Sunday of Lent (if reading weekly)or Thursday before Easter (if reading daily)

[Two candles lit before reading]


http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Dan%209.4-11

http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Ps%2019.7-11

http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Jer%207.21-28

http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Ps%2051.16-17

http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Lev%201.1-4

God made very sure that we could understand who he is, what he is like, and what he wants for us and what he wants from us. He did this by sending his Son, Jesus. Now we don’t have just the written Word, we have the Living Word—a real person. When people watched Jesus, they were seeing God.

BUT even God himself, God in person, was rejected. People hated him and rejected his message from God.

”For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.


And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him.”

(Taken from John 3:16; Luke 2:6-7; Isaiah 53:3; Mark 10:32-34)

Seventh Reading

Good Friday

[One candle lit before reading]

This was the darkest day in history. The Son of God himself was killed by people who weren’t satisfied simply to reject him; they couldn’t stand to have him exist. They thought they could put God out of existence.

“And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him.

“You stiff-necked people . . . you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”

“Hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know. This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.”

[Snuff the last candle. Do not light again until Easter.]


http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Mark%2010.32-34

http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Isa%2053.3

http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Luke%202.6-7

http://biblia.com/bible/esv/John%203.16

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Taken from Mark 15:22-24; Acts 7:51-53; Isaiah 53:4-6)

Eighth Reading

Easter Sunday

[Begin with no candles lit.]

HE IS GOD! He cannot stay dead. HE IS ALIVE. The true Glory of God shines in the world. The Light has won! The Eternal Light! The Bright Morning Star! The Light of the World!

“The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.

[Light all the candles.]

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.”

(Taken from Matthew 28:5-6; Colossians 1:15-23; 1 Peter 1:3-4)

The Lord is risen!The Lord is risen, indeed!

Noël Piper (@noelpiper) is wife of John Piper, mother of five, and grandmother of twelve. She is author of Treasuring God in Our Traditions.

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http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Isa%2053.4-6

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Here is an alternative set of readings for Lent, using the last words of Christ as the foundation for preparing our hearts for the Resurrection. They can also be used for Holy Week devotions.

The Seven Last Words of Christ--Reflections for Lent

Ash Wednesday--The First Word:

“Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.”

(Luke 23:34)

It makes sense that the first word of Jesus from the cross is a word of

forgiveness. That’s the point of the cross, after all. Jesus is dying so that we

might be forgiven for our sins, so that we might be reconciled to God for

eternity.

But the forgiveness of God through Christ doesn’t come only to those who

don’t know what they are doing when they sin. In the mercy of God, we receive his forgiveness even

when we do what we know to be wrong. God chooses to wipe away our sins, not because we have some

convenient excuse, and not because we have tried hard to make up for them, but because he is a God of

amazing grace, with mercies that are new every morning.

As we read the words, “Father, forgive them,” may we understand that we too are forgiven

through Christ. As John writes in his first letter, “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just

to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness” (1 John 1:9). Because Christ died on the

cross for us, we are cleansed from all wickedness, from every last sin. We are united with God the Father

as his beloved children. We are free to approach his throne of grace with our needs and concerns. God

“has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west” (Ps 103:13). What great news!

Questions for Reflection

Do you really believe God has forgiven your sins? Do you take time on a regular basis to confess

your sins so that you might enjoy the freedom of forgiveness? Do you need to experience God’s

forgiveness in a fresh way today?

Prayer


http://www.desiringgod.org/

Gracious Lord Jesus, it’s easy for me to speak of your forgiveness, even to ask for it and to thank

you for it. But do I really believe I’m forgiven? Do I experience the freedom that comes from the

assurance that you have cleansed me from my sins? Or do I live as if I’m “semi-forgiven”? Even though

I’ve put my faith in you and confessed my sins, do I live as sin still has power over me? Do I try to prove

myself to you, as if I might be able to earn more forgiveness?

Dear Lord, though I believe at one level that you have forgiven me, this amazing truth needs to

penetrate my heart in new ways. Help me to know with fresh conviction that I am fully and finally

forgiven, not because of anything I have done, but because of what you have done for me. May I live

today as a forgiven person, opening my heart to you, choosing not to sin because the power of sin has

been broken by your salvation.

All praise be to you, Lord Jesus, for your matchless forgiveness! Amen.

First Sunday of Lent--The Second Word:

“I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

(Luke 23:43)

Reflection

As Jesus hung on the cross, he was mocked by the leaders and the soldiers. One of the criminals

being crucified with him added his own measure of scorn. But the other crucified criminal sensed that

Jesus was being treated unjustly. After speaking up for Jesus, he cried out, “Jesus, remember me when

you come into your kingdom” (v. 42).

Jesus responded to this criminal, “I assure you, today you will be with me in

paradise” (v. 43). The word paradise, from the Greek word paradeisos, which

meant “garden,” was used in the Greek Old Testament as a word for the Garden

of Eden. In Judaism of the time of Jesus it was associated with heaven, and also

with the future when God would restore all things to the perfection of the Garden. Paradise was

sometimes thought to be the place where righteous people went after death. This seems to be the way

Jesus uses paradise in this passage.

Thus we have encountered one of the most astounding and encouraging verses in all of

Scripture. Jesus promised that the criminal would be with him in paradise. Yet the text of Luke gives us

no reason to believe this man had been a follower of Jesus, or even a believer in him in any well-

developed sense. He might have felt sorry for his sins, but he did not obviously repent. Rather, the

criminal’s cry to be remembered seems more like a desperate, last-gasp effort.

Though we should make every effort to have right theology, and though we should live our lives

each day as disciples of Jesus, in the end, our relationship with him comes down to simple trust. “Jesus,

remember me,” we cry. And Jesus, embodying the mercy of God, says to us, “You will be with me in


paradise.” We are welcome there not because we have right theology, and not because we are living

rightly, but because God is merciful and we have put our trust in Jesus.


Have you staked your life on Jesus? Have you put your ultimate trust in him? Do you know that,

when your time comes, you will be with him in paradise?

Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus, how I wonder at your grace and mercy! When we cry out to you, you hear us.

When we ask you to remember us when you come into your kingdom, you offer the promise of

paradise. Your mercy, dear Lord, exceeds anything we might imagine. It embraces us, encourages us,

and heals us.

O Lord, though my situation is so different from the criminal who cried out to you, I am

nevertheless quite like him. Today I live, trusting you and you alone. My life, but now and in the world to

come, is in your hands. And so I pray: Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom! Jesus,

remember me today as I seek to live within your kingdom! Amen.

Second Sunday of Lent--The Third Word:

“Dear woman, here is your son.”

(John 19:26)

Reflection

As Jesus was dying, his mother was among those who had remained with him. Most of the male

disciples had fled, with the exception of one whom the Fourth Gospel calls “the disciple he loved.” We

can’t be exactly sure of the identity of this beloved disciple, though many interpreters believe he is John,

who is also the one behind the writing of this Gospel.

No matter who the beloved disciple was, it’s clear that Jesus was forging a relationship between

this disciple and his mother, one in which the disciple would take care of Mary financially and in other

ways. Jesus wanted to make sure she would be in good hands after his death.

The presence of Mary at the cross adds both humanity and horror to the scene. We are

reminded that Jesus was a real human being, a man who had once been a boy who had once been

carried in the womb of his mother. Even as he was dying on the cross as the Savior of the world, Jesus

was also a son, a role he didn’t neglect in his last moments.

When we think of the crucifixion of Jesus from the perspective of his mother, our horror

increases dramatically. The death of a child is one of the most painful of all parental experiences. To

watch one’s beloved child experience the extreme torture of crucifixion must have been unimaginably

terrible. We’re reminded of the prophecy of Simeon shortly after Jesus’ birth, when he said to Mary:

“And a sword will pierce your very soul” (Luke 2:35).


This scene helps us not to glorify or spiritualize the crucifixion of Jesus. He was a

real man, true flesh and blood, a son of a mother, dying with unbearable agony. His

suffering was altogether real, and he took it on for you and for me.


What does Mary’s presence at the cross evoke in you? Why do you think was it necessary for

Jesus to suffer physical pain as he died?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, the presence of your mother at the cross engages my heart. You are no longer only

the Savior dying for the sins of the world. You are also a fully human man, a son with a mother.

O Lord, how can I begin to thank you for what you suffered? My words fall short. My thoughts

seem superficial and vague. Nevertheless, I offer my sincere gratitude for your suffering. Thank you for

bearing my sin on the cross. I give you my praise, my love, my heart . . . all that I am, because you have

given me all that you are.

All praise be to you, Lord Jesus, fully God and fully human, Savior of the world . . . my Savior! Amen.

Third Sunday of Lent--The Fourth Word:

“My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

(Mark 15:34)

Reflection

As Jesus was dying on the cross, he echoed the beginning of Psalm 22, which reads:

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?

Why are you so far away when I groan for help?

Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer.

Every night you hear my voice, but I find no relief. (vv. 1-2)

In the words of the psalmist Jesus found a way to express the cry of his heart: Why had God

abandoned him? Why did his Father turn his back on Jesus in his moment of greatest agony?

This side of heaven, we will never fully know what Jesus was experiencing in this moment. Was

he asking this question because, in the mystery of his incarnational suffering, he didn’t know why God

had abandoned him? Or was his cry not so much a question as an expression of profound agony? Or was

it both?

What we do know is that Jesus entered into the Hell of separation from God. The Father

abandoned him because Jesus took upon himself the penalty for our sins. In that excruciating moment,


he experienced something far more horrible than physical pain. The beloved Son of God knew what it

was like to be rejected by the Father. As we read in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “God made him who had no sin

to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (NIV).

I can write these words. I can say, truly, that the Father abandoned the Son for our sake, for the

salvation of the world. But can I really grasp the mystery and the majesty of this truth? Hardly. As Martin

Luther once said, “God forsaking God. Who can understand it?” Yet even my miniscule grasp of this

reality calls me to confession, to humility, to worship, to adoration.


Have you taken time to consider that Jesus was abandoned by the Father so that you might not

be? What does this “word” from the cross mean to you?

Prayer

O Lord Jesus, though I will never fully grasp the wonder and horror of your abandonment by the

Father, every time I read this “word,” I am overwhelmed with gratitude. How can I ever thank you for

what you suffered for me? What can I do but to offer myself to you in gratitude and praise? Thank you,

dear Lord, for what you suffered. Thank you for taking my place. Thank you for being forsaken by the

Father so that I might never be.

When I survey the wondrous cross,

On which the Prince of glory died,

My richest gain I count but loss,

And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,

Save in the death of Christ my God;

All the vain things that charm me most,

I sacrifice them to his blood.

See, from his head, his hands, his feet,

Sorrow and love flow mingled down;

Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,

Or thorns compose so rich a crown.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,

That were a present far too small;

Love so amazing, so divine,

Demands my soul, my life, my all.

“When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” by Isaac Watts (1707)


Fourth Sunday of Lent--The Fifth Word:

“I am thirsty.”

(John 19:28)

Reflection

No doubt Jesus experienced extreme thirst while being crucified. He would have lost a

substantial quantity of bodily fluid, both blood and sweat, through what he had endured even prior to

crucifixion. Thus his statement, “I am thirsty” was, on the most obvious level, a request for something to

drink. In response the soldiers gave Jesus “sour wine” (v. 29), a cheap beverage common among lower

class people in the time of Jesus.

John notes that Jesus said “I am thirsty,” not only as a statement of physical reality, but also in

order to fulfill the Scripture. Though there is no specific reference in the text of the Gospel, it’s likely

that John was thinking of Psalm 69, which includes this passage:

Their insults have broken my heart,

and I am in despair.

If only one person would show some pity;

if only one would turn and comfort me.

But instead, they give me poison for food;

they offer me sour wine for my thirst.

(vv. 20-21)

As he suffered, Jesus embodied the pain of

the people of Israel, that which had been captured in the Psalms. Jesus was suffering for the sin of Israel,

even as he was taking upon himself the sin of the world.

As I reflect on Jesus’ statement, “I am thirsty,” I keep thinking of my own thirst. It’s nothing like

that of Jesus. Rather, I am thirsty for him. My soul yearns for the living water that Jesus supplies (John

4:10; 7:38-39). I rejoice in the fact that he suffered physical thirst on the cross – and so much more – so

that my thirst for the water of life might be quenched.


How do you respond to Jesus’ statement “I am thirsty”? What does this statement suggest to you about

Jesus? About yourself?

Prayer


O Lord, once again I thank you for what you suffered on the cross. Besides extraordinary pain, you also

experienced extreme thirst. All of this was part and parcel of your taking on our humanity so that you

might take away our sin.

Dear Lord, in your words “I am thirsty” I hear the cry of my own heart. I too am thirsty, Lord, not for

physical drink. I don’t need sour wine. Rather, I need the new wine of your kingdom to flood my soul. I

need to be refreshed by your living water. I yearn for your Spirit to fill me once again.

I am thirsty, Lord, for you. Amen.

Fifth Sunday of Lent--The Sixth Word:

“It is finished!”

(John 19:30)

Reflection

I never saw a more difficult film to watch than Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ. For most

of that movie I wanted to avert my eyes. It was horrible to watch even a cinematic version of a

crucifixion. And it was beyond comprehension to think that this actually happened to somebody, and

not just anybody, but my Lord and Savior. I had studied the crucifixion before, and knew in my head

what Jesus experienced. But seeing a visual presentation of his suffering was almost more than I could

bear. When The Passion of the Christ was over, I felt palpable relief. Thank goodness it was finished.

When Jesus said “It is finished,” surely he was expressing relief that his suffering was over. “It is

finished” meant, in part, “This is finally done!” But the Greek verb translated as “It is finished”

(tetelestai) means more than just this. Eugene Peterson captures the full sense of the verb in The

Message: “It’s done . . . complete.” Jesus had accomplished his mission. He had announced and

inaugurated the kingdom of God. He had revealed the love and grace of God. And he had embodied that

love and grace by dying for the sin of the world, thus opening up the way for all to live under the reign of

God.

Because Jesus finished his work of salvation, you and I

don’t need to add to it. In fact, we can’t. He accomplished what

we never could, taking our sin upon himself and giving us his

life in return. Jesus finished that for which he had been sent,

and we are the beneficiaries of his unique effort. Because of

what he finished, you and I are never “finished.” We have hope

for this life and for the next. We know that nothing can

separate us from God’s love. One day what God has begun in us will also be finished, by his grace. Until

that day, we live in the confidence of Jesus’ cry of victory: “It is finished!”



Do you live as if Jesus finished the work of salvation? To you have confidence that God will finish that

which he has begun in you?

Prayer

How can I ever find words to express my gratitude to you, dear Lord Jesus? You did it. You finished that

for which you had been sent, faithful in life, faithful in death. You accomplished that which no other

person could do, taking the sin of the world upon your sinless shoulders . . . taking my sin so that I might

receive your forgiveness and new life.

All praise be to you, gracious Lord, for finishing the work of salvation. All praise be to you, dear Jesus, for

saving me! Alleluia! Amen.

Sixth Sunday of Lent--The Seventh Word:

“Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!”

(Luke 23:46)

Reflection

Two of the last seven “words” of Jesus were quotations from the Psalms. Earlier Jesus had Psalm

22, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” to express his anguish. Later he borrowed from

Psalm 31, which comes to us from Luke as “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands.”

On an obvious level, Jesus was putting his post mortem future in the hands of his Heavenly

Father. It was as if he was saying, “Whatever happens to me after I die is your responsibility, Father.”

But when we look carefully at the Psalm Jesus quoted, we see more than what at first meets our

eyes. Psalm 31 begins with a cry for divine help:

O LORD, I have come to you for protection;

don’t let me be disgraced.

Save me, for you do what is right. (v. 1)

But then it mixes asking for God’s deliverance with a confession of God’s strength and faithfulness:

I entrust my spirit into your hand.

Rescue me, LORD, for you are a faithful God. (v. 5)

By the end, Psalm 31 offers praise of God’s salvation:

Praise the LORD,

for he has shown me the wonders of his unfailing love.

He kept me safe when my city was under attack. (v. 21)

By quoting a portion of Psalm 31, therefore, Jesus not only entrusted

his future to his Father, but also implied that he would be delivered

and exonerated. No, God would not deliver him from death by


crucifixion. But beyond this horrific death lay something marvelous. “I entrust my spirit into your hands”

points back to the familiar suffering of David in Psalm 31, and forward to the resurrection.


Have you put your life and, indeed, your life beyond this life, in God’s hands? How do you

experience God’s salvation through Christ in your life today?

Prayer

Gracious Lord, even as you once entrusted your spirit into the hands of the Father, so I give my

life to you. I trust you, and you alone to be my Savior. I submit to your sovereignty over my life, and seek

to live for your glory alone. Here I am, Lord, available to you, both now and in the future.

How good it is to know, dear Lord, that the cross was not the end for you. As you entrusted your spirit

into the Father’s hands, you did so in anticipation of what was to come. So we reflect upon your death,

not in despair, but in hope. With Good Friday behind us, Easter Sunday is on the horizon. Amen.

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/markdroberts/series/

Walking with Jesus through the Holy Week (the Events of Jesus’ Final Week) (Matt. 21 – 28; Mark 11 – 16; Luke 19 – 24; John 12 – 21)

Arrival in Bethany (John 12:1) Saturday Evening celebration, Mary anoints Jesus (John 12:2 – 8; Matt. 26:6 – 13)

Sunday Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem (Matt. 21:1 – 11; Mark 11:1 – 10; John 12:12 – 18) Jesus surveys the temple area (Mark 11:11) Return to Bethany (Matt. 21:17; Mark 11:11)

Monday Cursing the fig tree on the way to Jerusalem (Matt. 21:18– 22; Mark 11:12 – 14) Clearing the temple (Matt. 21:12 – 13; Mark 11:15 – 17) Miracles and challenges in the temple (Matt. 21:14-16; Mark 1:18) Return to Bethany (Mark 11:19)

Tuesday Reaction to cursed fig tree on the way back to Jerusalem (Matt. 21:20 – 22; Mark 11:20 – 21) Debates religious leaders in Jerusalem-- teaches in the temple (Matt. 21:23–23:39; Mark 11:27 – 12:44) Discourse on the Mount of Olives on the return to Bethany (Matt. 24:1 – 25:46; Mark 13:137)

Wednesday Jesus and disciples remain in Bethany for last time of fellowship Judas goes to Jerusalem to make arrangements for the betrayal (Matt. 26:14 – 16; Mark 14:10 –11)

Thursday Preparations for Passover (Matt. 26:17 – 19; Mark 14:12 – 16) After sundown: Passover meal and Last Supper (Matt. 26:20 – 35; Mark 14:17 – 26)

Upper Room discourses (John 13 – 17) Prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matt. 26:36 – 46; Mark 14:32 – 42)

Friday Sometime after midnight: Betrayal and arrest (Matt.47 – 56; Mark 14:43 – 52) Jewish trial — Jesus appears in three phases in front of: Annas (John 18:13 – 24) Caiaphas and partial Sanhedrin (Matt. 26:57 – 75; Mark 14:53 – 65)

Sanhedrin fully assembled (Matt. 27:1–2; Mark 15:1) Roman trial — Jesus appears in three phases before: Pilate (Matt. 27:2 – 14; Mark 15:2 – 5) Herod Antipas (Luke 23:6 – 12)


Pilate (Matt. 27:15 – 26; Mark 15:6 – 15) Crucifixion (approx. 9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.) (Matt. 27:27 – 66; Mark 15:16 – 39) Saturday—SilentSunday Resurrection witnesses (Matt. 28:1 – 8; Mark 16:1 – 8; Luke 24:1 – 12) Resurrection appearances (Matt. 28:9 – 20; Luke 24:13 – 53; John 20 – 21) Palm Sunday Responsive Reading

Hosanna!

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her.

Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”

The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on.

A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

“Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

And so we cry out today: “Hosanna to the Son of David!”

“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

(Matthew 21:1-11; Luke 19:39-40, NIV) Major Cathi Boyd-2016


Palm Sunday Message(Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:28-44; John 12:12-19)

I Love A Parade!

Everyone loves a parade! Every small town in America takes pride in its annual Fourth of July parade. Thanksgiving finds us watching ginormous balloons of our favorite cartoon characters sailing through the streets of New York City. On January 1st we love to watch, bleary-eyed, as floral float confections and marching bands welcome in the New Year. The Rose Parade has been going strong for over 125 years. It is broadcast around the world, with an estimated fourteen and a half million people watching it. Over 800,000 people line the five and a half mile route, and there is nothing quite like seeing it in person.

According to the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, 80,000 hours of combined manpower are put into the floats and planning each year. The Tournament of Roses Association has 935 members to help out, but plenty of other volunteers, businesses and individuals put in a lot of effort to make the event a success. Every single visible inch of each float must be covered in some form of flower, leaves, seeds, or other plant life. And they have inspectors who will pull a float out of the parade if it does not comply with the rigorous rules.

But, let’s not forget the reason many of us watch the parade. We are looking for The Salvation Army band in their bright red festival uniforms. We feel a sense of pride as we see the timbrelists leading the way, knowing that their smiles, and the music of the band, will be a witness all along the five and a half mile march. Those of us who have marched, or have family or friends who have participated know what is said at the end of the parade every year: “Never again!” And yet, every year there is a band.

All four Gospels tell us the story of another parade. When all four accounts of Jesus’ life tell a story, it means God wants us to pay attention. Something important is happening.

In Matthew 21 we read that Jesus and the disciples were approaching Jerusalem. It was Passover, and that meant the town was stuffed to the gills with people from all over the country, and even countries beyond. The city swelled to about two million people. This meant the military police, the Romans, were on high alert. So were the religious police, the Jewish leaders. Both feared rebellion by the masses. The Jewish leaders feared it would start with this rabbi from Galilee, this Jesus, who had stirred up the people with stories of God’s kingdom, and alleged miracles. Many declared he had even raised a man from the dead! The Bible tells us that these leaders had decided to arrest Jesus after the Passover, when the crowds thinned and things settled down.

Up until now Jesus had been keeping a low profile, as low as one could with people following, clamoring for bread and miracles. He often told the people He healed to go quietly and not make a fuss. Yet it was in God’s hands, the timing of His Son’s arrest and death. The Lamb of God would be slaughtered for the sins of the world on Passover. This parade would force the hands of the Jewish religious leaders.

Jesus told two disciples to go into town and find a donkey, with her colt standing beside her. They were to untie the animals and bring them to Jesus. If anyone asked what they were doing, the disciples were to tell them that the Lord had need of them, and would return them. Why a colt? This is


an unridden animal, still young enough that its mother would follow close beside it. The Scripture tells us that this was to fulfill the prophecy about the Messiah found in Zechariah 9:9: “Tell the people of Israel, ‘Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey—on a donkey’s colt.’” We think of stallions as the ride of choice of kings and conquerors, but a colt was what Jewish royalty rode.

While Jesus was waiting, He had a breathtaking view of Jerusalem. Bethphage was about two miles from Jerusalem, at an elevation of 2,600 feet. How He must have prayed for the people in the city, and reflected on what He was facing in the coming days. He knew that by entering the city in this way, on the colt, He was accomplishing two things. First, He was declaring Himself to be Israel’s King and Messiah. Second, He was deliberately challenging the religious leaders. This would set in motion the official plot that would lead to His arrest, trial, and crucifixion.

The disciples returned with the colt, and placed their outer robes on the animal for Jesus. As He began riding towards Jerusalem, the people who had been following Him spread their coats on the ground before Him. Others grabbed branches from nearby trees and spread them on the road. While it seems strange to us, it was customary for people back then to lay their outer garments on the road, and to add branches as they greeted a victorious King. (No stranger than covering every inch of a giant

representation of a fire-breathing dragon with flower petals and dried seeds like in the Rose Parade!)The people waved branches in the air and as Jesus came to the place where the road started down from the Mount of Olives, all of His followers began to shout and sing as they walked along. They praised God for all the miraculous things they had seen and declared: “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven.” They sang “Hosanna,” which means, “Save us now.” (Mark 11:9-10) They had no idea how true that prayer was. They sought to be rescued from the oppression of their earthly Roman rulers, when God’s plan was to save them eternally through Christ.

You can imagine the excitement this began stirring up. The crowds grew, as crowds will do when there is something to be seen. Those who had seen Jesus call Lazarus back to life were telling the others all about it. Many when out of the city to see for themselves this miracle worker.

Matthew tells us that the entire city of Jerusalem was stirred up as Jesus approached. “Who is this?” they asked one another. “It is Jesus, the teacher from Galilee.” The Roman guard were probably made nervous by the crowds, but also amused by the procession. We call this the “Triumphal Entry” of Christ, but it was nothing like the spectacle of a Roman triumphal parade. According to Warren Wiersbe: (The Bible Exposition Commentary)

“When a Roman general came back to Rome after a complete conquest of an enemy, he was welcomed home with an elaborate official parade. In this parade he would exhibit his trophies of war and the illustrious prisoners he had captured. The victorious general rode in a golden chariot, priests burned incense in his honor, and the people shouted his name and praised him. The procession ended at the arena where the people were entertained by watching the captives fight with wild beasts.”

Wiersbe adds that a Roman general had to kill at least 5,000 enemy soldiers to merit such a Triumph, but in a few weeks the Gospel of Christ would “conquer” some 5,000 Jews and transform their lives. (Acts 4:4) Christ’s “triumph” would be the victory of love over hatred, truth over error, and life over death.

The Jewish religious leaders were angered by this parade, and by the chants of the crowd: “Some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, ‘Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!’”(Luke 19:39-40) Jesus’ response to this is epic: “If they keep quiet the stones along this road would burst forth into cheers!” The gospel of John tells us: “Then the Pharisees said to each other, ‘We’ve lost. Look, the whole world has gone after Him!’”


Luke records this poignant moment: “But as they came closer to Jerusalem and Jesus saw the city ahead, He began to cry. ‘I wish that even today you would find the way of peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from you.’” (Luke 19:41-42) He continues to say that the city would be crushed and its inhabitants with it. He finishes by saying, “Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you have rejected the opportunity God offered you.” (vs.44)

At this point in a traditional Palm Sunday sermon there would usually be some point made about how the same crowds that cried, “Hosanna, blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” would later turn to a mob scene howling “Crucify Him!” How each of us should examine ourselves to see which camp we fall into. I’m not going there. You and I know that we all have within us the potential to reject God’s will for our lives, to betray Christ. Even His closest disciples deserted Him.

Our salvation from that ugliness, that brokenness, comes when we put our faith in in Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection. He becomes Lord in our lives. We become whole. It is only through Jesus that we find our way back to God. If you don’t have the assurance of this salvation, today is the day to make that choice. Ask God for forgiveness, through the blood of Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit of God will move into your life and mend the broken places. Come here, to the mercy seat, a place of prayer. Just be honest with God about your need, and He will meet you here.

For those of you who have this assurance of new life in Christ, I am going to challenge you to go out into your world—your home, your neighborhood, your place of work, your school, wherever you find yourself on a daily basis—and find opportunities to answer this question, “Who is this Man?” Live out your faith day by day in such a way that others want to know how and why you are different.

If this message has brought questions to your mind about who Christ is, today is the day to seek those answers. Come and meet Him here at the place of prayer.


Song Suggestions for the Service from The Songbook of The Salvation Army:156/182 Crown Him with Many Crowns New Songbook 358/162171/182 Thine is the Kingdom, Lord New Songbook 277/162177/132 Fairest Lord Jesus New Songbook 77/206184/771 Praise Him! Praise Him! New Songbook 231/799

New Edition 362/830 Sing Hosanna


Good Friday Responsive Reading

Behold the Lamb

Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac, his son, and he took the fire in his hand and a knife and the two of them went together.

Isaac said to his father, “I see the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”

Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.”

When John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him, he said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth.

Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearer is silent, so He opened not His mouth.


Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.


He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.



All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone, to his own way. And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.


And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

When the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this, and breathed His last, he said, “Truly this Man was the Son of God.”

All: Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

(Selected Scriptures: Genesis 22:6-8; John 1:29; Isaiah 53:4-7; Mark 15:34,39) Major Cathi Boyd-2016Good Friday Message 2016Scripture: Romans 12:1; Genesis 22:1-18

How to Be a Living Sacrifice

Introduction

We are here today to contemplate the enormity of what God did for us on Calvary. It is both solemn, and awe-inspiring. Some of us might choose to die in the place of a loved one, but not for strangers, and certainly not for those who reject us or seek to do us harm. Yet that is exactly what Jesus did when He allowed Himself to be arrested, falsely accused, mocked and cruelly beaten, then scourged to the edge of death, before being dragged through the streets of Jerusalem to be crucified, surely one of the most vicious forms of torture and death.

Such love, such sacrifice demands from us a response. How are we to respond to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the one and only son of God? We read in 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.”

Commissioner Samuel Logan Brengle, one of The Salvation Army’s early leaders and a great holiness teacher, told the following story: A man was placed on the block in an Egyptian slave market. His master was selling him. Men were bidding for him. A passing Englishman stopped, looked, listened, and began to bid. The slave saw him and knew that the Englishman was a world traveler. He thought that if the Englishman bought him, he would be taken from Egypt, from friends and loved ones, and that he would never see them anymore.

So he cursed the Englishman, raving and swearing and tugging at his chain that he might reach and crush him. But the Englishman, unmoved, at last out bid all the others, and the slave was sold to him. He paid the price, received the papers that made the slave his property, and then handed them to the slave.

“Take these papers; you are free,” he said. “I bought you that I might give you your freedom.”


The slave looked at his deliverer and his ravings ceased. Tears flooded his eyes, as falling at the Englishman’s feet and embracing his knees, he cried, “O sir, let me be your slave forever. Take me to the ends of the earth. Let me serve you till I die!”

Love had won his heart and now love constrained him, and he felt there could be no joy like serving such a master. (adapted from Samuel Logan Brengle, Love Slaves)

The mercy of the Englishman who paid the highest price to purchase the life of this man, and then freed him from a life of slavery so filled the former slave with joy and thanksgiving that he wanted to serve the

Englishman and follow him wherever he went. This is what God has done for us through Christ Jesus. He paid the highest price, a horrible death on the cross, for our sins. We did nothing to deserve this sacrifice, and we can do nothing to earn it. This gift, this amazing grace, sets us free from slavery to sin and death. How can we not fall on our knees before God and cry out, “O Lord, let me be Your slave forever!” Accepting the gift of new life through Jesus Christ is as simple as praying, “Lord, I ask you to free me, and to be the Lord, the center of my life. I will follow You.”

Paul tells it to us straight: “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him.” (Romans 12:1, NLT)

To be a living and holy sacrifice. What does that mean? Let’s explore sacrificial living through a story from the Bible.

Bible Story

In the book of Genesis we read about a man named Abraham. He followed God, and God promised him that He would make a mighty nation from Abraham’s son. The problem was that Abraham and his wife Sarah remained childless for many years. Decades passed, and through the years God reassured Abraham that he would have descendants as numerous as the dust of the earth, or the stars in the sky. The years went by, and Abraham kept trusting God, even when it seemed impossible. Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was in her 90’s when Isaac was finally born. This son was very dear to Abraham. He remembered the promise of God, and believed that through his son Isaac would come a mighty nation. (The nation of Israel.)

However, one day Abraham had to face a huge bump in the road. In Genesis, chapter 22 we read that God tested Abraham. Verse 2 reads, “The God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

Wow. That would suck all of the air out of the room! I think I would question God, plead, be incredibly frustrated, and fearful. But the Bible tells us that early the next morning, Abraham got up, and when straight to business. He loaded his donkey. He took along two servants, and Isaac, who was by now a young man. They carried the wood they needed for the sacrifice, and they traveled the three day journey to Mount Moriah. Matthew Henry has said, “Note, those that do the will of God heartily will do it speedily; while we delay, time is lost and the heart is hardened.” (Matthew Henry Commentary, Biblegateway.com)


When we put off doing what God has asked us to do, we find more and more excuses to procrastinate. The more we rationalize, the less likely we are to obey. Jesus encountered men who said they wanted to follow him, but…they all had reasons to delay. One needed to return home and bury his father. Another needed to go say goodbye to his family. Yet another turned away because he was very rich, and couldn’t handle the thought of giving that up. Abraham obeyed, without delay. His life was a living sacrifice.

Can you imagine how difficult it was for Abraham to sit across from Isaac at their fire each night? To look at his only son, his promise for the future, his joy and laughter (that’s what Isaac’s name meant) and to know what God had asked him to do. He probably did not sleep much, plagued by restless dreams of sacrificing this beloved son. How could he return home without Isaac? How could he ever look Sarah in the face again? How could he stand before his family and friends with the blood of Isaac staining his clothing? What was God’s plan, he must wondered--for he trusted God had a plan.

Obedience is a big part of being a living sacrifice. When we are called to sacrifice something we hold dear it’s not unlike being thrown into the deep end of the pool. Even though we cannot swim, we jump in knowing that our Father will be there to catch us. The faith comes when we leap.

When Abraham nears the place God indicates for the sacrifice, he takes Isaac alone to build the altar. Isaac had to be puzzled during the journey, and now he asks the question that plunges a knife into Abraham’s heart: “Father? The fire and wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

Oh, how Abraham’s heart must be breaking. But he leaps in faith and replies, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” (Genesis 22:6-8) He trusts that God has a plan.

The altar is built, and Abraham binds his son Isaac and lays him on top of the wood on the altar. We don’t know how Isaac reacted, but it appears he did not fight his father. Perhaps he had learned to trust the invisible God through his father’s words and actions. I imagine both father and son with tears streaming down their faces as they silently say good-bye to each other.

Abraham raises the knife to slay his son. This is the biggest leap, the moment of suspension, of utter helplessness, and yet total trustfulness on Abraham’s part. Oh, to have that depth of faith!

At that suspended moment the Bible tells us the angel of the Lord called out from heaven : “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” He said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from Me your son, your only son.” (Genesis 22:11-12)

Abraham had jumped in the deep end, all in, and God was there to catch him. As he hugged his son tightly, his heir, his joy, Sarah’s laughter, he saw a ram caught by its horns in a bush nearby. God had provided the lamb for the sacrifice.

Hebrews 11 describes it in this way: “By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from the dead.” (verses 17-19)


Dallas Willard, in his book, The Spirit of the Disciplines, sums it up like this: “The discipline of sacrifice is one in which we forsake the security of meeting our needs with what is in our hands. It is total abandonment to God, a stepping into the darkened abyss in the faith and hope that God will bear us up.

Abraham knew about such abandonment when he was prepared to sacrifice Isaac. He was actually counting on His Lord to raise Isaac from the dead to fulfill the promise of lineage. The poor widow of Luke 21 abandoned herself to God’s care as she gave sacrificially. She gave more to God with her two pennies than all the rich gentlemen writing out their large, tax deductible checks around her.”

Another author explains: “God wants visible, lived-out, bodily evidence that our lives are built on His mercy. Just as worshipers in the Old Testament denied themselves some earthly treasure (a sheep, a goat, a bull), and carried their sacrifices to the altars of blood and fire, so we deny ourselves some earthly treasure or ease or comfort, and carry ourselves—our bodies—for Christ’s sake to the places and relationships and crises in this world where mercy is needed. It may be your own home, or it may be Senegal.” (John Piper, web article, “Present Your Bodies as a Living Sacrifice to God”, June 13, 2004)

Abraham had faith in God because he knew what God had done for him in the past. We can have this kind of faith because we know what God has done for us. He has given His Son to be our Savior from sin and death. He did not spare Jesus at the last moment, even as the crowd taunted Christ to call down angels to save Him. No voice from heaven stopped the horrible execution. Jesus willingly took upon Himself all the sins of all mankind. God turned away—and the sacrifice was complete. My sins, your sins, the darkness within us—it was all there with Christ on the cross.

This sacrifice, the ultimate act of love of God, led to victory as Christ rose from the dead. The deadly consequences for our acts of rebellion, of sin, all are gone. Just as Abraham had faith that God could raise Isaac from the dead, we have the promise that in Christ we are raised to life, an eternal life that begins at the moment that we accept God’s sacrifice for us. This is why Paul says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice.” (NIV) Another version reads, “With eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I beg you, my brothers.” (PHILLIPS)

Challenge

With eyes wide open to the mercies of God…how can we give anything less than our best in return? We cannot out-give God. He has given His very best. When we look at our lives, and what He has done in them, and what He promises to continue to do, how can we not in faith be obedient to what He asks of us? How little it is in comparison to His promises for our future.

What does this sacrificial life look like? Romans 12:1-2 in The Message says: “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going to work, and walking around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside. Readily recognize what He wants from you and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out in you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”


Start where you are. Seek the voice of God through His Word, and in prayer. Be obedient to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Be conscious of moments where you have the opportunity to live sacrificially.

You may forgo your morning coffee to set aside that money for World Services, or buy an extra coffee for a homeless individual. You may find the opportunity to sacrifice part of your lunch break to walk with someone who needs a listening ear. You may need to sacrifice being “right” in a disagreement with someone in order to bring peace. Skip the chips and cookies at the grocery store and put extra canned and boxed foods to give to a food pantry. Sacrifice T.V. time to study the Word; give up your summer to go on a mission trip; take up a local officer position at the corps. The possibilities are endless…the Holy Spirit is infinitely creative. He knows what will change you from the inside out. The key is obedience. The more we exercise this muscle, the stronger in Christ we become.

Not many of us will be asked to give our very lives in service to God, and yet we live in a world where fellow believers are daily being sacrificed. We hear the story on the news, see the horrific videos online, and quietly thank God that this is not asked of us. How can we continue to struggle against the small sacrifices we can make in light of God’s great mercies to us? Like the freed slave in Brengle’s story we should be our knees before God, crying out “O sir, let me be your slave forever. Take me to the ends of the earth. Let me serve you till I die!”

Invitation to the Mercy Seat


Song Suggestions for Service (from: The Songbook of The Salvation Army)

488/22 “How Can I Better Serve Thee, Lord?” New Songbook 646/15512/13 “My Life Must Be Christ’s Broken Bread” New Songbook 610/111786/45 “I Would Be Thy Holy Temple” New Songbook 591/411124/585 “The Old Rugged Cross” New Songbook 191/520

New Songbook 176/789 “Once Again I Look Upon the Cross”


Good Friday Devotion1 John 4:8-18

Love Is A Verb

Introduction:The names Gajowniczek (say that ten times fast) and Kolbe probably don’t mean much to you,

but consider this amazing story. These two men were imprisoned at the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp. Kolbe was a Franciscan priest. In the cruelty of this slaughterhouse he maintained the gentleness of Christ. He shared his food. He gave up his bunk. He even prayed for the Nazi guards.

In July of 1941 a prisoner escaped from the camp. The German custom was to kill ten prisoners for each one who escaped. All the prisoners were gathered in the courtyard and the commandant randomly selected ten names from the roll book. The ten were immediately taken to a cell where they were given no food or water until they died. The tenth name called that day was “Gajowniczek.” He began to sob, “My wife and children.”

At that moment one of the remaining prisoners left his row and pushed toward the front. This was unheard of—one could easily be shot just for moving. It was Kolbe. There was no fear, no hesitation in his step. One of the guards shouted, “Stop or be shot!” Kolbe replied calmly, “I want to speak with the commander.” For some reason the guard did not kill him.

Kolbe stood before the commandant and removed his hat. “Herr Commandant, I wish to make a request, please. I want to die in the place of this prisoner.” He pointed to the weeping Gajowniczek. “I


have no wife. I am old and good for nothing. He is in better condition to work.” (He said this last because he understood the Nazi mentality.)

Everyone stood still, stunned. After a long moment of silence, the commander yelled, “Request granted.” Gajowniczek said later, “Prisoners were never allowed to speak. I could only thank Kolbe with my eyes.

Kolbe died a few weeks later, on August 14, 1941, and then only after a camp doctor injected his heart with phenol. Gajowniczek survived the Holocaust. He returns to Auschwitz every year on August 14th to say thank you to the man who died in his place.

Getting to the Heart:I think we can all agree that Kolbe showed authentic love. In a truly Christ-like way, Kolbe died in

Gajowniczek’s place. This is love in its purest form. In the Bible we read: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13) and “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.” (Romans 5:7) Kolbe acted in the love that comes from God. In fact the Scripture tells us, “God is love.” (1 John 4:8). What does God’s love look like, and how do I know it’s directed towards me?

God is love, and He communicates that love not only with words, but in action. Romans 5:8 says, “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” This means His love is not based on how good you or I am, or what we have accomplished in life, or even what we might sometime accomplish for Him. His love is based on His own nature. He is love, and that love is a verb, an action word. In love He sent His Son to die in my place and in yours! Loved by Him, we’re free to love others.

When you know God’s love, you can love others. “Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.” (1 John 4:11) This means no matter how big the hurts in my life, I know God loves me. No matter who disappoints me, no matter who dumps on me, no matter who despises me in spite of my love for them, God loves me, and He always will.

God loves you! Nothing you do can make Him love you more, and nothing you can do will make Him love you less. He loves you, but not because of what you do. He loves you, so you are free to love others and to share His love with them. You can love them because you are secure in His love. On Calvary Christ proved once and for all the depths of God’s love.

When you know God’s love, you can forgive those who take advantage of your trust. “We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in Him.” (1 John 4:16) Only God is completely trustworthy. His love never fades. In fact, even when we lose trust in Him, He is still faithful to love us.“If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13). Scripture never commands to trust others: it does tell us to love them. Perhaps you have a family member or friend who struggles with an addiction. Maybe you are dealing with a prodigal child, or an abusive relationship. You may not be able to trust that person, but God will give you the love you need. In Christ we can always find the courage to love them, to act in their best long-term interests. Sometimes love says no. Sometimes love grounds a son or daughter. Sometimes love even calls the police.

When you know you are loved, you can live without fear. “Such love has no fear because perfect love expels all fear.” (1 John 4:18) Fear cripples many. Fear can keep us from ever becoming what God intended for us to be. Because of fear we quit. We refuse to stand up for our faith. We run away. We never try. When we focus on ourselves our confidence dribbles away. But when we focus on the infinite love of God in Christ, the fear of failure melts away. We lose our fear of rejection when we know God’s love for us is not dependent on who we are, or what we do. His perfect love expels all fear.


You and I have more in common with Gajowniczek than perhaps we thought at first. Someone loved us enough to die in our place. Love took action, because that is who God is—pure, authentic, everlasting love. Christ died for me on Calvary. He died for you. And because of that, we can live without fear, resting securely in God’s love.

(Adapted from material found online several years ago that had no author listed.)

Easter Sunday Responsive Scripture Reading

The Gospel Truth

Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.

By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

That he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!


All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:

That God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

(I Cor. 15:1-4; John 3:16; 2 Cor. 5:17-20; Rom. 1:16-17 NIV) Songs of Salvation

Here is an Easter story for Sunday School, Children’s Church, or that time between the Sunrise and Holiness Meeting, or for troops or other programs. I’ve used it with Women’s ministry, and with seniors, as well.

Give everyone a plastic egg as they enter

Ask, “What can you tell me about the egg you are holding? (Color, size, it opens, it’s empty) Yes, it is empty, and that is what makes it so special. Let me explain by telling you a story.

What Was In Jeremy’s Egg?(Adapted from a story attributed to Ida Mae Kempel)

Jeremy was born with a twisted body and a slow mind. At the age of 12 he was still in the second grade, and seemed unable to learn. His teacher, Doris Miller, often became exasperated with him. He often would squirm in his seat, drool, and make grunting noises during class.

At other times he spoke clearly and distinctly as if a spot of light had penetrated the darkness of his brain. Most of the time, however, Jeremy irritated his teacher. One day she called his parents and asked them to come to St. Theresa’s for a consultation.


As the Forresters sat quietly in the empty classroom, Doris said to them, “Jeremy really belongs in a special school. It isn’t fair for him to be with younger children who don’t have learning problems. Why, there is a five year gap between his age and that of the other students!”

Mrs. Forrester cried softly into a tissue, while her husband spoke. “Miss Miller,” he said, “There is no school of that kind nearby. It would be a terrible shock for Jeremy if we had to take him out of this school. We know he really likes it here.”

Doris sat for a long time after they left, staring into the snow outside the window. The cold seemed to seep into her soul. She wanted to sympathize with the Forresters. After all, their only child had a terminal illness. On the other hand, it didn’t seem fair to keep him in her class. She had 18 other children to teach, and Jeremy was a distraction. He’d never be able to read or write. Why waste any more time trying?

As she pondered the situation guilt washed over her. “Oh God,” she prayed aloud, “Here I am complaining when my problems are nothing compared to that poor family!” Please help me to be more patient with Jeremy.”

From that day on she tried to ignore Jeremy’s noises and his blank stares. Then one day he limped to her desk, dragging his bad leg behind him.

“I love you , Miss Miller!” he exclaimed, loud enough for the whole class to hear. The students snickered, and Doris found her face flushing red. She stammered, “W-why, that’s very nice, Jeremy. Now, please take your seat.”

Spring came, and the children talked excitedly about the coming Easter. Doris told them the story of Jesus and then to emphasize the idea of new life springing forth, she gave each of the children a large plastic egg. “I want you to take this home and bring it back tomorrow with something inside that shows new life. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Miss Miller!” the class responded enthusiastically, all except for Jeremy. He just sat quietly staring, his eyes never leaving her face.

Had he understood what she had said about Jesus’ death and resurrection? Did he understand the assignment? Perhaps she should call his parents and explain the project to them.

That evening Doris’s kitchen sink stopped up. She called the landlord and waited an hour for him to come by and unclog it. After that she still had to make dinner, wash some clothes, and prepare a vocabulary test for the next day. She completely forgot to call Jeremy’s parents.

The next morning 19 children came to school, laughing and talking as they placed their eggs in the large wicker basket of Miss Miller’s desk. After they completed their math lesson, it was time to open the eggs.

In the first egg Doris found a flower. “Yes, a flower is certainly a sign of new life.” she said. “When plants peek through the ground we know that spring is here.” A small girl in the front row waved her arm. “That’s my egg, Miss Miller,” she called out.

The next egg contained a plastic butterfly, which looked very real. Doris held it up. “We all know that the caterpillar changes, and grows into a beautiful butterfly. This is also a sign of new life.” Judy smiled proudly, and said, “Miss Miller, that one is mine!”Next, Doris found inside an egg a rock with moss on it. She explained that moss, too, showed life. Billy spoke up from the back of the classroom, “My daddy helped me.”

Doris then opened the fourth egg. “Oh, no,” she thought. This must be Jeremy’s egg and of course he hadn’t understood the instructions. If only she had remembered to phone his parents. Because she didn’t want to embarrass him, she quietly set the egg aside and reached for another.

Suddenly Jeremy spoke up. “M-miss Mm-miller, aren’t you going to talk about my egg?”Flustered, Doris replied, “But Jeremy, your egg is empty.” He looked into her eyes and replied,

“Yes, but Jesus’ tomb was empty, too.”The teacher caught her breath, and then asked him, “Do you know why the tomb was empty?”


“Oh, yes!” Jeremy said, “Jesus was killed and put in there. Then his Father raised him up!”The recess bell rang. While the children excitedly ran out to the schoolyard, Doris cried. There

were many things Jeremy would never learn, but he knew the truth of God’s plan for new life.Several months later, Jeremy died. Those who came to pay their respects at the funeral were

surprised to see 19 plastic eggs on top of his casket, all of them empty.

The empty Easter egg reminds us of the empty tomb. The Bible says: “God showed how much He loved us by sending His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sin.” (1 John 4:9-10)

Take your egg home and put it where you will see it every day. Let it be a reminder that because Jesus lives, we can live forever with Him.

As the children leave, give them a small bag of jellybeans with this poem attached:

A Bag of TreatsRed is for the blood He gave,Green is for the grass He made.Yellow is for the sun so bright,Orange is for the edge of night.Black is for sins we made,White is for the grace He gave,Purple is for His hours of sorrow,Pink is for our new tomorrow.

A bag full of jelly beans colorful and sweet,Is a prayer, is a promise, is a small child’s treat.Easter Sunday MessageLuke 24:13-35

Do You Have 20/20 Vision?

Introduction:Several years ago my husband came to a milestone in his life. He returned home from a visit to

the ophthalmologist looking very glum. In his hand he had a prescription for eye glasses. “I don’t get it,” he told me, “My vision tested at 20/20, but I am not seeing clearly due to astigmatism. So we went down to LensCrafters and chose some frames. He discovered that the glasses did indeed clear his vision.

It got me to thinking. How many of us who believe we have 20/20 vision when it comes to knowing who Jesus Christ is are really not seeing as clearly as we should. This Resurrection Sunday seems the perfect time to re-examine our personal relationship with the risen Lord.

I heard the story of an eight-year-old who was failing miserably in school. He couldn’t seem to pay attention to anything that was going on and was constantly disrupting the other students. On the playground he was always in a fight with someone. After numerous conferences between his parents, his teachers, and the principal, it was decided that the district psychologist should interview and test the boy. The psychologist came up with a very popular label for the boy’s problems: Attention Deficit Disorder. He recommended the boy see his pediatrician to be placed on the appropriate behavioral medications. Fortunately, the boy’s doctor was not one to jump to conclusions. He spent some time talking with the boy and his parents and then sent the family across the hall to see his associate Dr.


Wasser. Dr. Wasser also spoke to the boy, ran some tests, and handed the grateful parents a prescription for eye glasses. You see, the only thing wrong with the boy was that he was unable to see the world clearly. Within weeks the bright young man had nearly caught to his classmates, and everyone marveled at the miraculous change in his personality.

It really is amazing what a difference clear vision can make in our lives. Have you ever had to drive through a snowstorm or thick fog? Clear vision is also an important component of our spiritual life. this morning we are going to look at the Resurrection story from a different angle. Let’s turn to Luke 24:13-35 and see how Jesus sought to clear up misconceptions that were fogging up the vision of these two followers on the road to Emmaus.

1. Nearsightedness (Luke 24:13-19):Let’s set the scene. It is the first day of the week, three days since Jesus was crucified. Earlier in

the day some of the women who followed Jesus went to the tomb to appropriately prepare His body for burial. He had been rushed to the tomb so as not to be left hanging on the cross on the Sabbath. These woman found the tomb empty and rushed back to tell the Eleven Apostles and the others that Jesus’ body was missing. They told of seeing two men in clothing that gleamed like lightening. The men had told them that they should not look for the living among the dead, for Jesus was risen. Verse 11 of chapter 24 tells us that those who heard the women did not believe, for their words seemed like nonsense.

We pick up the story with two followers of Jesus who headed out in the afternoon for the village of Emmaus, about six miles outside of Jerusalem. We know little about the two, except that one was called Cleopas. Someone has suggested that perhaps it is best that way, because then each of us can put ourselves in the shoes of the unknown traveler. As they walked, they naturally spoke of the confusing events of the previous days. I can picture them walking along, oblivious to the world around them, lost in their own fog of pain, grief, and disillusionment.

A fellow traveler comes up alongside them. The Scriptures tell us that it is the risen Lord Jesus, but these men don’t recognize Him. This isn’t so hard to believe when we remember that Mary Magdalene, lost in her grief over the disappearance of Jesus’ body, mistook her beloved Friend for a gardener outside the empty tomb. The disciples, fishing on the Sea of Galilee a few days later, didn’t recognize their risen Lord standing on the shore until He called out to them. We know that Jesus was somehow changed in appearance following His resurrection. Perhaps it served His purpose not to be recognized at this time. These two men certainly weren’t expecting to see Him there, so they probably didn’t look very closely at this fellow traveler.

For whatever reason, these followers of Jesus did not recognize Him, even though He was walking right alongside of them. They could not see the forest for the trees, as my mother used to say. When Jesus asked them what they were talking about, they replied in astonishment, “Are you the only person in Jerusalem who doesn’t know what has been happening?” What irony here! They were walking and talking with the very One who had been in the middle of it all, and yet they were so spiritually nearsighted that they could not see beyond their own pain and grief and confusion.

Before we dismiss these two men as dimwits, let’s look into our own hearts. How many times have we traveled in our own fog of pain, or anger, or disillusionment, thinking we were alone? How often have we cried out to God, “Where are You? Why have You left me to handle this all by myself?” How could You let this happen to me?” There are some people here in this room filled with sunshine, lilies and songs of Easter praise that are under a dark could and feeling like God has left them alone on the Emmaus road they are walking. Fellow travelers—you are not alone. Jesus Christ is walking right alongside you if you have called Him Lord and Savior of your life.


The cure for this type of nearsightedness is found in Scripture. God has promised never to leave us or forsake us. Jesus promised in John 14 that He would not leave us as orphans in the world, but would send the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to live in us and be with us. The Holy Spirit’s very name, “Paraclete,” means one who comes alongside to help. Jesus knew this would not be an easy journey for many of us. In John 16:33 He tells us: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” The popular poem “Footprints” reminds us that when we only see one set of footprints in the sand it is not because God has abandoned us in the storms of life, but rather because He was carrying us through them. Claim these promises, and search the Bible for reassurance. If you are a child of God, He is with you. Throw off that spiritual nearsightedness.

Back to the Emmaus road. These two men not only suffered from spiritual nearsightedness, they also had a problem with spiritual:

2. Farsightedness (Luke 24:19-24):I remember when my mother began to struggle with farsightedness, on top of the

nearsightedness she’d had for years. She would pick up the newspaper and take it out to arm’s length and then continue to move it back and forth until she found an angle from which she could read it. We laughed at her antics at the dinner table when she’d move her plate away from her so she could see to cut her meat.

When she finally got bifocals, we continued to laugh because she would constantly bob her head up and down trying to find the magic spot where she could see clearly. My brother and sister and I found it very funny—little did I know that one day the joke would be on me.

But spiritual farsightedness is no joking matter. Much of the confusion the followers of Jesus had in understanding the events of Easter week were due to their misconceptions regarding exactly who Jesus was and what the Scriptures foretold concerning Him. They couldn’t see who He was, even though He had been face to face with them, declaring who He was.

These two disciples describe Jesus as a prophet, one who was powerful in word and deed. Yes, Jesus was all this—but He was so much more. He had told the people so on many occasions. He made no secret of His identity, especially in His last days, nor of His mission. But the world wanted to see another Jesus. And it still does. The Jews are still looking for a Messiah who will redeem them, avenge them, give them back their place in this world—but through force and ultimate Kingship, not sacrifice

and Servanthood. These two men were frustrated by the fact that Jesus had allowed Himself to be crucified, for they had pinned their hopes on Him as their Redeemer—in their way—not God’s. They could not see the truth that was right in front of their noses, that the empty tomb and the message of the angel that Jesus was risen was in fact the ultimate redemption of all mankind. This was the culmination of everything Jesus had said and done here on earth. It just didn’t fit their mold, their picture of Jesus. They had chosen to believe only those Scriptures which pointed to an avenging, conquering King, and had ignored those prophecies which said that before Kingship would come the sacrifice of the Lamb of God.

And people continue today to try to fit Jesus in to a mold that is comfortable for them. He was a good man, even a godly man, they assert, and His teachings belong right alongside those of Buddha and Krishna, Confucius, and other religious teachers. Yes, the historical Jesus lived, and was crucified as the leader of a rebellious Jewish sect, the world says, but His so-called miracles can be explained away, and there can be no proof of His resurrection. It doesn’t diminish the goodness of the man, explain others. Wrong!! The Apostle Paul addresses these issues powerfully in 1 Corinthians 15:13-20:


13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

If there was no bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, who was and is both God and man—then ladies and gentlemen, we might as well just close up shop right now and go home. If Jesus Christ is not who He claims to be, and if He did not overcome death and the grave, we are all wasting our time. Josh McDowell has said that either we embrace Jesus Christ as the risen Lord, the Son of God who died for the sins of the world, or we must choose to call Him a liar or a lunatic.

I, for one, know whom I serve, my vision is 20/20 on this point. It was settled years ago when I knelt at the Mercy Seat and gave my life into God’s hands in response to the incredible, incomparable, totally undeserved love of the Lord who gave up everything to redeem me.

3. 20/20 Vision:Jesus knew how blurry the thinking of these two disciples was, and so He began setting them straight. He called them foolish because they had been so narrow-minded, so one dimensional in their selective interpretation of the Scriptures, and of the things He had taught. They were “slow of heart,” not willing to allow God to show them the truth.

There are many today who are foolish, slow heart, and even hard of heart when it comes to what the Bible teaches us. The “so-called” truth they believe is that there are many paths to God and we should allow others to find their own way. Even in the church universal there is a call for tolerance and acceptance of other beliefs that undercuts the truth of Jesus Christ.There is no room for compromise. There is only one Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and He has declared to us that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father God except through Him. It’s plain and simple—any teaching that does not hold up in the light of the Bible; any doctrine that does not lift up Jesus Christ, God’s Son, our only path to salvation; any belief system outside of the truth

revealed to us in God’s Word, is a lie and is deadly. Eternally deadly.And so the travelers came to the town of Emmaus. They urged Jesus to break bread with them and as He did, the Bible tells us that their eyes were opened and they recognized Him, and He disappeared from their sight. Suddenly the fog lifted, all the pieces fell into place, and their spiritual vision 20/20.What a great question they ask each other in amazement, “Were not our hearts

burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” The prophet Jeremiah had a similar experience. In chapter 20 he says he tried to stop speaking the Word of God to the point of not even using His name, but it became lie a burning in his bones that he could not hold in. These two men were so excited about all they had learned from Jesus that they turned right around and rushed back six miles or so back to Jerusalem that very evening. Their hearts were burning with the good news that not only was Jesus alive, but He was indeed the Messiah, the Redeemer, and the risen Savior.

Challenge:This is where we end our story today. I wonder this Easter morning as I look around this room if

there might not be some spiritual vision problems right here in this room. Some of you are traveling


your own Emmaus road, lost in a cloud of grief, pain, or frustration. Perhaps you are wondering where God has gone, why He doesn’t seem to be with you. A wise man said that if God seems distant, it isn’t He who has moved away. Seek Him here today. Ask Him to open your spiritual eyes, to clear your vision. Recognize that even when you feel you are traveling alone, He has promised to be with you.

There are some in this room who need to see who Jesus really is. You aren’t sure if He is Lord in your life. He can be, just for the asking. The redemption, the relationship with God made possible through Calvary and through the Resurrection can be yours. You can walk out of this place knowing that Jesus Christ is not only your Savior, but your Lord and friend as well. It’s very simple, really—the Scripture tells us He is standing at the door, just waiting for you to invite Him in.

Maybe today your heart is rejoicing, and you want to give thanks to God for what Easter means in your life, today and every day. This is a day to give Him thanks.

Wherever you find yourself today, gather together with me at this place of prayer. The Mercy Seat is the perfect place to celebrate Easter.

Song Suggestions for Service from the Songbook of The Salvation Army—anything from the Resurrection and Ascension section in either edition will work well. Major Cathi Boyd--2016


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Tfile/LentandEasterReso… · Web viewLent takes place this year from February ... Some did not follow his way of sacrifice ... one who was powerful in word and deed. Yes, Jesus