“Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen!” Lk 24:5b-6a nkjv
The empty tomb is full of hope. Christ’s mission on earth was completed when He rose from the grave. I wasn’t there, but I an imagine His burial garments lying there in human shape on a cold slab of stone. What a sight! What a miracle! What a message to all humanity! YOU ARE ALIVE AND YOU LIVE FOR US!!!
When Christ was placed in the tomb, there was darkness as the stone was rolled in front of the entrance. But darkness could not hold Him in there. Neither could the darkness of our sins hold Him in death. He is the Light and Life. He defeated darkness and death. The tomb never had a chance! It is empty because the King of kings reigns forever.
Jesus’ body was just an earthen vessel, a clay pot that contained His soul while He trod this earth. That vessel was committed to a borrowed tomb, but it didn’t take up permanent residence there. Early that Sunday morning He arose with a resurrection body, the corruptible became incorruptible (Ac 2:25-27). I don’t know how, I just believe that it happened because there was no body in the tomb and yet He was seen “in the flesh” by over 500 people before the ascension (1 Cor 15:3-7).
Why is the empty tomb so important? Because He promised that on the third day He would rise (Mat 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:17-19). If the tomb was still occupied by His body, His words would have been a lie. We would not be able to believe any of His words. But they are true because He is the Truth (Jn. 14:6) and He did rise from the grave! He can be believed. He can be trusted. He can be obeyed without any fear or reservation. The empty tomb produces hope. Just as Jesus rose from the grave, we will be raised up as well (1 Cor 6:14). We will also have resurrection bodies, incorruptible not only physically, but spiritually as well (1 Cor 15:50-55). Death is not a destination. It is a door to our eternity!
Our salvation has been made sure by the empty tomb (1 Cor 15:12-17). Christ’s death, burial and resurrection paid the price for our redemption. Thank You, Lord, for what You have done! A tomb may be full of death, disease, disappointment, broken dreams, sin. A tomb is a lonely, foreboding place. It is lifeless, dank, decadent. There is no welcome mat there and certainly no hospitality. Yet people go to great lengths to “preserve” the body. Preserve it for what? The body will return to dust, the worms will come, the bones will remain. But we are not bound to the tomb. Jesus secured the victory and by family connection, we ride on His coattails!
Jesus transformed His tomb from the smell of death to the fragrance of life, eternal life. So, when our dreams seem to die or we feel entombed by our circumstances, we can have hope, the hope of the empty tomb, hope that we can draw upon in any situation. Jesus is the resurrection and the life (Jn 11:25) and I affirm that with my soul.
In what ways do we remain in the tomb when Jesus has raised us? When we return to sinful habits, we are in the tomb. When we choose to go our own way, we are in the tomb. When we put our needs and desires before the needs of others, we are in the tomb. When we don’t give the best effort that we can give, we are in the tomb. When we try to justify ourselves, we are in the tomb. When we depend on money rather than on God, we are in the tomb. When we try to please others rather than God, we are in the tomb. When we speak ill of others, we are in the tomb. The way out of the tomb is the way of life – Jesus. Loving Him more than self, trusting Him more than self, obeying Him rather than our flesh, is the way out of the tomb. Will we love, trust and obey Him in every situation? Help us to do it one step, one situation at a time. We need resurrection power!
“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame…” Heb 12:2 nkjv
The cross of Jesus is the centerpiece of our faith and the instrument used to provide salvation. Our sins —past, present and future — have been nailed to that cross. Our failures and lack of faith were pounded through His flesh and into the wood of those beams. Why do we neglect the power of our salvation? Jesus did not save us to be sin’s slave, but to be more than conquerors!
Jesus was on that cross, looking down at us, even though we weren’t there. There were tears in His eyes for us! He asked the Father to forgive you and me! The ugliness of our sins marred His beautiful face. The yoke of our sins was on Him, and yet He offered us His yoke which is easy and His burden which is light (Mat. 11:29-30). He asks little of us in light of the price that has been paid for our salvation. He asks us to tell others about the wonderful news of salvation! Help others along the path of righteous living once they have received the great gift of salvation!
His cross casts a shadow. We stand in its shadow. I am captured by the thought – Your cross, our sins. Our sins are the result of choosing foolishness. Your cross is the result of choosing to love us sacrificially and without strings. You chose death to bring us eternal life. You chose suffering to set us free. You became a spectacle so that we could become a sons and daughters of the Father. Your blood was poured out so that we could be washed in that blood, covering our sins. You said, “It is finished.” (Jn 19:30). New life could begin for us. You gave so that we could receive. You were lifted up on the cross (Jn 3:14-15) so that we could be lifted up out of the mire of sin. With your arms wide open on the cross, You invited us to receive the gift of salvation. I did and I do!
There was darkness from noon until 3pm (Mk 15:33). Just when it should be the lightest and brightest, even the sun protested what was done to the Son! The darkness of the day was a mirror of the darkness of our own souls and the darkness of our sins. That darkness could not hide You and Your saving work on the cross. Though darkness was around You, it could not engulf You, the Light of the world! (Jn 8:12). The nails pierced Your flesh but You pierced the darkness! You did it for us…You did it for US!
I know that You love us, Lord. You want the best for us. You have given us all that we need to be the best that we can be. But we must stay close to You. We must remain in view of that cross to be reminded of Your love, Your power over sin, Your gift of ownership of my life because You paid the price! (1 Cor 6:20). The cross should motivate us to serve You. We owe You our lives and we should never doubt that we are loved. You have entrusted us with kingdom work. Feed Your lambs. Feed Your sheep. Lead others into Your fold. Let us glory in the cross! (Gal 6:14). “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame…” (Heb 12:2). Thank you for enduring the cross for us!
“And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and began to salute Him, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’” Mk. 15:17-18 nkjv
It is not known with any certainty what was used by the Roman soldiers to create this monstrosity. We do know that it was a cruel instrument, in line with the cross itself. Crowns are symbols. They symbolize power and authority. They range from the ornate and ostentatious fixtures encrusted with jewels to a simple ringlet of gold. What comes to mind in this day would be a crown fashioned from barbed wire. But such a barbaric crown of torture points to the tremendous love of our Savior!
This crown of thorns was no crown of authority. Rather, it was a crown of yieldedness, submission. Jesus, the King of kings submitted Himself to such treatment. As God the Son, He could have ended or prevented this charade. But He came to be the Savior of the world! He yielded Himself into the hands of sinners. When He was on the cross those passing by along with the chief priests, scribes, eldders and the soldiers taunted the King to come down and to save Himself Mat. 27:39-43; Lk. 23:36-37). The crown of thorns was a symbol of His submission into their hands, but also to the will of the Father!
The crown of thorns was no crown of royalty. It was a crown of mockery. The soldiers fashioned it to make fun of the so-called King. They made fun of the claim that He was the King of the Jews Mat. 27:29). Even the Jewish rulers wanted Pilate to change the sign that was placed on the cross from “JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS” to “He said, I am the King of the Jews.” (Jn. 19:19, 21). The soldiers mistreated the so-called king. The crowd rejected and mocked Him. The religious rulers hated Him and were insulted at the idea that He was their King. Indeed, the crown of thorns was a symbol of mockery.
The crown of thorns was no crown of honor. It was a crown of immense pain. The soldiers put a robe on Jesus and put a reed in His right hand to be His scepter. They took the reed and struck Him on the head (Mk. 15:17-19). I can imagine the crown digging deeper into His head. There is no doubt that blood streamed down from the piercing of the thorns. Perhaps some of the blood got into the eyes of our Lord. The crown of thorns produced a constant pain in His head. And all the while, He was thinking about us! Yes, this crown of thorns was a symbol of pain caused by our sins.
Just a few days earlier Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The crowd was ready to accept Him as King but they sought a political king. He accepted their cries, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Lk. 19:38). But He did not come to challenge Roman authority. The crowd was quick to withdraw their support of the true King of the Jews. Now He wore the crown of thorns and they called for His crucifixion. He was King who suffered for His subjects at the hands of His subjects!
When you think about it, it is an odd, unexpected and cruel thing to use a crown as an instrument of torture. But Jesus wore this crown for us. Therefore, He is truly KING of kings!
“Then they came to the place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray.’” Mark 14:32 NKJV
Gethsemane was a garden, familiar to Jesus and His disciples. Apparently they had spent much time there together. This was the place that Jesus chose to spend intense time in prayer before going to the cross. Several thoughts may come to mind while thinking about Gethsemane. Gethsemane was a garden. The first Adam who underwent a great trial in a garden, the Garden of Eden. He chose to do his own will rather than to obey the command of God. Jesus, the last Adam, underwent a great trial in the garden of Gethsemane. He chose the will of the Father rather than His own will. The first Adam failed in a garden. The last Adam would ultimately be victorious because of His decision in a garden. Jesus resorted to Gethsemane to pray. He took the Eleven with Him and then took Peter, James and John deeper into the garden and asked them to watch while He prayed. He told them that His soul was sorrowful and deeply distressed Mat. 26:36-38). Why? Sorrow comes with the reality of loss and death. Distress comes in the face of conflict, trials or being overwhelmed. Jesus was feeling these things in His innermost being. This was a traumatic moment and He asked Peter, James and John to share in the moment by watching—being aware of what He was going through, which should prompt them to pray for Him.
Jesus knew His mission. He came to earth to die for the sins of the world. Was He sorrowful about His own death? On at least 3 occasions He predicted His death to His disciples. Death entailsseparation and separation makes us sorrowful. But I don’t think that this was the reason for Jesus’
sorrow. He was preparing to bear our sins in His body on the cross (1 Pet. 2:24). He who knew no sin was preparing to become sin for us (Cor. 5:21). God the Father is holy. Sin separates us from God. Was Jesus was anticipating being forsaken by the Father when He would be on the cross,
becoming our sin?
It is clear that Jesus had a choice. He could refuse the cup of suffering or He could submit to the will of the Father. In honesty, Jesus expressed His human desire by asking the Father to take the cup away. But the words of Mark 14:36 are very interesting to me: “And He said, ‘Abba, Father, all
things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.’” He knew that the Father could take the cup of suffering away. Jesus wanted the Father to take the cup away. But Jesus wanted the will of the Father more than His own desires! I don’t believe that Jesus came to this as a grudging, fatalistic conclusion. He was expressing that even more than wanting what He wanted, He wanted the Father’s will more. His prayer was recorded for our benefit. This is helpful for our prayer life. Be honest with God. Express our desires but want His will more! It is a movement from self to God, from our selfish perspective to His heavenly perspective, from what we think is best to what He knows is best. It is not a cop-out but an opt-in to God’s plans and purpose. Even when we don’t know what His will is, we am signaling that we are okay with what He wants to do and that we willing to place our souls into His hands. The name “Gethsemane” means oil press. Pressure is applied to olives so that they will release their oil. Perhaps Gethsemane had been the sight of an oil press in the past. It is not by accident that Jesus chose this spot for prayer before going to the cross. He was being pressed! Not only was Jesus distressed in His soul, but there was a physical toll on Him as well. Luke is the only one to record that Jesus’ sweat was like great drops of blood (Lk. 22:44). The intensity of His prayer and the intensity of the trial produced bloody sweat upon His brow. It was as if His whole body was being pressed. Before another day would pass, His brow would bleed because of a crown of thorns. His suffering began in Gethsemane as He prayed for the Father’s will. Spiritual, emotional and physical suffering find their roots here in the garden of Gethsemane. He was betrayed by Judas in Gethsemane. He was arrested in Gethsemane. But the victory was won in Gethsemane because He chose the Father’s will over His own will. Lord, thank You for entering Gethsemane before facing the cross!
5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. –John 13:1-17
Disciples would serve their teachers by taking on many of the duties of the slave in Jewish tradition, but they didn’t wash their feet. That job was left for actual slaves. Foot washing in the first century was a very lousy job. The places that people walked were muddy and littered with animal
droppings and other filth. Wearing nothing more than sandals left feet caked in dust and grime from the road. It was a dirty job, so Jesus humbly laid aside His outer garment, and then He scrubbed the feet of the disciples. It makes sense that Peter, as a disciple of Jesus, protested the idea of his teacher serving him in such a lowly way. He wouldn’t have washed the feet of Jesus, how could he allow Jesus to do it for him? His teacher, though, insisted saying, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Peter, who was always zealous, if not overly so, responded, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head.” John 13:9 Jesus taught the disciples by example that nobody is greater than another. If ever they thought that a job was beneath them or that they should be served by others, they were to remember what Jesus did. Jesus, who was God in the flesh, their teacher and Lord, “took the form of the servant” and washed their feet. This then, is the type of humble ministry they were called to also. On missionary trips to Haiti, I see our students humbly serving and washing the patients’ feet at the clinic. Many travel miles on dirt roads without them having shoes. I am often brought to tears seeing these young people serving like this. The humility of Jesus exemplifies the better blessing of serving others. Jesus laid aside His outer garment to wash the disciples feet. Then as John 13:1 says “He loved them to the end.” By laying down His life to cleanse their hearts from sin. In all of this He led the disciples to follow His lead and share with Him in the ministry of reconciliation. What He did for them, He has also done for us. If we let Him wash us, we too can experience the true freedom of laying aside our own pride to humbly serve for the good of all.
4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. John 15:4
The key to fruitfulness is not effort, though effort will be necessary. The key to fruitfulness is not circumstances, though how we handle our circumstances is important. They key to fruitfulness is not our personal strength, charisma, or wisdom, though each of these abilities will be given to us to help make us more fruitful. The key to fruitfulness is for us to have our lives joined to the one, true healthy vine – Jesus. As our lives are joined to His, we “remain” in Him and He in us, then fruitfulness happens naturally. As branches, we derive our health and productivity from the Vine. Want to live productively for God? Then let your life be joined to Jesus! Invite Him in to remain in you as you draw close and remain in Him.
As we go through Holy Week and looking at the cross, it was through the cross, Jesus made the way for us to be part of the vine.
