Inspiration and Preparation

Can we rescue at least part of this day to prepare the altars of our hearts as well as the chancels of our churches? As we make last minute adjustments on new suits and dresses and hats, is it possible to adorn our souls and spirits in new beauty?

In many churches Easter services begin shortly after sundown today; some continue all night long and the drama of the first Easter is re-enacted. Dark since Good Friday, the churches spring to light as the candles are lit again and worshipers recall how new life spaked back into the lifeless Form in the borrowed tomb.

"Jesus Lives"

HEARING GOD'S VOICE

"So they (Joseph and Nicodemus) took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews" (John 19:40).

Good Friday is drawing to its close. With the Passover quickly approaching, Pilate orders the legs of the crucified men to be broken so they will die quickly. The legs of the two criminals hanging at Jesus' side are broken. But since Jesus is already dead His side is pierced with a spear instead and out flows blood and water-proof that the King of the Jews is truly dead.

That's when a secret disciple of Jesus steps forward. Joseph of Arimathea is a prominent member of the Jewish high court who did not agree with their decision to put Jesus to death. He boldly steps out of the darkness and asks Pilate for permission to bury Jesus' body. Pilate grants it.

Another secret disciple joins him. The Pharisee Nicodemus who had snuck through the darkness of night to talk to Jesus now steps into the light and helps Joseph lay our Lord's body to rest in Joseph's new tomb.

But it is only a rest. Death has no hold over Jesus' body. It cannot even touch His body with the stain of decay. On the third day He will rise to life and live forever.

One day you and I will be laid in our own graves. But for all of us who trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior, our future will be the same as His. Our bodies will rest in the grave until He returns; then Jesus will raise us to share paradise with Him forever.

Today is the "quiet day" of Holy Week. Jesus' body lay lifeless in the ground that holy Saturday. But the ground gave up the body of this King, who stood His ground for us.

When Jesus saw that He had done all His Father had asked of Him, He willingly gave up His life with a shout of victory. The world around Him responded to the awful truth that the Son of God was dead. The earth trembled and shook at the news. The curtain that had long separated the holy of holies from the holy place in the temple was torn in two, signifying that we now have direct access to the throne of our heavenly Father. Saints walked out of their tombs into Jerusalem, proving that Jesus' death had given final victory over death once and for all.

Having been an eye witness to the power of God manifested in this man Jesus, the Gentile centurion spoke words of faith: "Surely He was the Son of God!"

Death could not conquer the Son of God, as the empty tomb on Easter morning proved.

God willing, this Easter morning, you will see through the shame and humiliation, the weakness and suffering to behold Him as He really is, the victorious Son of God! We will praise our priceless King tomorrow, throughout life, in death, and for all eternity.

Here we rest in wonder, viewing all our sins on Jesus laid, and a full redemption flowing from the sacrifice He made.

PRAY - O sanctifying Spirit, prepare me on this sacred,"Quiet" day for the grace of Easter through heartfelt repentance and renewed loyalty to Jesus, self-giving Savior of my soul in His name I pray. Amen

(Jesus said) "... 'Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me'" (John 13:21b).

"One of you will betray Me." Judas must be totally shocked by Jesus' words. One by one the disciples ask a question that floats around the table. With rising suspense Judas watches the question work its way around the table to him-and he even joins his voice to theirs: "Is it I, Lord?"

If Judas' voice didn't give him away, what Jesus does next will make it crystal clear. He dips the morsel of bread and hands it directly to Judas.

Jesus has preached His last message to the crowds. Now He spends one final night before His suffering and death with His disciples in the upper room, preparing them for what is about to happen.

In the middle of supper Jesus does something totally unexpected. Taking off His outer garments He goes around the table washing the disciples' feet one by one, the way the lowliest slave in the household would. It is a demonstration of His absolute humility, love and care-a demonstration He will repeat for the whole world the next day on the cross.

For Peter it is too much. He objects and receives a firm correction from Jesus: "If I do not wash you, you have no share with Me." Then Peter goes to the other extreme asking Jesus to wash all of him. Jesus points out that the one who has had a bath does not need to bathe again, only to wash the part of him that is unclean.

Jesus is pointing to Judas, the one who has abandoned his Lord and become unclean and is even now awaiting the chance to betray Him. The other eleven are forgiven, cleansed of their sins because they still walk in the light by faith; Judas has rejected that light and walks in darkness. Very gently Jesus reaches out to His lost disciple in an unforgettable demonstration of His love, forgiveness and acceptance. It's a demonstration He wants Judas to remember when he is gripped by guilt and remorse for what he is about to do.

THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, forgive my wandering heart. Help me to see Your great love for me and remember what You have done to save me. Amen.

(Jesus said) "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself" (John 12:32).

The crowds are confused. Jesus has told them He will be "lifted up," and they know exactly what He means. Being "lifted up from the earth" was a familiar phrase describing death on a cross. But they all know the Christ remains forever, so how can Jesus be the Christ if He will die on a cross?

It's easy for us to share that confusion too. God's light doesn't always make sense to our sin-darkened minds. Jesus simply tells them, "The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you." Satan is always trying to overtake us, trying to snatch away the light from us.

One of the tools he uses is the confusing things that happen in this life, things that don't always make sense to us. Often our search for answers leads us to question God and doubt His love. Jesus just encourages us to walk in Him. He invites us to lay those questions at the foot of His cross, to focus instead on the extent of His love for us. It's a love that moved Him to lay down His life in terrible suffering that we might be forgiven.

We don't understand every reason for everything that happens to us. And we won't always find all the answers to all our questions, but we don't have to. We only need to walk in Christ's light and keep looking to Him. At the right time He will make everything clear.

Love divine, all loves excelling
Joy of heaven, to earth com down,
Fix in us Thy humble dwelling,
All Thy faithful mercies crown.

THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I don't always understand the things I see around me. Help me to come to Your Son's cross, that there I may know Your love and receive Your strength. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

" When the Christ appears, no one will know where He comes from" (John 7:27b).

Some of the Jerusalem folks think Jesus is paranoid. Others won't even consider whether He might be the promised Messiah. Why? Because He is from Nazareth, and no one is supposed to know where the Messiah comes from. The funny thing is this: they don't know. Jesus only grew up in Nazareth; He was born in Bethlehem. But Jesus is the eternal Son of God who came down from heaven and was born in Bethlehem to save us. Using their little knowledge, they are content to write Jesus off and live in the darkness of their thinking.

Being content with a little knowledge is dangerous. Consider those who are content to know Jesus was born at Christmas and died on a cross, but that's all they care to know. They don't know that He lived and died to save them from God's wrath and rose again to give them eternal life.

We live in a time where people believe-and try hard to persuade us to believe-that reality is what we think it is. And what may be true for you isn't necessarily true for me. Once I am satisfied with my sense of reality I don't have to dig any deeper.

Being content with a little knowledge is not just a dangerous thing-it's deadly! Each of us is a sinner who needs God's salvation through Jesus Christ. He is the only Savior, the only way we can escape God's eternal wrath and live forever in heaven. This Lent God calls us to keep digging deeper and see the whole story of Jesus' suffering and death for our salvation.

THE PRAYER: Lord, forgive my being content with a shallow knowledge of My Savior. Open my mind to want to learn more. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

HEARING GOD'S VOICE

Genesis 12:1-8

Romans 4:1-5,13-17

John 4:5-26(27-42)

Psalm 95-105:4-11

Jews did everything they could to avoid going through Samaria. But John tells us that Jesus had to go through Samaria. He had to go to Sychar, because He sought there a certain thirsty woman who didn't even know yet that she was thirsty.

This woman certainly wasn't looking for Jesus. If Jesus hadn't spoken to her, she probably would have left the well without saying anything. But Jesus asked her for a drink of water. This surprised the woman as who would ask a Jew for a drink of water.

Jesus wanted to quench her spiritual thirst with His words of forgiveness. This is why He had to go to Sychar to ask this particular woman for a drink. His love for her drove Him to seek and find her.

The Savior still seeks the thirsty. Although we had no desire to go to Him, He came to us. Jesus spoke to us in His Word. Although we didn't even know that we were thirsty. He comes to us to quench our thirst with His words of forgiveness. The Savior's love for us drove Him to seek and find us, just as He sought and found the thirsty woman at the well in Sychar.

PRAY - O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy, be gracious to all who have gone astray frmo Your ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of Your Word; throughJesus Christ, Your Son, Our LORD, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

GOOD MORNING,  TODAY IS MARCH 18, 2011

"This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God" (John 5:18).

Jesus left Jerusalem when things got pretty tense, but now with a Jewish festival at hand, He heads right back down toward the temple again. And He turns the heat back up by healing an invalid on the Sabbath.

Jesus' enemies protest to this breaking of their Sabbath rules. His perfectly natural answer totally enrages them. He says, "My Father is working until now, and I am working." Instead of seeing the Light, they stand in the darkness protesting that Jesus is making Himself equal to God. But protest as loud as they will, Jesus knows who He is and refuses to back down.

The darkness of their thinking is amazing. They would have kept a man trapped in his paralyzed body to keep their Sabbath rules. Thankfully, Jesus saw it differently. And He sees it differently for you and me too. He sees us trapped and helpless in our sins. And just as Jesus stood up for a paralyzed man and set him free on the Sabbath, so will He stand up to any and all opposition to set us free-even though it cost Him His life on the cross.

In the coming days we will see Jesus turn up the noise even louder and see His enemies respond with more hatred. But we will also see Him sacrifice Himself for them. Hanging from the cross He will answer their taunts with a plea: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. ..." (Luke 23:34a).