Holy Week: Envisioning Monday Before His Death

 

In the quiet of the first morning of Holy Week, I sit in my living room  and   hear the birds singing outside while sunlight filters through my shaded windows. I see the flowers blooming in the trees.

My life is waiting for God’s touch this Holy Week.

I transport my mind back in time to the Holy City of Jerusalem: the morning after Palm Sunday. On that Sunday, Jesus road into town on a donkey and crowds lined the street singing Hosanna to their King.

They had a wrong vision for whom Jesus personified. He came not as a conqueror to free them from Roman tyranny. He did not come in a political sense. He came to purify and cleanse sin from mankind.

The morning birds sung as He approached His temple; only to see merchants at work making money from sacrifices. People bought lambs and doves instead of selecting the best of their own. They turned sacrifice and purification into convenience; too busy with carrying a lamb from their own flocks on the trek to bring an acceptable offering for their sin.

He angrily overturns tables and chases the merchandisers out with a whip, cleansing His temple and restoring it for worship.

He also cursed a fig tree for failing to produce fruit on His way to the Temple.

I see Him in my mind, taking charge and crying for change. His words were revolutionary. His actions justified. His love so great for the people.

He only angered the religious leaders and did nothing against the Roman oppressors. His concern focused on cleaning His own house, taking care of the spiritual needs in His own people. He wanted holiness and righteousness restored, but the people rejected this Messiah. He looked wrong; he didn’t say the things they wanted to hear.  He instead  concerned himself with the inward man; not political or monetary man.

The leaders questioned His right to condemn them and the world for sin and speak out against them.  He told them the story of rebellious renters who kidnapped and killed the landlord’s son. He explained that the Father reaction involved eviction of the renters. The Father then restored the vineyard to people who would use the vineyard according to His will and His plan.

The Jewish leaders did not see Jesus as a rescuing Messiah. They viewed Him as a threat and set about to kill him.

[tweetthis twitter_handles=”@MaryHill16″]Nearly 2,000 years later, I sit in my living room and marvel at the bravery of Jesus. [/tweetthis] He know speaking the truth brought danger to himself and His disciples. He foresaw and prophesied His own death.

My life seems so insignificant and low.  Could I stand for the truth when I faced certain death if I did so? I know not how I would react in the fire of testing.

[tweetthis twitter_handles=”@MaryHill16″]Christ, however, leaves nothing to chance in His salvation plan for your’s or my life. [/tweetthis]

 

Thank You Jesus: A Poem of Prayer

For the Holy Week

Dear Jesus,

Thank you for sacrifice,

For knowing the great cost yet crying

Tears of blood for me.

You came as a babe in swaddling clothing, a promise of love

You lived a life of purity,

Sinless, you did nothing wrong

Committed no Crime, but they came Lord for You

To Be Continued As I celebrate Holy Week with You, my readers. God Bless!

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This post is written for Day 21 of the March Slice of Life Story Challenge,

I will also join several of the hops listed on my Link-up Parties page.