Easter

An Unexpected Meeting

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Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). John 20:15-16 ESV

Mary Magdalene had not come to the tomb of Jesus because she thought that Jesus was alive, but to show respect for the dead. But then the most unexpected thing in all of history happened. Jesus came to meet her! And Mary’s story is the story of everyone who has ever put their faith in Jesus Christ. We all have this one thing in common. He has come unexpectedly. Just like Mary, this Easter. you may be wondering where Jesus went in your life. Or, maybe like the disciples, you are hiding out behind locked doors. The message of Easter is that He will come just when we least expect it. He knows all about us and He wants to come and change our lives forever! What a wonderful Risen Lord and Savior we have waiting for us again this Easter. Jesus is alive and is calling your name – how will you answer Him? Mary wasn’t expecting Jesus, but when He came, she fell at His feet. Right now, wherever you are, you also may not have been expecting Jesus, but He has been expecting you and is waiting for you today!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I bow at your feet in worship and thank you for all you have done in suffering for my sins on the cross. I believe that you have risen from the grave, and I ask that you forgive my sins and in humble gratitude receive your gift of eternal life!

A Song for Holy Saturday

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 And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment. Luke 23:56

While many have debated as to what Jesus was doing on Holy Saturday, few have thought of what His friends were up to. Though some speculate they were fearfully hiding, overwhelmed by sorrow or confusion, among the gospel writers, only Luke, gives us even the smallest detail. They simply rested. We might wonder, since Jesus had told them so many times that He would rise again, why none of them believed. But I think most of us would have to confess that during times of grief, few of us operate along logical pathways. We feel as if we were stumbling around in a fog. Activity, decisions, and even eating all seem impossible tasks at the moment. What we need most is rest and Holy Saturday is the Sabbath which God has given us between the sorrows of Good Friday and the joy of Easter. Holy Saturday is walking through the valley of the shadow, with our Good Shepherd, protecting and guiding us when we are most vulnerable. Holy Saturday is the table of rest and refreshment in the wilderness, where we pause along our journey to the joys of the Father’s House, that waits for us at the end of the path.

I hope you will be blessed by this song which I sang during communion at Life Care Center on Good Friday. My friends in long-term care know better than most of us that our lives are in the hands of our Good Shepherd. And what time better than Easter is there to follow Him as close as His heart, for the way that leads home is the Old Rugged Cross!

Holy Wednesday – Surprised by Love

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A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. Luke 22:24 ESV

Earlier this year, I was surprised by a beautiful flower that suddenly appeared on a large rather ugly cactus, alongside the road where I sometimes walked. I discovered that, with just the right combination of rainfall and temperature, this awkward plant could put on a show with spectacular white blossoms covering its scarred and twisted trunk. On Holy Wednesday, an even greater surprise awaited the disciples. In the middle of an ugly argument, they were having about who was the greatest, and right after Jesus finished serving them the bread and the wine, Jesus got up from the tabIe, and went into a side room. I can almost imagine Jesus striking his forehead and crying out “Oy Vey! These disciples are making me crazy!”

We may chuckle at the absurdity of that scene, but that night, Jesus gave us a surprising example as He returned to the room with a basin and a towel and interrupted their argument by washing their feet. Shame and gratitude replaced pride and anger, as Christ surprised them with love. Then He left an unforgettable command for us to do the same. Though, we don’t do much foot washing in the 21st century, the kind of service that this humble task represents is all around us. As Easter approaches, we need to each ask God how He could use us to serve someone who is as awkward, twisted and scarred as that old cactus. You just might be amazed by the beauty of the flowers God can produce through them, given just the right amount of His mercy and a little bit of His surprising, foot-washing love.

 So He got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. John 13:4-6 ESV