Passion Week...

This week, in the church is more formally known as Holy Week. However, recently I heard something that made so much more sense to me and that was "Passion Week." It's not that I do not believe this week isn't Holy, it is just that I believe that this week was all about the Passion Jesus had for us. Ya know, we as followers of Jesus, want others to characterize us as passionate. Well during this week, we see an amazing example of Jesus' passion for us. This week is characterized by a few major events, if you do not already know this. Maundy Thursday is the night before Jesus' crucifixion, and He provides the Last Supper for His disciples. Obviously, on Friday, Jesus carries His cross and is crucified and three days later, He defeated the grave and rose into His rightful place in Heaven.

Now these events are all good and well, but do you really understand the passion that Jesus showed for us through these events? Jesus did not want to lose all of His friends, He did not want to be beaten and bruised. He did not want to be crucified. I mean really, who would want to be crucified? This was an amazingly hard time at the end of His life, however He knew it was the will of His father. The tricky part in all of this is we often miscontrue this and believe Jesus was only thinking of God and Himself. Y'all, if He was thinking of Himself, He would have taken Himself out of all this pain before it even started. He was 100% divine, He could have gotten Himself out of this, and logically, if it was one of us, that is probably what we have done. Indeed, He was thinking of His father, and God's will, but it is clear, in all of this Jesu's passion for US came through. HE THOUGHT OF YOU.

Let me ask you this, when you go through a tough time, when you have to ENDURE something, who do you think of? Do you think of yourself? Do you think of God? Usually we think, aw crap, why is this happening to me? Where are you in this God? Some of us might even curse God, turn away, forget Him. Let me share with you a verse that describes how Jesus felt during this Passion Week...and especially on Passion Friday...

Hebrews 12:2 says, Hebrews 12:2 “ Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him ENDURED the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Okay, so follow me here...Jesus ENDURED...he didn't enjoy the pain or the crucifixion, obviously, who would? He despised the shame. This was not an easy situation for Jesus!! He was in a really tough spot, and what we need to remember is that HE THOUGHT OF US.

And then what a glorious thing to know the power of the Resurrection of Jesus CHrist!! Without the resurrection, the cross is dead but thanks be to GOD for the SAVING power through the RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST!!!

This is an amazing weekend of events in the life of our Savior...events that radically transformed time, and our life. As you attend services this upcoming weekend remember that this week was about how passionate Jesus is about YOU. :)

Be Blessed,
Toes