• Joins us Easter Sunday for our Sunrise Service at 6:30 am.  (West parking lot; please bring a lawn chair.)
• Easter Breakfast (including pancakes) will follow.
• One Easter Worship Service in the Sanctuary at 10:00 am.

Here we are, smack dab in the middle of Lent, heading straight for Easter and the resurrection celebration. Praise God that we live as Easter people and not Good Friday people.

As we look at the events leading up to Easter, we find them to be somewhat dismal and depressing. For the week to take such a turn, as it did from Palm Sunday, is almost beyond belief. <!–split–>

The week started out with such joy and jubilation as Jesus entered Jerusalem. There was the waving of palm branches and the shouts of “Hosanna!” as Jesus rode into town on the colt. But while many people were excited to see Jesus, there were some who were trying to find some way, any way, to get him out of the picture.

As Jesus sat in the upper room with the disciples on Thursday, he knew this would be his last meal with them before his death.

Satan was definitely at work this week as he came to Judas Iscariot and convinced him to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. He was also working on Peter when after promising Jesus to never deny  him, Peter denied knowing Jesus three times in the courtyard following Jesus’ arrest as he left the Garden of Gethsemane.

There were the Roman soldiers, Pilate, the unruly mob, the trumped-up charges; Jesus being mocked and beaten, the questionable trial and conviction, the shouts of “crucify”, the desertion by the disciples, and ultimately death on the cross. But this all took place to fulfill the scriptures. Jesus endured all this for us so that we might have the gift of salvation and eternal life.

The celebration of Palm Sunday comes full circle as we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection on Easter. Satan may have appeared to win the battle, but he definitely didn’t win the war. With the events of Holy Week, Jesus is victorious over death on Easter as he arose from the grave, and is alive forevermore.

As we continue this Lenten season in anticipation of Easter Sunday, reflect on your relationship with Jesus. Have you ever deserted or denied or even betrayed him? Have there been weak moments when your personal shouts of “Hosanna!”  turned to jeers and sneers, and possibly shouts of “Crucify?”

Also reflect on the relationship you have with the risen Christ through the resurrection. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.”

See you Sunday, if not before,    Pastor Tim