Holy Week
Last week as we know was the Holy Week, well, it’s more commonly known as Easter. So yea, it is of course the week we celebrate the greatest event in history that changed the course of Mankind, that of the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Well, I’m not going to write too much about the Holy Week, I will just share how I spent the week, the sermons at church and the happenings of the week.
Firstly, we had a Maundy Thursday Service, where we celebrated the Passover and remembered the days leading up to Jesus’ death on the cross. Before the start of the service, we had the Lord’s Supper, i.e. Holy Communion and had fellowship over a meal. Then, service began and first, we watched a video about Jesus before Pilate and the Crucifixion. Thereafter, we said a prayer of confession and the choir followed with a song item, Jesus Paid it All. Next, we said the prayer of thanksgiving. Continuing with the service, we sang songs of worship and finally Pastor shared the sermon...
The Death of the Son of God
Matt 27: 32-56
Matthew 27:32-56 (New International Version)
The Crucifixion
32As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. 33They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). 34There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. 35When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.[a] 36And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. 37Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 38Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!"
41In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42"He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.' " 44In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
The Death of Jesus
45From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. 46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi,[b] lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"[c]
47When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling Elijah."
48Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49The rest said, "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him."
50And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
51At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. 52The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
54When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son[d] of God!"
55Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. 56Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.
Based on what I remembered from the message...Firstly, we looked at the charge that was placed on the cross of Jesus which was: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. Then, we came to the point about the fact that Jesus was born to die, like the lamb to the slaughter and therefore did not save Himself from death on the cross. And, when Jesus cried out in a loud voice,“Eloi, Eloi, lama sabacthani?”.- which means,”My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” It showed that Jesus was taking the sins of the world on His shoulders because, He could feel the Father turning His face away and the separation between Man and God by sin, and therefore said those words, why have you forsaken me? And, just before Jesus died, He cried out in a loud voice before giving up His spirit and dying. For Jesus to have suffered the way He did, normally would be impossible for a man to cry out loudly, but Jesus did, proving that He was truly the Son of God. And, the curtain in the temple separating Man from the Holy of Holies spilt in two from top to bottom, symbolising that there was now a direct way to God. Also, the earth shook and holy people were raised to life, so much so that a guard exclaimed that surely He is the Son of God, proving again the truth of who Jesus is, the Son of God. Therefore, Jesus died for our sins so that all of us humans who have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God may be forgiven of our sins and restored to God to have the hope of eternal life by Jesus who is the Son of God paying the price with death on a cross, belongs to those who believe in Him and trust in Him as a Saviour.
Friday was of course Good Friday, the day Jesus died the sins of all Mankind, but we didn’t have a Good Friday service.
Matt 28: 1-10; 1 Cor 15: 20-22
Matthew 28:1-10 (New International Version)
Matthew 28
The Resurrection
1After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
2There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
5The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."
8So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go
to Galilee; there they will see me."
1 Corinthians 15:20-22 (New International Version)
20But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
1. Introduction: The Question of the Resurrection of Christ
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is fundamental to the Christian faith because whether or not this is the truth discerns the whether or not Jesus Christ is truly the Son of God. And, of course, we know that Jesus truly died and rose again, therefore He is the Son of God because He was able to conquer death which can only be by the work of God’s hands.
2. The Record of the Resurrection of Christ
The Bible is the Word of God and the truth, and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is recorded in four books of the Bible, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, which all cover different aspects of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. And, we know that just like many years before the birth of Jesus Christ, it is in history that man like Alexander the Great exists factually, so it is a fact historically that Jesus Christ existed. And, the birth, life and death of Jesus as many other historical figures is recorded in history. Also, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is fact, as the empty tomb where Jesus laid in proves.
3. The reality of the Resurrection of Christ
The empty tomb indeed proves that Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead as since He is not there, He must have risen from the dead, and so Jesus Christ is truly our Lord and saviour. There were a few other things Pastor mentioned as clear prove of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and that is that from a cardiologist who heard many of His patients about seeing Jesus in Heaven or some seeing fire, when their hearts stopped and they ‘died’ temporarily with their spirit leaving them temporarily. He realised that the fact that people were saying this means there is truly God and it is Jesus Christ, so from an unbelieving person, He came to know Christ. And, Pastor also had many experiences where God saved him from life-threatening situations. Truly, it is a reality that Jesus Christ died and rose again on high.
4. The importance of the Resurrection of Christ
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is important because it is by His death and resurrection that Jesus conquered death and conquered death for all of Mankind. And, by His resurrection, we know that He is Christ our Lord. Everything we are and we have, even the lives we live would be futile if not for the death of Jesus Christ, just as Pastor mentioned that all His many years of preaching would be a waste if not for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But, as we all know, Jesus is indeed resurrected as shown by the empty tomb.
5. Conclusion: The Response to the Resurrection of Christ
Therefore, our response can only be to accept our Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and saviour, to forgive us our sins and grant us victory over death. For truly our Lord Jesus Christ has died for our sins and has risen again so that when we believe in Him, we too will conquer death and go to be with our Lord in Heaven.
To cap things off, I shall share my own thoughts and experience in this matter. Really, this Easter has been a time to reflect on what the Lord has done for me and on my commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. And, I mean, it was a year ago on Easter Sunday that I finally took the step in obedience thru baptism. The Lord has indeed been so real to me in many ways in the past and even now as I mature I still feel that. But, anyway, truly I must it is so amazing that by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our sins have been forgiven and that by faith we are saved.
Firstly, we had a Maundy Thursday Service, where we celebrated the Passover and remembered the days leading up to Jesus’ death on the cross. Before the start of the service, we had the Lord’s Supper, i.e. Holy Communion and had fellowship over a meal. Then, service began and first, we watched a video about Jesus before Pilate and the Crucifixion. Thereafter, we said a prayer of confession and the choir followed with a song item, Jesus Paid it All. Next, we said the prayer of thanksgiving. Continuing with the service, we sang songs of worship and finally Pastor shared the sermon...
The Death of the Son of God
Matt 27: 32-56
Matthew 27:32-56 (New International Version)
The Crucifixion
32As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. 33They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). 34There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. 35When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.[a] 36And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. 37Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 38Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!"
41In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42"He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.' " 44In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
The Death of Jesus
45From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. 46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi,[b] lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"[c]
47When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling Elijah."
48Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49The rest said, "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him."
50And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
51At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. 52The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
54When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son[d] of God!"
55Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. 56Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.
Based on what I remembered from the message...Firstly, we looked at the charge that was placed on the cross of Jesus which was: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. Then, we came to the point about the fact that Jesus was born to die, like the lamb to the slaughter and therefore did not save Himself from death on the cross. And, when Jesus cried out in a loud voice,“Eloi, Eloi, lama sabacthani?”.- which means,”My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” It showed that Jesus was taking the sins of the world on His shoulders because, He could feel the Father turning His face away and the separation between Man and God by sin, and therefore said those words, why have you forsaken me? And, just before Jesus died, He cried out in a loud voice before giving up His spirit and dying. For Jesus to have suffered the way He did, normally would be impossible for a man to cry out loudly, but Jesus did, proving that He was truly the Son of God. And, the curtain in the temple separating Man from the Holy of Holies spilt in two from top to bottom, symbolising that there was now a direct way to God. Also, the earth shook and holy people were raised to life, so much so that a guard exclaimed that surely He is the Son of God, proving again the truth of who Jesus is, the Son of God. Therefore, Jesus died for our sins so that all of us humans who have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God may be forgiven of our sins and restored to God to have the hope of eternal life by Jesus who is the Son of God paying the price with death on a cross, belongs to those who believe in Him and trust in Him as a Saviour.
Friday was of course Good Friday, the day Jesus died the sins of all Mankind, but we didn’t have a Good Friday service.
Finally, Easter Sunday rounded the Holy Week off. Our church had the Easter service at a special time at 1:30pm after a lunch at 12:30pm. The service began with of course the call to worship and we worshipped with songs. Then, we had the congregational prayer and after that we watched a video about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Then, we had one of the youth in our church get baptised, followed by the presentation of a song. Thereafter, we had the offering and Holy Communion. Next, we had scripture reading and the message. And, at the end of the service, our Pastor prayed asking anyone who wanted to accept the Lord to raise their hands, and my mum’s friend whom she invited to our church after a few years of sharing the gospel with did so. So, that was the great thing about service that day. Below then is the message paraphrased by me...
Christ Rose From the Dead
Christ Rose From the Dead
Matt 28: 1-10; 1 Cor 15: 20-22
Matthew 28:1-10 (New International Version)
Matthew 28
The Resurrection
1After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
2There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
5The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."
8So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go
to Galilee; there they will see me."
1 Corinthians 15:20-22 (New International Version)
20But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
1. Introduction: The Question of the Resurrection of Christ
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is fundamental to the Christian faith because whether or not this is the truth discerns the whether or not Jesus Christ is truly the Son of God. And, of course, we know that Jesus truly died and rose again, therefore He is the Son of God because He was able to conquer death which can only be by the work of God’s hands.
2. The Record of the Resurrection of Christ
The Bible is the Word of God and the truth, and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is recorded in four books of the Bible, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, which all cover different aspects of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. And, we know that just like many years before the birth of Jesus Christ, it is in history that man like Alexander the Great exists factually, so it is a fact historically that Jesus Christ existed. And, the birth, life and death of Jesus as many other historical figures is recorded in history. Also, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is fact, as the empty tomb where Jesus laid in proves.
3. The reality of the Resurrection of Christ
The empty tomb indeed proves that Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead as since He is not there, He must have risen from the dead, and so Jesus Christ is truly our Lord and saviour. There were a few other things Pastor mentioned as clear prove of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and that is that from a cardiologist who heard many of His patients about seeing Jesus in Heaven or some seeing fire, when their hearts stopped and they ‘died’ temporarily with their spirit leaving them temporarily. He realised that the fact that people were saying this means there is truly God and it is Jesus Christ, so from an unbelieving person, He came to know Christ. And, Pastor also had many experiences where God saved him from life-threatening situations. Truly, it is a reality that Jesus Christ died and rose again on high.
4. The importance of the Resurrection of Christ
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is important because it is by His death and resurrection that Jesus conquered death and conquered death for all of Mankind. And, by His resurrection, we know that He is Christ our Lord. Everything we are and we have, even the lives we live would be futile if not for the death of Jesus Christ, just as Pastor mentioned that all His many years of preaching would be a waste if not for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But, as we all know, Jesus is indeed resurrected as shown by the empty tomb.
5. Conclusion: The Response to the Resurrection of Christ
Therefore, our response can only be to accept our Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and saviour, to forgive us our sins and grant us victory over death. For truly our Lord Jesus Christ has died for our sins and has risen again so that when we believe in Him, we too will conquer death and go to be with our Lord in Heaven.
To cap things off, I shall share my own thoughts and experience in this matter. Really, this Easter has been a time to reflect on what the Lord has done for me and on my commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. And, I mean, it was a year ago on Easter Sunday that I finally took the step in obedience thru baptism. The Lord has indeed been so real to me in many ways in the past and even now as I mature I still feel that. But, anyway, truly I must it is so amazing that by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our sins have been forgiven and that by faith we are saved.
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