This is my favorite week of the year. It hasn't always been my favorite though, I probably would have chosen Christmas when I was a young girl, but as I've gotten older, I've come to realize what a great sacrifice my Savior made for me and I am overwhelmed by His love for ME!
I grew up in a wonderful Christian home; add to that my dad taught and my mom worked at a bible college for almost all my years at home That environment, I think, caused me to take for granted the great sacrifice Jesus made for me. I heard the same bible stories in Sunday school, church and school and it just became routine for me to hear that at the Easter season Jesus died, was buried and rose again... the amazing love Jesus showed me never touched my heart only my brain. I believed that Jesus died for me, but there was still something missing...
Roughly ten years ago, I picked up the book The Murder of Jesus by John MacArthur and I came face to face with the reality, pain and love that combined to cause Jesus to go willingly to the cross for me. I have been forever changed! I can no longer sit in church dry eyed as I sing about that love and I passionately want my kids to know the same love not just in their brain, but deep down in their hearts.
This week my family is attempting to set not only our minds, but also our hearts on this special week that started on Sunday celebrating Jesus Triumphal Entry in Jerusalem. Thursday we will gather at church for Maundy Thursday to partake of the Lord's Supper as we remember and contemplate the last night before Jesus was arrested and crucified. Friday we will gather again as we celebrate Jesus' love for us in taking our sins to the cross. And the week will culminate on Sunday morning as we celebrate that death and the grave could not hold Him... Jesus is alive!
Yesterday my pastor posted a timeline to his blog, outlining this special week and it has been very helpful to me. It is my desire to spend a few minutes every day this week with my kids talking and reading about what was happening in Jerusalem roughly 2000 years ago. My hope is that as we immerse ourselves into the scenes that unfolded those many years ago, we will feel what Jesus felt, we will see what the crowds saw, and come Sunday we will be changed because we now know what happened in the life of Jesus leading up to his death, his burial and eventual resurrection. I would encourage you to do the same with your family. It's not too late to get caught up on the story... take some time tonight to read about Jesus Triumphal Entry on Sunday and His cleansing of the temple on Monday. There was so much going on during that special week, I am anxious to learn along with my kids as we celebrate and remember His great love and sacrifice for us!
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