A Woman's View

One week that changed the world forever

Today Christians celebrated Palm Sunday, the beginning of what we call Holy Week.

Why "holy?"

Because this week we especially ponder the fact that Jesus Christ, true God and true man, chose to give up his life for you and me.

Why give up his life?

Because we human beings cannot live a perfect life, perfect in thought, word and deed, which is the only way we could be right with God on our own.

You and I don't have a chance, except that Jesus paid for all our sin when
he willingly gave up his life and allowed himself to be nailed to that cross.

Do any of us think that One who walked on water and healed the paralyzed and brought the dead back to life was overpowered? That One who multiplied two loaves of bread and five small fish into enough food to feed 5,000, with food left over could be so weak and overwhelmed he had to  meekly stand there so those Roman soldiers could beat him and maul him? 

The Baby in the manger, the great teacher, the miracle worker, willingly submitted to this cruelty to set you and me right with God. He was nailed to that cross as punishment--and full payment--for our sins, not his.

That's why we call Good Friday, "good."

They took down Jesus Christ's body from the cross and laid it in the tomb just before sundown. It was the beginning of the Sabbath and his followers were forbidden to do more than wrap some cloths around his broken body. On the third day they went to the tomb and found no corpse. Only an angel who told them, "He is not here. He is risen."

In other words, Jesus did not stay dead. Oh, he appeared several times, speaking and interacting with his followers, but then he went back home, to his Father. No trace of his body, no bones, were ever found. Only the cloths in which they hastily wrapped his body before sundown on Friday.

That's what we will celebrate next Sunday, Easter Sunday.

One of Christ's disciples, John, put it this way, in John 3:16-17:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Next Sunday we celebrate Christ's victory, because it is our victory. Because he lives eternally, we too live eternally.

The price of admission to life, life now and life after we die, is faith in Jesus as our Savior. Nothing more, nothing less. That's all it takes to live in freedom from guilt and beating ourselves up because we're not "good enough."

That's what we Christians call, "grace."

God's Riches at Christ's Expense.

Your riches. My riches. Freedom from fear, both now and forever. Joy in the sure knowledge that God loves us and forgives every sin we ever committed, not just from today or yesterday, but any and every wrong we have ever done, at any time in our lives.

That's why this week, when we remember Jesus Christ's death, we also celebrate his life--and ours. Life abundant and free, ours for the taking.

Gentle reader, I wish you a week--and a life--in which you know that JOY and freedom in Christ for yourself!

Lenore

P.S.  You can read about the life of Jesus in the Bible. Begin with one of the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.)

Of endings...and beginnings

This feels like a season of milestones, doesn't it? One school year ends, and kids move up a grade. Young people put on caps and gowns and march solemnly, stepping in time to (what else?) "Pomp & Circumstance."

Life is full of milestones, although often we don't recognize them at the time.

Last night we did. My husband and I proudly watched one of our grandsons graduate from high school. On a beautiful June evening we sat in a stadium packed with joyful parents and exuberant family members and friends. Judging from the noise levels, excitement reigned. The general attitude seemed to be, "We/They made it!"

Twelve years of education and hard work lie behind these high school graduates. Twelve years of Mom and Dad doing what moms and dads do, keeping an eye on things, loving their child, holding it all together.

Watching that crowd of bright, talented young people brought a lump to my throat. The future stretches before them, filled with promise and opportunity they can't foresee.

Graduations, however, always feel a touch bittersweet. As one of last night's speakers put it, "Now our years together come to an end."

Yet the flip side of this "ending" also is a beginning. 

What we call an ending often ushers in the beginning of something not yet seen and more wonderful than we can imagine.

I'm newly aware of that right now. I recently spent time with an old friend who's in Hospice care. Following surgery and treatment for a malignant brain tumor, she's unable to speak more than two or three words. Her eyes and her typically beautiful smile, however, speak volumes, so she still communicates. 

When I think of her and her husband, who has adored her since she was a teenager, I ache with sadness for them. Not so long ago their future stretched ahead of them and they dreamed wonderful dreams together. Now they can only look into each other's eyes and hold each other's hands every chance they get, hungry to hang on, yearning to freeze time and capture the moment.

Yet peace shines from their eyes and radiates from their body language. 

Before them lies an ending, you say. Not really, not for these two. They both believe in Jesus and have built their marriage and raised their children in Him. So they know they'll be together again. They believe one's last breath on earth is one's first breath in Heaven.

One day my friend will "graduate" from earth. Before her will stretch a beautiful world the rest of us can't see...yet.

We'll call it an "ending," but for her, it will be just the beginning. She'll be "movin' on up!" for real.

And we will rejoice through our tears, just as we did at that graduation last night.

Blessings,

Lenore

Your comments welcomed!