From My Perspective - - -
For those who observe The Lenten Season,
the final days of Lent are occurring this week. This past Sunday Palm Sunday
was observed. This coming Lord’s Day is designated as Easter Sunday – but more
appropriately – Resurrection Day. Many religious institutions are faithful to
the traditions passed down through the years whereas others acknowledge Holy
Week with just a mention or a paragraph in a Church Bulletin. For those who
fail to recognize the events that transpired, they have a Wholly Weak approach.
When Jesus came riding into Jerusalem on a
donkey, it set in motion an accelerating series of events. The Palms that were
used to greet His arrival and the chants of Hallelujah and Hosanna to the King
would in short order become shouts of rejection and Crucify Him. What
transpired to change the chanted Hosanna to the shouted Crucify? In the Christian
Church, there will be the observance of Maundy Thursday. This is a solemn
observance and serves as a time of reflection when Jesus observed the Passover
with His disciples. It was during the Passover that Jesus indicated one of His
disciples would betray Him. All the disciples were startled by that disclosure
and wondered who it might be. Jesus also stated that the betrayer and all of
the other disciples would forsake Him. Even though Peter protested, Jesus
indicated that Peter would be the most vocal in his denial. Some church groups
combine Maundy Thursday with Good Friday observances. It is designated as a
time for reflection on the passion, or suffering and death on the
cross of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Many Christians spend this day in fasting,
prayer, repentance,
and meditation on the agony and suffering of Christ on the cross.
After the Passover Supper, Jesus takes His
disciples with Him to the Garden of Gethsemane. He takes three of them deeper
into the Garden and asks them to participate with Him in Prayer. His request is
based upon His being overwhelmed and sorrowful. Watch and Pray, Jesus says. As
Jesus goes off a short distance to pray, the disciples close their eyes and
fall into a deep sleep. After Jesus returns and awakens them, one would think
they would be both startled and embarrassed for having slept instead of having
prayed. There’s an interesting side-note to this event. In Mark 4, there is the
incident of Jesus being in a boat with His disciples. Jesus is weary and goes to
the stern of the ship where He goes into a deep sleep. A storm rages and the
disciples are unable to do anything to get their boat to safety. On this
occasion, they come and awaken Jesus and shout – Don’t you care that we are
perishing? Jesus rises from his sleeping place and utters words of Peace for
both the troubled waters and the frantic disciples. They would often hear Jesus
speak to them of their inadequate faith. In other words, they were Wholly Weak
rather than being strong and confident in the Lord. After Jesus completes His
praying in the Garden of Gethsemane and awakens His disciples, He informs them
that the moment has arrived when He will be betrayed. At that point, they see
Judas and a Mob coming. Because they had been Wholly Weak at a moment of great
consequence, they were ill-prepared for the rapid unfolding of the rejection
and crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
Despite their failure and being Wholly Weak,
the ensuing events will bring about the reality of Romans 5:8, “God
demonstrates His love for us, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
It also establishes Ii Corinthians 5:21, “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for
us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” I Peter 1: 18-19
underscores for us, “For you know that it was not with
perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to
you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a
lamb without blemish or defect.” The purpose in the
death and resurrection is stated in II Corinthians 5:15, “And He died
for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.” For those who tend to be wholly weak, the Word of
God takes that a step further and indicates in Ephesians 2:1-8, “And you were dead in the
trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course
of this world, following the prince of the power of the air…But God, being rich in mercy, because of the
great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead
in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ…by
grace you have been saved through
faith…” The events of Holy Week have accomplished redemption for the Wholly
Weak – by grace you have been delivered. Trust and Serve Him as you consider
these things with me.
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