Jesus – Page 2 – Karen Gamble Writes

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.

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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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Rightly Dividing Scripture

Rightly dividing the Scriptures is very important to me.

God calls us to it in 2 Timothy 2:15 when he tells us, Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. (NIV)

When I see someone misquote or misapply Scripture I get very concerned for them; I fear they’re being misled by the enemy.

Taking verses out of context or using only part of a Scripture so that it seems to say something different than it’s actual meaning is a favorite tactic of his.

Seeing people fall for it worries me for their sake.

If it happens in person I will typically try to lead the conversation to a place where I can gently and politely correct them without embarrassing them.

If it’s online I typically just let it go.

Either way, I pray for the person, asking God to educate and correct their understanding so they can learn and be closer to Him.

But then –

Category: God, Jesus, New Testament, Scripture Study, Truth | LEAVE A COMMENT

Word of the Year 2020

It’s a New Year.

With it comes a new word.

Each year I choose a word to focus on throughout the year.

Last year my word was resolve. (read that post here)

It came from 1 Corinthians 2:2:

“For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you, except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” (NIV)

Paul was explaining to the Christians in Corinth that he wasn’t interested in material things or fame. He wanted only to share the gospel and lead people to Christ. His only focus was Christ and the importance of the crucifixion.

I spent a good portion of my study and prayer time seeking to better know and understand who Christ is.

I also focused on putting Him first in every situation.

It was hard.

There were times when I failed, had to repent, and start again but I learned so much.

I learned first hand just how much Christ loves us and just how close to us He is, if we will just pay attention.

It was a year of huge growth I am eternally grateful for.

When I was praying and looking through Scripture for 2020’s word I came across John 8:25-30.

Category: Jesus, New Testament | LEAVE A COMMENT