Tag Archives: Easter

The Week that Was -The Betrayal

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For thirty pieces of silver Judas Iscariot helped send Jesus to the cross, and then hung himself for this dastardly deed.

Luke 22New International Version (NIV)

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

22 Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, 2 and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people. 3 Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve.4 And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. 5 They were delighted and agreed to give him money. 6 He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present.

Matthew 26:45–50, Christ is betrayed

The Week that Was – Parable of the Tenants

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With a few days left to live Jesus continues to preach and teach.

Luke 20:9-16 New International Version (NIV)

The Parable of the Tenants

9 He went on to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time.10 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed.12 He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out.

13 “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.’

14 “But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’15 So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

“What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.”

When the people heard this, they said, “God forbid!”

The Week that Was – Jesus at the Temple

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Following Palm Sunday, Jesus went to the temple and found it being used as a marketplace. At this point he had less than a week to live.

Jesus at the Temple

45 When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling. 46 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be a house of prayer’[c]; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’[d]”

47 Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him. 48 Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words.

Only Time Will Tell

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Watching my great-grandchildren scampering around with their Easter baskets, hunting for the goodies left by the bunny who hops around only once a year unlike most bunnies, I had a deja vu experience.

In my mind’s eye, I was the little hunter, then my children, and their children, and now my children’s children were gathering the hidden treasures. Had I really lived through four generations of yearly Easter egg hunts? Yes…and the realization was like Easter itself…a surge of renewal. I came alive to the sights and sounds of these delighted children and realized that because I live, they live. It was a humbling moment that carried me through the passage of time.

Will these blessed little beings one day watch their children’s children’s children share the joy of Easter? Only time will tell.

“…and may you live to see your children’s children.” Psalms 128:6

 

 

 

 

What’s So Good about Good Friday?

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My claim to Christianity suffers much in my day to day life of trying to live up to the ideals of this religion. However, when it comes to the life and death and resurrection of Jesus, I am in awe.

Did Jesus die on a Friday? Does anyone really know? The scholars do, I’m sure, but I am not among the scholarly, and so, because I believe my early teachings, I accept that Friday it was. But what is so good about Good Friday if that was the day Jesus died his atoning death…because it was a brutal death…not good by any stretch of the imagination?

The good comes in looking forward to Easter Sunday, the day of Resurrection, that promised third day when life is restored to Jesus, the one who restored so many lives in bygone days, and died to restore so many more. What Joseph said to his brothers in Genesis 50:20: “You intended to harm me but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” comes to my mind when I think of that dreadful day of crucifixion. God intended it for good. Hence…Good Friday, the precursor to Easter Sunday.

God Bless and Happy Easter.

 

Who is He?

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While little ones are scampering to fill their baskets with coloured eggs  left by that rascally bunny;  while tiny, yellow, peeping chicks are being fondled, and while hot-cross buns are being enjoyed along with that first cup of steaming coffee…let us not forget Him.

He was born to save us. (Matthew 1:21)

He lived to save us. (Luke 19:10)

He died to save us. (John 3:16)

He lives again to save us. (Romans 19:9)

Who is He?

He is Jesus.

He is the reason for the season!

Wishing everyone a blessed and happy Easter Day.

A Time to Rend

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A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; (Ecclesiastes 3:7)

For some reason that word rend always reminds me of Easter and the day of the Crucifixion when “the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom” (Mark 15:38) because rend means tear. There was a reason for that tearing and the rend was never to be sewn. There is a time to sew, but that was not the time.

How many times have we said something we wished we hadn’t? And how many times have we not spoken out when we should have? It’s that simple…a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; both in King Solomon’s time and in ours.

Tomorrow: A Time to Love