Today starts Holy week. This week we will be posting these short videos every day as we track Jesus' march toward the cross and resurrection. We encourage you to watch them, but also to grab your Bible and read the passages for yourself.
Many of us know the Easter story by heart, but we pray that through these videos and the related text, God would open your eyes and hearts to His great love for you this Passion week. May you read and watch with fresh eyes and great expectation.
In between the famous events of Passion Week, like Palm Sunday, Jesus on the cross, and the resurrection, Jesus walked the earth and interacted with many people. Each of these conversations and interactions were part of the ultimate story, that Jesus is Lord! We invite you to join us as we read the pages of Scripture to study the final days of Jesus.
This week we have been tracking the final days of Jesus, but there is another storyline that is happening too. People are taking notice of Jesus, His teachings, and His following, and they begin to plot to do something about it.
On Thursday, one of the events that Jesus participated in was the Last Supper. Jesus and his disciples were celebrating the Passover meal as they remembered God’s deliverance from Egypt. Our prayer, as you’ve walked through this journey this week, is that you’ve been reminded of God’s faithfulness in your life by sending Jesus to be the great rescuer in your life.
Do you see now why the cross is so significant? What happened on the cross was so much more than a bare man dying on a wooden post on the side of the road in a nondescript part of the world. This was the holy God of the universe giving His Son to die our death, endure our condemnation, and suffer our separation so that we could be declared righteous and welcomed into His presence.
Saturday is quiet. We don’t know much about what was happening during this time. Imagine you were one of His followers. The person you had left everything to follow, was dead. You would be left wondering, “Now what?” You would be wondering if the things He taught were true, and if the things He said would happen would truly happen. Take some time to reflect upon those thoughts today. Feel the weight of the crucifixion. Feel the hopelessness that sought to creep in as the One in whom they’d put all their hope, was laying in a tomb completely lifeless.
He is RISEN! Our prayer for you today is that you will feel the excitement and promise of that simple phrase. Jesus, our Savior, has paid the price for our sins on the cross, and is not dead, He is ALIVE (just as He said He would)! The resurrection changes everything! We get to know and serve a risen Savior, and that is something to get excited about! Happy Easter!