Holy Thursday

This time of year we turn our focus to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.  Most churches have had this as their central theme in sermons, teachings....there are special services, seder suppers.  Most devotionals will have this as their featured studies.  It is a beautiful, moving, joyful time of year for us as Christians.  Good Friday service is probably my favorite of the year.  It brings to mind the depth of love my God had for me, reminds me of the cost of my sinful rebellion and the incredible lengths my Creator went to to restore our relationship.  Feelings of gratitude for this selfless, horrific, and life-giving sacrifice are stirred up anew.  Instead of penning my personal God visits today, I would just like to share from His Word, the wonderful culmination of God's visit to this earth almost 2000 years ago.

Luke 22:14-20  When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table.  Jesus said, "I have been very eager to eat this Passover  meal with you before my suffering begins.  For I tell you now that I won't eat this meal again until the Kingdom of God has come."  He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it.  Then He broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you .  do this to remember me."  After supper He took another cup of wine and said, "This cup is the new covenant between God and His people--an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you."  

Luke 22:39-45  The, accompanied by the disciples, Jesus left the upstairs room and went as usual to the Mount of Olives.  There He told them, "Pray that you will not give in to temptation.  He walked away, about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, "Father, if You are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me.  Yet I want Your will to be done, not mine.  Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened Him.  He prayed more fervently, and He was in such agony of spirit that His sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.  At last He stood up again and returned to the disciples, only to find them asleep, exhausted from grief.  "Why are you sleeping?" He asked them.  "Get up and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation."

As the day and night progresses, we see Jesus betrayed, arrested, interrogated, beaten, denied, and humiliated.  And innocent man, the Creator of the universe, and of each and every one of us....suffering for our rebellion, our rejection of Him.  Imagine your own child rejected you. Basically spitting in your face and walking away from you.  That is what we did as humans to our God.  And yet He still loved us.  Still wanted us to be restored to Him. Eternal life, eternal peace, eternal joy once again could be ours.  And the plan was in motion to make that happen.  His capacity to love and forgive is beyond anything we could imagine.