Especially this year, we need the miraculous, the incredible, the magnificent true story, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ risen from the dead.
Here are four meditations on the glorious events which forever changed everything about our lives as Christ triumphantly entered, yet wept over Jerusalem, as He deliberately walked a path toward the Cross at Calvary, as He suffered as the Lamb of God and as He rose in resurrection power to establish His rule over His eternal Kingdom.
So, may we, everyone of us who know Him and His love, find joy as we worship Him, our risen Lord.

I

. . . and as we begin this Holy Week,
I wonder as we remember
the excitement of that day
our Savior rode into
His beloved city
upon the donkey’s colt
amidst the tumult
of those ecstatic crowds
so hungry for salvation
from their oppressive rulers. . .
how misinformed they were,
imagining God’s Messiah
would merely grant them
some transitory freedom
when He cared so much more
about salvation for their
eternal souls . . .
and so as they shouted
their transient, their desperate
“Hosannas”
unable to recognize the coming
of much more than just
the Lion of Judah,
but even more so,
the Holy Lamb of God
deliberately approaching
His own sacrificial altar . . .

II

In the garden all alone
having seen and heard
and encountered
the deadly threat
of all the sin and
disobedience
every day He
sacrificially
lived among us
dealing with
deadly devastation
surrounding Him . . .

Our Messiah, our Lord and
Savior, knelt in
abject agony
down on His knees
pouring out His
broken heart for
every person lost
apart from God
with no hope until
He, the perfect,
willing Lamb
gave Himself.

And there were tears so true
blood mingled in
as He prayed through
to obedience
absolute and
awful in their
implication
as Jesus the
Son surrendered
to His Father’s
will—dying for every
one of us.

III

For our loving
Savior dying
it was never
about Himself . . .

As He settled
on the Cross
He prayed for
our forgiveness . . .

(Father forgive them for they know not what they do.)
Luke 23:34

Then He turned
to offer hope
to a thief who
died with Him . . .

(Today shalt thou be with Me in Paradise.)
Luke 23:43

Next He spoke and
made provision
for His loving,
weeping mother . . .

(Woman, behold thy Son.)
John 19:26

Only then He
testified to the
terrible weight of
carrying sin . . .

(My God, my God, why has Thou forsaken Me?)
Mark 15:34

And as a man
He confessed as
He suffered
terrible thirst . . .

(I thirst.)
John 19:28

I believe He spoke
with victory
over sin,
“It is finished.”

(It is finished.)
John 19:30

Then as He had
His whole life long . . .
“Father, receive
my spirit.”

(Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit.)
Luke 23:46

IV

Listen as the birds are singing,
“Hallelujah, Christ is risen!”
Look and see the tulips testifying
“Hallelujah, Christ is risen!”
Listen to the church bells ringing,
“Hallelujah, Christ is risen!”
Look and see believers rising,
“Hallelujah, Christ is risen!”
Listen to their joyous singing,
“Hallelujah, Christ is risen!”
Look and see the dogwoods blooming,
“Hallelujah, Christ is risen!”
Listen to the children laughing,
“Hallelujah, Christ is risen!”
Look and see the green grass growing,
“Hallelujah, Christ is risen!”
Listen to the new chicks peeping,
“Hallelujah, Christ is risen!”
Look and see the tree leaves greening,
“Hallelujah, Christ is risen!”
Listen to your heart rejoicing,
“Hallelujah, Christ is risen.”
Look and see the tomb now empty,
“Hallelujah, Christ is risen!”

M.S.
Easter, 2021

May the God of hope
fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
so that by the power of the Holy Spirit
you may abound in hope.

Romans 15:13