Date:
October 18-20, 2021Countdown to Betrayal
Matthew 26:1–16 sets the stage for the final act of this gospel account. Each event preserved in this passage moves us one step closer to Jesus’ horrific crucifixion.
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Easter
Like the narratives of Christ's birth, the accounts of His crucifixion and resurrection are so familiar that we can miss the full intensity of the unexpected event. Though Jesus warned His disciples, they were not at all prepared for the trauma of His death or the shock of His Resurrection. Because we know the outcome, it's hard for us to identify with what they must have felt.
Although we may wish we could have been present at Jesus' birth, who wishes to have seen His cruel, torturous death? Few want to read the details of what He suffered. We've sanitized Easter with aromatic lilies and colourful eggs.
But we must know exactly why the Father let His Son hang on the cross and why Jesus chose not to escape it. We need to grasp the glory of His resurrection. What blending of love and power can we see in these events? It's almost as if Jesus could hear the tearful praises of future believers singing:
My sin—O, the bliss of this glorious tho't—
My sin—not in part, but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!1
We hope these resources will help you better understand what really happened when Jesus died and rose from the dead, why there was no other alternative, and why it makes all the difference today!
¹Horatio Spafford, “It Is Well with My Soul.”
No Morning Was Ever Brighter
On the first Easter morning, when the stone was rolled away from Christ’s tomb, hope dawned and grace shone brighter than it ever had. For us, though, the monotony and troubles of daily life seem far removed from the miraculous impact of that glorious morning two thousand years ago.
His Passion
The Passion of Christ refers to His arrest, trial, and suffering from the Garden of Gethsemane to the crucifixion. Some believe Jesus was a lunatic, some believe He is Lord. Who do you say He is?
Palm Sunday
Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem was revolutionary. He spoke of love and grace and His Kingdom of peace.
Celebrating the Songs of the Resurrection
We dare not allow Easter to pass without sufficiently rejoicing in and declaring our hope. It is Jesus Christ—the miraculously resurrected Son of God—who remains the object of our worship and the subject of our praise.
As Dawn Arrived...He Arose
Join Chuck Swindoll in his Easter message, As Dawn Arrived…He Arose, and allow the light of Christ’s Resurrection to give you hope today. Remember that “weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5).
Beyond the Broadcast: A Resurrected Christ...A Transformed Life
In John 20:24–30, John described the stirring scene when Jesus appeared to His disciples—except for Thomas—following His Resurrection. Naturally, they were huddled in a closed room in fear for their lives.
Radical Adjustments
Had Christ not taken a drastic step, sinners like us would’ve never survived the fall. We would never have been rescued. We would be permanently lost. The cross was God’s incredible response to our extreme dilemma. Christ did something radical.
The Cross We Proclaim
The Apostle Paul warned us to turn our attention to what really matters—the cross of Christ—even if the world thinks it foolish and weak. Because through the cross, God blesses.
The Lamb That Was Slaughtered
Those who are meek and mild possess a character too wimpy for the times, so we think. We love lions, not lambs. But Jesus demonstrates that meekness isn't weakness—it is incredible strength.
