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&
Brooksyne Weber
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Thursday, April
6, 2023
The
Suedberg
Church of God
along the
Swatara rail
trail was
built over 150
years ago and
based on their
website still
appear to be
faithfully
proclaiming
God's Word for
which we are
thankful!
"Love
Demonstrated"
Message
summary:
We
"consider
Him who
endured such
opposition
from sinful
men." The
atoning death
of Christ on
the cross is
the supreme
demonstration
of God's love.
"The
hour" was that
singular
moment in
space and time
for which
Christ, "the
Lamb slain
from the
foundation of
the world" had
come to this
world. Oswald
Chambers
states, "The
cross is the
crystallized
point in
history where
eternity
merges with
time."
Listen
to our message
on your audio
player.
"And
when the hour
was come, He
sat down, and
the twelve
apostles with
Him" (Luke
22:14). "It
was just
before the
Passover
Festival.
Jesus knew
that the hour
had come for
Him to leave
this world and
go to the
Father. Having
loved His own
who were in
the world, He
loved them to
the end" (John
13:1). "But
God
demonstrates
His own love
for us in
this: While we
were still
sinners,
Christ died
for us"
(Romans 5:8).
Laifong
is a long-time
friend who
currently
serves with
Wycliffe Bible
Translators.
She and her
husband Nigel
were a part of
the church we
served in New
England in the
90's. She
writes in her
newsletter we
received
yesterday:"Until
quite
recently, I
have been
reluctant to
dwell on
Jesus’
sufferings. It
was easier to
skip to the
happy part of
the story –
when Jesus
rose from the
dead and
defeated sin
and death!
Now, I
appreciate
being able to
meditate on
Scriptures
such as Isaiah
53 because
they assure me
that Jesus
empathizes
with my pain
because He
bore them
Himself. In
addition, He
heals me and
gives me
peace."
This
week we are
dwelling on
Christ's
sufferings or
as our text
calls us; "consider(ing)
Him who
endured such
opposition
from sinful
men."
Today is often called Maundy Thursday, also referred to as "Holy Thursday" or "Great Thursday" in some circles. The word Maundy is derived from the Latin word for "command" or mandate. The "Maundy" in "Maundy Thursday" refers to the command Jesus gave to the disciples at the Last Supper, that they should love and serve one another; He did this not only in word but also in deed.
Since it is now Thursday of Holy Week let us consider the events that likely took place on this day. Maundy Thursday is the day on which Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples, known as the Last Supper.
Consider the disciples twelve : it was only several years earlier they chose to leave all behind to follow Christ. Think how recently three years ago was in your life. The older you get the more "recent" they seem. But even in my twenties and thirties, the probable age of the disciples, three years wasn't very long ago.
How
deep the
Father's love
for us,
How vast beyond all measure,
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure.
How vast beyond all measure,
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure.
Today is often called Maundy Thursday, also referred to as "Holy Thursday" or "Great Thursday" in some circles. The word Maundy is derived from the Latin word for "command" or mandate. The "Maundy" in "Maundy Thursday" refers to the command Jesus gave to the disciples at the Last Supper, that they should love and serve one another; He did this not only in word but also in deed.
Since it is now Thursday of Holy Week let us consider the events that likely took place on this day. Maundy Thursday is the day on which Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples, known as the Last Supper.
Consider the disciples twelve : it was only several years earlier they chose to leave all behind to follow Christ. Think how recently three years ago was in your life. The older you get the more "recent" they seem. But even in my twenties and thirties, the probable age of the disciples, three years wasn't very long ago.
What
an experience
they had
listening to
Christ's
wonderful
teachings,
witnessing the
astounding
miracles,
being edified
through their
close
fellowship and
enjoying the
breaking of
bread
together.
At the time of His first miracle Jesus said "Woman, why do you involve me? My hour has not yet come" (John 2:4). Earlier in Christ's ministry the opposition had tried to seize Him but they could not, "because His hour was not yet come" (John 7:30).
But this night was different; the careful historian Luke introduces His gathering with the disciples for the Passover meal with this solemn description, "And when the hour was come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him".
Now the Twelve leaned around a table and Jesus shared what surely seemed to them a confusing illustration as He inserted these unfamiliar words into the familiar Passover meal: "This is My body which is given for you, My blood which is shed for you."
"What is He talking about?" they surely wondered as they whispered amongst themselves. They must have looked at each other to get a sense of whether others were connecting or understanding Jesus as He again spoke of dying. Just days earlier He had come into Jerusalem to great fanfare and shouts from the crowd recognizing that He was the King. That's what they wanted. And that's what they got, just not in the way they expected.
"The hour" was that singular moment in space and time for which Christ, "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" had come to this world. Oswald Chambers states, "The cross is the crystallized point in history where eternity merges with time".
May we who believe and follow Christ reaffirm our commitment to this great and loving God. We pray that the desire of Paul’s heart would also be the theme of our prayer: "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world" (Galatians 6:14).
The atoning death of Christ on the cross is the supreme demonstration of God's love resulting in:
At the time of His first miracle Jesus said "Woman, why do you involve me? My hour has not yet come" (John 2:4). Earlier in Christ's ministry the opposition had tried to seize Him but they could not, "because His hour was not yet come" (John 7:30).
But this night was different; the careful historian Luke introduces His gathering with the disciples for the Passover meal with this solemn description, "And when the hour was come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him".
Now the Twelve leaned around a table and Jesus shared what surely seemed to them a confusing illustration as He inserted these unfamiliar words into the familiar Passover meal: "This is My body which is given for you, My blood which is shed for you."
"What is He talking about?" they surely wondered as they whispered amongst themselves. They must have looked at each other to get a sense of whether others were connecting or understanding Jesus as He again spoke of dying. Just days earlier He had come into Jerusalem to great fanfare and shouts from the crowd recognizing that He was the King. That's what they wanted. And that's what they got, just not in the way they expected.
"The hour" was that singular moment in space and time for which Christ, "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" had come to this world. Oswald Chambers states, "The cross is the crystallized point in history where eternity merges with time".
May we who believe and follow Christ reaffirm our commitment to this great and loving God. We pray that the desire of Paul’s heart would also be the theme of our prayer: "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world" (Galatians 6:14).
The atoning death of Christ on the cross is the supreme demonstration of God's love resulting in:
•
Our redemption
from sin
• Our reconciliation to God
• Our restoration to wholeness
• Our reconciliation to God
• Our restoration to wholeness
"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). On this Maundy Thursday of Holy Week, let us rejoice in the ultimate demonstration of Christ's supreme love.
Stephen
and Brooksyne
Weber
Daily
prayer:
Father,
I glory in the
Cross of
Calvary from
which Your
Son, my Lord
and Savior,
died for my
sins. I choose
to boast
only in
Jesus who
lifted the
heavy chains
from my
enslaved soul
freeing me to
soar to
newness of
life. Thank
You, God, for
demonstrating
Your love
toward me in
that You gave
Your one and
only Son,
Jesus, to die
for me. At
just the right
time while I
was still
powerless and
overpowered by
the weight of
my sin, He
died for me.
Because of
this
incredible act
of love and
forgiveness I
have
reconciliation
with You, my
Father, in
heaven. My
sins are
erased and my
burden is
lifted. Praise
be to God
through Christ
Jesus my Lord!
Amen.Here is a listing of different Scripture verses where Christ speaks of "the hour" in the sense of today's message:
- "Then He returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners'" (Matthew 26:45).
- "Going a little farther, He fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him" (Mark 14:35).
- "Returning the third time, he said to them, 'Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners'" (Mark 14:41).
- "When the hour came, Jesus and His apostles reclined at the table" (Luke 22:14).
- "Woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied. "My hour has not yet come" (John 2:4).
- "At this they tried to seize Him, but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come" (John 7:30).
- "He spoke these words while teaching in the temple courts near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come" (John 8:20).
- "Jesus replied, 'The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified'" (John 12:23).
- "Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour" (John 12:27).
- "It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end" (John 13:1).
- "After Jesus said this, He looked toward heaven and prayed: 'Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You'" (John 17:1).
Today's
Suggested
Music and Supplemental
Resources
"How
Deep The
Father's
Love"
Click
to listen on
YouTube
Phillips,
Craig, &
Dean
The
Suedberg
Church of God
has this
interesting discipleship
page on
their website.
(We
are posting
this
information
all through
Holy Week)
The
four gospels
cover the life
of Christ, a
period of
about 33
years. Most of
this material
deals with the
3˝ year period
of His
ministry.
However an
astounding 30
of the 89
accumulative
chapters in
the gospels
deal with the
period from
Christ's
triumphal
entry through
His
resurrection
and
post-resurrection
appearances.
Mathematically
this means
that
approximately
33% of the
written
material in
the gospels
deals with a
mere .05%
period of His
life! In the
providence of
God we have a
much greater
proportion of
material
dealing with
God's greatest
act of mercy
in providing
our
redemption.
Here's an interesting chart from the Life Application Study Bible that may be helpful as you study the Bible during Holy Week. It sure helps me to have a sense of when the events took place and is inspiring to read in the daily sequence leading up to Easter.
SUNDAY
Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem: Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:29-40; John 12:12-19
MONDAY
Jesus Clears the Temple: Mt. 21:12,13; Mk. 11:15-17; Lk. 19:45,46
TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY
Here's an interesting chart from the Life Application Study Bible that may be helpful as you study the Bible during Holy Week. It sure helps me to have a sense of when the events took place and is inspiring to read in the daily sequence leading up to Easter.
SUNDAY
Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem: Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:29-40; John 12:12-19
MONDAY
Jesus Clears the Temple: Mt. 21:12,13; Mk. 11:15-17; Lk. 19:45,46
TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY
Jesus'
authority
challenged in
the temple:
Mt. 21:23-27;
Mk. 11:27-33;
Lk. 20:1-8
Jesus teaches stories and confronts the Jewish leaders: Mt. 21:28-23:36; Mk. 12:1-40; Lk. 20:9-47
Greeks ask to see Jesus: Jn. 12:20-26
The Olivet Discourse: Mt. 24; Mk. 13; Lk. 21:5-38
Judas agrees to betray Jesus: Mt. 26:14-16; Mk. 14:10,11; Lk. 22:3-6
THURSDAY
The Last Supper: Mt. 26:26-29; Mk. 14:22-25; Lk. 22:14-20
Jesus speaks to the disciples in the upper room: Jn. 13-17
Jesus struggles in Garden of Gethsemane: Mt. 26:36-46; Mk. 14:32-42; Lk. 22:39-46; Jn. 18:1
Jesus is betrayed and arrested: Mt. 26:47-56; Mk. 14:43-52; Lk. 22:47-53; Jn. 18:2-12
FRIDAY
Jesus is tried by Jewish and Roman authorities and disowned by Peter: Mt. 26:57-27:2, 11-31; Mk. 14:53-15:20; Lk. 22:54-23:25; Jn. 18:13-19:16
Jesus is crucified and buried: Mt. 27:31-56; Mk. 15:20-41; Lk. 23:26-49; Jn. 19:17-30
SUNDAY
The glorious resurrection: Mt. 28:1-10; Mk. 16:1-11; Lk. 24:1-12; Jn. 20:1-18
Jesus teaches stories and confronts the Jewish leaders: Mt. 21:28-23:36; Mk. 12:1-40; Lk. 20:9-47
Greeks ask to see Jesus: Jn. 12:20-26
The Olivet Discourse: Mt. 24; Mk. 13; Lk. 21:5-38
Judas agrees to betray Jesus: Mt. 26:14-16; Mk. 14:10,11; Lk. 22:3-6
THURSDAY
The Last Supper: Mt. 26:26-29; Mk. 14:22-25; Lk. 22:14-20
Jesus speaks to the disciples in the upper room: Jn. 13-17
Jesus struggles in Garden of Gethsemane: Mt. 26:36-46; Mk. 14:32-42; Lk. 22:39-46; Jn. 18:1
Jesus is betrayed and arrested: Mt. 26:47-56; Mk. 14:43-52; Lk. 22:47-53; Jn. 18:2-12
FRIDAY
Jesus is tried by Jewish and Roman authorities and disowned by Peter: Mt. 26:57-27:2, 11-31; Mk. 14:53-15:20; Lk. 22:54-23:25; Jn. 18:13-19:16
Jesus is crucified and buried: Mt. 27:31-56; Mk. 15:20-41; Lk. 23:26-49; Jn. 19:17-30
SUNDAY
The glorious resurrection: Mt. 28:1-10; Mk. 16:1-11; Lk. 24:1-12; Jn. 20:1-18
Tuesday
following an
early morning
chaplain
visit, we rode
the bike
trails in Swatara
State Park.
It was a
beautiful day
with temps
reaching into
the seventies.
We shared
several photos
yesterday and
want to share
several more
today.
Bordner's
Cabin was
built by a
high school
shop teacher
and his
students over
80 years ago
and is a now
part of the
park.
Brooksyne is
standing
inside the
cabin where
the large
window was
placed to view
the waterfall.
Click
on photo to
enlarge
Now
she is
standing on
the outside of
the window. We
ate our lunch
at this table
in as we
viewed and
listened to
the waterfall
streaming down
the rock
strewn
mountain.
Click on photo to enlarge
Click on photo to enlarge
During
our visit a
home-schooled
family of five
children
arrived to
explore the
cabin and
climb up the
falls (look to
the left). The
falls weren't
running that
fully but
still had a
relaxing white
noise sound so
conducive to a
resting place.
Click on photo to enlarge
Click on photo to enlarge
When
visiting the
cabin, we
often get a
naturally
"framed" photo
of us standing
below the
waterfall
taken by
another
visitor.
Afterwards we
take a photo
of the
visitor(s) so
they too can
take home a
framed photo
of their
standing below
the waterfall.
Click on photo to enlarge
Click on photo to enlarge
The
pleasant sight
of a rail
trail!
Click on photo to enlarge
Click on photo to enlarge
The
Waterville
Bridge carries
the
Appalachian
Trail across
Swatara Creek.
Click
on photo to
enlarge
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radioPermissions: Please feel free to pass on, reproduce and distribute any material on Daily Encouragement Net, in part or in whole, in any format, provided that you do not alter the wording in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. It is our desire to spread this material, not protect or restrict it. We do request that you keep the contact, copyright and subscription information intact.
Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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