Tuesday, April 19, 2011

blogless funk?

Think I am in a blogless funk. I have a smidgent of an post idea at times, but can't grasp the whole concept of a blog post, so I don't even start. Just you all know I'm still here, thought I would post something.

It's almost Easter weekend, and Easter has hardly crossed my mind. We had our Palm Sunday service at church this last weekend, that was the start of it for me, I think. Our church always visualizes Palm Sunday in some way, usually containing Palm leaves filling the church, I appreciate that visual so much. This time they had a wooden donkey, Jesus beside, with all His
followers excited, waving palm leaves, celebrating and of course some downer Roman guards had to be around to try to dispel the excitement. And the choir singing Hosanna adds to the message.

Last night I was reminded Easter is so close and I hadn't even thought of how we're going to celebrate this with Caden. A thought ran through my mind that we better get to the store and buy some Easter eggs or Easter decorations, but in the end that wouldn't serve a purpose for Caden anyway and as adults that wouldn't be how I want it celebrated. What to do...

This thought also crossed my mind recently...What a total injustice Jesus went through. I mean, can you imagine, having done absolutely NOTHING against the law and suffering as he did??!?
After being slapped in the face by the man who arrested him, Jesus says (from the Book of John)...
“If I said something wrong,” Jesus replied, “testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?”

The captor didn't answer, but sent him to the high priest for further questioning.

I find the conversation between Jesus and Pilate (Roman Governor) intriguing every time I read it...

From the Book of John:

Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?”“If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.”

Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”

“But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected. 32 This took place to fulfill what Jesus had said about the kind of death he was going to die.

Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

“Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”

“Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”

Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

“You are a king, then!” said Pilate.

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

“What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him. 39 But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?”

They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising.

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.

Falsely accused, slapped, flogged, spit on, struck with a staff, insulted, made to wear a crown of thorns, betrayed by His friends and loved ones, made to carry a wooden cross and crucified - Jesus. There is injustice around the world today and we've witnessed or know of accounts, however this one recorded several times in the Bible (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) and prophesied of in the Old Testament, is ultimate. The perfect one, the King, sacrificed for us, so we could simply repent of our sin and be given Eternal Life through Grace and Forgiveness.

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