Christian Reflection and Prayer

As Christmas is celebrating Jesus' birth, Easter is celebrating Jesus' victory
over death and mankind's hope for eternal life.
The highlights behind the Easter story include Jesus' execution, His burial
and, most importantly, His rising from death.
The account of Jesus' rising from death was recorded in the most authoritative
historical records, the Gospel books: Three days after His death, a few women
first found His tomb empty. Then Jesus appeared in front of these women and His
disciples, talking and eating with them. Out of doubts still, one disciple did not believe
Jesus was alive again until he actually touched Jesus' fatal wounds. In the following
forty days, hundreds of people witnessed this Jesus who had returned from death
until He ascended to Heaven.
Before His death, Jesus had promised eternal life to those who followed Him.
If the story ended at His death, Jesus would have been no more than a religious
figure with a finite life span. But the fact the Jesus rose from death demonstrated
He has the power over death, and only through Him can people have hope for
eternal life. Jesus said, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and
only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
JESUSCENTRAL.COM    

This Friday of Holy Week is the day that is called “Good Friday". It was a bad Friday
for Jesus, since He suffered unbearable pain and anguish on that day. But it was a
good Friday for us, since all of our sins were atoned for by His suffering and death.
On Good Friday He hung suspended on the cross for 6 hours, including those dark
afternoon hours. About 3:00 PM Jesus said in a loud voice, “It is finished!” (Jn 19: 30).

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Judas Betrays Jesus
Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and agitated. Then he said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me.” And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.” Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “So, could you not stay awake with me one hour? Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again he went away for the second time and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” Again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words. Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand.”

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Scripture:

"They will come and bind themselves to the Lord
in an everlasting covenant"  (Jeremiah 50: 5)  NIV

I bind unto myself today
The power of God to hold and lead.
His eye to wach.  His might to stay.
His ear to hearken to my need.
The wisdom of my God to teach.
His hand to guide.  His shield to ward;
The word of God to give me speech.
His heavenly host to be my guard.

I bind unto myself the name.
The strong name of the Trinity.
By invocation of the same
The Three in One and one in Three.
Of whom all nature hath creation;
Eternal Father, Spirit, Word;
Praise to the Lord of my salvation.
Salvation is of CHRIST the LORD.

Patrick, Apostle of Ireland

PALM SUNDAY

Scripture:

The next day the great that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was
coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out
to meet him, shouting,
 
"Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord-
the King of Israel!"

Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it;  as it is written:
"Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion.
Look, your King is coming,
sitting on a donkey's colt"

His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus
was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been
written of him and had been done to him. So the crowd that been
with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from
the dead continued to testify.  It was also because they heard that he
had performed this sign that the crowd went to meet him.
'The Pharisees then said to one another. "You see, you can do
nothing.  Look, the world has gone after him!

What Does Palm Sunday Mean?

"Jesus chose to enter Jerusalem riding on a donkey a colt. There is no doubt it
was a deliberate symbol. Was it to poke fun at the pretentions of the powerful?
Would they be expecting the Messiah to ride a white horse into the city?

But it is the donkey that speaks most powerfully of the ministry of Jesus.
He always seemed to choose the weak and the lowly as the symbols of his calling.
The lamb and the sheep, the dove and the donkey are all weak and powerless creatures.

By his action, Jesus was saying something about power and powerlessness.
The humility of his action stands in contrast to the crowd's expectation of him
as a conqueror. In the entry to Jerusalem, God is identified with the poor rather
than the rich, with the humble against the proud, with those who love against those
who hate, with peace against war. All the virtues which we tend to see as weak are
the ones which he claims to be strong. He gives up power and in his powerlessness
shows the greater strength.

In many Bible commentaries, this event is described as "the triumphal entry".
This statement is a complete misnomer. It arose in medieval times when the church
was obsessed with temporal power.

The truth is lost if we associate this event with triumphalism. Jesus entered Jerusalem
with all the symbols of simple humility. His actions were a mockery of the things
the world associates with power.

But it is in his humility that real strength resides. In his weakness is our strength."

Ron O'Grady
Aotearoa/New Zealand
From: The Bible Through Asian Eyes
 

Scripture:

Exodus 12:1-4, (5-10), 11-14
Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
John 13:1-17, 31b-35


Maundy Thursday Meditation....

He gathered around the table for a festive meal with his friends. Suddenly without warning,
he got up from the table, wrapped a towel around his waist, took a basin of water and
assumed the role of a servant washing the guest's dusty feet. His friends could barely
stand it and protested loudly. Could it be that the man with wet hands and a damp towel
did not understand the meaning of the Passover meal? Or could it be that he understood
better than anyone else? Could it have been that he was telling them he would empty
himself and take on the role of a servant even unto death for them, for us? Could it be
that he was announcing that this meal, the water and the wine, would all too soon become
 a symbol of salvation, celebration, and call to servant ministry in his name?

From 'Table Talk'

Scripture:

"You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and
then you see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
(Matthew 7:5)

Have you ever noticed this:  If you ask a question, or if someone asks
you a question to describe someone else, you almost always begin
with negative characteristics about that person.  It really uncanny how
often that happens.  It happened to me not long ago.  I was asked to write
a recommendation for someone I knew.  This as a personal recommendation
specifically asking about this persons characteristics.  I noticed, as I
was writing, I was beginning, right off, to speak negative about this person.
This Matthew 7:5 verse immediately flashed in my mind. I thought, "Kim
you hypocrite, do you honestly think with all the logs in your eyes, you
need to show the few specks in his eyes!"  It was time to take a second
look at what I was doing.  My question is this:  Don't you think it's time
to take a second look at your relationships and the logs in your own eyes?

Prayer:

Oh Lord help me to take care of the logs in my own eyes, there are
many.  God help me to always leave judgment to you.  THANK YOU GOD
FOR BEING GOD.

Quote:

The true hypocrite is the one who ceases to perceive his deception, the one who lies with sincerity”

The pickle jar as far back as I can remember sat on the floor beside the
dresser in my parents' bedroom. When he got ready for bed, Dad would
empty his pockets and toss his coins into the jar.

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A psalm of David.
 1 O LORD, our Lord,
       how majestic is your name in all the earth!
       You have set your glory
       above the heavens.

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