Holy Week: Pause and Preparation - Denise Pass
Inspirational Thought of the Day:
Pausing puts things into perspective to see the beauty surrounding us when life is hard.
Scripture of the Day:
John 12:23
“Now the hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified.”
On the eve of significant, possibly painful events in our lives, we pause to reflect on how we got to the place we arrived at. We wonder if there is any possible escape, and what the eventual result will be. We might even question the purpose of it all.
With clammy hands, my heart wildly skipping a beat, and Asthma resurfaced, I walked the cold, dark hall of the familiar courthouse and wished there was some other way – anyway – that I could disappear. I did not want to suffer, did not want to bear the pain of false accusations and the stress of deep sorrow.
There is a sobriety that painful moments produce in our lives. Life can keep us busy and we can forget our purpose, but when we are confronted with very real hardship, everything is brought into perspective.
Our Savior shows the way through such times. Most accounts of this day during the Holy week are described as silent; no mention of what Christ did on this day. Preparations for Passover seem likely, but we can only imagine what must have been on His mind as He prepared for the events to come.
His looming crucifixion must have been heavy on His mind as He communicated truth passionately, that some might hear and understand. But the day before Christ would share the last supper with his disciples, our Savior paused. Christ resolutely prepared to lay down His life.
Knowing the impending horrific suffering He was about to endure, Christ did not swerve to the right or to the left, but continued to follow His mission. How hard it must have been to know that those around Him did not understand. This burdened His already burdened heart – He walked alone – with no one to fully understand His great suffering.
Christ went to a familiar place – Bethany – where he had raised his dear friend, Lazarus, from the dead. How appropriate. Having taught in the Temple by day, He came to people He cherished to spend his final moments, but this was also the place where He proved that He had authority over death. Returning to this place, fully aware that He had power to resurrect, our Savior submitted Himself to abuse from the very ones He sought to save.
Christ’s arrival during the Passover was no coincidence. His disciples thought he would rule, but Christ began to reveal that He Himself was the sacrificial Lamb for the Passover Who would willingly – joyfully – lay down His life for an undeserving people.
As we consider this great sacrifice Christ made on our behalf, perhaps we should pause and prepare our hearts, too. Pausing puts things into perspective to see the beauty surrounding us when life is hard.
What does Christ’s sacrifice mean to us? Do we consider His spilled blood when we casually sin? Has His sacrifice which we freely received, changed our lives? How? When we prepare to celebrate the resurrection of our risen Savior, do we also mourn our sins that cost our God His life?
May we never take it lightly, this lavish gift of forgiveness, and may we consider each step Christ took as He walked to set our hearts free that we might love and know Him and share this great love with others. Don’t keep the good news in, people. Such amazing news must be told of His great love.
Oh God, forgive us for when we go through the motions of this life without considering Your great love and sacrifice on our behalf. Thank You for saving Your people. We can never deserve such great love, but I pray that You would Help us to live worthy lives for Your glory alone.
