Happy Easter!
Let’s celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus and the wonderful gift of Eternal Life He bought for us!
Praise be to God the Father forevermore!
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His love endures forever! – Psalm 118 and Psalm 136
To learn more about the Easter Season, please visit my Easter page, a compilation of previous Easter and Lent posts.
I’ve been thinking a lot about the Palm Sunday story.
As well known as the story is, I think there is another side to it.
A side many people miss.
What they miss is seeing the day from Jesus’ point of view.
When people think about Palm Sunday, they usually think about how Jesus entered Jerusalem riding a colt with people laying palm branches before Him, shouting,
“Hosanna! Glory to God in the highest!” John 12:12-15 (NIV)
Many people loved Jesus so they cheered for Him loudly.
This was a very special and important time.
Jesus was declaring Himself king in a very humble way.
He was fulfilling prophecy that spoke of Him being the Messiah. (Zechariah 9:9)
It was a time of celebration.
That’s a very important part of the story.
What a lot of people don’t realize, though…
It was also a time of sadness.
A few minutes earlier, as Jesus was preparing to ride into Jerusalem, He looked on the city and cried.
He saw this city full of people He loved so much – people He was about to die for.
He knew that many of them did not love Him back and that many would perish because of this lack of love.
He who covers over an offense promotes love;
But whoever repeats the matter separates close friends. Proverbs 17:9 (NIV)
What does it mean cover over an offense?
It means to respond with love, even when someone acts ugly, rude, or hateful.
The second line, whoever repeats the matter, means that it is talking about a specific incident.
So, what this verse is saying is when someone does or says something to offend or hurt us, we should respond with love.
If someone steps on my foot, for example, I have the choice to either say, it’s okay and let it go, or to fuss at them for it.
But, what if it’s something they did on purpose?
Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten season.
It is a time we stop, examine ourselves, and reflect on what Jesus did for us when He died on the cross.
It is a time we stop and consider whether we are walking worthy of Christ or whether we need to repent and change how we do certain things, both big and small.
We do this by looking deep within ourselves to see whether there’s anything we need to bring to the Lord in prayer and repentance.
It is my hope that during this season you will take time to reflect on all Christ has done for us and will draw nearer to HIm than you’ve ever been as you remember the mercy He has shown us with His death, burial, and resurrection.
You might also like to read my post, What Is Ash Wednesday? or my post on the The Lenten Season.
To learn more about the Easter Season, please visit my Easter page, a compilation of previous Easter and Lent posts.
Today’s verses are pretty well-known but they are good ones.
Turn to Proverbs 3:5-6:
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to Him,
and He will make your paths straight. NIV
We are to trust in the Lord with all our hearts.
What does that mean?
It means completely, in every way, in every situation, with everything we care about
Our kids, our fears, wants, dreams, health, decisions, actions
ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING!
There is nothing in our lives or hearts that we are not supposed to trust Jesus with.
What does it mean to lean not on your own understanding?
It means to put aside how you understand things.
It means to realize that you don’t have it all figured out, but God does.
It’s being wise enough to know that when we trust God we don’t have to even try to understand everything.
It is choosing to lean on His understanding of things instead of ours.
We only have to obey Him and trust He will work it and handle it, no matter what our “it” is.
Trusting the Lord with our whole heart is not easy.
When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. (NIV)
When pride cometh, then cometh shame; but with the lowly is wisdom. (KJV)
I don’t know about you, but if I’m not very careful, my pride can sometimes trip me up.
Unfortunately, pride is not something that we deal with once and we’re done.
Pride stays with us and is typically an issue in some form or another our whole lives.
Not that we are bad or a failure, but because the flesh is stubborn and wants what it wants.
For this reason…
We have to choose to set our pride aside and humble ourselves on a daily, sometimes moment-by-moment basis.
Now there are 2 kinds of pride. One is good and one is bad.
The good one is like when you take pride in something you are doing.
You want to do a good job and you want to get it right.
You care about your work.
Wanting to do a good job and do the best you can is a good thing.
You enjoy doing a good job instead of a half-baked job.
That kind of pride is okay.
The other kind of pride is the one being addressed in this verse.
It’s the bad kind.
Here’s Google Dictionary’s definition of it:
Pride – over-inflated sense of self-importance.
When you think more of yourself than you should.
For several years now I’ve had the habit of journaling.
Typically, I do it first thing in the morning before I start my day.
I’ve found that writing before the world has a chance to distract me means that my truer, unguarded self comes out on the page.
Sometimes, I vent about people and events.
Sometimes I remind myself I need to buy milk.
Always. by the end of the second page I find God there.
As I’m listing my thoughts I begin to think about and then ask the Lord’s opinion on things.
I begin to become aware of where He’s working in my life and where I need to pray and ask Him to intervene and help me.
Some days I write 3 pages, some days I write 10.
Always, I make a point of laying aside all pretenses and focusing on being my true self, writing my real feelings.
One question I’ve seen asked a lot is whether Judas Iscariot went to heaven.
Some say there is no way he could have since he betrayed Jesus.
Others assume he did because the Bible says he regretted what he’d done.
Let’s look at these a little further.
First of all, yes Judas did betray Jesus.
But, at the same time, so did Peter when he denied Christ 3 times before the cock crowed. (Matthew 26:31-35, 69-75 NIV)
If I am real honest with myself, there are times I betray Jesus, too.
No, I don’t do anything “big” like sending people to kill Him.
But…
One of the people involved in Christ’s crucifixion was Judas Iscariot.
Judas was one of the original twelve disciples of Jesus.
He traveled with Jesus.
He had first-hand experiences and in-person visits with Him.
Unfortunately, Judas didn’t see things from the same point of view as Jesus did.
Part of Judas’ responsibility was to look after the money bag.
Ash Wednesday is a holiday in the Christian calendar.
It is always 46 calendar days before Easter and marks the beginning of Lent, a season of penance, reflection, and fasting which prepares us as we look forward to celebrating Christ’s resurrection on Easter Sunday.
Ash Wednesday is observed as a reminder of just how sinful mankind is and our desperate need for Christ and His gift of forgiveness.
Many churches have a service on this day,
Often, the pastor, or other officiant, will mark a cross on the forehead of the people in attendance.
This cross is made of oil and the ashes of palm branches.
For some, it is a reminder that God created us from dust and we will someday return there. (Ecclesiastes 3:20)
For others it references the Old Testament, when it was common for people to repent with sack cloth and ashes, and therefore symbolizes repentance and/or mourning.
Whichever way you view it, by receiving the ashes on your forehead you are acknowledging you regret your sins and grieve over your sinfulness.
Ash Wednesday is not a requirement for Christians and is not mentioned in the Bible.
Participation in this special time is something that each person must pray about and decide for themselves.
It is important that careful thought is given to why you might want to do it, taking care not to do it for show or because others are doing it.
Instead, it should be done as something between you and the Lord as a sign you realize the gravity of your sinful nature and that you understand and appreciate Christ’s sacrifice.
Ash Wednesday services can be very moving.
Whether you choose to take the ashes is your personal decision, but whatever you decide, I encourage you to attend an Ash Wednesday service as we begin this season of reflection.
You might also like to read my post, Lenten Season 2021.
To learn more about the Easter Season, please visit my Easter page, a compilation of previous Easter and Lent posts.