Holy Week - Friday

Reading: Matthew 27:45-56

Today is Good Friday. The day that we remember the death of our messiah Jesus the Christ.

This morning I will go to church. Together as a community we will sing, pray, celebrate communion as a way to tell the story of Jesus's death.

A few days ago I was involved in a story time at the church. It was lots of fun. I ended up telling a couple of silly stories (some of the others told more serious stories - good to have both). But as I got ready I wanted to tell a story about Easter. The problem was that I could not find a good kids book on it. Oh there were lots on Christmas. There were just lots of good children's books. But there was this major hole - very few were on Easter. Easter the most important time for us who follow Jesus.

In fact we looked at one children's bible. It talked about creation, the flood, David and Goliath, Daniel and the lions den, Christmas, some of Jesus healing, and then nothing. No mention of Jesus dying.

My wife asked can we really even call that a bible. After all it missing the key story.

So today don't forget the story of Easter - the real one.

Holy Week - Thursday

Reading: Matthew 27:27-44

Why did Jesus die? This is one of the most pivotal questions in history. I believe that something amazingly mysterious happened. Jesus took on the sin of the world, he became sin, so that we might experience salvation and enter into a real loving relationship with him, the Father and the Holy Spirit.

But as I read the text today I wondered did he have to experience the mocking and the slander? I mean everyone slanders him - the soldiers, the priests, the by-standers, those killed with him. Why did he have to go through all of that? Couldn't God organized his death in a way that would allow him to die in peace?

I don't have nearly all the answers to these questions. But I did have a thought.

What if the cross did more than just purchase us salvation? What if through the cross God was exposing the wickedness and depravity of humans?

After all I am fully convinced that God can do more than one thing at a time.

The cross truly does expose the wickedness of humans. Jesus has been beaten, mocked, spit upon, is now dying and people still mock him. It seemed that it was not enough to kill Jesus there was a desire to publicly humiliate him. Even the ones dying with him joined in the mocking.

The cross shows us that humans have a great potential for evil - we don't want to just kill our enemies we want to humiliate them.

Save me Lord Jesus from the evil in my heart.

Holy Week - Wednesday

Reading: Matthew 26:36-46

I love to watch Star Trek. One favorite characters is Spock. Spock is half Vulcan and half human. Now Vulcan's never display any emotions. One of the sub-plots in Star Trek is Spock learning to deal with his human emotions. Spock often works at suppressing his emotions so that he is totally calm and logical.

This is how I have often pictured Jesus. Always calm and logical.

For this reason I have often struggled with this passage in Matthew. Here we see Jesus being deeply distressed and even agitated. Look at how he prays. Jesus knows that it is the Father's will that he die in Jerusalem. After all that is one of the reasons he came to earth. But he prays from his emotions that God find a different way. This is not being calm. I am not sure it is even logical to ask God to do something different when you know what his will is.

Jesus prays with his emotions. He does not suppress them. Perhaps Jesus is fully human (and not half Vulcan). Of course Jesus does remain submitted to God.

When we pray do we pray with our emotions? Or do we sometimes just suppress them and pray what we think God wants to hear?

Let us pray from our hearts, well remains fully submitted to our loving Father.

Holy Week - Tuesday

Reading: Matthew 26:17-29

Today is passover. For the past number of years my family and I have celebrated the passover. We walk through a Messianic Seder. It is amazing. Every year I learn more about my faith and more about my messiah.

As I read the story of Jesus' last passover with his disciples I noticed how he gives thanks. It is his last night on earth. One of his disciples is about betray him. Another going to deny even knowing him. The rest are going to abandon him. He is going to be tortured and killed. And yet he gives thanks. How different I am.

What things do you have to be thankful for on this passover?

Here is a list of some of things that I am thankful for:

• Salvation
• Family
• Friends
• A safe place to live
• A nice place to live
• my health
• Freedom to worship
• Access to the bible
• nice clothes
• Great food (and lots of it)
• my wife
• my kids
• a real relationship with God

Holy Week - Monday

Reading: Matthew 20:20-28

As I prepare for Easter I have been reminded that my goals are often not in line with my messiah's goals. In the Matthew passage Jesus is heading to Jerusalem to die for the world. And here just before he enters the city James and John (two of this followers) are seeking positions of power and influence.

How many times in my life have I headed down a path that appears like it is for God's glory but it is really all about me? It is a way for me to have power and influence, to look good.

How many times have I avoided the way of a servant?

How many times have I been content with comfort instead of following Jesus (which may lead me to suffer)?