Live like Easter People
1 John 4:7-11 7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Yesterday we celebrated another Easter, and the older I become the more I understand the extreme love of God. He had one plan for the redemption of mankind—let’s call it Plan A.
Some might think of the Great Flood as Plan A, but no, the flood cleansed the earth without redemption of sin. The earth became repopulated but with no less sin than before.
It took a Savior, one born without sin, to redeem mankind and provide that living hope that only He could give. There was never a need for another plan, never a reason for a do-over.
May we accept the salvation provided by God, love with His love, forgive with His heart, and live as Easter people all year long.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Silent Saturday
Psalms 31:1-5 1 In You, O LORD, I put my trust;
Let me never be ashamed;
Deliver me in Your righteousness.
2 Bow down Your ear to me,
Deliver me speedily;
Be my rock of refuge,
A fortress of defense to save me.
3 For You are my rock and my fortress;
Therefore, for Your name’s sake,
Lead me and guide me.
4 Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,
For You are my strength.
5 Into Your hand I commit my spirit;
You have redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.
Yesterday we remembered Good Friday. I wondered as a child why we call it good. It had to have been the worst day of God’s existence. From the foundation of the world, He knew that Jesus would be the Lamb for sinners slain, yet to experience the extreme cruelty of man and the unthinkable suffering of Jesus had to have been almost unbearable.
But, the timing was finally right. Jesus came, he died, and now He lay in a cold tomb. All hope seemed gone, the light of salvation extinguished by the darkness of death.
Hope seemed gone. But hope mixed with faith is never gone. The silence of Saturday reminds us that even when God is not speaking, He is still working on our behalf.
May we remember today that Sunday is still coming. Sunday, the fulfillment of our hope, the realization of our faith, and the resurrection of our Redeemer. Praise God from Whom all blessings flow.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Last Supper
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 Institution of the Lord’s Supper
(Matt. 26:26–29; Mark 14:22–25; Luke 22:14–23)
23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
Today is Maundy Thursday, and we commemorate the last supper Jesus had with His disciples. In many churches Holy Communion is a sacrament, meaning it was something Jesus instituted.
When we partake of the cup and the bread, we are reminded that this is God’s table, and we are to remember the sacrifice and receive His grace each time we approach.
As the disciples fellowshipped with Jesus, they had no idea this was the final time they would break bread with Him. Only Judas knew his betrayal was imminent and even he was unaware that this would be the catalyst for salvation’s plan.
May we, as we approach Easter Sunday, allow the blessed events of Holy Week to permeate our beings and may we never take for granted all that Jesus did to purchase our salvation.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Glory of God
Hebrews 12:1-2 1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Today we have arrived at Wednesday of Holy Week. Historically, this is the day the disciples made preparations for the Last Supper. They procured the upper room and all things were ready for the final hours of Jesus’ life on this earth.
Yet, their understanding was dimmed by their expectations, not of the sacrifices Jesus was getting ready to make, but of their continued hope of overthrowing the government. If only they had realized what was happening was so much bigger than a regional conflict. Indeed, the events playing out would have worldwide implications.
As we prepare to celebrate another Easter, have we renewed our hearts and minds during this Lenten season through prayer, reflection and repentance? Are we ready to remember once again the sacrifice Jesus made so that sinful man could be reconciled to a Holy God?
May we, today and every day, seek Jesus’ face by the reading of His Word, by bowing in prayer, and by examining our hearts so that we can finish the race set before us according to Jesus’ will and by His grace.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Qualities of God
Psalms 36:5-9 5 Your mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens;
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the great mountains;
Your judgments are a great deep;
O LORD, You preserve man and beast.
7 How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!
Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.
8 They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house,
And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.
9 For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light.
During this Holy Week where we remember the great sacrifice of God to redeem fallen man, it is good to contemplate the qualities of God.
- Mercy—showing compassion on those who do not deserve it
- Faithfulness—loyal and steadfast
- Righteousness—not something God does but who He is.
- Just—fair
We should never take for granted the qualities of God. For one thing, God never changes so once we understand who He is we never have to wonder how He will respond to a specific situation. And, because God seeks only our good, we know we can trust Him to provide for and protect His people.
May we, as we approach another Easter, keep our eyes on the cross and our hearts open to the Resurrection for there is no salvation in any other name but Jesus.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Seeking Holiness 