What is a vivid Easter memory for you?
Stephen here:
About 8 years ago I was wanting to create a visual to help teach my young kids, 5 and under, about the sufferings of Christ. His sufferings were not deserved, but were necessary for Him to relate with me and to die for me. Anyway, we lived in KY at the time and I had passed an un-mowed field with thorns and briers growing in it. I cut some down and took them home. These were the nastiest thorns I had seen in the area. They were hard as wood and razor point sharp.
I was going to take a little time one Saturday afternoon to connect the strands of thorns together and make a crown of thorns for display and a physical touch for the kids. It became a frustrating process. The thorns were so sharp I had to wear thick leather work gloves. I used pliers to grasp and intertwine the thorns, but it just was not working well. It was taking longer than I thought and I kept getting painfully stuck with the thorns.
Finally, my temper went off and I went in an anger burst. I yanked and jerked the strands together forcing them with all my strength not caring how badly I would be stuck by the thorns. It seemed to work- the crown was complete. I hadn't gotten that mad at anything in a long time.
My rage bothered me. I had a flashback to what the soldiers must have been like putting the crown of thorns together- getting frustrated, cursing, and slamming the thorns on the head of Jesus. Their rage and hatred for Jesus was released through flogging, beating, and torturing him. I felt their rage that afternoon and I realized that my sins and evil ways weren't any worse than the Roman torturers that day. I need someone to cleanse me of my evil ways and sins as much as anyone else. And He has - thank you Jesus.
What is a vivid Easter memory for you? This memory serves me well each year during Easter time.
Hebrews 10:22, "Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water."
I was going to take a little time one Saturday afternoon to connect the strands of thorns together and make a crown of thorns for display and a physical touch for the kids. It became a frustrating process. The thorns were so sharp I had to wear thick leather work gloves. I used pliers to grasp and intertwine the thorns, but it just was not working well. It was taking longer than I thought and I kept getting painfully stuck with the thorns.
Finally, my temper went off and I went in an anger burst. I yanked and jerked the strands together forcing them with all my strength not caring how badly I would be stuck by the thorns. It seemed to work- the crown was complete. I hadn't gotten that mad at anything in a long time.
My rage bothered me. I had a flashback to what the soldiers must have been like putting the crown of thorns together- getting frustrated, cursing, and slamming the thorns on the head of Jesus. Their rage and hatred for Jesus was released through flogging, beating, and torturing him. I felt their rage that afternoon and I realized that my sins and evil ways weren't any worse than the Roman torturers that day. I need someone to cleanse me of my evil ways and sins as much as anyone else. And He has - thank you Jesus.
What is a vivid Easter memory for you? This memory serves me well each year during Easter time.
Hebrews 10:22, "Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water."
posted by The Fountain at Philadelphia | 5:58 AM
2 Comments:
Was doing nightwatch at Temple last night and realized something profound - that when on the cross, the Father had to turn his back on Jesus who was bearing our sins. This is not a new thought for me, but what got to me was that this forsaking of Jesus by the Father was significant for another reason. It was as if the fellowship of the Trinity was temporarily divorced or separated for the first and only time in history. That was pretty deep.
Nathan,
Thanks for the comment. God's ways are amazing!
Stephen
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