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!

Maundy Thursday-His Hour Had Come

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And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 
Luke 22:15 ESV

The word Maundy, in the title, Maundy Thursday means command. This is because at the Last Supper, Jesus gave His disciples the command to love one another and to wash one another’s feet. But for Jesus this night meant much more. At the Last Supper Jesus would give us the communion bread and cup. And in a strange way, the Last Supper also reminds me of being in Junior High, (more than a few years ago!). Back then, the most important decision of my day was who to sit with at lunch. Considering the fact that at the Last Supper, Jesus knew that Judas would betray Him, Peter deny Him and the rest turn tail and run, it is amazing that He was really wanted to sit them. Yet, for Jesus, this was not just tolerating being with them, it was the highlight of His final days on earth. And despite the significance of the hour and even after having walked with Jesus for years, none of them understood what was going on. But Jesus knew that, understanding or not, this was the crucial time to break the bread and share the cup of the New Covenant, and that gives me hope. I have hope because I am often also not understanding what God is doing in my life, and yet the bread and cup which Jesus passed to His disciples, is still being passed to all me today. I will never deserve it, I sometimes don’t remember what it cost Him, and yet He still passes me the broken bread, He still blesses the cup, and just as when He sang a hymn with them, He sings with me. Then Jesus went into the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. He knew that His hour had come; His betrayer was at hand; His friends would run away, but He, the Lamb of God would stay behind, knowing that His hour had come when He would take away the sins of the world!

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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