This week is fearful and confusing for Christ-followers, as
we seek to walk with Jesus in the last days of his life on earth. Yes, the resurrection is coming, but we
first experience the terrifying, bewildering events in the last days of Jesus’
life on earth. Unfortunately, most
followers take the easy skip from the Palm Sunday parade to the Easter
resurrection. Can’t say I blame
them.
Who wants to see your beloved Teacher arrested on trumped-up
charges, betrayed by a friend, and deserted by the rest of the so-called
followers? The trial scenes in the
temple or Herod’s place are not easy.
The sight of Jesus’ being beaten is heart-breaking for us helpless
followers, at least those of us who dared to watch the whips snapping up the
lines of blood on his back. (This
was the R-rated part of The Passion movie.) Then they put that crown of thorns on his head to mock Him,
& one guard actually spit on Him.
The soldiers forced Him to carry his cross on the road
leading outside the city, until He fell down, too weak to get up, when a
bystander is drafted to carry it the rest of the way. Some of us followed the long, winding road to the hill
outside Jerusalem where He was nailed to a cross like a rotten criminal left to
die a slow, excruciating death.
With the crowd there, we watched the last hours of life slowly drain
from his body in agony.
This week, we’re challenged to deny ourselves and stand up
for our beloved Jesus, but like the disciples, we fail, we deny the Master,
desert Him when authorities make Him suffer. But don’t give up; keep walking with and following Him. This hard, dark path leads to good. Pray to God for strength and courage. Ask the Savior to forgive your
failures. Seek the Spirit amidst
other followers.
It’s sad that some churches have no service on Good Friday
(which was actually Black Friday or Death Friday) or Maundy Thursday. How can we have a new life without
experiencing the death of our Master or ourselves? Read Matthew 26:17 – 27:44 or John 18:28 – 19:37. A short version can be found in Mark
15: 1-39.
This Thursday is Maundy Thursday - that last night in the upper
room, when the Teacher washed his followers’ feet, shared the bread and the
cup, and his last words. Maundy Thursday gets its
name from the Latin word mandatum,
which means "commandment." Near the end of the Last Supper, the
Teacher said, "A new commandment I give unto you: That you love one
another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another." (John 13:34)
If you do not attend a church,
you’re welcome to come to First Presbyterian Church, Hugo; our Maundy Thursday
service will begin at 7 PM. The
service will include communion, chimes music, Scriptures and songs on the path
to the Cross.
There's a brief scene in Mel Gibson's Passion movie that I like. It's an extra-Biblical snippet, not anti-Biblical, but extra-. In other words consistent with the biblical story, but made up. So take it for what it's worth.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, Jesus has taken the typical Mel Gibson R-rated beating for quita a while (that part's probably pretty accurate), and he stumbles carrying his cross. His mother is there. Utterly exhausted, blood pouring from his crown of thorns, he has a glint in his eye and says "I'm making all things new." (She hasn't got a clue.)