Easter

March 31, 2013

Opening Hymns:
304 Easter People Raise Your Voices http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh304.sht

Scripture Reading:
John 20:1-18

20 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. ² So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

³ So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. ⁴ Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵ He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. ⁶ Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, ⁷ as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. ⁸ Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. ⁹ (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) ¹⁰ Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

¹¹ Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb ¹² and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
¹³ They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” ¹⁴ At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
¹⁵ He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).
¹⁷ Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
¹⁸ Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

Message:
Jesus has conquered death! He has risen, and those who are able to see Him are awestruck. The question we need to ask ourselves is, how will His death and resurrection transform our lives? What are we going to do with the good news that has been made known to us?

Mary couldn’t help but run to the disciples with the news. The disciples and all who were able to see Jesus, spread the word around. Think of all the songs that have been written giving praise to God and to Jesus. The joy seems to be contagious. So I encourage you to keep the joy flowing. Sing those songs of praise, smile, laugh, hug, dance, and cry for joy. Jesus has risen. He has paid the price of our sins, and He lives. Alleluia!!!

Time of Prayer
Dearest Lord, thank you for the joy that you have given to us on this day. Let us carry the joy with us so that we can spread it to others. Amen


The Lord’s Prayer


Closing Hymn
302 Christ the Lord is Risen Today  http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh302.sht

May the Lord bless you and keep you: May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you: May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." Amen.

Go in peace, serve the Lord
Thanks be to God

Good Friday

March 29, 2013

Scripture Reading:
John 19:1-37

Jesus Sentenced to Be Crucified

19 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. ² The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe ³ and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they slapped him in the face.

⁴ Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews gathered there, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.” ⁵ When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”
⁶ As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!”
But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.”
⁷ The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.”
⁸ When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, ⁹ and he went back inside the palace. “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. ¹⁰ “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”
¹¹ Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”
¹² From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.”
¹³ When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). ¹⁴ It was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about noon.
“Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews.
¹⁵ But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”
“Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked.
“We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.
¹⁶ Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.

The Crucifixion of Jesus

So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. ¹⁷ Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). ¹⁸ There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.
¹⁹ Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: jesus of nazareth, the king of the jews. ²⁰ Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. ²¹ The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”
²² Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”
²³ When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.
²⁴ “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”
This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said,

“They divided my clothes among them
    and cast lots for my garment.”^[a]

So this is what the soldiers did.

²⁵ Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶ When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman,^[b] here is your son,” ²⁷ and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

The Death of Jesus

²⁸ Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” ²⁹ A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. ³⁰ When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
³¹ Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. ³² The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. ³³ But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. ³⁴ Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. ³⁵ The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. ³⁶ These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,”^{[c] 37} and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”^[d]

Message:
The story of Jesus’ death chills me. To think that the One who came to us from God to show the world God’s love and peace was crucified… it is so hard for me to grasp. He healed the sick, raised the dead, forgave the sinful, and casted out demons. He taught us how to love and how to forgive. He corrected the religious leaders and tried to teach them not to judge but to forgive and accept everyone. How could someone like that be killed? How could they justify crucifying Him?!

Pilate was also baffled as to why they wanted to kill Jesus. Pilate was a man in a powerful position… However, on this day he learned that the power wasn’t actually in his hands. He thought that he could chose to turn Jesus loose… but the crowd demanded that Pilate kill Jesus. The crowd prevailed and Jesus was killed on the cross.  

I can’t help but relate to Pilate. I often wish that I was more in control of what is taking place. At times I wish that I could turn back the clock at hit the “forbidden fruit” out of Eve’s hand and say, “oh no you don’t! Don’t you dare eat that!!!” But I suppose if she was living in the Garden of Eden for eternity temptation would probably overtake her at some point. We can’t rid the world of sin. On this day we recognize that there is only one who can, Jesus. It can be painful to think of His death. Even more difficult to recognize the part that each of us played in it. However, as we mourn His death let us recognize the forgiveness and life that it brings to each one of us.

  
Time of Prayer
Dear Lord, forgive us for the sins that we have committed. We all have sinned and we are unable to turn the clock back and undo our sins. Thank You for sending Jesus Christ to die for us on the cross. He has saved us from our sins, and has forgiven us even though we are unworthy of forgiveness. Thank You for giving us Your love that knows no end. Amen


The Lord’s Prayer


Closing Hymn
Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?

Maundy Thursday

March 28, 2013
Opening Hymns:
378 Amazing Grace http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh378.sht

Scripture Reading:
John 18:1-18

18 When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was a garden, and he and his disciples went into it.

2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. 3 So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.

4 Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?”

5 “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied.

“I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) 6 When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.

7 Again he asked them, “Who is it you want?”

“Jesus of Nazareth,” they said.

8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go.” 9 This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: “I have not lost one of those you gave me.”[a]

10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)

11 Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”

12 Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him 13 and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. 14 Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jewish leaders that it would be good if one man died for the people.

Peter’s First Denial

15 Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard, 16 but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the servant girl on duty there and brought Peter in.

17 “You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?” she asked Peter.

He replied, “I am not.”

18 It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.


Message:
From Palm Sunday to Good Friday is such a drastic change. Jesus entered Jerusalem as a King being praised by His disciples and the crowd that was gathered round. He had a supper with His disciples and that is when Judas' actions create a change in the wind. The scripture states: “As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him” (John 13:27). He was going to betray Jesus.

In the scripture for today we see Peter’s first denial. Jesus has been captured and all His faithful disciples have fled. What happened to their faithfulness? What happened to their love? Jesus had known that this would happen all along. Even so, He must have felt so alone having been abandoned, betrayed, and denied by His friends.


I was researching Maundy Thursday, as I don’t know much about why it was given that name. According to Wikipedia:
     “Most scholars agree that the English word Maundy in that name for the day is derived through Middle English and Old French mandé, from the Latin mandatum, the first word of the phrase "Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos" ("A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you"), the statement by Jesus in the Gospel of John 13:34 by which Jesus explained to the Apostles the significance of his action of washing their feet” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maundy_Thursday#Derivation_of_the_name_.22Maundy.22)


On this Maundy Thursday we should strive to remember to love one another, as Jesus has loved us. Jesus loves His disciples through betrayal and denial. He loves them even though they have fled. Let us also love one another. Jesus’ death shows the depth of His love for the world. It is time for us to accept that love and share it with the rest of the world.


Time of Prayer
Dear Lord, thank you for sharing your everlasting love with each and every one of us. Guide us on this day, that we might spread and share that love with one another. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer


Closing Hymn
294 Alas, and Did My Savior Bleed http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh294.sht



May the Lord bless you and keep you: May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you: May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." Amen.



Go in peace, serve the Lord

Thanks be to God

What Would You Change?

March 28, 2013
Opening Hymns:
338 Where He Leads Me http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh338.sht
 
Scripture Reading:
John 13:1-17

13 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

² The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. ³ Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; ⁴ so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵ After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
⁶ He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
⁷ Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
⁸ “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
⁹ “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
¹⁰ Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” ¹¹ For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

Message:

Would you change things in your life if you knew when you were going to die? Are there things that you would do the same? Jesus knows the path that is set for Him. He is fully aware that He is going to die, He knows that He will rise, and He knows that He will go home to God the Father. However, even with this knowledge He is still living the same life. He is dedicating and focusing His life on loving and serving others. It is beautiful to me that Jesus’ ministry does not change throughout His entire life, even when He knows He is going to die.  

There is a saying “live each day as if it were your last”… I challenge you to take a look at your life and think about the things you would change if you didn’t have much longer left.  Why would you change those things? Perhaps more time would be spent with friends and family. We might spend less time watching television or playing computer games. When we look at life in this way it becomes more precious. At times, seeing life like that shows us what is really important. After pondering and looking at my own life I am confident that the most important things are love, and serving God and others with all our might. If we did that every day think about how much more joyous and fulfilling life would be.

Time of Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Jesus Christ to die for us on the cross, and for saving us from our sins. Please let us live a life that follows our Savior’s loving and caring example. In Jesus name we pray, amen.


The Lord’s Prayer


Closing Hymn
133 Leaning on the Everlasting Arms http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh133.sht

May the Lord bless you and keep you: May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you: May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." Amen.

Go in peace, serve the Lord
Thanks be to God