Then on the third day as dawn broke, Jesus rose from the dead, conquering sin and death he rises from the tomb!
The two Mary’s make their way to the tomb to pay their respects and they take spices to put on Jesus’ body. But when they get there, Matthew 28 says this: Continue reading
Today’s the day my Jesus traveled to the cross. Officials couldn’t find his guilt but the crowd called for his crucifixion, he was mocked and made fun of, stripped, beaten, whipped, disfigured and a crown of thorns was rammed on his head. He was barely recognisable by the time he reached Golgotha (the place of the skull, where criminals were crucified) and then he was nailed to the wood and raised to be displayed to the onlookers. And yet, he still loved them, he still loved me.
On that cross he took the punishment that should have been mine. He took all sin, past, present and future, onto himself. He became a sacrifice for me to restore my relationship with God. So that when I was born years later a gift was already in place that all I needed to do was accept, the gift is life. But he did this not just for me – the gift is yours too, if you accept it.
When God made man in the beginning he never intended us to die, death was a symptom of that first sin in the garden and all of the sin since. The punishment for sin was death, that’s why before Jesus’ death and resurrection when people sinned they would sacrifice an animal to account for the sin.
But Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice, for all of us.
…. But the story isn’t over, Jesus didn’t remain dead. Friday night his body was taken and sealed into a borrowed tomb, surrounded by Roman guards.
To be continued…
It’s Friday, but Sunday is coming!
Today is the day my Jesus was betrayed. He was sold out for 30 silver pieces. Before he chose to go to the cross he left us with a way of remembering him a way to honour and acknowledge the sacrifice he made for us, all of us.
As he ate with the disciples that night, the night he was betrayed, he knew Judas would betray him, he knew Peter would deny he even knew him, he knew the other disciples would scatter out of fear, yet he still loved them.
After they had eaten Jesus took some bread and thanked God, his father, for it, he then broke it up into pieces and shared it round the disciples saying ‘Take, eat, this is my body.’
He then took a cup of wine thanked his father for it and told them to drink it, ‘this is my blood… poured out for the forgiveness of sins.’
What did he mean? His body? His blood? He meant this, the bread represented what was going to happen to his body, it would be broken, he would die. The wine represented his blood and how it would pour out of his body, taking his life, he became the final sacrifice for our sins.
But the best part of what happened was he didn’t stay dead! (That’s the best bit of Easter!)
Jesus told his disciples to share the bread and wine together as an act of remembrance until he returns, that’s why we take communion together today, to remember what Jesus did for us on the cross, to thank him for it, it’s an act of worship.
After they had shared communion together they sang a hymn of worship then left to go to the garden of Gethsemane. There Jesus prayed, He knew what was ahead of Him, He knew the journey he had to take. The journey to the cross.
Maundy Thursday – The last day Jesus would spend with his disciples before his death.
#crossequalslove
Trust without borders 