We’ve talked ABOUT Easter so now its time to actually read the Easter account. In your imagination journey with the disciples and followers of Christ through the account of Easter in the scriptures and FEEL the next letter in Easter………the EMOTIONS of EASTER.
We'll begin with Palm Sunday............Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem as the King of the Jews.
READING..........The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ The King of Israel!”
What are we feeling? EXCITEMENT!!! HAPPINESS!!! ANTICIPATION!!! HEART BURSTING JUBILATION!!! at the arrival of our new King, Jesus! Move with me now in your imagination to the LAST SUPPER in that upper room with Jesus.
READING……So His disciples went out, and came into the city, and found it just as He had said to them; and they prepared the Passover. In the evening He came with the twelve. And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many. Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
The mood has changed our emotions have plummeted from jubilation to CONFUSION....... SHOCK........ANXIETY........DENIAL.......INDIGNATION......maybe a SICKENING FEELING in the pit of our stomach as the truth begins to dawn on us that what He had been telling us all along was beginning to come about and make sense. Now, watch in our imagination as our Lord is humiliated and beaten.
READING.......Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified. And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, with the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots.
INDIGNATION!!!!! FURIOUS ANGER!!!!!!! FRANTIC FEAR!!!!!!!
READING.......Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ Having said this, He breathed His last.
HELPLESS.........HOPELESS.......BROKEN HEARTED.......ABANDONED..........ALONE...... And then we watch as Jesus is buried.
READING..........Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him. When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed. And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where He was laid.
Do you feel it? A sense of FINALITY……SAD RESIGNATION.......OVER-WHELMING GRIEF........HOPELESSNESS.........DESPAIR......
We have just been on an EMOTIONAL roller coaster and we were only there in our imaginations. It was good to do this exercise and realize these were real people with real emotions...........joy, anger, fear, desires, dreams and hopes.........just like us. I was struck by the fact that Jesus was there with them through it all and never once rebuked anyone for how they were feeling. It is okay to have ALL of our emotions and to come to the Lord with how we are feeling.......we won't be rebuked.
Tomorrow, no surprise...........the letter R stands for one last EMOTION.........REJOICING!
We'll begin with Palm Sunday............Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem as the King of the Jews.
READING..........The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ The King of Israel!”
What are we feeling? EXCITEMENT!!! HAPPINESS!!! ANTICIPATION!!! HEART BURSTING JUBILATION!!! at the arrival of our new King, Jesus! Move with me now in your imagination to the LAST SUPPER in that upper room with Jesus.
READING……So His disciples went out, and came into the city, and found it just as He had said to them; and they prepared the Passover. In the evening He came with the twelve. And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many. Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
The mood has changed our emotions have plummeted from jubilation to CONFUSION....... SHOCK........ANXIETY........DENIAL.......INDIGNATION......maybe a SICKENING FEELING in the pit of our stomach as the truth begins to dawn on us that what He had been telling us all along was beginning to come about and make sense. Now, watch in our imagination as our Lord is humiliated and beaten.
READING.......Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified. And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, with the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots.
INDIGNATION!!!!! FURIOUS ANGER!!!!!!! FRANTIC FEAR!!!!!!!
READING.......Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ Having said this, He breathed His last.
HELPLESS.........HOPELESS.......BROKEN HEARTED.......ABANDONED..........ALONE...... And then we watch as Jesus is buried.
READING..........Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him. When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed. And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where He was laid.
Do you feel it? A sense of FINALITY……SAD RESIGNATION.......OVER-WHELMING GRIEF........HOPELESSNESS.........DESPAIR......
We have just been on an EMOTIONAL roller coaster and we were only there in our imaginations. It was good to do this exercise and realize these were real people with real emotions...........joy, anger, fear, desires, dreams and hopes.........just like us. I was struck by the fact that Jesus was there with them through it all and never once rebuked anyone for how they were feeling. It is okay to have ALL of our emotions and to come to the Lord with how we are feeling.......we won't be rebuked.
Tomorrow, no surprise...........the letter R stands for one last EMOTION.........REJOICING!
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