Easter Brings Hope - By Greg Laurie -
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live." -John 11:25
Easter is not about brightly colored eggs, wearing pastels, or enjoying a big meal, although it could include these. Easter is about the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
For some, Easter will be a great day, spent surrounded by family and friends. But for others, it will be a sad day, because Easter is a reminder of a loved one who has died and is now desperately missed.
Death seems so cruel, so harsh, and so final. That is what the disciples were feeling when they saw their Lord, whom they had left everything to follow, hanging on the cross. They were devastated. Death had crushed them. But if they would have gone back in their memories, they would have recalled an important event and statement Jesus had made.
They would have remembered Jesus standing at the tomb of His close friend Lazarus. They would have remembered that Jesus did something completely unexpected: He wept (see John 11:35). Jesus wept, because He knew that death was not part of God's original plan. Humanity was not meant to grow old, to suffer with disease, or to die. But because of the sin of Adam and Eve, sin entered the human race, and death followed with it. And death spread to all of us. Jesus wept, because it broke His heart.
But standing there at Lazarus' tomb, Jesus also delivered these hope-filled words: "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live" (John 11:25). Death is not the end. And the Resurrection of Jesus Christ proves it.
If you have put your faith in Christ, then Easter means that you will live forever in the presence of God. Easter brings hope to the person who has been devastated by death.
Record Setting Crowd at Passover Sacrifice Reenactment - By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz -
"And when you enter the land that Hashem will give you, as He has promised, you shall observe this rite." Exodus 12:25
The seventh annual reenactment of the Pesach (Passover) sacrifice took place on Monday, bringing the Nation of Israel ever closer to the Third Temple than before.
"We can see the Third Temple rising on the horizon," Shimshon Elboim, one of the organizers of the event, told Breaking Israel News. "It used to be just a small group of activists who showed up, but this year, the Passover sacrifice reenactment went mainstream."
Approximately 1,500 people, the largest crowd ever, gathered to watch some 20 Kohanim (Jewish men descending from Aaron the Priest) dressed in authentic priestly garments performing the full Passover ceremony as it was in Temple times.
The ceremony was accompanied by blasts from silver horns and other musical accompaniment. Two goats were slaughtered and their blood was collected in silver vessels to be spilled out on a model of the altar. The goats were roasted whole in the manner described in the Torah and served to the Jews gathered to witness the reenactment.
They shall eat the flesh that same night; they shall eat it roasted over the fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs. Exodus 12:8
Mordechai Persoff, head of the Mikdash Educational Center, a non-profit organization for education about the Temple, spoke of the importance in performing the Paschal offering.
"This is the only sacrifice that if a Jew does not bring it, he receives the most severe punishment: Karet, being cut off from the people," Persoff explained to Breaking Israel News. "Even though it is a personal sacrifice, it is brought as a nation."
Persoff emphasized that this national aspect of the sacrifice was because the very nature of Passover required a consensus of the Jewish people. He referenced the section of Exodus in which Pharaoh offers to let the Children of Israel go to the desert to serve God as long as the kids remain behind. Moses however, refused.
Moshe replied, "We will all go, young and old: we will go with our sons and daughters, our flocks and herds; for we must observe Hashem's festival." Exodus 10:9
Persoff said that the reenactment reflected the national aspect of redemption.
"Every branch of Judaism from Secular to Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox), Ashkenazi and Sephardi, young and old, were all at the event." Persoff said with enthusiasm.
"That is how geula (redemption) happens: when all of Israel comes together. The Temple is, after all, where we get together because it is the source of true peace."
Monday's reenactment of the Passover sacrifice was held at the Davidson Center, an archaeological park on the southern wall of the Temple Mount. The park stands at the foot of the stairs where individuals walked up to bring their sacrifices to the Temple.
Reenacting the 'House of Prayer For All Nations'
In previous years, the organizers received permits to hold the ceremony at this particular location only to have the Israeli police cancel the permit over security concerns. Previous reenactments were therefore held much further away from the Temple Mount.
"Many Arab language media carried threats from the Waqf (Muslim authority) should the Korban Pesach (Passover sacrifice) reenactment take place," Rabbi Hillel Weiss, spokesman for the nascent Sanhedrin, told Breaking Israel News.
"But the government decided not to give in to the rule of violence. The permit for the event was signed by Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, and the police should be praised for their role in helping Jerusalem become a House of Prayer for all Nations."
Many prominent rabbis attended, including Rabbi Aryeh Stern, the chief rabbi of Jerusalem as well as Rabbi Yehudah Glick, a Member of Knesset in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party and long-time advocate for Jewish rights on the Temple Mount.
Citing Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, the preeminent 11th century French Torah scholar who is known by the acronym, "Rashi," Rabbi Weiss explained that the return of the Paschal offering is a significant marker in the Jews' return to Israel
"According to Rashi, the Passover sacrifice was only performed once in the desert," Rabbi Weiss explained. "Because of its nationalistic nature, it was not offered again until the Jews entered the land of Israel.
"The Jewish return to Israel and the end of exile will not be complete until the Passover sacrifice is reinstated in its proper place and at its proper time."
The Lord's Supper - By Greg Laurie -
Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. -1 Corinthians 11:27-28
Matthew 26 contains one of the most well known events in human history and certainly the most famous meal ever eaten, the Last Supper.
As the disciples sat together, Jesus said, "'Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.' In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in My blood'" (1 Corinthians 11:24-25).
Jesus, as He often did, was speaking symbolically. To say He was speaking literally here does not fit with the word pictures He often used. After all, Jesus said He was the Bread of Life. And didn't He say that He was the Door?
So, do we insist that Christ is an actual loaf of bread or a door? Of course not. Nor should we insist that the bread and the contents of the cup are actually Christ's body and blood. There is no evidence of a supernatural process that transforms the cup's contents into Jesus' blood and the bread into His flesh.
Therefore, as we participate in Communion, we don't want to overly mystify what it represents. We don't want to think of the bread as flesh and the cup as containing blood.
On the other hand, we don't want to devalue Communion by thinking it means nothing. Clearly, the Scriptures warn us about taking part in Communion without recognizing its significance (see 1 Corinthians 11:23-30).
The bread and the cup are not holy elements in and of themselves. But they do represent something that is very holy. So it is with great respect and reverence that we come to the Communion table, recognizing it is a symbol of what Jesus Christ accomplished for us on the cross.
He Chose the Cross - Nathele Graham - twotug@embarqmail.com
"My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring? Psalm 22:1. King David wrote those words and centuries later our Lord Jesus Christ cried out these very words as He hung on the cross. As we read through the 22nd Psalm it's clear that David wrote these words of prophecy as if he had been transported into the future to stand at the foot of the cross himself. He writes of bones being out of joint and exposed so they are able to be counted, hands and feet being pierced, and casting lots for garments. All this describes Jesus' torture and crucifixion, but His cry to God the Father is heart-wrenching. "And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with aloud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Mark 15:34. Those words break my heart. The anguish in His voice echoes throughout the ages. At that moment in time, God the Father could not look upon God the Son. In all of eternity that had never happened. Jesus was sinless, but God the Father could not look upon Him because He had become sin in our place. "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." 2 Corinthians 5:21. Never think that you, by your own merit, are worthy of salvation. What Jesus did on the cross was something only He could do. Fully God and fully man, He took our sin and willingly allowed Himself to be the once for all sacrifice for our redemption. At the moment He cried out those words do you think that Jesus thought He had made a mistake? No. He chose the cross because He loved those people standing there, and He loves you and me.
It's important to study Biblical prophecy. It tells us what will come to pass, but it also confirms that God's word is true because many prophecies have already been fulfilled. Over 300 prophecies foretold of Jesus' first coming, including some extremely graphic ones that described His death. Isaiah chapter 53 contains details of the Messiah that are quite descriptive of Jesus. "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not." Isaiah 53:3. The Messiah was rejected by the Jewish leaders on behalf of the nation as a whole, but some individuals recognized Him. Peter was one who had followed Him for three years but ran and hid in fear when Jesus was arrested and crucified. Many Christians today still try to hide from Him. We accept His sacrifice but then knowingly embrace sin. Then we stop reading His word or fellowshipping with fellow Christians. We reject Him and don't esteem Him or His sacrifice. Shame on us. "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him: and with his stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:4-5. Transgressions (pesha' in Hebrew) is rebellion and iniquities ('avon in Hebrew), is perversity and depravity. Even the best of humans will willingly follow the path of sin that leads to destruction. Little white lies are as much sin as the big, ugly ones. Jesus was beaten to a bloody pulp and whipped until His bones were exposed because of our transgressions and iniquities. In spite of knowing what He would face, He still chose the cross and bore our griefs and sorrows.
Once a person realizes the price that Jesus paid on the cross, their desire should be to follow Him closely. Unfortunately, we tend to go our own way. "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:6. Sheep are followers but they don't always follow the wisest path. That's why they need a shepherd to guide and protect them. Sheep tend to stray into danger, and we are like them. That's why we need Jesus.. "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." John 10:11. We all follow someone or some thing, and Satan wants us to follow him. That's when our path becomes dangerous. When we follow Satan we sin and follow the path that leads to destruction. Every sin that you or I have ever committed, or ever will commit, was laid upon Jesus as He hung on the cross. He took our sins willingly. He cried "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" because of our wrong choice to follow the path of Satan and the world. Why do I continue to sin when I know how much grief I've caused Jesus? I'm so sorry, my Lord. Please forgive me.
Death had been introduced into the world through Adam's sin. That separated humans from God and sin ruled men's hearts. We were under the curse of death because of Adam's choice. God wanted people to understand that sin separates us from Him and showed what sin is through Jewish Law. God's standards are so much higher than ours, but the Law was only the instructor and not the cure. Some sins required capital punishment, but stoning was the method of putting a criminal to death, not crucifixion. Blasphemy (claiming to be God) was one of those capital crimes. "And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: his body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance." Deuteronomy 21:22-23. It's odd that we find reference to someone being put to death and hanged on a tree. The Apostle Paul talked about this in his letter to the Galatians. "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." Galatians 3:13-14. Jesus became sin for us and His death, burial, and resurrection opened the door for Gentiles, by faith, to also find salvation. Jesus was accursed and hung on the cross and He took the punishment for our sins upon Himself. Christ fulfilled the Law and only through Him can we find redemption. We owe everything to Jesus and when we accept what He did we need to allow changes in our life that moves us from a sin-filled life to one that honors Him.
During His time on earth, Jesus had done many things to upset the Pharisees. He healed people on the Sabbath and gathered food on the Sabbath, but did He claim to be God? Yes, He did. He was God in the flesh, but the religious leaders were blind to the truth. After one heated debate, Jesus said "I and my Father are one." John 10:30. That doesn't translate well into English, but the Pharisees understood. "Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God." John 10:31-33. Blasphemy (claiming to be God) was the reason the Pharisees wanted Jesus killed and they were able to convince the Romans to crucify Him. If the Old Testament prophecies regarding the Messiah's death were false, the prophet would have described Jewish stoning and not crucifixion as the way He would be killed. When the Romans occupied Jerusalem, stoning was outlawed and crucifixion was the way a criminal was executed. Jesus was not a criminal, but prophecy is clear that Messiah would not be stoned, He would be crucified. In fact the prophet Zechariah gave prophetic words regarding a still future time when the nation of Israel will understand who Jesus was. "And I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn." Zechariah 12:10. One day the nation of Israel will understand that Jesus was Messiah and that He was crucified, not stoned, for their sin and the sin of the entire world.
When the events of the day of crucifixion had come to an end, Jesus gave up His life. Those who had stood at the foot of the cross watched as He suffered and had seen the Roman soldiers cast lots for His robe, they heard Him ask that the Father would forgive those who had abused Him and pounded the nails into His hands and feet, they heard Him promise the criminal next to Him that, because he had recognized who Jesus was, he would be in Paradise that day. Jesus gave the care of His mortal mother Mary to John and at last all was finished and He give up the Ghost. "When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished; and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost." John 19:30. Those who were gathered around heard His final words and they saw Him die. They had no way of knowing that the victory had been won! Joseph of Arimathaea asked for the body and He was put into the tomb, which was sealed and guarded by Roman soldiers. What did His mother and friends think? They had hoped that Jesus was the longed for Messiah, but now He was dead. The cross had claimed another life. We can look back and know that their grief would soon turn to joy! The day of First Fruits was coming. Hallelujah, Christ is risen!
When Jesus said "It is finished" He wasn't talking about the limited hopes of a handful of people. Jesus meant that the battle was finished and Satan lost. "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" 1 Corinthians 15:55. He won our fight. He chose the cross and He won! Death is no longer the end of life for anyone who has accepted the shed blood of Jesus as the final sacrifice for sin. Jesus said "It is finished" and He meant it. There is nothing more that needs to be done. Why, then, do we insult Him by adding anything to His victory? Baptism? It's obedience and a way to honor Him, but only His shed blood brings salvation. Looking to Mary for "help" in salvation is blasphemy. There is no other path that leads to salvation, so if you think that you can blaze your own trail to Heaven you're very deceived. Look to Jesus...look to the cross.
The battle is won because Jesus chose the cross.
God bless you all,
Nathele Graham
What Was the 'Crime' of Jesus That Got Him Crucified? - Dr. Jerry Newcombe - https://www.christianheadlines.com/columnists/guest-commentary/what-was-the-crime-of-jesus-that-got-him-crucified.html
Soon another Holy Week will be upon us, beginning with Palm Sunday and culminating with Easter Sunday. It was "the week that changed the world."
The week began in a humble, triumphant sort of way. That may seem like an oxymoron. Jesus was hailed as a king, but rode in on a donkey---a humble way to begin His public entry into Jerusalem. Of course, He was fulfilling what Zechariah the prophet had foretold about 700 years before.
Dr. Paul L. Maier is a professor of ancient history emeritus from Western Michigan University. He is a terrific scholar on all things related to Jesus and the Gospels.
In his 1997 book, In the Fullness of Time, Maier writes of Jesus' entry into the Holy City on the eve of the Passover on that very first Palm Sunday: the donkey "was the common beast of burden of the time, in contrast to the superior horse of gilded chariot used in Roman triumphs."
The city was bustling and filled with people. Dr. D. James Kennedy notes this: "Josephus tells us that there were over three million pilgrims that visited the city on this occasion. 256,000 lambs were slain for the Passover."
Of course, the climax of Jesus' entry was His death (on Passover) and resurrection.
Why was Jesus crucified? What crime did He allegedly commit?
Crucifixion was a horrible way to die. It was so bad that no Roman citizen could be crucified. It was an execution reserved for slaves and bandits. How amazing then that the Son of God become man would allow Himself to be so degraded by people whom He Himself had created.
Crucifixion was invented in the Near East and perfected by the Romans. It was not uncommon for a crucified victim to suffer for days. Pontius Pilate was surprised Jesus had died in only a few hours---however, He had been scourged so horribly that He could have bled to death, had He been released after the whipping.
The crucified victim had the crime he committed posted above his head. Crucifixion was like a living billboard---do what this fellow did and you too could end up like this.
In the case of Jesus, we've all seen the crucifixes with INRI above His head. This stands for Iesus Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm, Latin for Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews, as recorded in John's Gospel.
His "crime" was claiming to be a king, a treasonous act in ancient Rome.
In a television interview I once conducted with Dr. Paul Maier, he noted that there were three phases of Roman history, beginning with the Monarchy from 753 to 509 B.C. The next stage was the Republic from 509 to 30 B.C. And then there was the Roman Empire from 30 B.C. to 476.
Commenting on that first phase, Maier told me, "The first seven kings of Rome ended in a real tyrant. His name was Tarquin the Proud, and they didn't want another king throughout their history."
Thus, after 509 B.C., the Romans eschewed the title "king" [rex] thereafter, despite having emperors who were far more powerful than any earthly king.
Thus, Jesus' claim to be the King of the Jews was His death sentence. Maier adds: "[Rex] was a term of opprobrium. It was somebody who was trying to subvert the masses.... And that is the charge that the prosecution made, which really turned the case as far as Pontius Pilate was concerned."
It's a tragic fact that in 2000 years of Christian history, there have been anti-Semitic professing Christians who blamed the Jews for the crucifixion of Jesus.
But the fact is that Jesus laid down His life as fully God and fully man, who alone fulfilled the Ten Commandments, on behalf of sinners---so that those who believe in Him might be saved. As Jesus Himself said, "I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again" (John 10:17-18). If there were any "crime" committed for which Jesus was dying, it was the crime committed by sinful people against our holy Creator.
Christians believe that Jesus is the King, whose kingdom was foretold by Daniel the prophet about 500 years before He came, who said that in the "days of those kings"---which kings? The Roman kings---the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will smite the Roman Empire.
It begins as a small stone but that stone goes on to become a mountain that fills the whole earth. Christianity began very small, but has grown to where about one-third of humanity claims to be Christian.
And so during this Holy Week, Christians celebrate the coming 2000 years ago of the King, who came the first time in humility, who will one day ride a white horse as the conquering King of kings and Lord of lords.
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Daily Devotion: The Power of Christ's Words - By Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org
Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. -1 Peter 3:18
Christ' passionate love for the world is evident in His statements from the Cross:
Statement One
"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." Luke 23:34
Do you realize that you are in need of the Father's forgiveness?
Statement Two
"Today you will with Me in Paradise." Luke 23:43
Have you realized and confessed Jesus as your personal Savior?
Statement Three
"Woman, behold your son." John 19:26
Jesus is concerned for us and provides for all of us.
Statement Four
"My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" Matthew 27:46
Jesus was forsaken so we don't have to be.
Statement Five
"I thirst!" John 19:28
This personal statement reminds us that Jesus is not only God, but He also was man. Jesus identifies with our needs.
Statement Six
"It is finished!" John 19:30
Jesus paid for our sins, and sin's control over our lives is broken!
Statement Seven
"Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit." Luke 23:46
You can entrust your life into God's hands.
If you are reading this today and you've never committed your life to Jesus Christ, would you visit KnowGod.com and confess Him as Your Savior and Lord?
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