John 20:3-9
3So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. 8Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9(They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)
Steve and I love this painting! When we were in college and very poor, we would go to the mall in College Station and stare at it in the window of an art store. It just moved both of us. We would sit and discuss their facial expressions. What was going through their minds? Was is excitement? Anticipation? or just plain Fear? The scriptures tell us that they did not really believe what Christ had told them; that he would be raised from the dead. We would discuss the stupidity of Peter and John and their disbelief. We realize now that the arrogance of youth lead us to the conclusion that if WE had been there, we would have known! We know better now!!
Eventually we got out of college, saved our pennies and bought this painting for our home. We have always displayed it in a central location and you would not believe the conversations that have been started because of it! We still love it today!
The story of Easter is one that I have heard a thousand times. I have been blessed to have grown up in a Christian home. But not until recently has the story really been meaningful to me. As irreverent has it may sound, I have always thought Jesus happily died on the cross for my sins. That he came to this Earth and lived with the joyful knowledge that He was going to be beaten beyond recognition, humiliated, take upon himself the sins of the world, separated from the Father and die the death of a sinner. I have even seen a children's video that suggested that He died with a smile on His face. I have since read the scriptures more closely, heard some really great teachings on the subject and realize that so many times I overlooked the scriptures that say...
Matthew 26:36-46
36Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." 37He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."
39Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."
40Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. 41"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
42He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done."
43When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
45Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"
Jesus was a man as well as God and because of this, He knew what was in store for Him. I don't think that He went to the cross happily for us. Where is the sacrifice, the loss in that? If He was happy to go and suffer for us, then what did He forfeit? If you truly read the scripture concerning His prayer in the garden, He was in agony. He was not peaceful and content with what lay ahead for him. He was scared to death!! The amazing part though is that His main focus was the Father and His will. Obeying the Father was the only objective of Christ. That is the example that He wanted to model for us. OBEY THE WILL OF THE FATHER!! Yes, I believe Jesus loves us. But I believe that He loved the Father more. He asked his closest companions to wait and pray with him on His final day on Earth. These were the best of the best of us. Christ begins His prayer with "Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will but as you will." He returned to His best friends, the ones that had been chosen out of everyone else and they were asleep. At this point was where His prayer changed "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done." It seems that He saw that if the best of the best could not even stay vigil for Him in His greatest hour of need, there was no hope for humanity unless He obeyed the will of the Father. Now that to me sounds like sacrifice. Jesus was sorrowful unto death, He sweat drops of blood, He begged and pleaded until He realized how pitiful we are. How we are no where near worthy enough to understand what He did for us!! If Peter, James and John could not, how on earth could Laura Hill?
I think it is so easy for us to celebrate Easter or a better term in my opinion., Resurrection Day, with family reunions, egg hunts, BBQ's, pretty dresses and special church services. And although it is a day to celebrate our hope in what Christ did for us, I personally don't want to cheapen the day saying that what Christ did was easy for Him. That He died with a smile on His face because He was so happy to suffer like He did for all of the sin the of the world. I really take joy in this day knowing that the will of the Father was obeyed by Him that knew no sin. That even in His humanity that His focus never wavered. That His sacrifice was for someone like me that deserves nothing but death! Oh, how I pray that I could have an ounce of that commitment! Praise Jesus for his SACRIFICE and His example!!
HE HAS RISEN!!!
John 3:16
16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
This is the upstairs loft before stairs, windows and some of the siding
That's all of the updates I have today. I have not been out to see the house this week but more work has been done. We had the back patio concrete poured and they inside was insulated this week. Next week...roof!!
