Reflecting Easter 2 of 2

For the past three days we have continued our tradition of the passion hymns and resurrection eggs.

Our hymns have included Christ the Lord is Risen Today, Old Rugged Cross, and Up from the Grave. While each one holds meaning for me, Old Rugged Cross has a particularly special spot in my heart.

There are two reasons. First, the words are very special to me. I have often visualized myself at the end of this earthly life lying down all of my "trophies", passions and gladly replacing it with a crown. Oh how I hope that He will say "Well done, good and faithful servant." And the second reason, each time I hear it I think of my grandfather's funeral. This song was sang and he had testified his love for Jesus in a quiet yet definite way for me in those last years.




Our resurrection eggs included a passover cup, three silver coins, and the praying hands. The passover cup represented His Last Supper He had with His disciples that Thursday before He died and how He wants us to continue to partake as a body of believers in the wine and bread in order to remember the sacrifice. Might we first come to the foot of the cross in humility receiving His forgiveness and then to the table to partake in His grace and relationship.

The three silver coins remind us of how Judas betrayed Him by turning Him over to the authorities and how we too continue to betray Him if we "hang out" with Him and those who love Him for our own selfish agendas. For we must be aware that the deceiver lurks, and amongst us there are false prophets and sheep that are not of His fold. For if we love Him, we will obey Him.

The praying hands were a reminder of His time in the garden when He cried out to the Father diligently before the soldiers and Judas came to take Him before Pilate. And, while He asked the Lord to take "this cup" from Him, He faithfully said but Your will be done. Might we do this as well!

Reflecting Easter

Palm Sunday
The children and I began our week with three Easter traditions. Our passion hymns, the resurrection eggs, and our dvd on the Gospel of John. While I made our lunch and dh was replacing a headlight on the car, I read with the children about the hymn, "What can wash away my sin" and as we were preparing to sit for lunch we finished by listening to that particular hymn.

Later after the children had played, dh had his prep time for our last evening small group on "What in the World is going On?" (great study, another reflection!), and I had some computer time; we opened our first egg and read the story. The first egg has a figurine of a donkey, reminding us of that first Palm Sunday when Christ came into Jerusalem for Passover and how the people had treated Him as king, by placing palm branches on the ground for Him to proceed into town and then by waving them and hailing praises to Him. They thought their political king had arrived and would rescue them from the leadership and oppression of Rome. Interesting, too, how He chose to proceed down the street on a donkey. (A method of transportation a king would have used to humbly come before his people.) And, this was not a last minute decision; prophecy of old was fulfilled in this specific act. What a privilege the disciples had to participate when they obeyed their Lord by entering into the city, finding THE donkey tied and "waiting," with its owner undisturbed by the need of his donkey for their Lord.

Finally, we had the treat of starting the Gospel of John series on dvd. What a powerful piece of media. It re-enacts the entire gospel with great footage and narrated directly from scripture. It truly is a moving way to embrace the living, breathing word of God; visually and aurally.