Wednesday Before Easter - Navigating Unusual Times

 HOLY WEEK WEDNESDAY

Here we are on Wednesday of the week where time seems to turn at a different pace than what is usual.  We have the Friday’s events of Jesus’ suffering and death in our thoughts and yet it seems like such an unbearably long time to have to endure the anticipation of what is to come. 

On this Wednesday before Good Friday, this is a bit of the experience that speaks to me today.

Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!” 

Matthew 20:17-19

Jesus has been telling His friends about these events for some time and particularly now as the time approaches. Tomorrow night after they eat dinner together, Jesus and his friends will go out to a place called The Mount of Olives to pray and rest and there Jesus will be arrested and this whole horrible torture and murder of the Son of God will take place.

Where Jesus’ death differs from every other death you or I have witnessed is this:

The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” 

John 10:17-18

Although people were involved in the process of Jesus torture and death, Jesus had control over every moment of the experience.  He was not going through it all as a victim but as a volunteer.  What amazing love God has for us.

Loving God, our minds can’t quite wrap themselves around this depth of love and commitment except to be so grateful that Jesus voluntarily carried out Your loving plan that won forgiveness and salvation for us. 

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.  1 Peter 2:24

That Jesus took our sins and sicknesses on Himself and hung on the cross until He died, even though He could have called thousands of angels to release Him and deal with His murderers, this is love, as the old song says, “Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.”

With an ancient man of prayer we pray:  Father, we abandon ourselves into your hands; do with us what you will. Whatever you may do, we thank you: We are ready for all.  We accept all. Let only your will be done in us.  We wish no more than this, O Lord.

Well on this unusual Wednesday let’s appreciate God’s goodness and His great love for us.  Have a great day.