Holy week

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Good Friday – ‘ a crown for a king’

They made him a crown. Of all the things that were meant to be humiliating, of all the insults, of all the things they could have done - they made him a crown. Most thorns are made to protect, to keep predators away from the plant and keep it safe. Make no mistake, these thorns were not meant to protect, they were meant to hurt. Not only the flesh that they pieced, but the heart of the man that wore…

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Thursday – ‘a not so silent night’

Dinner parties are supposed to be fun. People dress up and gather together over great food and perhaps some wine, to catch up, tell stories, and enjoy one another’s company. Tonight will not be that kind of party. Tonight is a night where the story of the world is changing. Jesus will give his final instructions. He will tell his friends that not only is one of them going to deny him, another about to betray him, but he will…

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Wednesday – ‘a line in the sand’

You can never say he didn’t try to warn them. He has been telling them for the better part of three years now; “eventually, it’s going to become unpopular to hang out with me. Soon enough people are going to ask you if you’re with me or against me. At some point I’m not going to be around anymore - and you’re going to have some decisions to make about me and all the stuff I’ve said.” Now, the pressure…

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Tuesday – ‘a walk to remember’

The walk from Bethany to Jerusalem is less than two miles. The average walking speed of a human is 3.1 miles per hour. This means that the walk to and from Jerusalem each day took Jesus about an hour and a half round trip. That’s a lot of time to think and talk, especially when you’re awaiting something as stressful and traumatizing as death by crucifixion. Conversations with friends and followers are probably a welcome distraction, but also hard, as…

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Monday – ‘the weight of a broken world’

Somebody’s got a case of the Mondays. The swing from Sunday has to be immense. The emotion, the grandeur, the entrance - and now, there is anger, yelling and the tables to overturn in the temple. If Sunday was a day of celebration, Monday is a day of frustration and lament. First there was that tree. Mark 11:12-14 (ESV)  On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing in the distance a fig tree in…

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Palm Sunday – “they were crying save us”

Save us. They had been crying, save us. I would imagine as Jesus rode down the streets of this otherwise familiar city, now filled with the voices of hundreds, he had to be experiencing the irony of this moment. They did need to be saved, but not from what they were thinking of. Yes, the Romans were oppressive, keeping them from truly engaging or living out their faith. Sure, they had taxes to pay, and laws to follow, but overall…

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Sunday

It started with fear. Fear and trembling. There should be a body, why wasn't there a body?! It morphed into anger. They had taken him. They had TAKEN HIM. WHERE HAD THEY TAKEN HIM?!?! It swelled into confusion. Who was this man? Why was he talking to me? Where had he come from? Didn’t he know I was looking for…. Jesus. Couldn't be… “Mary.” Wait, this was… JESUS! Are you serious!? Is this happening!? I have to tell them. They’ll…

Good Friday

Dead. There are few words like it. But that’s what he was. Dead. The man who had once brought life to so many, both spiritually and physically. The man who had convinced others to give their lives to God in ways they never thought possible. The man who had promised the coming a new kingdom they would all be a part of, was dead. Not that most of them were there to see it. All but John had run away,…

Maunday Thursday

Awkward. That’s the best way to describe that dinner. First there was the whole ‘one of you is going to betray me’ thing. Judas wasn't so much a fan of that. Then there was the part where Peter told Jesus ‘I will never leave you even if everyone else does’, and Jesus said ‘actually Peter, I’m going to single you out and say that you’re going to deny me three times before the sun rises.’ And all of that was…

Wednesday

Betrayal. Even the word makes stomachs turn. The idea of having someone, anyone take the faith you’ve placed in them and use it against you, makes skin crawl. It kills relationships. It breaks hearts. It destroys trust. There is not much in the world that is worse than being betrayed. Especially by one of your best friends. I sometimes wonder how Jesus even looked at Judas from this point. Knowing full well what was going on. The man who has…