Holy Week

In case you missed it last year, I love Easter. The story of sacrifice, redemption, and new life is one that cannot be topped.

I found these two great articles on "What Does it Mean for the Father to Forsake the Son?" at The Gospel Coalition. Part 1, Part 2. They are really powerful pieces and rely strongly on Scripture. I'm in awe of the sacrifice of our Savior, and what He went through to cleanse our sin and to wipe away our darkness. If you have a copy of The Case for Christ on hand, I'd read the chapter on what actually happens when one dies by crucifixion. It's always incredibly powerful for me.

I also wanted to say that at church this week, we read through all of Luke 22 out loud. I love churches that are bold enough (Romans 1:16) to just read the Word as it is like that. I'm really looking forward to seeing what Easter is like here. There are two services, and I'm thinking of going to both, but we'll see how the day plays out.

Here's a bunch of videos you shouldn't feel any pressure to watch; I just really like them, especially for this week.

Jesus Paid It All

Savior's Here

Hosanna

Christ Is Risen

Days of Elijah

Beautiful The Blood

What Love Is This

Nothing But The Blood

O The Blood

Mighty To Save

Love Came Down

Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me)



Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?For he grew up before him like a young plant and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our grief and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death, and was numbered with the transgressors,yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 53:1-12


 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:18-21


In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:10


but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8


And those who went before and those who followed were shouting,“Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming ⁽kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” Mark 11:9-10

And they stripped him and put ⁽a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail,King of the Jews!” And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him. Matthew 27:28-31


Yeah...did I mention how much I love Easter?