From the Pulpit: God's awesome gift is salvation
This week is a remembrance and celebration of the most significant week in the history of the world. It is Holy Week, including the events of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. It was the week when Jesus carried out God’s plan for our salvation. During Holy Week, we remember and celebrate the tremendous love of God, given and revealed to us through Jesus Christ. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
On Thursday of this week (we call Maundy Thursday), we remember the awesome, tremendous gift of Holy Communion that our Lord gave to us. As the gospel of Matthew records: “Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’” (Matthew 26:26-28) On Maundy Thursday, we also recall the parting words Jesus gave to his disciples that night before he was betrayed into the hands of those who crucified him: “A new commandment [mandate] I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” (John 13:34)
On Friday of this week (we call Good Friday), we remember that Jesus allowed himself to be crucified so that when we put our faith in him, his death on the cross is in place of ours. His death on the cross is in place of the eternal death that we would have to suffer. Jesus was crucified to take our punishment upon himself. The eternal death that we would die because of our sin, Jesus died for us. This day is “GOOD” because on this day, what Jesus endured made it possible for us to have eternal life when we put our trust in him.
Then on Sunday (we call Easter), we celebrate the most awesome victory ever: the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Rising again, Jesus declared his victory over the power of sin. Jesus defeated the power of death for us, so that through faith in Jesus Christ, putting our trust in him, his victory over death is our victory as well. Through Christ, we have the promise that when our mortal bodies die, we will have eternal life. Jesus gives us the assurance, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he dies, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.”
My prayer for you and for your loved ones is that this Holy Week would be a week of growing in your faith in Jesus Christ and becoming more aware of the awesome gift of what God has done and is doing for your salvation.
