Are you ready for Easter?

Easter is the most important event in Christian history. Jesus knew that, and his ministry in the last week of his life reflects that priority. 

Many in our culture add the story of the Easter bunny into our celebrations, or at least an egg hunt for the kids. Easter, like Christmas, is a wonderful holiday but can become a lot of different things unless we keep our primary focus on God’s word. Like the busy season of Christmas, there is a holiday to plan for, but that final Tuesday of Jesus’ life serves as a message of God’s priorities for Easter.

Stories with a lesson, or parables, were one of Jesus’ favorite ways to teach his disciples. When Jesus was with them on Tuesday of Easter week, he used parables to emphasize what they most needed to understand.

He was still answering their questions about what they had seen happen in the temple earlier that day and illustrating what he meant when he said, “Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44).

Are we ready for that hour?

The parable of the Ten Virgins

Jesus told his disciples about ten women who grabbed their lamps and went out to meet a bridegroom. Some brought oil with them, and some did not. When the bridegroom arrived, those who hadn’t fully prepared were off looking for more oil and missed his arrival. They missed entering the marriage feast because they found the door had been locked. Jesus taught his disciples, saying, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour” (Matthew 25:13). 

Jesus was teaching them the point of our lives on earth. We are here to prepare for our lives eternal. Some of the women were ready, and others were excluded because they were not. 

Who do we know that isn’t ready for “the bridegroom” to return? How do we help them find what they need? The women who had oil weren’t able to give it away. Like them, we can’t “give away” some of our own salvation so others can use it for their lives. We can only help them find their own salvation, their light before the bridegroom arrives.

The Parable of the Talents

In the Bible, talent was not an ability but a form of money that could easily be invested or exchanged. The word for servants was literally the word for slaves, but the slaves in Jesus’ story were entrusted with “talents” from their master before he went on a long journey. These servants were essential to the Master and his plans. When the master returned, the slaves entrusted with the most had invested the money and increased the amount they could return to the master. The master said to these faithful servants, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:23). The servant who had only been entrusted with one talent buried it in the ground and was only able to hand back what he had been given. 

Jesus told his disciples, “To everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away” (Matthew 25:29). The servant who did not serve the Master was cast into the darkness, a place of suffering. Like the virgins who did not “prepare” for the Master’s return, the servant who buried the Master’s gift was not given a place of reward. 

Jesus was about to die, and his death would become the final sacrifice needed for the sins of every person. When I teach this parable to children, I always liken it to tickets at the State Fair. The tickets for their entrance, food, and rides have been purchased, and they are waiting for them at the gate. Those who pick up the tickets are allowed to enter and enjoy all their tickets afford them. Those who refuse to stay in the line because they think it is just too long a wait or think they will just come back later do not experience what God wants to give them.

Who do we know who has refused to do what is necessary to enter God’s kingdom and receive all that he wants to give? In addition, how can we help our brothers and sisters in Christ invest their lives in his kingdom purpose? 

Jesus’ last message that Tuesday is for everyone to understand

You will likely never hear a message on hell for Easter Sunday. You might not want to read the last words Jesus told his disciples Tuesday in his Olivet Discourse. It was Passover, and the gardens would likely have been full of new growth, flowers, and warm sunshine. Jesus could have closed his message to his disciples with comforting words of hope and happiness, but instead, he stressed the one point we all need to think about today.

Jesus said, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world’” (Matthew 25:31–34).

Jesus then described people who were hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, and in prison. The people on the right, the sheep, had blessed them with help while the goats had done nothing. Jesus said that how we treat others is directly related to how we treat him. 

Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me” (Matthew 25:45). The “goats” were sent “away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matthew 25:46).

Sheep or goats?

We live in a culture that wants to allow people to believe whatever they want to believe about God, the Bible, and heaven and hell. We enjoy our Easter being about the joy and peace of the resurrection. We appreciate the beauty and celebration of a beautiful spring day filled with faith and family and some Easter meals with candy eggs. ALL that is good and right when you know you are a “sheep.” The truth is, we need to remember our Easter is only a celebration for the sheep. We are ready and waiting for the bridegroom to return! But what about the goats? Jesus, seated with his disciples, made it very clear: Heaven and hell are real. Everyone we meet today is either a “sheep” with an eternal life or a goat with an eternal death. Those are the only two categories that will matter when Jesus returns.

Jesus made that point to his disciples at the end of that Tuesday while sitting with them on the Mount of Olives. We don’t know what Jesus did the next day, Wednesday. Many theologians have speculated that our Lord used that day to prepare spiritually for all that was ahead.

Whatever we do for others today, this Wednesday of Easter week, we do for Jesus. Let’s follow Jesus’ example and get ready for Easter. Let’s be prepared for the bridegroom to arrive. As servants, let’s invest what we have been given in his kingdom purpose. As sheep, let’s be aware the “goats” aren’t coming to heaven with us – yet. 

Easter is a great time to help someone know how to be born again. If we believe Jesus’ message and help others do the same, goats can become sheep.

Have a blessed and holy Easter!

A disciple’s Easter calling

The disciples were beginning to understand the reality of what Jesus had been saying as they sat on the Mount of Olives, listening to him answer their questions. It was late on Tuesday of Passion Week. Jesus had been very blunt with the Pharisees in the temple that day, and there was no mistaking the Jewish leaders’ vehemence. The Pharisees and Sadducees had planned to discredit Jesus that day, and he had turned the tables on them. Jesus had publicly spoken God’s truth into their misguided ministries and motivations.

Now, fearing Jesus’ words about the future, his disciples wanted to know what would happen after he was gone. Jesus had promised his return, and they wanted to know how long they would have to wait for that.

Jesus taught his disciples that he had come to “fulfill” the Law

It’s important to remember that Jesus’ disciples had grown up in the Jewish faith. They knew what the prophets had said about the Messiah and had spent the past three years learning from Jesus, the man they believed was their Messiah. Matthew wrote his gospel to first-century Jewish Christians. The Olivet Discourse, Jesus’ teaching on Tuesday of Holy Week, must be viewed with that perspective. 

Think back to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7). Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (Matthew 5:17–18).  Jewish people had been raised to carefully obey and follow the Law to the best of their ability. The required sacrifices were to provide for their sins when they inevitably failed.

Jesus’ death would fulfill the requirements of the Law because his sacrifice on the cross would be the final sacrifice needed to cover any and every sin for all people who would choose God’s Son as their Lord and Savior.

Every generation has wanted answers to Jesus’ teachings about the last days, the days after his resurrection, and the final day, the Parousia, when Jesus will return to gather the elect for the last time. That Tuesday on the Mount of Olives, Jesus taught his disciples what to know and understand about both.

Jesus taught his disciples what to expect

Jesus wanted his disciples to understand the trials God’s people would face in the “last days,” the years that would follow his resurrection and precede his final coming. His words on the Mount of Olives address both those events.

Matthew 24:15–51 is some of the Bible’s most studied and debated Scripture. Verses 15–28 describe the “abomination that causes desolation” and the following days. Most scholars believe the abomination referred to the time when Antiochus Epiphanes, a Greek king, built an altar to Zeus over the altar for burnt offerings in the Jerusalem temple and then sacrificed a swine on it. Epiphanes, who reigned from 175 B.C. to 164 B.C., also enacted a law that made Judaism a capital offense. Daniel had used the phrase “abomination that causes desolation” in his teaching. Now Jesus, on the Mount of Olives, repeats that phrase about the days that will follow his death. Jesus warned the disciples that when they saw that abomination, everyone should flee immediately from Jerusalem, taking nothing with them. Most scholars believe Jesus is referring to the five-year period of Roman persecution that would culminate with the final “abomination” of the temple. Rome destroyed and desecrated the temple in A.D. 70, and it would never be built again.

Jesus also warned them about false teachers in the last days who would lead people astray, even some of the elect. Many would perform “great signs and wonders” and say they had seen his return, but they would be proven wrong.

The “last days” have continued for over two thousand years; everything Jesus taught us to expect has been a reality. Today, more Christians are persecuted for their faith than ever before. The hope Jesus gave his disciples that day remains our hope today.

Jesus taught time will tell

Jesus also told his disciples about the final day of his return. He said that everyone will experience his final coming at the same time. He said, “For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:27).

Then he described the moment when he returns, saying, “Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:30–31). Jesus also told them, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Matthew 24:36).

Everyone who has ever predicted the second coming of Christ has later been proven incorrect. Jesus made this one truth abundantly clear: No one but God knows when Jesus will return. Everyone else is guessing, predicting, and, quite frankly, teaching a false lesson.

When will Jesus return? Only God knows, and only time will tell.

How do we wait well?

Jesus talked about Noah that day. The only thing Noah knew was that the rain was going to come. Noah and his family lived among people who mocked them for building that huge ark. Everyone in Noah’s family went about their day-to-day lives faithfully, waiting for that first raindrop to fall. 

We don’t know when to expect the final storm, either. The lightning will begin, the angels will come, and Jesus will return in glory someday. In the meantime, Jesus taught every generation of his disciples to live faithfully, watching and waiting.

Jesus then asked an important question: “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes” (Matthew 24:45–46).

Feed his sheep

Jesus, after his resurrection, was with Peter when he gave him a calling. Jesus told Peter three times, “If you love me, feed my sheep.”

If you are reading these words, you are still waiting for Jesus to return. We share Peter’s calling as we wait.

Peter told Jesus, “Lord, you know that I love you.” Let’s tell the world we love Jesus today as we faithfully feed his sheep.

Easter lessons from Jesus

For the next three weeks, I will focus this blog post on the important teaching of Jesus on the Mount of Olives. His words, found in Matthew 24–25, are called the Olivet Discourse. Jesus took the time on Tuesday of Passion Week to teach and comfort his disciples, who had grown very concerned over what they had seen and heard that day. Jesus knew Easter was coming, and he wanted his disciples to understand better all that would happen then and in the following years.

The beginning of Passion Week

Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to the excited cheers of the crowds. On Monday, Jesus and his disciples left Bethany, the home of Lazarus and his sisters, and walked two miles to Jerusalem. They passed a fig tree, and Jesus cursed it for not bearing fruit. When Jesus neared the city of Jerusalem, he wept because so many people there would never recognize the fact that their Messiah was in their midst (Luke 19:41–44). 

After entering the city, he saw the temple courts and, for the second time in his ministry, cleansed the temple of the money changers who were immorally taking advantage of the pilgrims who had come to make a sacrifice at the temple. Jesus and his disciples returned to Bethany Monday night. 

Holy Tuesday was a teaching Tuesday

Most consider Tuesday to be the day that solidified Jesus’ death sentence. He and his disciples woke up in Bethany that day and returned to Jerusalem. As they passed the fig tree Jesus had cursed the day before, they noticed it was dried up and decaying. Matthew 21:20–22 is the important lesson about prayer that Jesus taught them that day from the fig tree.

Jesus and his disciples were quickly met by a group of Pharisees and Sadducees who were expecting them. The Jewish leaders began to publicly question Jesus, hoping to expose him to the crowds of pilgrims who had come to Jerusalem for Passover. 

The Jewish leaders asked Jesus who had given him the authority to say what he had been saying. Jesus answered them with a question of his own, saying, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things.  The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’  But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”  So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things” (Matthew 21:24–27). Jesus then told several parables that publicly exposed the wrong thinking of those Jewish leaders.

The Jewish leaders had been frustrated by the fact they couldn’t get Jesus to publicly condemn himself by speaking blasphemy. They reorganized and came at Jesus again, asking him about the resurrection, the greatest commandment, and their understanding of who the Messiah would be. Each confrontation further frustrated the Jewish leaders who were attempting to expose Jesus.

Finally, Jesus pronounced seven woes on the Jewish leaders, calling them “hypocrites, blind guides, whitewashed tombs, and a brood of vipers. His words against these popular and respected leaders condemned them as false teachers and fake politicians. Jesus exposed their teaching as hindering people from truly knowing God and recognizing their Messiah (Matthew 23).

The disciples would likely have been shocked and dismayed to hear Jesus, their teacher, speak this way to these men in such a public forum. Rightfully, they would have feared the retribution that was sure to follow. So, Jesus, understanding their concerns, led them outside the city’s walls and into the olive garden just outside. 

As they passed through the gates of the temple, walking toward the Mount of Olives, Jesus pointed to the massive stones in the walls and said, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down” (Matthew 24:1–2). Many of the stones weighed thousands of pounds. One stone that was uncovered is estimated to weigh as much as a 747 Jetliner. Jesus’ words to his disciples would have seemed unfathomable, unrealistic, and even untrue.

If we were in the crowds that day, what would we have thought about Jesus? These men had left everything behind to dedicate their lives to their rabbi, friend, and Messiah. His actions on Tuesday would have been shocking to them, as well as the crowds who didn’t know him well.

Time on the Mount of Olives

The disciples wanted to understand why Jesus was saying these unimaginable things. They asked Jesus, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” The disciples thought the fall of the walls of Jerusalem would mean that God was bringing about the end of the world. They wanted to know when that end would take place. It is still the question people most want to know.

Jesus told his disciples, then and today, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains” (Matthew 24:4–8).

The temple in Jerusalem fell in AD 70, just as Jesus told his disciples it would. This world has always had wars and rumors of wars. It experienced two World Wars, and many people understandably believed those days were the “end” of time. There have been famines and earthquakes, yet people are still roaming this planet.

Easter has been celebrated for many centuries now. Is it still the beginning of the birth pains?

An answer that has never satisfied

Jesus didn’t tell his disciples what they wanted to know. Instead, he told his first-century disciples and every disciple that they would follow what they needed to know.

Jesus said, “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another.  And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.  And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.  But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:9–14).

When will we celebrate our last Easter? Only God knows. In the meantime, we must understand what those first-century disciples needed to hear.

Are you waiting, working, and willing to serve like Jesus taught?

  • Have you fallen away? Betrayed your faith? Hated a fellow brother or sister in Christ?
  • Have you followed false teaching and been led astray? 
  • Has your love for Jesus grown cold, apathetic, or stale?

If any of the above is true, Jesus told you what to do before you get ready to celebrate Easter. Commit to live an enduring faith in Jesus as your Lord and King. An enduring faith experiences the difficult times in this world with a faith that sustains the person until the difficult times fade or others come.

Share the gospel message, the good news about the kingdom of God, because the end will come when all those who God knows will belong in heaven have gone to heaven or belong to the group that Jesus will return for on that last, final day. One Easter Sunday will be the last.

Worship with the joy of knowing your hope is eternal and guaranteed by the truth of the resurrection. Live with an enduring faith in all that Easter has promised. It doesn’t matter when Jesus will return. It only matters that he has promised he will. 

Enjoy the beauty of this day with the hope of your salvation and share the gospel of the kingdom. People deserve to know that the last Easter is coming. 

Jesus paid it all

Recently I was at a restaurant enjoying lunch with three new friends. We waved at a man from our Sunday School class who came in while we were eating. Later, our server told us that he had picked up the check for the whole table. His gift made us feel grateful and gifted by his kindness.

Tomorrow is Maundy Thursday which, for me, has always been the most holy and profound day of the Easter season. That is the day Jesus sat with his disciples for the last time, before he gave his life for theirs. Jesus was gifting their lives that day, only they couldn’t yet comprehend all that he was doing. 

Later, Judas would be devastated to the point of suicide for his betrayal of Jesus. 

Peter would be shamed and grieved when he heard the rooster crow the next morning. 

John would sit at the foot of the cross with Mary, and both were likely grieved with thoughts of “What could I have done to stop this?” 

Earlier in the upper room, Jesus had washed the feet of his disciples as yet another way to say, “I would do anything for you because I love you with God’s great and perfect love.” 

Jesus was born to die, and on Good Friday he “paid it all.” 

“Jesus Paid it All”

Churches would often sing the hymn “Jesus Paid it All” as an invitation for those worshiping in the congregation to come profess their faith in Christ. Others would join the church or simply use that time as a reminder of the sacrifice Jesus made. For some, the King James vocabulary or simplicity of the music might keep them from experiencing the profound truth of the lyrics. 

I have included a link to one of my favorite versions of the great hymn. I’ve been blessed to see Fernando Ortega lead worship many times. He sits at the piano and shares his gift of music with people. He isn’t there to perform. He is there to help those listening experience the Lord’s presence and power through worship. 

I hope you will pause, turn off all distractions, and spend some time immersed in this version of that great hymn.  

Jesus Paid it All answers the question, “Why Easter?” 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5DyeCx8H4U

I wish you a happy and holy Easter 

I will enjoy all the moments of Easter Sunday. I love the crowds in church, the smiles, the spring flowers, and the new Easter clothes—especially the new clothes on the children that day. If ever there was a time for ruffles and patent leather shoes, it’s Easter Sunday.  

The music proclaims the joy of Jesus’ resurrection and the hope that is ours in Christ. The tomb was empty and proved Jesus has power over earthly death and the ability to provide eternal life. We all love the celebration of Easter, but it’s so important not to miss the holy purpose of the day. 

Jesus came to save souls and make disciples of all nations. Easter isn’t Easter unless we understand the entire purpose of Christ’s life.  

Who will come for an Easter service this year and meet Christ? 

There will be several in your church this Sunday

Some interesting facts from my husband Jim’s Lenten message this week: 

  • 63 percent of Americans say that they are Christians. 
  • 81 percent of Americans say they will celebrate Easter. 
  • 43 percent of our population is planning to attend an Easter service at church. 

Jim’s point: The difference between those who say they are Christians and the number who will celebrate the holiday means many millions of people are celebrating a holiday they don’t truly understand. 

The pews this Sunday 

Jesus was about to raise Lazarus from the dead. He told Lazarus’ sister Martha, “‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world’” (John 11:25–27). 

It is safe to say that several people will be in your church this Sunday who will come to celebrate Easter and who identify themselves as “Christian.” It is likely that many of them may not understand what is necessary to actually become a Christian. They have never said to Jesus, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, and I know I need you to forgive my sins, and, as the old hymn states, I trust you can ‘wash me white as snow.’” 

I like to look for those people on Easter Sunday. I like to pray specifically for the uneasy, unfamiliar, and sometimes uninvolved. Easter is an important Sunday. If we will pray, speak to, invite, and encourage people, we might get to enjoy seeing God change their lives before the next Easter Sunday.  

Easter is a powerful day of important truth. Jesus didn’t die so that one day we could enjoy our eternal life. Jesus died so that we would enjoy our eternal life from the moment of our salvation. Christians live each day knowing they will never die. We just stop breathing on earth one moment and start breathing in heaven’s air the next. That’s what it means to place our hope in Christ. 

 

Jesus paid it all—and we can live with eternal gratitude 

Maundy Thursday is my moment each Easter season. I like to dwell on those upper room words of Jesus and the garden moments spent in prayer for and with his disciples. You might want to spend some time reading about the Easter moments from John chapters 12–20. John was the beloved disciple, and his words reveal the heart of Easter through the disciple who loved Jesus, stood by him, and spent his entire life serving him. 

Take a few moments to listen again to the holy purpose of Easter through Fernando Ortega’s version of “Jesus Paid it All.”  

Easter is summed up in the words of that hymn: “Jesus paid it all. All to him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain; he washed it white as snow.” 

I pray you will have a happy and holy Easter Sunday because you have had a holy and profound Maundy Thursday. 

Let’s live as blessed Christians, enjoying our certain hope of heaven today. We serve Jesus because he has served all of us. He paid it all. Now, we owe him our all. 

May your Easter be filled with joy and purpose as you worship the One who paid it all. 

 

Realigning our faith

I hate it when I make a quick U-turn and hit the curb with my front tire. In that moment several thoughts fly through my mind:

  • Why didn’t I just wait for the arrow?
  • Why didn’t I gauge the distance more accurately?
  • Why didn’t I just take a different route?
  • I wonder if I knocked the front end out of alignment?
  • I wonder if I should get it looked at?

Usually I adopt a “wait and see” attitude. Eventually, I might notice the car is pulling just a bit or riding a little less smoothly when I am sailing down the highway. In a month or two, I might notice the extra wear on one edge of the tire. 

It isn’t until I actually notice some damage that I take the time to make the appointment to get an alignment. I should have fixed it sooner, but now I realize that I don’t want the problem to get worse than it already is.

Realigning our faith

That’s often how it goes with our spiritual lives too. If you are a consistent reader of this blog post, you are probably not a person that ends up crashing your walk with God very often. Most Christians who spend time reading a blog like this one are people who care about their spiritual lives and living for God’s Kingdom purpose.

That said, all Christians will hit a curb once in a while, and our souls will need a realignment with God. The Lenten season is a great time to give thought to that purpose.

Is your soul showing a bit of wear around the edges? Is your walk with God a tad shaky, especially when life hits a higher speed? Do you feel pulled in some directions that you shouldn’t want to go? 

Jesus said that we should love God with all of our heart, all of our soul, and with all of our mind (Matthew 22:37). Jesus left his throne in glory and took on flesh so that he could die for every sin and weakness in our lives. Jesus died at Easter knowing that every Christian would need his sacrifice for their eternity and his Spirit for their daily spiritual lives this side of heaven.

How then can we submit to Jesus as our master mechanic and ask him to realign our souls with his Kingdom purpose? Easter is coming and we want to experience the Via Dolorosa with our Lord.

Jesus knew how to maintain his soul.

We don’t know who wrote the book of Hebrews, but we know he was a Jewish Christian who lived with a powerful knowledge of God through his Son. 

Hebrews 3–4 are amazing words of encouragement to God’s people to enter into the “rest” that our Christian faith offers. The Jewish people had been raised to live with a constant awareness of their sins so they could make the necessary sacrifices. There were so many rules to follow in order to feel like they were right with God.

Jesus and the New Covenant changed many things, nothing more significant than the New Covenant walk of faith. The sacrifice Jesus made at Easter was so that we would know, with certainty, we could rest with confidence in our salvation.

The author of Hebrews described Jesus saying, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

I’ve often wondered what Jesus was tempted by during his life. We know his original temptations after his baptism, but Scripture doesn’t describe what tempted Jesus two months or two years after that. We do know that Jesus understood the need to be constantly filled with God’s power. 

  • Jesus withdrew to be alone with God and pray.
  • Jesus left certain situations behind.
  • Jesus wept, laughed, healed, encouraged, taught, and even became angry – all without sinning.

Jesus experienced a real life, in a real human body, and he experienced our human frailties. Jesus was the only one whose life never got out of alignment with God.

Draw near to Jesus and you draw near to God.

Have you ever imagined the reunion of Jesus with his Father in heaven? I will never fully understand the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. I do like to picture Jesus returning to heaven and running into the waiting Presence of God. Jesus must have been overwhelmed with the joy of, once again, being with his Abba, face to face.

The author of Hebrews encouraged his readers to approach Jesus like Jesus approached God.

He wrote, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

One of the best indicators that life is out of alignment with God is our approach to God.

When we have realigned our lives with God’s Kingdom purpose, we can approach him with confidence. When we have received the forgiveness that the blood of Jesus has provided us, we approach the throne of grace. We know that God’s grace is ours, and he stands ready to help us in our time of need. Easter reminds us that Jesus died so we could rest in the certainty of God’s amazing grace.

When our souls doubt the love, grace, and mercy of God, we can know that our souls are out of alignment with the “rest” that Jesus died to provide.

Your realignment will please God today.

Your Easter faith will please God. Easter faith understands the purpose and provision of God through the gift of his Son. God wanted us to be his children too.

Hebrews 11:6 tells us that “without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” 

Our Easter faith will align us with God’s holy purpose in Christ. God stands ready to reward your faith in Christ and your desire to seek his guidance for your life.

Everyone hits a curb, for one reason or another. The gift of Easter is a free and perfect alignment anytime we draw near to our master mechanic with confident faith. You can walk with him today knowing you can be at perfect rest in your salvation. This Easter season will be blessed when you make the choice to realign your life with Jesus as your holy King.

 

Praying for the road to Damascus

Missiles, bombs, and soldiers are traveling the road to Damascus right now. 

I’m praying that Jesus appears, once again, on that road to call people to a miraculous understanding of who he is. 

Jesus spoke to Saul of Tarsus on that road, and Saul was forever changed. 

Might Jesus do that again today? 

We can and should ask.

The city of Damascus

Damascus is, according to some, the oldest capital in the world. People may have lived in this area since 9000 BC, but, according to early Egyptian records, it became a significant city around 1350 BC. 

It was a perfect location for an ancient city because the land was situated on a high plain that provided a sweeping view in all directions. There was water which provided fertile land for farming. Ancient records report that Abraham settled there for a time before going to the land of Canaan.

Today the city of Damascus is the capital of Syria and considered the fourth holiest city in Islam. The history of the city would make it one of the most interesting tourist destinations in the world, except for the fact that it has been a city of unrest and civil war. Guinness World Records lists Damascus as the “least livable” city because of its instability, poor education, and lack of opportunity. The culture, politics, and infrastructure can’t support tourism, and extreme poverty is commonplace.

Now, war has been added to the long list of troubles this ancient city faces. The soldiers of Israel are slowly working their way through the buildings and streets of Damascus, clearing out people who want to do their nation permanent harm.

The sons of Abraham

Before Abraham’s son with Sarah’s handmaiden was born, an angel of the Lord spoke to Hagar, telling her what kind of man her son Ishmael would become. The angel said, “He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen” (Genesis 16:12 NIV). Centuries of history illustrate the truth of the angel’s proclamation. 

Ishmael’s descendants did grow to become “a nation of people great in numbers” who continue to exist as “a hand against everyone else, and everyone’s hand against them.” The evening news tonight will likely display the ever-present reality of the ancient, biblical truth.

Damascus is in modern-day Syria, just outside of the territories of Israel and Iraq. The land has always been strategic and has always been land that any of Abraham’s descendants wished to control. The fighting in Damascus today is intense. Lives have been lost, and there is no ceasefire on the horizon. Some of those who were taken hostage last October are probably being held in Damascus today.

The ancient road to Damascus

After Stephen was stoned, the book of Acts reports, “There arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles” (Acts 8:1). One of the last things Jesus told his disciples was they would be his disciples, taking his gospel to “Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8 KJV). 

Chapters and verses were not added to the Bible until 1551, about fifteen hundred years after the book of Acts was written. It is interesting Bible trivia to note that Jesus’ words in Acts 1:8 were fulfilled by the words of Acts 8:1.

Christians likely consider the road to Damascus as the place where Jesus spoke to Saul of Tarsus saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4). When we want to pray for the people walking that road right now, we should pray with Saul’s miracle in mind.

Saul of Tarsus was one of the most significant terrorists in Scripture. He was going to Damascus to seek out the Christians who’d fled there. Saul had been arresting, even killing, Christians since the stoning of Stephen. He thought he was defending his faith, but he was persecuting the faithful. When Saul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, his entire life changed. Saul of Tarsus became the apostle Paul, who did more for the spread of the gospel than probably anyone in history. 

Which terrorists might meet Jesus today if we prayed for that? 

Which soldiers would have their lives completely changed if they heard the voice of Jesus speak to them from heaven?

Jesus still wants to dramatically change lives on both sides of the conflict. Do we pray for everyone involved with the faith found in the book of Acts? Do we believe like Paul taught, that the gospel is “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16)? 

Pray as you watch and read the news

Abraham’s children continue to fight one another, convinced they are serving their faith and their future. Christians are called by the One we serve to “share the gospel” with everyone. Those who fight outside the Christian faith fight for a faith that will fail them.

The gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, is the faith that will sustain them now and one day sustain them eternally.

The news we watch and read is a call to prayer. Abraham’s children, the descendants of Isaac and the descendants of Ishmael, have a Father in heaven who sent his Son to die for their sins. Maybe today, on the road to Damascus, Jesus will once again call to one of them from heaven saying, “Why are you persecuting me?” 

Jesus said, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). The Christian position in this war is to be the hands, feet, and heart of Christ for the lost, and the lost exist on all sides of the conflict.

Will you actively pray, led by the Holy Spirit and the truth of God’s word? 

The sons of Abraham will continue to fight until Jesus returns. Through prayer, we can fight for those who are lost. Some are hiding in Damascus, hoping to kill, and others are held captive by their enemies. They are also marching along the same land that Saul of Tarsus marched in the first century. Damascus was a key city then and is still a key city today. 

We need to pray for God to do miracles and make himself and his will known to those who have not met his Son.

Please, Jesus, call out to them on the road. Appear to them in their dreams. 

Send angels of protection to the innocent and comfort all the children. 

May many who are lost repent and come to know Christ as their Lord and Savior. 

May those who are saved live the rest of their lives as your disciples, sharing their salvation with others. 

May Paul’s life remind Christians to pray under the power and authority of their Lord and Savior, who can accomplish far more than we can even ask or imagine. 

In your name, Jesus, and for your glory, we pray. Amen.

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For more on the war in Israel, please visit the Denison Forum Israel resources page for more articles, podcasts, and other resources.

A mile or two from the cross

The historic message of Easter is usually taught and preached about Calvary’s cross. This year I want us to consider Easter from a different perspective. 

What happened a mile or two from the cross, and why is that message important for us to consider today?

Calvary

We take groups to Israel and to what is called the Garden Tomb. Standing nearby, we look at what is now a bus parking lot and our guide asks us to glance to the left. 

There is a steep, rocky hill that stands outside the original walls of Jerusalem. When you study the mountain, it looks like a skull. Many believe it to be the Calvary of Scripture. Tombs are located nearby, and one of them carries an encryption that causes biblical archeologists to believe it could be the tomb of Christ. 

The visit to the Garden Tomb is usually one of my favorite moments of the trip. We can’t know for certain, but we might be standing where they took the body of Jesus and where the resurrection of Jesus took place. 

Each time I’m there, it is a holy moment of gratitude for Jesus and for Easter. 

Scattered throughout the area are other significant spots that are also part of the Easter story. 

Akeldama

About two miles away is a spot we often point out from the bus. The place is called Akeldama, and tradition teaches it as the field where Judas hanged himself after selling his Savior for thirty pieces of silver. That field is also where it is believed that some of King Solomon’s wives sacrificed their babies to Baal. A monastery is there today. 

Matthew records the story: 

Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” 

And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. 

But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.” So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers.  Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 

Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me” (Matthew 27:3–10).

Judas is one of the finest testimonies to the reality of Jesus’ death. 

When he saw that he had condemned Jesus to die, he desperately wanted to repent and stop the wrong. Judas’ sin is an example for everyone. Jesus chose to die for everyone, even his betrayer. There is no sin or sinner that could have stopped Jesus from accomplishing what he had come to do. He was called to become the final blood sacrifice for our salvation. 

In many ways, every cemetery we drive past could be named Akeldama. We all deserved to die for our sins, but there are some in every cemetery who never died because they placed their faith in Jesus. 

Somewhere in the Holy City

We take our tour groups to a place that could have been the Upper Room. We cannot know if that is the exact spot where Jesus held the Last Supper, but it is possible. 

We do know this: The Apostle John was the only one of Jesus’ disciples who was at the cross of Calvary. Judas hanged himself, but there were ten more men from Jesus’ inner circle who disappeared from the Easter story after Jesus was condemned to die. 

The others were possibly scattered throughout the city, or they may have hidden in the same Upper Room where they had been with Jesus. It is also possible they were afraid to return there because Judas knew the location of that room as well. 

We do know the disciples were in Jerusalem together, after Jesus’ death. John, the Apostle who had been with Jesus at the cross wrote: 

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 

And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld” (John 20:19–23).

All of us have separated ourselves from Jesus at times, unwilling to stand for him or share the gospel story with others. We have all locked ourselves away from our faith at times, not wanting to share in the persecution that comes to those who walk closely with Jesus as their Lord. We can all remember that Jesus returned to each of these men who had chosen to walk away and told them, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 

Then he told them to “receive the Holy Spirit” and forgive others as they were forgiven. Jesus didn’t just forgive their choice to run from him. He told them they would receive the Holy Spirit so they had the power and ability to be brave disciples in the future. 

The Presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives is the gift of Easter and the assurance that we have received the blessings of our salvation for each day, and for all eternity. 

The Holy of Holies

One of the most significant moments in the Easter story occurred about a mile away from the cross. The moment Jesus died the earth shook, the skies darkened, and those who were standing on the Temple Mount saw an extraordinary sight. The veil that hung between the holy place and the holiest place of the temple was torn. 

The only One who could have torn the veil that day was God. The veil was made of the finest linen and so thick it likely weighed more than a thousand pounds. It was torn from top to bottom, God to man. 

When Jesus died, God sent an Easter message to everyone. The message: Everyone is now invited into his throne room and into his holy Presence. Everyone has access to God’s Shekinah glory, through faith in his Son. Jesus opened the path to God for all who would trust his sacrificial death to cover their sins.  

The Easter message from the Temple Mount is a reminder of the prophetic words to Isaiah when God said, “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:19). 

The message of Easter is the continued message God has given every generation since Adam and Eve. God wants us to know he is our Father and we are his beloved. There is nothing God wants more than to spend eternity with his children. Easter is still Isaiah’s message from God: “I will make a way in the wilderness” for you to find your way to my Presence. 

The veil was torn. We can leave the cross of Calvary, walk past the tomb of Jesus, and climb to the highest point of the Temple Mount. 

We have been invited into the Holy of Holies, God’s Presence. 

Will you celebrate Easter by entering his throne room this week? 

Jesus gave his life so that each of us could be filled with his Spirit and become his temple. His Shekinah glory indwells every Christian who will choose to be the light of the world. 

May you and your families have a blessed and holy Easter celebration. 

What did Jesus do that Wednesday?

I send this blog out on Wednesday morning. We celebrated Palm Sunday, tomorrow is Maundy Thursday, which leads to Good Friday and the joy of Easter Sunday worship. But Scripture is almost quiet about the Wednesday of Passion week. What did Jesus do that Wednesday?

Jesus stayed at the home of Mary and Martha in Bethany during Passion Week. Bethany is about two miles away from Jerusalem. The city would have been extremely crowded and chaotic during the Passover week. Jesus and his disciples walked those two miles each day to teach in the temple and then returned to Bethany for the night. We know what Jesus did each day of Easter week, except for Wednesday. That day has been called “silent Wednesday” by some scholars.

Many theologians believe Wednesday was the day spoken about in Matthew 26:14–16, the day Judas chose to betray Jesus. “Then one of the twelve disciples—the one named Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, ‘What will you give me if I betray Jesus to you?’ They counted out thirty silver coins and gave them to him. From then on Judas was looking for a good chance to hand Jesus over to them.” What did Jesus do while his life was being sold for the amount commonly associated with the purchase price of a slave?

The disciples needed time to prepare for the Passover meal. Did Mary and Martha help with that? The Passover celebration required shopping, cooking, and planning. Was everyone bustling around Jesus with important preparations while he was praying for the strength to make an impossibly difficult sacrifice? I wonder if Jesus was looking at the faces of these close friends and disciples and grieving for what he knew they would experience after his death. I wonder if he grieved the fact that he would miss sitting with them each day, laughing, talking, and sharing ministry together.

I imagine Jesus taking time on Wednesday to retreat to a quiet spot so that he could sit with his Abba and pray. It’s impossible to fathom what it would have been like for Jesus to be God incarnate, indwelling the limitations of a human body. He understood physical pain, he felt humiliation, he expected his death would be a horrendous ordeal for his human body to endure. He also knew that he was about to accomplish the purpose he had been born to do. He was going to provide salvation for anyone who would choose to believe and make him Lord. What did Jesus pray about during that time with his Abba?

I wonder what his thoughts were about Judas that day. Judas Iscariot may have come to his mind often that Wednesday. It is human to grieve those who are outside God’s control and blessing. Some of us grieve for those same reasons during Easter week. How did Jesus pray for the man that would betray his friends and his Messiah?

This blog post arrives at your computer on Wednesday mornings. If it is still early, and you are making plans for the day, how will you choose to spend your Wednesday of Easter week? Are there preparations for Easter you need to accomplish? Is there someone who doesn’t want to share this holiday with you? Are there loved ones who only want Easter to be about pastel colors and a bunny? Is there a family member, friend, or neighbor you need to pray for today?

Maybe we should spend some of this day like Jesus did. Is there time in your schedule to simply turn the world off, take a walk, and spend some time with your Abba? If you are reading this on your office computer, take time during lunch or during the drive home to simply quiet your heart and think about what Jesus did that Wednesday—and the significance of the events in the days that followed.

Why doesn’t Scripture tell us what Jesus did that Wednesday? Maybe because it was the day Jesus chose to spend privately with God. Maybe we can consider doing the same. Your Abba would love to have that time with you . . . there is something he wants to tell you.

I wish you and yours a blessed and holy Easter. . .

This blog post was originally published on April 11, 2017 during Holy Week.

The politics of Easter and two people

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[et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”]Let the culture debate the political correctness of Easter. As Christians, we will faithfully rejoice in the miracle of Christ’s resurrection. Politics have always surrounded the events of Easter, especially the first one. 

The religious leaders of the day held an illegal trial, demanding they be considered right instead of doing what they knew was right. Pontius Pilate, the Roman official, made unjust decisions in order to appease and please people he was tired of listening to. And the confused crowds followed the rhetoric instead of the evidence. 

It sounds familiar, doesn’t it? 

There were some that first Easter, although few in number, who stood and fought for what was right. There are two names in the Easter story that deserve some recognition: Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. 

What happened to Nicodemus after his conversation with Jesus?

Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to see Jesus at night and, while some debate his motives, most believe that he was honestly trying to know if Jesus was the Messiah. 

John 3:1–21 is the record of the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus and contains some of the most memorized words in Scripture. If you have time, you should read the whole passage. It is one of the best examples in Scripture about how to speak to an intellectual about Christianity. 

But, every debate about Easter must end with the knowledge that we are saved through faith, not facts. There is a lot of proof about the life and death of Jesus, but people are “born again” because they believe the gospel message of love, forgiveness, and miracles. 

What happened to Nicodemus after his conversation with Jesus? 

The passage doesn’t record his acceptance of Christ as his Messiah. We don’t have a specific testimony about Nicodemus, but there is strong evidence that he understood Jesus to be his Messiah. 

John 7:50–52 says that Nicodemus spoke to a group of unbelieving Pharisees about the unlawful seizure of Jesus. Later, in John 19, after Jesus had died on the cross, Nicodemus joined Joseph of Arimathea and helped give Jesus a traditional Jewish burial. John 19:39 says, “Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight.” 

Scripture doesn’t record a profession of faith from Nicodemus, but it records his act of faith. His actions would have publicly separated him from the other Pharisees and revealed his belief about the divinity and value of Jesus. A mixture of myrrh and aloes, seventy-five pounds in weight, is recorded for a reason. The estimated value of those spices today would be around $200,000. 

Jesus was given a costly burial after his costly death. 

Nicodemus apparently understood the value of Jesus’ sacrifice. 

Joseph of Arimathea understood too

Luke describes Joseph of Arimathea as a “good and righteous man” who didn’t agree with the Sanhedrin’s decision to crucify Jesus (Luke 23:50–51). He was a prominent member of the Jewish council who we know was “looking for the kingdom of God” (Luke 23:51). It seems he was a secret follower of Jesus. I’ve sometimes wondered if he and Nicodemus had met together before in order to discuss Jesus. We don’t have the whole story in Scripture, just what we need to know. 

We do know that “Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus” (Mark 15:43). 

It is commonly believed that the tomb, described as “newly hewn,” was the property of Joseph, given freely for the honored burial of Jesus. It was likely his family tomb, the place where he planned to be buried with his loved ones. 

Both men sacrificed for Jesus financially, but they also sacrificed personally. Both risked their positions in the community in order to make a public display of faith and honor the crucified body of Christ. 

Our public display of faith

There are intellectual facts, biblical and historical, to support the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. It is important to know how to defend your faith with knowledge. But, truthfully, most of us will prove our faith the way Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea proved theirs. 

What will be the public display of our faith in Jesus this Easter? 

How will your friends, family, co-workers, and others be convinced of what you believe? 

Sometimes our words are debated, but it is difficult to debate our public acts of faith. People typically “observe” those moments. And sometimes people like Nicodemus come to us privately so they can try to understand what we believe. 

How will you make your faith public, like those two Jewish leaders did on the first Easter? 

If you pray for the opportunity, it will likely happen. You might not even realize the opportunity occurred.  

Politically correct, or right with God?

It is impossible to know how many Easter seasons the world will celebrate in the years to come. Jesus could return before next spring occurs. For now, it is looking like the Christian message of Easter is becoming a little more “politically incorrect” with each year that passes. But remember, John was the only disciple at the foot of the cross. Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea are the only Pharisees named on Jesus’ side in the Easter story.  

These men didn’t stand with the crowd; they stood with Jesus. I hope that will be said of you and me as well. It is best to make that decision before it becomes a choice. 

Jesus told Nicodemus, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). If Nicodemus and Joseph truly understood and believed in Jesus’ words, we will see them in heaven. Imagine the joy of “fitting in” with that crowd! 

We gladly praise the two people in our Easter story who set our example. 

I’d rather be correct about Jesus than politically correct. 

I’d rather be the Pharisee who recognizes and honors the Messiah.  

I wish you a blessed and holy Easter celebration! [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column]
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The day “Hosanna” changed

It’s Easter week. 

Jesus rode victoriously into Jerusalem to the shouts of “Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” (John 12:13). 

Days later, Jesus was led out of Jerusalem, in agony, to the sneers and jeers of people who didn’t know they were slandering God’s holy Son. 

How could so much change in just a week’s time?

I saw a recent survey on our local ABC news. It’s expected that only 28 percent of our nation will attend church this Easter Sunday. 

A lot has changed about Easter week in my lifetime as well. 

AT FIRST, DISILLUSIONED 

The people were thrilled to see Jesus arrive in Jerusalem. The crowds incited shouts of joyful praise. They waved palm branches as they hailed their King. But, when he was arrested, they fled, disappointed and disillusioned. They misunderstood God’s plan. 

There are a lot of people in our country who will have a difficult time shouting praises to God this Easter. They have lost someone they loved. They have been hurt financially. They are disappointed in the politics of the day. And, the evening news reminds them that those who attend church on Easter are a minority. 

All of us have been disillusioned with God at some point. We thought he promised one thing, but he gave us something else. We are like the Easter crowds in Jerusalem. Sometimes we misunderstand God’s plan. 

But those who are disillusioned by a tough year should remember that Easter provided God’s eternal plan. We can still misunderstand his higher purpose. 

THEN, DISAPPOINTED 

The people thought Jesus would become a king. He was supposed to run Rome out of Israel and establish Jewish leaders on their throne. When Rome captured Jesus, the disappointment set in.  

It’s remarkable because they had seen his miracles. They had listened to Jesus preach. They had seen that he was no ordinary man. What they didn’t understand was that they wanted the ordinary but got extraordinary instead.  

The people wanted a king for their daily lives. God gave them a King for their eternal lives. 

It’s easy to be disappointed in God when we want him to fix things on earth. God’s plan has never made what is temporary more important than what is eternal. 

NEXT, HOPEFULLY CONFUSED 

When they hung Jesus on the cross, the believers were devasted. When they heard the tomb was empty, they were hopefully confused. 

Jesus had told them what would happen, and it did. He was raised to life again. The final sacrifice had been made for the sake of every soul that had ever lived or ever would live. They had shouted “Hosanna” and now they were blessed by the One who had come in the name of the Lord. The One who had blessed them was a King. But, Jesus was a King like no other. 

Jesus didn’t die so that people could have mansions on earth. He died so people could have mansions in heaven. His promises were filled with eternal hope and eternal priorities. 

Yet, many people have been hopefully confused about how it can all be true. Many of the people around you hope the Easter story is true but are confused about why it is true. They lack the faith to believe.  

It’s remarkable because there are still miracles. We have a Bible filled with the preaching of Jesus. We know he was no ordinary man. Is it possible people still want Jesus to be a king on earth? His throne has always been, and always will be, in heaven. 

Jesus didn’t come to make earth his home; he came to make heaven our hope. 

FINALLY, THE ANSWER BECAME CLEAR 

The tomb was empty because Jesus didn’t plan to make this earth his home. Jesus made his followers his temporary dwelling on earth. 

The disciples had gathered on the Mount of Ascension. They asked Jesus, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6).  

Even after the resurrection, the people still wanted Jesus to come back and be an earthly king.  

Jesus answered them with a clear message. He didn’t give his life for the sake of life on earth. Jesus answered his disciples with their new priority. Jesus said, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:7–8). 

Jesus spoke to anyone who would be a disciple and told them he would transform their lives to be a witness to the world. The answer became clear. Jesus told his followers that their priorities and abilities would be changed by the coming of the Holy Spirit. 

And, for those who were filled by God’s Holy Spirit, that transformation occurred. The disciples had new goals, new priorities, and a new power indwelling their lives.  

HOSANNA WAS REDEFINED 

Scripture says that, after Jesus had issued their calling, “he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight” (Acts 1:9). Jesus, on the Mount of Ascension, redefined “Hosanna”: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”  

Jesus enters every city on earth today as a King through the life of every person who allows him to be King of their life. Hosanna. Blessed are the people who live life on earth, in the name of the Lord—because they will allow Jesus to bless others through their witness.  

We stand on the Mount of Ascension with every disciple, from every century. We, like them, still wish Jesus to occasionally be an earthly king and fix things in this world. But, his final answer to his disciples will always be our calling. 

Jesus told us to be witnesses through the power of God’s Holy Spirit. Every other priority is something less important.   

Only 28 percent of our population plan to attend church on Easter Sunday. How will you shout “Hosanna” to the world this week? 

We are called to be a witness to the true priorities of Easter week. Blessed are those who share in the name of the Lord.  I hope you and your families have a blessed and holy week!