Holiday – Page 2 – Karen Gamble Writes

It’s Good Friday

Today is the day we remember Jesus’ crucifixion and the sacrifice He made for us when He died to pay for our sins so that we could be reconciled to God.

⁶You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

⁹Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him! ¹⁰For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life! –Romans 5:6-10 NIV

If you have not yet trusted Jesus for your salvation, I urge you to take time today to talk to God about your situation.

If you have trusted Him, I encourage you to take time today to reflect on this gift and what it truly means for you.

¹⁶For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. John 3:16-17 NIV

For a more complete explanation of Good Friday, please see my post, What Is Good Friday?

You might also like to read my post, What is Holy Week? which gives a more in-depth explanation of why this week is so important.

To learn more about the Easter Season, please visit my Easter page, a compilation of previous Easter and Lent posts.

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It’s Palm Sunday!

Today is Palm Sunday!

It’s the day we remember and celebrate Jesus’ Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem.

Humbly riding a donkey, He declared Himself King of Israel, in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy which stated:

Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
    Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
    righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
    on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Zechariah 9:9 NIV

He did this not for His own glory, but so that we would all know Who He is in the hopes that we would be reconciled to God and saved from sin.

As Jesus rode into Jerusalem the people expressed their adoration, praise, and joy by crying, “Hosanna!”

We should join them in celebrating and declaring:

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!

“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Luke-19-38 NIV

Today also marks the beginning of Holy Week as we remember Jesus and the tribulations He suffered as He became our Living Sacrifice.

I hope you will take time this week to prayerfully reflect on Christ and what He did for you..

I invite you to read an in-depth explanation of Palm Sunday by reading my post, What is Palm Sunday?

You might also like to read my post, What is Holy Week? which gives a more in-depth explanation of why this week is so important.

You can read the complete story of Palm Sunday by visiting Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-16, Luke 19:28-44, and John 12:12-19.

To learn more about the Easter Season, please visit my Easter page, a compilation of previous Easter and Lent posts.

Category: death, Holiday, Jesus, Scripture Study | LEAVE A COMMENT

What Is Easter?

Easter, also called Resurrection Sunday, is the day we celebrate that Jesus rose from the dead, gaining victory over sin, death, and the grave.

Jesus had been killed by crucifixion on a Friday.

Early on the following Sunday morning some women who had been Jesus’ followers, came to His tomb with prepared spices.

They were planning to properly anoint His body for burial.

They’d been unable to do it right after the crucifixion because the Sabbath started at dusk Friday and lasted until dusk Saturday.

During this time they were not allowed to do any work due to Jewish law.

When the women got to the tomb the stone blocking the entrance had been rolled away.

Jesus’ body was not there.

The tomb was empty except for the linens Jesus’ body had been wrapped in when placed there late Friday afternoon..

There was an angel there at the tomb.

The angel spoke to them:

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What Is Good Friday?

Good Friday is the day we remember Jesus and His death on a cross.

Crucifixion was a common way to execute people during the time of the Roman Empire.

It was a very slow and painful way to die, sometimes taking several days.

The person being executed typically died due to exhaustion and asphyxiation.

The night before Jesus died He’d been arrested and taken before the Jewish high priest and elders.

After questioning Him at length, they decided Jesus should die for the sin of blasphemy* because He said He was the Christ, the Son of God.

They took Him to the Roman Governor, Pilate, and asked that he execute Jesus for them – Jewish leaders were not permitted to execute anyone themselves.

Pilate questioned Jesus at length but couldn’t find Him guilty of anything.

When Pilate returned Him to the leaders and elders, stating there was no basis for execution, the leaders told Pilate that Jesus had claimed to be a king and was therefore an enemy of Caesar.

When Pilate asked Jesus if He was the king of the Jews, Jesus said yes.

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Jesus Was Arrested

Jesus was arrested the day before He was crucified.

(This day is sometimes called Holy or Maundy Thursday.)

The Jewish elders and chief priests hated Jesus so they wanted to arrest and kill Him.

They were scheming together to think of a way to capture Him.

They were a little hesitant to do it openly because they knew how popular He was; they didn’t want to stir up an angry crowd, and they didn’t want the crowd to turn against them.*

A man named Judas Iscariot was one of Jesus’ disciples.

He knew that the Jewish elders and chief priests were very upset with Jesus and looking for a way to get rid of Him.

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What Is Palm Sunday?

Palm Sunday is the holiday we celebrate the Sunday before Easter.

It is the day we remember and celebrate when Jesus made His triumphant entry into Jerusalem.

Here’s what happened:

When Jesus and His disciples were traveling toward Jerusalem they stopped at a nearby village.

Jesus sent two of His disciples to the village to locate and bring back a young donkey that was tied up but had never been ridden.

He told them if anyone asked what they were doing to tell them it was for Him and that He would send it back shortly. (Mark 11:1-3 NIV)

When they went into the village they found the donkey there, just like He’d said.

Someone did ask about it and the disciples did tell them why they were taking it. They were then allowed to leave with it.

The disciples brought the donkey to Jesus and laid their cloaks on it for Him to sit on.

Jesus rode the donkey into the town of Jerusalem.

As He did so, the crowds that were with Jesus when He arrived as well as many of the people in the town laid their cloaks or palm and tree branches down on the ground in front of Him.

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What Is Holy Week?

When I was growing up Easter was a big event.

In the days leading up to the holiday, the adults would spend a lot of time preparing delicious food and dyeing eggs.

Sunday morning we would devour a lot of the chocolates in the basket the bunny had left us, get dressed up in our fancy new outfits, and go to my grandmother’s house where all my aunts, uncles, and cousins were waiting.

After what always seemed like the biggest meal I’d ever eaten, we would go out and hunt for the brightly colored eggs.

Oh how I loved to run through that grass looking for those treasures!

One day it dawned on me that Easter might be more than just bunnies and eggs.

I asked a relative about it and they explained to me what Easter is really about.

Easter is about celebrating the resurrection of Jesus.

It was also then that I learned there is an entire week that has to do with Easter.

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Lenten Season 2021

Today is Ash Wednesday.

It is the first day of the Lenten season, often called Lent.

Lent is the 40 days (not counting Sundays) leading up to Easter.

Lent is a time of reflection.. It is meant to remind us that we are by nature sinful and that we need Jesus’ sacrifice at Calvary to save us from our sins and to restore our relationship with God.

It is also an opportunity for us to examine ourselves to see whether we are living our lives in a way that is pleasing to God.

Some people fast during this time.

There are several reasons they do this.

Many are following the examples throughout Scripture when men have fasted as a way of showing repentance, to seek God’s favor, receive answer to a prayer during a difficult time, or to show they are grieving..

Some fast to show they realize the seriousness of their sin and their appreciation of the Spiritual life Christ offered us when He was crucified.

Category: God, Holiday, Life, Submission | LEAVE A COMMENT

It’s Thanksgiving Week!

It’s that time of year!

Thanksgiving is only a few days away.

It kicks off the official holiday season.

Before we know it, Christmas will be here!

Lots of people say it’s the most wonderful time of the year.

For many women it’s often the hardest.

Extra cooking, guests, shopping, holiday parties, and events take a lot of our time, energy, and effort.

I could get tired just thinking about it!

Part of what drives us during this season is a desire to show our family how much we care and to give them a great family holiday filled with lots of memories and love.

That is a good thing as long as we keep it in check and don’t let it overwhelm us.

Unfortunately, too often we get so busy trying to get it right we lose sight of why we’re doing it.

This cheats us out of enjoying it and defeats the purpose of even doing it.

One of the other things that drives us this time of year is fear.

Category: God, Holiday, Trust | LEAVE A COMMENT

National Day of Prayer

Today is the National Day of Prayer.

It’s a day we come together and turn to God in prayer, interceding for our nation’s leaders and its families.

This Year’s theme is,”Love One Another”.

Please take a few minutes, either at one of the many events all over the country or in your own quiet time, to pray and ask God to help, strengthen, protect, and guide our leaders and our families. Ask God to turn their hearts back to Him and the path He has laid out.

Ask God to change us to a nation of people who love one another and care for each other the way He has designed us to.

If you would like more information on the National Day of Prayer please click here.

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