After 9 years of marriage, do I still like the one I vowed to love?
Category: Blog Series
Holy Saturday: Jesus in the Tomb
Some 2,000+ years ago, Jesus follower's could be found “holding their breath” and wrestling with deep issues of faith. They had just seen their Lord and promised deliverer be murdered, and they had not yet seen Him risen, and while Old Testament prophecies had spoken of this, given their previous expectations of what they thought fulfillment of the promises would look like, they were likely not all aware of what they could expect the next day. As far as they could tell with their physical eyes, He had failed them and left the world with unfulfilled promises to be their Savior.
Why Did Jesus Have to Die? The Cross Section of God’s Justice and Love.
I can still picture the scene unfolding in my imagination as I read the Chronicles of Narnia for the first time. Edmund had fallen for the White Witch’s trap, and now he owed her a great debt. The dark creatures sneered as they crowded around the stone table, demanding that the sacrifice be made. I was just a girl at the time, but I questioned the allegorical narrative. Was the White Witch [Satan] the one to whom Aslan [Jesus] owed His life in order to set us free?
Maundy Thursday: The Last Supper
At my church, we celebrate the Passover together during Holy Week, remembering Jesus' Last Supper. The Passover was a celebration of God’s faithfulness to the Israelites, and God’s faithful promises were ultimately fulfilled through Christ! The Last Supper is especially significant because, when celebrating the Passover with His disciples, Jesus used the elements of bread and wine to symbolize something greater: his body and blood. The Last Supper was the first communion!
Holy Wednesday: Judas Chooses to Betray Jesus
On Wednesday, we remember how Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus. He negotiated with the Sanhedrin, the rabbinical court of ancient Israel, to turn Jesus over to them. How could one of Jesus's closest friends betray him? He had traveled with him, followed his footsteps, sat under his teachings, stayed up late talking in the night. Could he really turn his back on him like this?
Holy Tuesday: Jesus’ Final Teachings
Later in the day, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus gave the Olivet Discourse, a prophetic description of Jerusalem’s destruction and the end of the age. He doesn't hold any punches. This is some intense stuff. He reveals His Second Coming and the Final Judgment through a series of parables.
Holy Monday: Jesus Cleanses the Temple
Monday dawns, and Jesus begins His week by entering the temple to heal and teach, but what He finds there is unsavory to say the least. People are buying and selling, money changers are collecting (and probably swindling…that’s an assumption, but probably a safe one). Bottom line the temple is being used to turn a quick profit rather than to turn hearts’ to worship.
Holy Week: Palm Sunday
“Hosanna!” literally translates to mean, “Pray, Save us!” But what were they expecting him to save them from?
Women of the Bible: Chloe & Phoebe
Both of these Corinthian women are only mentioned once in Scripture, but there is much to discover about their life and role in the early church. Though it’s easy to skip over their verses, these names hold special meaning to me personally because they are the names of my two daughters, Chloe & Phoebe.
Women of the Bible: Mary
While I am sure Mary trusted God to be faithful as she bore His son, she knew that she was putting her reputation, marriage, and family status on the line. She knew that no one would believe her if she told them the truth. And she knew that people would treat her differently if she went through with it. Yet she was faithful.