Easter - 2020

I’ve always talked about how difficult it sometimes is to write something for everyone each week. We’ve all heard God’s words and, hopefully, have listened intently and realized the Love He has for us and the sacrifice His Son made to free us from ourselves.

This week, my task was not all that difficult. After all, today, Easter Sunday, is such a glorious day to any child of God and Brother or Sister to the Son and Holy Ghost.

If we could all be gathered together in one place, I’m sure we could talk about God’s grace for hours on end. Unfortunately, due to current circumstances around the world, we are not able to do so, so here I am… sitting alone and staring into a tiny littlecamera mounted atop my computer’s monitor.

Is this going to stop us from giving praise and glory? I think not, but we’ll go into that later.

His Last Week

How many of you walked with Jesus this past week? How many of you recalled the last days and what our Lord was put through? I can tell you honestly, aside from all that’s going on in our world, it was the primary thing on my mind.

Just last year, I took you through the last week of Jesus’ ministry, day-by-day. Today, I’d kind of like to do the same but, instead, jump to Thursday.

Thursday

This was the day of the Last Supper. Jesus gathered all His Apostles around Him and celebrated all they had worked for and, equally important, how much was still left to be done. MOST IMPORTANLY – GIVING THANKS!

He told His Apostles of His impending imprisonment; false trials against Him; and eventually, His death…

Luke 9:22 – “And he said, ‘The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.’”

He told them that, on this very night, the Son of Man…

Will be betrayed.

Will be tried and ridiculed and beaten before the Chief Priests and Pharisees.

Denied by Peter (3 times).

…and handed over to the Gentiles to be killed.

The Apostles were confused and deeply saddened by all of this and not certain what He meant by “raised to life.”

Jesus then went up into the Garden of Gethsemane to pray where He asked His Father in Heaven…

Matthew 26:39 – “‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’”

Three times Jesus did this, saying the same thing… and while He was doing so, His Apostles had fallen fast asleep as they were overwhelmed with Jesus’ words and grief.

When He had finished His prayers, and angry mob then came upon Him with clubs, sticks and swords… arresting Him and taking Him away to be tried.

Friday

This was the day of our Lord’s trials. All that He had told His Apostles would take place on this day.

He WAS betrayed – by one of His own people!

He WAS falsely accused and tried; ridiculed and beaten before the Chief Priests and Pharisees.

He WAS denied by Peter (3 times before the rooster crowed).

He WAS handed over to the Gentiles (Romans) and bloodily beaten; nailed to a wooden cross to hang in front of the public and die a harsh death!

Saturday

This being the Sabbath, His Apostles and Disciples did what they had been taught to do and gave thanks to God for all that they had.

They also were in great mourning over the loss of their Rabbi; Teach; Lord and Brother!

The quiet of this day must have been eerily frightening to all that had witnessed our Lord’s crucifixion. Can you even imagine the heartache; sorrow and great grief felt by all those who knew Him… by all those who LOVED Him?

What Had He Done?

As He began His ministry Jesus ventured into the wilderness to be closer to His Father; learn from Him and become who He was to become.

Here, He was tempted by the Devil himself, 3-times…

Luke 4:5-8 – “The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, ‘I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.”

“Jesus answered, It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”

He had defeated Temptation!

Jesus then entered the synagogue in Capernaum, a town in Galilee. He then confronted a demon-possessed man, an impure spirit who immediately recognized Him and said…