Hi everyone, I have written my account of the Passion of Christ and somebody shared a sermon in my chuch on this as well and their account so moving that I decided to share it on my blog with you. It is about the Passion of the Lord and what the cross means to us as Christians. This account is based on (Matthew 27-36 and Matthew 28) (Mark 15 and Mark 16) (Luke 24 ) (John 20 and John 21) (Romans 5:8) and the Book and of Acts.
The Passion of the lord what is good about Good Friday torturing a man and mocking him cruelly nailing him to a cross and raising it at all that his weight hangs on those nails. Even casting lots for his clothes it is brutal and inhumane man's inhumanity to man. In some churches they hammer nails into a cross each strike a physical blow to the senses bringing home the reality of the cross the horror the brutality the suffering we see it. we feel it within even though we know Easter Sunday is coming. We have to go through this day we have to experience it and take on board the enormity of what Jesus did for us for him. It was almost too much to bear he cried out my God my God why hast Thou forsaken me and we can understand his call. He would have known this was coming to him that this was God's divine plan for the Salvation of humanity.
A once and for all sacrifice to atone for our sins but so so much to bear. Then he says it is finished this was a common phrase used when a deal was completed a job finished or as the priest accepted as perfect. The sacrificial beast it is finished he's not saying the devil has won has defeated him, no those who heard him would have understood his task of saving the world had been completed nothing more to do he had paid the price in full, the debt was cancelled. the debt sin, sin that separates us from God sin that destroys our relationship with him.
His death on the cross restored that relationship his sacrifice a perfect one acceptable to God it is finished. All was reconciled price paid forgiveness one nothing more needed all complete it is finished so Good Friday even though it was his father's will it was a day he suffered much physically and emotionally even though a willing sacrifice for his mother for the disciples and for those who knew and loved him.
It was a never ending day witnessing his pain and waiting on the inevitable in Romans Paul says God has shown us how much he loves us for it was while we were sinners that Christ died for us in John we read for God so loved the world that he gave as his only begotten Son. It wasn't the nails that held him on the cross it was love, a love beyond measure beyond comprehension as we think of all that happened on Good Friday the cruelty his suffering his death let us think of God's immense love for us a love that forgives and forgets a love that ensures we will enter his kingdom and live forever with him.
Love not nails that is why it's Good Friday we're seeing God's hand at work bringing his beloved people back into a right relationship with him once and for all through the sacrifice of his beloved Son our Lord and saviour it was love not nails it was victory not defeat may we live out that love in our lives.
The power of the resurrection, resurrection that wasn't a one-off event 2,000 years ago. Resurrection gives hope for the here and now. Christian hope lies in the fact that ultimately through the power of the resurrection God can bring new life out of difficult and destructive situations . Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salomi brought the spices to Jesus's tomb they were probably troubled after witnessing the death of their friend and probably afraid too as they visited his tomb. They were concerned to do it early at day break and they were also concerned about how they were going to roll away the stone at the entrance to the tomb perhaps they were hoping for a gardener or someone to help them.
Perhaps they were wishing that they could turn the clock back and save Jesus from his gruesome trial and torturous death on a cross and perhaps they were hoping that it all just had been a terrible dream they certainly didn't expect to find an empty tomb and a young man dressed in a white robe and understandably they were alarmed then they're told not to be alarmed by this person.
He had a message for them, he pointed out that Jesus was no longer there but had gone ahead of them to Galilee he said they were to tell his disciples and Peter that they would see Jesus there just as he had told them. Understandably I'm sure we would have done the same. They fled and they were alarmed for terror and amazement had seized them and they said nothing to anyone they were dumbuck.
They were afraid and there Mark's gospel ends. Thankfully we have the other gospels in the Acts of the Apostles to give us a fuller picture of what happened next and the consequences of what we now know as that first Easter Morning.
Acts tells us that there were many witnesses to the resurrection and they testified that Jesus was the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead they also realise that all the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name. God's salvation plan has been fulfilled death has lost its sting and we have the promise of life in all its fullness just as God intended for his creation and that's certainly something to celebrate. Resurrection brings hope of eternal life with Christ in the midst of darkness.
This is from Luke 24 after Jesus’ resurrection when in Galilee -
Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.
And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy”
