THIS IS HOLY WEEK. THE FINAL DAYS LEADING UP TO THE
RESURRECTION MORNING, OR EASTER SUNDAY, AS IT IS MORE
POPULARLY KNOWN.
SADLY, MOST PAY LITTLE OR NO ATTENTION TO WHAT ACTUALLY
LED UP TO "EASTER". THEY ARE SO BUSY, RUNNING AROUND,
GETTING NEW OUTFITS FOR CHURCH ON SUNDAY, BUYING
CANDY AND PUTTING TOGETHER BASKETS FULL OF CANDY AND
TOYS FOR THE KIDS, AND COLORING EASTER EGGS, AND
PLANNING A BIG SUNDAY DINNER FOR THE FAMILY, THEY'VE
TOTALLY LOST SIGHT OF WHAT CHRIST WAS GOING THROUGH,
AND WHAT HE WAS PREPARING TO DO FOR US, 2000 YEARS
AGO THIS WEEK.
HE KNEW WHAT AWAITED HIM IN JERUSALEM, AND YET HE SET
HIS FACE LIKE FLINT TO GO THERE, AND BE GOD'S PERFECT
LAMB.
HE SENT AHEAD FOR A DONKEY TO RIDE IN ON, AND IT WAS
THERE, JUST AS HE SAID IT WOULD BE, AND HE RODE IN TO
PALM BRANCHES AND CRIES OF HOSANNA! WELCOMING HIM.
ONCE AGAIN, HE SENT AHEAD FOR THE ROOM TO BE PREPARED
FOR THE LAST SUPPER, OR PASSOVER FEAST, OF CHRIST WITH
HIS FOLLOWERS, WHICH IN THE CHRISTIAN CALENDAR, IS
TONIGHT, THE NIGHT IN WHICH CHRIST SPENDS IN THE GARDEN
OF GETHSEMANE,WHEN WE ARE TOLD HE PRAYED SO HARD
THAT GOD DASH THIS HORRIBLE CUP FROM HIM, AND SWEAT
BLOOD IN DOING SO, AND FINALLY YIELDED TO THE FATHER. WAS
TAKEN BY THE ROMAN GUARDS, BETRAYED BY JUDAS AND
ALSO DENIED BY PETER, AND SPENT THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS
BEING TRIED, SCOURGED, TORTURED, AND MOCKED,
ABANDONED BY THOSE WHO PROFESSED TO LOVE HIM, AND
ALL IN SILENCE, WITH NO WORD IN HIS OWN DEFENSE, SUCH
AS A LAMB, BEING LED TO THE SLAUGHTER.
(AND YOU THOUGHT YOU'VE HAD A BAD DAY!?)
THE BIBLE SAYS HE HAD LEGIONS OF ANGELS SET ROUND HIM
TO RESPOND, SHOULD HE CRY OUT, SET TO KEEP HIM FROM
DASHING HIS FOOT AGAINST A ROCK, BUT HE DID NOT CALL
UPON THE HEAVENLY HOSTS, BECAUSE HE LOOKED DOWN
THROUGH THE AGES,AND HE SAW YOU, AND HE SAW ME,
AND HE LOVED US, AND WANTED TO SET US FREE FROM THE
LAW OF SIN AND DEATH, AND BLOOD SACRIFICE WAS THE
ONLY WAY.
SO, PERHAPS, THURSDAY WAS THE MOST HOLY DAY.
BUT, WHAT ABOUT THE ACTUAL SACRIFICE? SO STRANGELY
CALLED "GOOD FRIDAY?"
THE DAY THAT MIMICKED THE TEMPLE SACRIFICES?
AFTER CARRYING HIS OWN CROSS TO THE SITE, HE WAS
NAILED TO IT.
AT 9 A.M., THE TIME OF THE MORNING SACRIFICE, HE WAS
LIFTED UP, AND THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB CAME STREAMING
DOWN, JUST AS IT WAS STREAMING IN THE TEMPLE, BY THE
VERY PRIESTS WHO HAD CONSPIRED TO HAVE HIM DELIVERED
TO PILATE.
AND, AT 3P.M.,THE TIME OF THE EVENING SACRIFICE, HE DIED,
AFTER SAYING," IT IS FINISHED " AT THE SAME TIME THE
PRIESTS WOULD HAVE BEEN SAYING IT IS FINISHED, IN THE
TEMPLE...NOW, YOU CAN'T PLAN A THING LIKE THAT UNLESS YOU
HAVE THE ABILITY TO LAY DOWN YOUR LIFE WHENEVER YOU
CHOOSE, WHICH, OF COURSE IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.
NO MAN TOOK JESUS LIFE, HE LAID IT DOWN FREELY.
HE MUST HAVE HELD THAT THOUGHT FIRMLY IN HIS MIND
AS HIS CAPTORS CRUSHED THAT CROWN OF THORNS INTO
HIS SCALP, RIPPED HIS BEARD FROM HIS FACE WITH THEIR
CRUEL HANDS, AND SHREDDED HIS BACK WITH THE CAT-O-NINE
TAILS.
AND THROUGHOUT IT ALL, CHRIST ENDEAVORED TO FULFILL
EVERY PROPHESY CONCERNING THE COMING MESSIAH, AND
HE DID. RIGHT DOWN TO THE FACT THAT THEY DID NOT
BREAK HIS LEGS, AS THEY DID MOST OTHERS. THE SABBATH
WAS COMING, AND THE CHURCH LEADERS TOLD THEM,
HASTEN THEIR DEATHS, SO THEY COULD BE TAKEN DOWN AND
BURIED BEFORE THE SABBATH.
BUT JESUS HAD ALREADY COMMENDED HIS SPIRIT TO HIS
HEAVENLY FATHER, AND " GAVE UP THE GHOST", AND SO
IT WAS NOT NECESSARY.
SO, PERHAPS FRIDAY WAS THE MOST HOLY DAY?
OR, MAYBE IT WAS SATURDAY, WHEN CHRIST WAS IN PARADISE,
REDEEMING THE RIGHTEOUS WHO "SLEPT IN ABRAHAM'S
BOSOM"?
BUT SUNDAY, THE DAY OF RESURRECTION IS THE DAY MOST
OF CHRISTENDOM HAS FIXATED UPON TO CHOOSE AS THE
HOLIEST DAY.
THE DAY CHRIST ROSE FROM THE DEAD, AND SHOWED HIMSELF
ALIVE TO THOSE OF HIS FOLLOWERS WHO REMAINED.
THE DAY OF TRIUMPH OVER THE GRAVE! YES, IT IS GLORIOUS!
PROOF POSITIVE THAT HE WAS IN FACT, THE REDEEMER,
SO THAT NOW, ALL HIS FOLLOWERS COULD IN CONFIDENCE
GO AND PREACH THE GOOD NEWS, THAT THE MESSIAH HAD
COME.
AND SUNDAY IS INDEED A MOST HOLY DAY.
BUT LET US NOT FORGET, THAT IT IS BY THE SHEDDING OF HIS
BLOOD THAT WE ARE SAVED.
SO, GOOD FRIDAY, IN BETWEEN ALL ELSE, STOP FOR A MOMENT,
AT NINE A.M. AND AGAIN, AT THREE P.M. AND THINK OF HIS
PASSION, HIS PAIN, HIS SACRIFICE.
AND GIVE THANKS.
THE WHOLE WEEK IS HOLY, BUT FRIDAY, IS WHEN HE DID
THE DEED.
OUI?
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