Tag Archive for: Easter

We are live in an unprecedented time in the history of the Church. Ordinarily, on Good Friday, tens of thousands of churches representing millions of people would be remembering the death of Jesus through the sacrament of Holy Communion. Now, in 2020, most of these churches will be empty.

Of course, we will still be celebrating what the death of Jesus meant for us by participating in worship, prayer & the Word through ChurchAtHome! But what about #CommunionAtHome? Is this something we can practice in our own homes, without the presence of clergy or without the gathering of other Christians?

In order to answer this question it will be helpful to refresh our understanding of the sacrament of Holy Communion.


The origin of Holy Communion, or the Lord’s Supper as some call it (1 Corinthians 11:20) goes right back to Jesus. Each of the synoptic Gospels records the last meal that Jesus shared with his disciples on the night that he was betrayed (Matt. 26:26–30; Mark 14:22–26; Luke 22:19–20):

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives

Matthew 26:26-30

The significance of the symbolism in this event is connected to the occasion of this meal, which was the Passover festival (Matthew 26:17). This important celebration commemorated the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt, through the last of the ten plagues (Exodus 12).

It was on this last night in Egypt that the angel of death killed the firstborn male from every household (including livestock!), except for those in God’s covenant community, who identified themselves by painting the blood of an unblemished lamb on their doorposts. God commanded that on this last night a special meal be made to commemorate this event, a meal which included unleavened bread.

When Jesus then took bread and a cup on the night of the Passover, and connected it to his coming death, he redefined the elements of this sacred meal! He would become the passover lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7)!

What that means for us is that our ‘participation’ (1 Corinthians 10:16) in the ‘body’ (bread) and ‘blood’ (cup) of communion symbolically identifies us with those who have now finally, and fully, been saved from eternal death!


This leads us to an important principle that we hold to. We believe that Communion is for those who identify Jesus as their Saviour.

Just as the blood painted on the doorposts identified the Israelites as God’s covenant people, so our participation in drinking the cup (and eating the bread) identifies us as the ones who are members of God’s New Covenant (Matthew 26:17, Mark 14:24, Luke 22:20). That is: it is one of the ways that we symbolically identify ourselves as Christians!

Note: participating in Holy Communion does not make us Christians, it simply makes visible, or identifies, declares, demonstrates, that we already are Christians!

The apostle Paul would later say that those who partake in the body/bread of communion are those who ‘discern the body’, that is, those who already recognise Jesus as their sacrifice (1 Corinthians 11:29).

This is why Augustine called the sacraments ‘visible words’, meaning that the simple act of eating and drinking in the Communion meal is a declaration of our belief. The means of our salvation will always and only be by grace alone through faith alone!

This has direct implications for #CommunionAtHome.

If we were at Church we would emphasise and stress this point: Communion is for believers! Don’t take this lightly in the less formal environment of your homes!

It also means that parents need to be discerning of their children participating in communion. We have provided additional communication for parents on this, but the bottom-line is that anyone can participate, so long as they themselves would identify as Christians, and ‘discern the body’ of Jesus (symbolically) in the bread, and similarly his blood with the cup.


Since there is such significance to Holy Communion, which perhaps makes it better suited to celebrating at Church, why then are we inviting you to participate at home?

The answer again goes back to the occasion of Jesus’ last supper, the Passover. Here God commanded this to be a sacred feast to be kept “throughout your generations, as a statute forever” (Exodus 12:14). Again, Jesus adds to this in his re-interpretation of Passover (and the institution of Holy Communion) by saying we are to “do this in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:24-25).

This is one of the reasons God gave us this particular ordinance as an observance, simply as a reminder of what Christ has done. This is not so much because we are in danger of forgetting, but we are in danger of distancing ourselves from the central event of Jesus’ sacrifice to the point where it no longer functions as the controlling centre of our lives!

We don’t know how long lockdown will last, or how long we will be restricted from gathering. We take seriously Jesus’ instruction to ‘remember’, and realise that as believers we should never move far from refreshing ourselves with the truth of the sacrifice of Jesus!

There is a second reason why we believe it’s significant to participate in communion at this time.

After affirming Jesus’ command for us to remember his sacrifice through this meal Paul adds: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26).

This means that there is a ‘proclamation’ or ‘preaching’ element to communion: it communicates something! It communicates the gospel in ‘visible words’ to those around us.

For now that may only include members of our immediate household, some of whom may not yet be followers of Jesus. Don’t underestimate the ‘preaching’ effect that your participation in Communion may have!

And let’s not forget the effect that our combined proclamation under such extraordinary circumstances may have on a watching world. Perhaps more than ever the world needs to see people ‘participating’ in the hope of Jesus!

One more thing: sometimes we as Christians need this ‘preaching’ of the gospel more than anyone else! In these days of fear, doubt, uncertainty and the threat of hopelessness, we need to remind ourselves, ‘preach to ourselves’, the certainty of the victory of Jesus! The ordinance of Communion not only communicates to the world, but also to our own hearts, and provides much needed assurance.


How will this all work?

Since the elements and the procedure are normally all laid out for you at Church, what must you prepare in order to participate in CommunionAtHome?

Richard will explain more about how we will partake during the live communion event, for now all you need to do is get the elements ready. Some simple bread or crackers, along with any form of juice (preferably red!), is all you need.

We look forward to proclaiming the death of Jesus with you in this powerful way tomorrow!

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved

Acts 2:46-47

#Acts246 #LiftTheSail #ChurchAtHome #CommunionAtHome


Children & Communion

Our Children’s department has put together a great document on Children and Communion. Please read this to help you to disciple your children around the topic of Communion

If you had to summarize Jesus’ purpose in coming to earth in one sentence, what would you say? Thankfully we don’t have to have to play a guessing game; Jesus told us what the heart of his mission was:

“For the Son of man came to seek and save the lost.” – Luke19:10

Typically we are told that if we want to find salvation then we had better seek it. If we want to find God, they say, then we’d better start searching. There is some truth in that. But here is the Good News: before any seeking on your part, Jesus was seeking you. He takes the initiative before we do. He puts in the effort to find us while we are still hopelessly lost. Jesus is in hot pursuit – he is the hound of heaven, pursuing us with his divine grace even while we’re often running from him. He’s relentless in searching for you.

Heart-wrenching!

Earlier on in Luke 19 we are given some more insight into Jesus’ mission. Jesus is passing through Jericho and he spots a wealthy tax collector (Zacchaeus) perched high up in a tree to get a better view of Jesus. The picture of Zacchaeus climbing the tree is a remarkable illustration of the default setting of our hearts in relation to God: we try to ascend to a better outlook of the divine by our own efforts. We try to work our way to God, in an attempt to earn intimacy with him. In one way or another we are all tree-climbers.

How does Jesus respond? “Come down right now”, he tells Zacchaeus, “I must stay at your house today!” There is something of an excited urgency in Jesus’ “must”. Jesus, looking up at Zacchaeus in the tree, is saying to Him; “Stop your self-driven spiritual exertion- you can’t earn me. I have come to seek you out, and to save you. All you need to do is come down from your tree of earning and depend on me – I’m the one who saves. Let me into your home.”

Zacchaeus responds in repentance and Jesus declares that salvation has come to his household, “For the Son of man came to seek and save the lost.” (Luke19:10).

While there are so many other things to enjoy and appreciate at Easter time, this must once again become the fundamental aspect of our remembrance and thanksgiving. There is no more incredible truth than that of Christ’s seeking and saving us – those who were lost but now are found. This is the heart of the Gospel message, and we are convinced that it must always remain at the heart of Rosebank Union Church. Jesus is seeking after each of his own, he is calling us to follow him.


What does this mean for you? Here are some basic diagnostic questions to help you check your spiritual health this Easter:

  1. In what areas of your life are you a “tree-climber”, trying to work your way to God?
  2. When was the last time you admitted to God that you’ve lost your way spiritually (once again!) and that you’re in need of his loving assistance? Have you ever truly repented of your spiritual ‘lostness’?
  3. Would you describe Jesus as having come in to your house, like he did with Zacchaeus?
  4. How thankful are you for what Jesus has done for you? Has your gratitude waned recently?
  5. How can you join Jesus in his mission of seeking and saving the lost? Who could you invite to church this Easter?

[An imaginary letter from a Jewish observer to his Greek friend]

He was in his early thirties, I would guess, when I met him. He stood out in the crowd. Or rather, he stood apart from the crowd, as he seemed to set his own agenda, and where he led, the crowd followed. He had plenty to say – and the crowd was hanging on every word. He spoke engagingly, and I appreciated the absence of rant or other tricks of crowd-manipulation. He seemed to respect his audience.

What first caught my attention was not anything he said, but rather his demeanour. He was so poised – confident, certain of himself, indeed quite relaxed. I was yet further impressed when I realised that the crowd included a number of critics from the religious establishment, who were openly hostile to him. (In fairness it needs to be said that he subjected them to scathing criticism, relentlessly pointing out inconsistencies in their practice of the faith.) The prime example was how, in close debate with a crowd of sceptics, he calmly said that God (who he referred to as his Father!) was – to quote him: “always with me; he is never far from me, for I always do what he wishes”. He was able to make these claims in the same poised manner; to read these words you could think him delusional or blasphemous, but to one present as he said them he was straightforward, matter-of-fact and, frankly, convincing – nor was I alone in this: I saw a fair number of people align themselves with him as he said that.

As I began to listen to him, I found what he said quite riveting. He spoke on a wide range of topics, of which the connecting thread had to do with how to live life properly, and gain favour with God. This latter was a big one for him; his gist was simply that we had better make sure of being in God’s favour, as not to do so would result in the most terrible of punishments (he did not shrink from calling a spade by its real name!), while life in a right standing with God would be rewarded by what he called “eternal life” that would continue after physical death.

There was much more besides, and particularly interesting was the way he spoke in story form, leaving us to figure out the meaning. I found some reasonably accessible, but others frustratingly obscure.

Once, while he was speaking I was astounded to see him cure a man of some terrible disease. It happened quite quickly, and if I had not been paying attention I could easily have missed it. In a moment the sick man was there before him, and after a brief discussion, he was cured. No dramatics (except the healed man’s delight!). It seemed almost ordinary, as if he were doing no more than restoring the man to the way things ought to be, and it had a great impact on me. I gather he performed hundreds of these miraculous healings over about three years.

With all this in mind, imagine my shock to learn that he had been arrested. I was quite hooked by this time, and did not want to have to believe that he had turned out to be a charlatan. So I attended the trial, which was open to the public. I could not make out the exact charges against him, and no line of testimony seemed very consistent. It began to look like a set-up – the main accusers were the religious bigwigs, and to be honest, I was startled at how, well, unsavoury they looked. As I said before, he had frequently criticised them; towards the end this criticism escalated into prolonged, impassioned verbal lashings. I think they were finally driven to ‘do something’ about him – either heed him and change their ways, or else silence him. And, if you will excuse the cynicism, who ever heard of those with the political power changing their ways?

He had been badly beaten up in the course of proceedings, and he looked quite terrible most of the time. Yet, despite this, he did not lose that demeanour that had been so striking out on the roads doing his teaching. He still had that sense of assurance, to an extent that amazed me. It seemed to get to his accusers, who became steadily angrier, and, I thought, less coherent. Someone near me muttered, only just loudly enough for me to hear: “You could wonder just who is on trial here!”

It got late, and I didn’t stay to the end. I heard later that the trial had gone on right through the night. Next day it was obvious who had won. I followed a procession outside the city, and watched his public execution. I could never convey the impact it had on me. I was utterly horrified and outraged. This was no trickster or rebel. How could anyone have failed to recognise what a magnificent human being he was!

The shock of the spectacle without was suddenly matched by one from within. I was suddenly assailed by a perverse desire to get nearer so that I could join in the shouting of insults at him as he hung on the gibbet. I remember recoiling in horror at myself; I had, frankly, loved and admired the man from my safe distance, and I did not know where this feeling came from. Such was the intensity of this diabolical sense that I almost felt that, had circumstances been different, I might even have found myself taking part in the beatings. This train of thought appalled me, and I banished it from my mind – but it comes back to me as I write, and harsh honesty drives me to include this shameful part of my story. What was this strange, hideous thing in me which, arising from unknown depths, would wish to hurt this man?

I left the scene; and over the next few days wondered about it. Goodness knows, there was no getting it out of my mind. On occasion I would wonder if it had been a rotten dream. But no: there was no escaping the recollection of it all. And the freak darkness that had suddenly fallen at midday – no-one could forget that. Its terror lay in its unnaturalness. Firstly, it had occurred at midday, and persisted for three hours. And there was its intensity – ‘pitch-black’ if ever anything was pitch black: so utterly impenetrable, with a heavy thickness about it. I heard no-one speak. After an hour of it, with no suggestion of change, I actually wondered if this might be the end of the world; it was now much too long for an eclipse. There was no telling how it would all end. I can tell you, when the light returned – not gradually, as in an eclipse, but suddenly and startlingly, the relief was enormous! But I tell you of what you know for yourself, for we all alike witnessed it. I presume your experience was much the same. Perhaps I had an advantage in being able to link it to the execution, as did most of us who were there.

The next couple of days passed without incident, and I had time to consider what had happened. So did everyone else; it was the only topic of conversation I heard. The entire city was gripped by this thing.

Strange, terrible, compelling as all this was, I suppose I would not be writing about it had it not been for what happened next. There was suddenly a new buzz in the city, this time that of a general gasping disbelief. There were rumours all over to the effect that the man was no longer dead. At first I dismissed them; he had died, alright, as I had seen for myself. I had stayed around long enough to see the Roman soldiers lance him in the side just to make sure. Even if by some fantastic chance he had not died then, those injuries could have had only one possible outcome. I must mention that his body had been placed in a guarded cave, which, of course, would not have been conducive to resuscitation. No, he was dead; I was certain of that, and dead people stay dead.

Yet the rumours persisted, and for more than a month they went on, firming into claims, with no-one able to prove anything either way. It would have been easy, of course, if he had simply appeared, and demonstrated himself to us all. But that did not happen – at least not in my presence. Likewise, I thought, the authorities needed only to produce the body and end the rumours at a stroke. But they did not, and indeed, they kept a remarkably low profile. Not a single statement was issued to contradict all the stories -and the stories themselves did not just go away.

Rumour culminated in fact for me some six weeks after the execution. Several of his key followers suddenly began declaring publicly that he was indeed alive, and that they had seen him themselves. For all the fantastic nature of what they were saying, I found them believable. For one thing, if it were otherwise, they would have no reason to make such a claim. They would have had little to gain and much to lose. The more so, as the authorities suddenly came to life and attempted to threatened them into silence. Their failure to nip the claims in the bud by putting the body on display when the stories began to circulate counted heavily against them now. By now I felt that they would have done so if they had been able, but that they simply had not been able.

So I became convinced that there was indeed something to all this. However, I was bothered by some of the things his followers said. The most difficult was their insistence that he had been the Son of God; God in human form. This, apparently, he had claimed for himself. I struggled with that one for days. But the alternatives, as I saw them, seemed even more difficult: either that he was a con-artist attempting a mass deception, or else that he suffered serious delusions about himself. Having seen and heard him myself, I knew that both these were quite untenable: he was much too sane, too fully human. Indeed, I had heard him making this claim on one occasion, though I had not recognised it for what it was. His words were: “Before Abraham was, I am”. This had been one of his sayings that I had not been able to fathom. If pressed, I would have said that besides the grammatical slip (it should have been “I was”?), the reference to Abraham was too obscure for me. But though the words had been lost on me, I had noticed how, well, together he looked and sounded as he said them. And since then the penny has finally dropped: “I AM” is the holy name of our Jewish God, Yahweh. And yes, I have become convinced of him as God himself in human form as the only possibility that fits the available facts.

All this has brought about a great change in me. I was never particularly religious before, but now following this man is the single most important thing in my life. Obviously, there is an awful lot more to learn, but I feel pretty sure about the main issue: The execution was somehow tied up with making it possible for people to relate to God. It seems that where his activity in the previous three years was concerned with demonstrating what a life in good standing with God might be like, his death somehow made such a relationship possible. It has dawned on me that I have all my life been morally blighted in the sight of God, (don’t we all feel that?) and destined for his judgment. No God worthy of the title could take a casual view of the wrong that exists in us, so my protests about a loving God overlooking our peccadilloes died before they could fly.

And now I have this made-over view of things: the world at large, people I come into contact with, myself on the inside – everything. I know I owe it all to him. Two things have changed me for ever, and made me want to write this not only for you, but also for any who will read it. They are:

  • That man was the Son of God; and
  • That man died for me.

In my view there are four essential requirements for a religion to be convincing and satisfying. These are: meaning in life (what is the purpose of my life?); an answer for death (what lies beyond death – is there hope?); an answer for suffering (there is so much injustice and pain of all kinds – why, and again, is there hope?); and the quest for love (we all need it – without love we are less than human).
The way that man (Yeshua is his name – the Greeks have called him Jesus) suffered and died, and then returned to life, answers the second two. The prospect of living the rest of my life in relationship with him, and doing as he directs, is the perfect answer to the first. And everything he seems to have said and done just swims in love. For me he is the God-man who loved me, and actually gave himself for me.

On this last point, I have a feeling – a private theory, if you will – that even if I had been the only one who had needed this self-giving death to gain that ‘eternal life’, that he would have done it. Imagine, if you can, how incredibly special it makes me feel! And I also think that such was the extent of his suffering, that what he has done is sufficiently effective for anyone to benefit, however bad he might be. Alexander the Great and some of his successors like Antiochus Epiphanes come to mind.

I have written this for you because I think it is important for you to know about these events, so that you can make your own evaluation. I would very much like to hear what you think.

I hope you and your family are well –

Matthias.

Someone led me to a Christian book with the title, LIVING THE RESURRECTION. The book was written by the well-known writer and translator of the Message, Eugene H. Petersen.

Last Sunday our pastor of worship, Justin announced the theme for Resurrection Sunday evening service – Living the Resurrection! I sat up and realized that our Lord is speaking to me at this specific time on the Christian church calendar!

It is Easter – It is for the followers of Jesus the “focused” journey to the Cross of our Saviour, the “gazing” at Jesus on the Cross and the “tuned in” listening to our Redeemer’s words from the cross. I am caught up with the hymn written by Isaac Watts (1674-1748);

“When I survey the wondrous cross, on which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.”

I am moved by the empty tomb. I remember visiting the garden tomb in Israel during 2008. I listened to the debate – some say it was definitely at the Holy “Sepulchre” and others say it was definitely here in the garden! For me, what matters is – The Tomb is Empty! I believe the Gospel of John telling about Mary Magdalene who was crying outside the tomb of Jesus when suddenly the news broke that would change the destiny of the “world” for ever. Mary broke that news – “I have seen the Lord!”

It is March 2013. I am gripped and confronted again with this message captured by the Hymn Writer, Edmond Louis Budry, (1854-1932)

“Thine be the glory, risen, conquering Son,
Endless is the victory Thou o’er death has won;
Angels in bright raiment rolled the stone away,
Kept the folded grave-clothes where Thy body lay.
Thine be the glory, risen, conquering Son,
Endless is the vic’try Thou o’er death hast won!”

Here is a quote from Eugene Petersen’s book on Living the Resurrection. It says this:

IF YOU CELEBRATE CHRIST’S RESURRECTION ONLY ONE DAY OF THE YEAR, YOU’RE MISSING SOMETHING BIG!”

Our Lord’s resurrection engaged the two on the Emmaus road where He broke bread with them, fearful disciples locked behind closed doors hearing the voice of the Master speaking peace to them, disciples having a breakfast which their Friend prepared for them and a Guide who told them to throw the nets on the other side for a big catch! And many more!

“Lord where are you “staying?” Come and see!”

May you have a blessed Easter where the Risen Lord is at the centre!

Love you lots,

Your pastor and friend,

Dennis Beeselaar

Ndaba Mazabane

So, imagine for a moment! Eye Witness News (EWN) sent me to Palestine to cover events the day after the crucifixion of Yeshua – popularly known as Jesus. In all likelihood some of his followers gathered at Mary’s house – it’s the Shabbat, the most important day of the Jewish week. The town is quiet, today is the day of rest.

The disciples, mainly women, were busying themselves with light chores around the house. Normal loudish laughter is no more. Mary, occasionally braved her usual infectious smile, yet behind her beautiful and radiant face lies sadness, grief and pain. I wondered what was going through her mind. I was told Joseph died few years earlier and now her son and her Saviour is gone too. One of the ladies, named Salome, reminded me that Mary’s strength was her memory. She recalls how she used to tell them about the deep things that Yeshua uttered and shared with her. But today she seems subdued and tired; yesterday was a tough day and today is not any different. Her son is dead and buried in a cold cave.

Salome introduced me to Mary, and she was gracious and pleasant; her voice was firm and sweet. She welcomed me and offered me a glass of goat milk and a piece of bread topped with slices of cheese.

Now, my face to face moment with the grieving mother of the Saviour of the world had come and frankly, I did not know what question to ask first. She looked at me and smiled as if to say, ‘relax young man, Jehovah’s shalom is here.’ She pointed me to the table across her modest and spacious living room, she sat next to me with her hands clasped together. She volunteered her feelings even before I could fire my first question.

Interestingly, I wanted to know how she felt when she saw her son take the last gasp of his life. Wisely, she did not start there but she took me back to the great and the happy days, and the scary and the painful moments they experienced as they raised and nurtured Jesus of Nazareth. Both of them counted it a privilege and honour to have been assigned guardians and earthly parents of the God of the universe.

But yesterday, standing at the foot of the cross, listening to the jeering and the insults of the crowds – seeing the agony and the suffering of Yeshua especial in the last third hour, she barely could take it. Credit to John, the beloved disciple, who anchored her through that dark period of her life. “I tried throughout my life to ponder and to reflect on the things our son Yeshua did and said.” She remarked. “There I was in my moment of weakness,” Mary continued, “feeling nauseated and disgusted, I remembered the penetrating words of the aging and dying prophet that Joseph and I met at the temple court in Jerusalem. We marveled how in the midst of the multitudes he found and recognised us, and how he took our baby in his arms, praised God and blessed him. He said some of the beautiful words about our child that would make any young mother swell with pride. And then…” Mary paused, “he said something that only made sense to me yesterday.” “What was it?,” I asked her out loud for the first time. “He said that our son would be a misunderstood and contradicted figure, a light for God’s revelation to the Gentiles and of the glory for Israel. And that he was destined to cause the falling and the rising of many in Israel…And that a sword will pierce my own soul too.” 

Amazingly her face lit and she looked me in the eye and related what she had learned when darkness covered the whole land. “It was in the midst of darkness when few of us were standing closeby the cross that I saw the light of salvation God had promised our people and the nations. Oh yes, it was scary! But for some reason all my fears were dismissed and I have never felt so close to my God as that moment. The place of the Skull shook and the earthquake ripped off the terrain and it was reported late last night that even the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The tombs broke open and Miriam over there, can’t stop praising God for bringing his son back to life. By the way, I was not only the one who saw the light in the midst of darkness. As the people were running for cover, I heard something amazing, the Centurion who towered most of his men in stature, shouted at the top of his voice, proclaiming that Yeshua was truly the Son of God. Talk about someone who saw what I saw. Sadly, another painful moment came, the soldiers approached the three men. They cruelly started breaking their bones as it was traditionally done. They came to Yeshua, but they did not break his bone. One of them took out his sword, I barely could take, and I may have passed out as he shoved it to his side. Dr Luke said that water and blood oozed from his side. Oh, how appropriate for our salvation.”

Tears started rolling her chicks. I could tell, these were tears of joy not sorrow. I was about to offer her my partially used tissue but refrained when she ably used her fingers to wipe out the tears. Then in a gentle and confident voice, she assured me, “It’s ok, I am fine.” I sensed she did not want to be singled out as some heroin. She saw herself simply as part of a larger story about God and His plan of salvation for mankind.

My time was up. I thanked her and the ladies for their time. Joanna saw me out and told me that they will be spending the rest of the afternoon preparing spices to anoint the decaying body of Jesus the following morning. This raised another question I wondered how Mary and the ladies would answer: Did they believe that he would rise from the dead the next day, as he predicted? I think not. I think they believed that they would find the body still wrapped in stripes of linen and beginning to decompose. Today, we know better and His story in a nutshell is: ‘…that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…’ (1 Corinthians 15:3).

 

 

Pastor Leigh RobinsonAs I have been seeking, amidst the busyness of daily life, to prepare my heart for Easter I have been impressed afresh by the resoluteness of my Saviour in going to the cross for me.

From all eternity this had been the divine plan since he was “the Lamb slain from the creation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). His incarnation and his whole life on earth had been focused on the cross. As his footsteps meandered around the Holy Land during the days of his earthly ministry he knew that they would, in his Father’s time, be pointed in the direction of Jerusalem and, more specifically, of Golgotha. Luke tells us that “as the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem” (9:51). This fulfils the prophetic word in one of Isaiah’s Servant Songs—“Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame” (50:7).

As Jesus neared Jerusalem we see this same resolution in a conversation he had with his disciples in Luke 18:31-33—“Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, ‘We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.’” He was unwavering in his determination.

His determination reached its agonizing crescendo beneath the gnarled olive trees in Gethsemene where he prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” Luke adds, “An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground” (Luke 22:42-44).

All this for me!

And it is in the light of his resolute embracing of the cross that he calls me (and you!) to resolutely follow him in a life of sacrificial discipleship. Again Luke brings these two truths together in 9:22-23—“And he said, ‘The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.’ Then he said to them all: ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.’”