I have Secondary Progressive MS and have lived with the disease for twenty seven years. I have been under the care of a physician and neurologist for the past thirteen years. To this day, the only treatment that I have received is medication to relieve pain. Every two weeks, $300 is spent at the Pharmacist. I take high levels of…
John 20:1-10John 20:1-10
English: World English Bible - WEB
20
1 Now on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went early, while it was still dark, to the tomb, and saw the stone taken away from the tomb.
2 Therefore she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have laid him!”
3 Therefore Peter and the other disciple went out, and they went toward the tomb.
4 They both ran together. The other disciple outran Peter, and came to the tomb first.
5 Stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths lying, yet he didn’t enter in.
6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and entered into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying,
7 and the cloth that had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths, but rolled up in a place by itself.
8 So then the other disciple who came first to the tomb also entered in, and he saw and believed.
9 For as yet they didn’t know the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.
10 So the disciples went away again to their own homes.
WP-Bible plugin – I love hearing the response to the most significant phrase in the history of Christianity. As a Pastor, I would call out to the congregation each Easter Sunday, “He is risen!” the response was the confirmation, “He is risen indeed!!” I have never become complacent with that phrase because it strikes the very core of my entire belief system and the values that shape my life. There are reasons to shout it with passion. Every reason validates it’s reality.
Billions live without the confirmation. Someone needs to tell them.
There are those that want to disprove the reality. They sound like fools in the process. The Devil himself is the courtroom plaintiff holding his best charge against the resurrection.
“He didn’t really die!” is his best argument. “Jesus merely fainted from the physical and emotional trauma and later revived in the coolness of the tomb. While there he regained strength and pushed back the large stone that sealed the tomb’s entrance.”
With that the Devil sits down and gives a foul grin to the defense – you.
Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus prepared the body of Jesus for a proper burial. These two men would have carefully taken Jesus down from the cross. They wept as they released his arms and feet from the spikes against the timbers. They cleaned his body. Long linen strips were stuffed with 100lbs of a gummy mixture as they turned and wrapped Jesus body until he was hidden inside this cast. The mixture was hardening as they left the tomb. Guards stood as a 2 1/2 ton disk shaped rock fell into the place that would secure and seal the entrance. Plaster is placed on the seal and Caesar’s seal is stamped upon it to warn any person that would darn break the seal.
The jaw that held the foul grin drops. A single picture has been shown by the defence – no words spoken. The rock has exploded into a thousand pieces and neatly folded linens are laid in place of the body.
HE IS RISEN!!
What’s my point? Today, many people believe in what is referred to as the “swoon” theory – as described above. You need to believe the truth with passion and tell one from the billions that don’t know it.
Luke 23:46Luke 23:46
English: World English Bible - WEB
46 Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” Having said this, he breathed his last.
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During Passion week our thoughts are often set on the physical suffering of Jesus. It is true that no matter how hard we try, our words cannot clearly describe the extent of Jesus suffering. It is also true that if our attention is only on the physical aspects of Jesus’ final hours on earth, we just might miss the greatest meaning of all.
When we pause to remember today’s events in Jesus’ final week, the words that come to mind may be: Agony, torture, humiliation. And just maybe, the most important word picture of all is Satisfaction.
Let me explain.
Remember the last moments of Jesus on the cross? “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And the Father welcomed him with loving satisfaction.
Throughout this last day we see Jesus in frequent communication with the Father.
The point can be made: Jesus never lost communication with His Father, regardless of the circumstance. It is often is it different with us.
During the recent hours, a host of individuals had unscrupulously put their hands on the Son of God. He was slapped, whipped, pushed, tortured and abused. At last he was in his Father’s hands, embrace by the loving arms of God where there was safety, security, comfort, love and acceptance.
Satisfaction!
“Father, I completed the work you sent me to do.” “It is finished.” “Father, I have completed the plan to bring man back into a relationship with you.”
My Point: Jesus voluntarily gave up His life to satisfy the Father’s plan and desire; to bring man back to Him. Satisfaction!
Lift your face heavenward and express an overwhelming thanks to our loving Heavenly Father. The debt of our sin has been cancelled, satisfied.
John 17:1John 17:1
English: World English Bible - WEB
17
1 Jesus said these things, and lifting up his eyes to heaven, he said, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may also glorify you;
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It’s early Friday morning, about 1:00am.
Jesus and 11 of his disciples have left the upper room where the Passover meal was celebrated. They walk across town toward the Eastern Gate which would lead them to the Garden of Gethsemane. Along the way they have to pass through the temple courts and by the altar where lambs have been sacrificed, their blood poured on the altar as an offering to God.
I need for you to think on what they must have seen.
The number of lambs slain for the Passover was immense. A census was taken thirty years after Jesus ascension to heaven – the number of sheep slain was 256,000. (And yes, I double checked that number.) No doubt Jesus has seen this many times, but today he has chosen to be THE SACRIFICIAL LAMB for the sins of the entire world.
Does Jesus pause to take in this scene?
From the altar, down to the brook Kedron, a channel has been excavated; developed to allow the blood of the Passover lambs to drain away. No doubt the brook is still red. Jesus walks down that very slope and over the brook. He sees the blood that has been shed as an offering to God. Does Jesus stop to ponder the words that he has just prayed? “The time has come. Glorify your Son” (John 17:1John 17:1
English: World English Bible - WEB
17
1 Jesus said these things, and lifting up his eyes to heaven, he said, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may also glorify you;
WP-Bible plugin). Jesus, the Son of God, Deity, the name that is above every name continues on the path to the olive garden.
What’s my Point: While the image of this scene may be grotesque for us to visualize; pause for a moment and know that Jesus saw all this, knowing his blood will be shed this very day as God’s perfect sacrifice. There were moments when Jesus could have called it all off but he continued so that you and I could be reconciled to God. What’s my point? Jesus’ intense love for you. He continued because of you and me. There’s not a better time to reconfirm your love and devotion back to him, our Lamb of God.
”Thank you Lord………(finish that sentence)
Luke 20:20-26Luke 20:20-26
English: World English Bible - WEB
20 They watched him, and sent out spies, who pretended to be righteous, that they might trap him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the power and authority of the governor.
21 They asked him, “Teacher, we know that you say and teach what is right, and aren’t partial to anyone, but truly teach the way of God.
22 Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”
23 But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, “Why do you test me?
24 Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?”
They answered, “Caesar’s.”
25 He said to them, “Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
26 They weren’t able to trap him in his words before the people. They marveled at his answer, and were silent.
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A funny thing happened in the Temple Courts. It all started when the religious authorities sent some of their best debaters in to trick Jesus in a mental game. Think on that one a moment. The creator of our universe on one side of the debate table – on the others side the created. The odds in Vegas were not that great.
First a little background. The stuff you may not know.
The Jewish people were forbidden to have in their possession any image to worship. The last thing they would do was to bring such an image or idol into the temple. Only a few years earlier soldiers came into Jerusalem with great banners in hand with the image of Caesar on them. They attached them to the Antonia Fortress next to the Temple. The Jews were incensed with anger and were willing to die if they would not be taken down.
The problem? Caesar was worshipped as a deity. With his image facing the temple, they had to look at this idol every time they entered the temple of the Lord. The banners were relocated in order to avert a riot.
Back to the story. Jesus is teaching people while in the Temple Courts. Spies from the Religious Department approach Jesus and asked him if it was “lawful to pay taxes to Caesar 
or not”. (chuckle, sneer)
I love how Jesus responds! “Show me a Denarius” and one of the men reaches in his cloak and pulls one out. Big mistake. Jesus specifically asked for a Denarius because it had upon it the image of Caesar – to the Jew it was considered an idol and one of the accusers has brought it into the temple courts. Caught! “Then give to Caesar the things that belong to him and give to God what belongs to him.” End of story. Hypocrisy exposed.
Here’s my point: If Jesus would ask you to give to God what belongs to God, what would you give? What are you holding in your pockets?
This is Passion Week. Pray that the Holy Spirit would show you aspects of your life that you are withholding from God. It all belongs to him.
Matthew 21:12-16Matthew 21:12-16
English: World English Bible - WEB
12 Jesus entered into the temple of God, and drove out all of those who sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the money-changers’ tables and the seats of those who sold the doves.
13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers!”
14 The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.
15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children who were crying in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the son of David!” they were indignant,
16 and said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?”
Jesus said to them, “Yes. Did you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing babies you have perfected praise?’”
WP-Bible plugin, Exodus 12:1-51Exodus 12:1-51
English: World English Bible - WEB
12
1 Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,
2 “This month shall be to you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year to you.
3 Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth day of this month, they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household;
4 and if the household be too little for a lamb, then he and his neighbor next to his house shall take one according to the number of the souls; according to what everyone can eat you shall make your count for the lamb.
5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You shall take it from the sheep, or from the goats:
6 and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month; and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at evening.
7 They shall take some of the blood, and put it on the two side-posts and on the lintel, on the houses in which they shall eat it.
8 They shall eat the flesh in that night, roasted with fire, and unleavened bread. They shall eat it with bitter herbs.
9 Don’t eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted with fire; with its head, its legs and its inner parts.
10 You shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; but that which remains of it until the morning you shall burn with fire.
11 This is how you shall eat it: with your waist girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste: it is Yahweh’s Passover.
12 For I will go through the land of Egypt in that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and animal. Against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am Yahweh.
13 The blood shall be to you for a token on the houses where you are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and there shall no plague be on you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.
14 This day shall be to you for a memorial, and you shall keep it a feast to Yahweh: throughout your generations you shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever.
15 Seven days shall you eat unleavened bread; even the first day you shall put away yeast out of your houses, for whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.
16 In the first day there shall be to you a holy convocation, and in the seventh day a holy convocation; no manner of work shall be done in them, except that which every man must eat, that only may be done by you.
17 You shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this same day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall you observe this day throughout your generations by an ordinance forever.
18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty first day of the month at evening.
19 Seven days shall there be no yeast found in your houses, for whoever eats that which is leavened, that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a foreigner, or one who is born in the land.
20 You shall eat nothing leavened. In all your habitations you shall eat unleavened bread.’”
21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said to them, “Draw out, and take lambs according to your families, and kill the Passover.
22 You shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two side-posts with the blood that is in the basin; and none of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning.
23 For Yahweh will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when he sees the blood on the lintel, and on the two side-posts, Yahweh will pass over the door, and will not allow the destroyer to come in to your houses to strike you.
24 You shall observe this thing for an ordinance to you and to your sons forever.
25 It shall happen when you have come to the land which Yahweh will give you, according as he has promised, that you shall keep this service.
26 It will happen, when your children ask you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’
27 that you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of Yahweh’s Passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians, and spared our houses.’”
The people bowed their heads and worshiped.
28 The children of Israel went and did so; as Yahweh had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.
29 It happened at midnight, that Yahweh struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.
30 Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead.
31 He called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, “Rise up, get out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel; and go, serve Yahweh, as you have said!
32 Take both your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also!”
33 The Egyptians were urgent with the people, to send them out of the land in haste, for they said, “We are all dead men.”
34 The people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading-troughs being bound up in their clothes on their shoulders.
35 The children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they asked of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and clothing.
36 Yahweh gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. They despoiled the Egyptians.
37 The children of Israel traveled from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot who were men, besides children.
38 A mixed multitude went up also with them, with flocks, herds, and even very much cattle.
39 They baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt; for it wasn’t leavened, because they were thrust out of Egypt, and couldn’t wait, neither had they prepared for themselves any food.
40 Now the time that the children of Israel lived in Egypt was four hundred thirty years.
41 It happened at the end of four hundred thirty years, even the same day it happened, that all the armies of Yahweh went out from the land of Egypt.
42 It is a night to be much observed to Yahweh for bringing them out from the land of Egypt. This is that night of Yahweh, to be much observed of all the children of Israel throughout their generations.
43 Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the ordinance of the Passover. There shall no foreigner eat of it,
44 but every man’s servant who is bought for money, when you have circumcised him, then shall he eat of it.
45 A foreigner and a hired servant shall not eat of it.
46 In one house shall it be eaten; you shall not carry forth anything of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall you break a bone of it.
47 All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.
48 When a stranger shall live as a foreigner with you, and will keep the Passover to Yahweh, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one who is born in the land: but no uncircumcised person shall eat of it.
49 One law shall be to him who is born at home, and to the stranger who lives as a foreigner among you.”
50 Thus did all the children of Israel. As Yahweh commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.
51 It happened the same day, that Yahweh brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.
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The Passover Celebration began the day that the children of Israel were preparing to escape from their life of slavery in Egypt. God instructed each family to take a perfect male lamb and on the 14th day of the month, at sundown, they were to kill the lamb publicly, so that all could witness it. Then they were to personally take some of the blood to smear it on the door post of their home. On the two sides and then the top. When the Lord passed over the land to judge them, he would see the blood and pass over that home, withhold judgment.
Here’s where it becomes fascinating.
We all know the story of placing the blood on the doorposts. What we don’t know is that as the blood was applied the blood, it symbolized a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, the letter “chet” 
– and means “life”. It’s amazing to me to know that God would instruct the families to put “life” above them.
Death cannot come to where God has placed life.
Here’s my point: As the children of Israel publicly and personally applied “life” upon themselves, is there not a better time for each of us to reaffirm our devotion to our Lamb of God that has come to give life to all that call him Lord. To apply the blood of Christ over the doorpost of our marriage, family, your church and upon those you know and love. We want to tell our Lord that all that we are and have belongs to Him, the perfect Lamb of God.
Today there are many necklaces that spell the Hebrew word (chai). The reasoning behind this is that the word itself somewhat resembles a lamb, and from this we can say that the “Lamb gives life” when applied to the “doorway of our heart.”
Matthew 21:1Matthew 21:1
English: World English Bible - WEB
21
1 When they drew near to Jerusalem, and came to Bethsphage, TR reads “Bethphage” instead of “Bethsphage” to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,
WP-Bible plugin–27
It seems easy enough. Just add Jesus to the equation of my life. My interests + my friends + Jesus + my family + going to Church + my career = a Christian life made easy. That way I get my life and heaven too.
There was a day in Jesus life when he entered the temple courts in Jerusalem and saw people that were continuing their lives as usual. The only difference was that they had added religion to their lives but even this was for their own gain. “Being part of this crowd can only be to my benefit” was likely on some of their minds.
Not much has changed over the years. We are content to be part of the Christian crowd for lots of reasons. Our friends might be there, it’s a good things for the kids, I’ve done it all my life and why change now. I like the music and even the Pastor has some good things to say about life. Basically, my life + Jesus.
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