A daily look at the last days of Jesus.
April 1, 2021
April Thoughts
Spring is here - April is here - Easter is here. What a wonderful time of the year!
We have entered a season that is full of newness. The days are thankfully longer and warmer. Sunshine and blue skies replace the dark and cloudy skies of winter. Trees that were empty now fill with new leaves, grass that has been brown now changes to green, and plants that haven’t been seen for months now burst forth out of the ground. Newness surrounds us — hope springs anew!
In 1 Timothy 1:1 we read this statement - “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope.” Paul declares that his calling as an apostle (literally, “one sent on a mission”) was by the command of God and because of Jesus Christ being our hope!
This hope is evident in three ways: 1) in the past - our hope for salvation was purchased through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1-2) which we celebrate during the Easter season; 2) in the present - our hope to be daily changed by the indwelling work of the Spirit of Christ (Colossians 1:27); and 3) in the future - our hope to see Jesus when He comes again (Titus 2:13).
Through this past year where things have been so challenging we need to be reminded that our hope is not in this world but is in Jesus alone. Hope springs anew! Let’s not get distracted by all that is going on around us, but rather let’s keep our eyes looking up and looking ahead. We are not defeated, we are not hopeless, OUR HOPE REMAINS IN JESUS!
March 31, 2021
March 30, 2021
Jesus' Last Week - Tuesday - Confrontation with the Pharisees
A daily look at the last days of Jesus.
March 29, 2021
March 1, 2021
March Thoughts
Welcome to March. A time to perhaps turn a corner. An opportunity for a fresh start.
In the early Roman calendar March was actually the first month in their year since it brought the first day of spring and was therefore recognized as the month of new beginnings. Now, in this third month of our year, we also look for the “new” as we anticipate turning our clocks forward on March 14th so we can enjoy a little more daylight in our evenings (and not wake and go to sleep in the dark). We also get excited about the coming of spring on March 20th. This is a month of promise and preparation.
Promise in that the cold, dark and quiet of winter will turn to increased warmth, abundant light and the sprouts of new growth. Promise that the white snow will melt and the green grass will grow. The barren trees that had long ago shed their colors will once again burst to life and provide a glorious covering of shade.
It’s also preparation. Tasks that were set aside for the winter months are now picked back up again. Items that need repair from the harsh weather are added to the “to-do” list. Vacations are scheduled. Family gatherings are organized.
As is true in our human experience, so in our life with Jesus Christ, there is promise and preparation. This month brings the reminder of a promise. Jesus told his disciples on the way to Jerusalem that “the Son of Man will be…condemned…mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day” (Matthew 20:17-19 ESV). Jesus reminded them that things would be difficult (for Him and for them), but that He would be raised from the dead. The promises of life after death, sin defeated, forgiveness offered, and freedom paid for are all brought to the forefront of our minds during this month. This is good news! Jesus made these promises and He has proven Himself trustworthy. He did what He said He would do! Jesus showed us that He would do everything that was needed to rescue us from our sin and restore us to a right relationship with God.
In light of all this, it is also a time of preparation. As we move toward Easter - Resurrection Sunday - let’s not come to that day without having taken some time to reflect on this wonderful news. It is a time of solemn remembrance - there was great pain and sorrow - but the end result is glorious celebration! Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 15 of the need to reflect on the truth that has been “delivered to you as of first importance...that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4 ESV). Reflect on the fact that “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17 ESV).
The promise and the preparation are necessary. Think on these things in the coming month so when we join together on Resurrection Sunday we can celebrate fully as those who have been given the gift of new life in Jesus Christ!
February 1, 2021
February Thoughts
February is commonly known for love as we have the celebration of Valentine’s Day on the fourteenth of the month. Love is important and necessary. Human interaction and touch are vital for our existence as human beings. Without contact with others (family and friends), we live lives that can be empty and unfulfilled. Since life matters to God and He designed us to walk through this life with others, we dare not miss the importance of our inter-connected lives. We need other people in this life and we need God.
Once again the Greatest Commandment comes in to play here. In Mark 12:28-34 we read about the Pharisees questioning Jesus about which commandment was most important of all the 600+ commandments that were in place at that time. Jesus states that, “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength”. This was the great and first commandment. But Jesus went on to state that there was a second commandment like the first. And this was to “love your neighbor as yourself”. His conclusion, “there is no other commandment greater than these”.
As we reflect on this, we need to be reminded yet again that as followers of Jesus Christ we are to love God and love others. This is not an option, this is our mission. Together, let us honor the One Who has loved us and saved us by fulfilling this mission in our church and in our community.
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