We Were There
If we had been alive when the Roman soldiers crucified Jesus, it would have been so difficult to comprehend what tomorrow would bring. On this day, when we saw Jesus’ body beaten, bruised, and bleeding as He was forced to carry His cross throughout the streets of Jerusalem to the gate that led outside the city walls (to Golgotha’s Hill), I think we would have hidden ourselves in the dark alleyways as the soldiers passed by. If we had been present there on this fateful Friday, I think we would have been overcome with grief—Our Friend, Our Redeemer, Our Savior, Our Lord, Our Jesus was nailed to the Cross of Calvary—for every man, woman, and child. If we had been there, would we have “celebrated” on this Good Friday—OR—Would we have wept?
“Sow for yourselves, with a
(Hosea 10: 12 NASB)
view to righteousness;
Harvest in accordance with kindness.
Break up your uncultivated ground,
For it is time to seek the LORD
Until He comes and rains
righteousness on you.”
- A hard layer of unprepared, unreceptive soil—Do we have any part of us like this?
- A handful of SEED clutched tightly within our being—Do we disobey when God says: “SPEAK”?
- A Harvest will come in GOD’S timing!
- A Crown of Righteousness will be granted to those who remain faithful to the LORD!
May we pull out our Bible and allow God’s Word to dig deep into us.
May we read, seeking those areas of our lives where we have hidden an ugly sin.
May we allow the Holy Spirit to move us to repentance.
“For it is time to seek the LORD”
- If we had been alive when the Roman soldiers crucified Jesus, we would have seen how Jesus willingly gave His life so we could receive Eternal life in God’s presence forevermore!
- If we had been present there on this fateful Friday, I think we would have been overcome with grief because we would have seen how Jesus died for each one of us!
- If we had been there, would we NOT have celebrated on this day but wept for the lost life of Jesus.
- If we had been there, would we have remembered the way Jesus had taught us how this had been God’s Plan from the beginning?
The Truth—We Were There—Jesus Had Us on His Mind as He Gave His Life Upon Calvary’s Cross!
FRIDAY.
SATURDAY.
SUNDAY.
THREE DAYS OF GRIEF.
THREE DAYS OF MOURNING.
Hiding. Fearful. Unsure of What Came Next. Anxiety-Filled Hours. Gathered there to provide solace, the disciples of Jesus met when suddenly they heard a pounding on their locked door.
“And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe, and they were amazed.
(Mark 16: 5-11 NASB)
But he said to them, “Do not be amazed;
you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified.
He has risen; He is not here;
see, here is the place where they laid Him.
“But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.’ “
And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had gripped them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
Now after He had risen early on the first day of the week, [daybreak on Sunday] He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons.
She went and reported to those who had been with Him, while they were mourning and weeping.
[Mary Magdalene reported to Jesus’ disciples:
the empty tomb &
the angelic being the women had seen in the tomb &
that she had seen Jesus &
how she heard Him call her name.]
“And when they heard that He was alive and been seen by her, they refused to believe it.”
- If we had been there, hiding and fearful, we would be crucified next for following Jesus, we may not have believed Mary’s words either when she was let into the Upper Room.
- If we had been there, trembling and afraid, we may have wanted to see the empty tomb with our own eyes.
- If we had been there, weeping and scared, we may have been astonished when Jesus appeared to us a short time later, showing us His nail-scarred hands and pierced side.
The Truth—We Were There—Jesus Revealed HE WAS ALIVE!
Thank You, JESUS, for thinking of us as You went to the cross to die!
Thank You, JESUS, for preparing the ONLY WAY for us to be saved!
Thank You, JESUS, for remaining in the grave, proving the skeptics wrong!
Thank You, JESUS, for making the way for us to have eternal life!
Thank You, JESUS, for sending the Comforter, Your Holy Spirit, to walk with us throughout our every day of life until You call us home!
Thank You, JESUS, for promising to return for us on our day of death on this earth!
Thank You, JESUS, for Your eternal promise of heaven with You!
Thank You, JESUS!
THANK—YOU—JESUS.
IT IS THE TRUTH—JESUS Had Each One of Us on His Mind as He Gave His Life Upon Calvary’s Cross!
- We were there, on Jesus’ mind, as He willingly went to the cross. &
- We were there, on Jesus’ mind, as He gave up His life. &
- We were there, on Jesus’ mind, as He remained dead and buried within the tomb. &
- We were there, on Jesus’ mind, as He arose from the grave on that first day of the week. &
- We were there when the empty tomb was discovered. &
- We were there when the words were spoken: “But go, tell . . .”
May we remember and May we never forget what Jesus did for us!
May we—
“preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and exhort, with great patience and instruction.
(2 Timothy 4: 2-5 & 8 NASB)
For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires,
and they will turn their ears away from the truth and will turn aside to myths.
But as for you, [and as for me]
use self-restraint in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. . .
in the future there is reserved for me [for Timothy] the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
[Timothy speaks of each one of us, Christians, those who believe IN JESUS &
who faithfully follow the LORD JESUS CHRIST].
Those who place their faith in Christ receive the greater reward for placing their HOPE & TRUST in the ONE they have never seen with their eyes.
- May we worship God—this day & every day we are alive!
- May we remember Jesus—died for you & for me!
- May we recall & never forget to proclaim—“JESUS IS ALIVE!”
- May we “Go & Tell” the world of people surrounding us about our SAVIOR JESUS!
- May we testify with boldness before it is forevermore too late for them to hear the TRUTH of our RISEN LORD!