I realized that my sense of time would get all out of whack on this boat. I had known that, but it really got hammered home to me when I realized that it was Holy Week.
Yup. The most important week in my faith, and I didn't even realize it was here.
Drat.
So, because Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Easter and all the days between are kind of a big deal, this post will be my look at those days.
Briefly. I'm not trying to be preachy (and I'm not a preacher). Frankly, this is more for me. But if something I write inspires someone (that'd be weird), I'm okay with that :)
BTW, I'm looking at the Gospel of Luke.
One year, my pastor at the time (I"m a Methodist. We rotate pastors every 4 or 5 years, to remind us that we are part of God's flock, not a person's. Also, because we're human and sometimes churches and pastors don't work as well as they should-sometimes it's no one's fault and sometimes either the church or the pastor won't be flexible. That's always sad. Moving on) mentioned that some people come to church on Palm Sunday and then again on Easter, but they miss out on all the stuff between.
I love Palm Sunday. I love love love Easter. But neither day means jack without the rest of the week.
Think about it. Without the Crucifixion, there's no need for a Resurrection.
Yup. The most important week in my faith, and I didn't even realize it was here.
Drat.
So, because Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Easter and all the days between are kind of a big deal, this post will be my look at those days.
Briefly. I'm not trying to be preachy (and I'm not a preacher). Frankly, this is more for me. But if something I write inspires someone (that'd be weird), I'm okay with that :)
BTW, I'm looking at the Gospel of Luke.
One year, my pastor at the time (I"m a Methodist. We rotate pastors every 4 or 5 years, to remind us that we are part of God's flock, not a person's. Also, because we're human and sometimes churches and pastors don't work as well as they should-sometimes it's no one's fault and sometimes either the church or the pastor won't be flexible. That's always sad. Moving on) mentioned that some people come to church on Palm Sunday and then again on Easter, but they miss out on all the stuff between.
I love Palm Sunday. I love love love Easter. But neither day means jack without the rest of the week.
Think about it. Without the Crucifixion, there's no need for a Resurrection.
That year, we started Lent with Palm Sunday, and every Sunday was a different day in Holy Week. So on Palm Sunday, we looked at Holy Saturday (is it called Holy Saturday? I think it should be).
In that spirit, I'm starting with Palm Sunday. There's a choir anthem that I adore. It's called "When HE Rode Into Jerusalem" and is not the typical cheerful, triumphant entry song. The lines that stick with me are these: On that day, when He rode into Jerusalem, everyone thought they would crown Him king...No one guessed, when He rode into Jerusalem, how the tide would turn and bring Him down. So they sang Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest, so they sang Hosanna to the promised King...Loud hosannas let your praises ring."
Imagine that in a minor key, with 3 part harmony. It's kind of like that Christmas song, just beyond the Manger looms the shadow of the Cross.
Because I love you people (it is a church choir, but they're not bad):
But, in Scripture, Palm Sunday is only foreshadowing like that to us because we know what's coming. No one really understands what's coming up except for Jesus, so the mood is more light and celebratory. I think there should be a combination in worship services on Palm Sunday-a celebration because, let's face it, our God rocks. We should be able to dance through the church aisles waving palms and singing Hallelujah!
Sadly, we're human. I don't know about you, but I am very self-conscious about my dancing. And I blush very easily.
But you get the idea. Maybe blindfolded? Maybe we can set one day out of the year, once in worship where everyone dances for joy?
Let's all work on that. I'm being serious.
But there is another side to Palm Sunday. Jesus is going to die. He is on the way to pay the price for my (well, our) sins. He knows what's coming. Sure, He knows about Sunday, but first comes Friday. Yikes. We'll come back to that.
I love the part where the Pharisees tell Jesus to shut the people up and Jesus tells them that if people stop praising, "the stones themselves will cry out." Yup. My God is so mighty and good that if I stop praising Him, nature will pick up the call. Kind of makes me feel unnecessary. But at the same time, my style of worship is different than a rock's. I hope. My goal in worship, to be different than a rock.
Reminds me of another song. All God's Critters Got A Place in the Choir. Some sing and some just clap their hands (or paws, or anything they got now).
I'd never realized how much happened between Sunday and Thursday. I mean, I guess I knew, but never noticed it until that sermon series. Right after the Triumphant Entry, Jesus goes into the temple.
And man. He is mad. This is one of those stories that makes people uncomfortable. Because we like the idea of Jesus as a really calm, chill guy who feeds people and hugs kids and is laughing. And He is all of those things. But. But but but.
He is also God.
I'm not going to go into the theology of the Trinity here (this post will be long enough) but Jesus is also God. Just. Righteous. Holy. And He is also human.
And in this case, His anger is a righteous anger. He doesn't hurt anyone, He just drives the vendors out of the temple. They were charging lots of money for things required for sacrifice and claiming that they had the "best," that they had God's preferred sacrifices. 2 for $5!
Yeah. I understand why Jesus was mad. Both His human side and His godly side are justifiably angry.
The next few chapters are some wonderful parables, the Pharisees trying to trick Jesus into being anti-Rome, some of Jesus trying to tell the people what is coming next and then...Judas agrees to betray Jesus.
Judas, handpicked by Jesus to be one of the Twelve. One of the very sad characters in Scripture, and all his fall gets is that Satan entered him.
I'm not satisfied with that. I'm sorry, I'm not. I want to know more. Why? Just because? Was there a foothold? Did Judas have revolutionary leanings and want to speed things up? Did he know that Jesus was actually going to die and not understand the point? Did he think that by turning Jesus in, He would fight back and start a revolution against Rome? Did he realize that he could have asked forgiveness instead of hanging himself?
Judas gave up everything to follow Jesus. He obviously believed in Him at one point. What changed? I guess it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. But my curious nature wants to know. As CS Lewis would say, that's Judas' story, not mine.
Sigh.
Then, we come to the Last Supper. Wow. There is so much in this part. Jesus takes the old and revered feast of Passover and turns it into something new. He fulfills it.
One of the most powerful things that I have experienced is participating in a Messianic Jewish Passover. The way Jesus fits in is so perfect (well, duh. It's like someone planned it!) and the entire thing is a reminder of suffering with the promise of grace and forgiveness. It's beautiful.
So is Communion. I love that reminder of what my God did for me and how much He loves me.
Jesus, after turning a centuries old ritual on it's head does something else unexpected. He washes the feet of His disciples.
Gross. I don't know about you, but my feet aren't always clean, especially if I've been walking in sandals like these twelve men were.
Plus, twelve men, so their feet are automatically grosser and dirtier. No offense guys.
The moral of that story though, I think, is that we are called to serve. Jesus serves, are we, as His followers, to good to work and serve others? Gosh. I hope I don't act like I feel that way.
Then Peter makes an appearance. Peter is one of my favorite characters in Scripture, because he's so easy to relate too. Sometimes, that relatinghurts. A lot. But the fact remains that he is an ordinary guy who God used to do extraordinary things. God called Peter "the rock He was going to build His church on," and Peter still screwed up. But he knew where to turn when he did.
To his Rock.
But, in this passage, Peter says he will go with Jesus, to prison, to death if need be. Brave words, but as we know and as Jesus knows, Peter will deny Him three times.
Tangent. It must be lame for the disciples who are known for one big thing, like Doubting Thomas. Peter who denied Jesus. Those other guys. They make one mistake, and that's that. Take Thomas, for example. I can see where he's coming from. But, I'll write about that later.
Jesus goes to the Mount of Olives to pray. He wants another way to save mankind. It's weird to think about someone knowing how they are going to die and that it will be a terrible and horrific death. Jesus knows that death can't hold Him, but the Crucifixion must have been a terrifying thing to face.
That's how much God loves us. He not only died for us, but He faced death for us.
Jesus is praying in the Garden and goes to see the friends He brought with Him to be emotional support perhaps, and finds them asleep. He says, "Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation."
Applicable to my life, for sure. Don't be lazy in your faith Bailey. Don't fall asleep. Talk to God, no matter how tired or stressed you feel. If you have no time to read, remind yourself of Scripture.
Don't fall asleep.
Judas then betrays Jesus, with a kiss. A mark of respect? Possibly a cultural thing. Either way, not a good way to betray someone (as oppose to the good ways to betray someone?) And something happens. Something that must have excited those who wanted a revolution.
A disciple takes a sword and cuts off someones ear.
Yeah! Someone was likely thinking. Lets get this thing started. But Jesus surprised everyone.
He picked up the ear and put it back. Since He's God, it went right back to it's place. And Jesus, still knowing what was coming next, went with the chief priests, the temple guard and the elders.
Peter denies that he knows Jesus, just as He said he would. After the third denial, Jesus turns and looks "straight at Peter." That must have been heartbreaking for Peter, I mean, he goes outside and "weeps bitterly." But later, when he hears that Jesus is alive, he sprints to the tomb. And Jesus wanted Mary to tell the disciples and Peter that He was risen.
But I'm skipping ahead.
I never did watch Passion of the Christ. I admit it, I cry when I read about the Crucifixtion. I cried at the trailer of the Passion, when they show Jesus carrying the cross down the street and He falls, and when they drive the nail into His hand.
So forgive me if I just sum up these two days.
The guards are mocking Him and dividing up His clothing, the religious leaders are trying to condemn Him using false witnesses. And the people who less than 5 days earlier wanted to crown Jesus king are now crying out for His death.
A guy in Scripture that I also want to know more about is Simon of Cyrene, who was forced to carry the cross for Jesus. That's all we really know. I want to know more.
My list of questions to ask God when I get to heaven is getting longer every day.
I love the Gospel of Luke. It has some of my favorite stories about Jesus in it. One of these is story of the two theives that were hung on either side of Jesus. One thief insulted Jesus and told Him that He should save all three of them, since He was God. But the other thief (who, although I want to know more about him, really says all I need to know in this verse) says, "Don't you fear God since we are under the same sentence?...We're getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong. Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
And Jesus, though He is in pain and dying, replies, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
Wow. Jesus is so full of grace and love, it's almost unreal. This story reminds me that Jesus loves us all, and that all we need to do to recieve His grace is to admit that we need it and ask for it.
At this point, the next section of Scripture is Jesus' death. And right when He dies, the curtain that seperates God from us is torn in two.
A children's movie said that "The sky turned black/And Satan lunched his last attack."
I love the image of that great, heavy curtain that kept us away from God being ripped in half. Because the price of our sins was paid, and we are now free to have a personal relationship with God.
Sometimes, I think I take that for granted, and forget both how BIG and AMAZING God is and how much He paid so we could have that relationship.
They bury Jesus. One day goes by. The women go to His tomb to annoint His body and find the huge honking stone rolled away.
Imagine being there for that.
Jaw dropping. Then an angel appears and says some of the most exciting words in Scripture,
"Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, He is risen!" The women tell the disciples, and no one believes them. But Peter gets up, runs to the tomb, sees that it's empty except for some linen, and believes.
Jesus appears to two gentlemen who are leaving Jerusalem and explains Scripture to them before they figure out that it's Him. When He appears to the disciples, they think He's a ghost, until they touch His hands.
Ghosts aren't touchable.
Jesus then explained that the plan all along was for Him to die, but since He is God, death couldn't hold Him and He rose from the grave.
Another song I love:
I love Easter. But the joy and wonder of Easter, the knowledge that God conquered death and loves me enough to suffer and die so that I might be with him someday is lessened slightly to me if I don't look at Good Friday and all the stuff between Easter and Palm Sunday.
Every year, the community I live in does a combined church service for Good Friday. One year, the pastor who was preaching didn't want to just focus on Friday. I mean, we are an Easter people. The Resurrection is kind of a big deal. But they had all decided to focus on Friday.
As he was concluding his sermon though, he added, "Friday's a dark day. But Sunday's a comin'!"
Amen! God is bigger than the boogie man, than the ocean, even than death. Nothing can seperate me from the love of God. He is all powerful, all loving, just and merciful. Why does He love me? Who knows. But I am so grateful for that love and grace.
To conclude, another great song I adore:
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