Holy Week 2010 Were you there?
An old Easter worship chorus has been running through my mind today: "Were you there when they crucified my Lord?" I think that the main point of Holy Week is to bring us imaginatively to the place and time of Christ's betrayal, suffering, death, and resurrection. The Church around the world sets apart this week to meditate on the narrative that has changed all of eternity. I hope that you are able to find some time to do that privately or with others. (By the way, if you have the opportunity to get to Highland Park Tues - Thurs evening between 6:30 - 8:30 pm, the "Journey with Jesus" prayer stations is worth experiencing.)
The question still remains: "Were you there when they crucified my Lord?" Not just imaginatively or reflectively, but really? Yes, my old self was there and as a result, my salvation and sanctification are possible. But that's not the only question in the song that needs to be answered: "Were you there when He rose up from the dead?" Yes, yes, yes! How exactly (technically) is it that we, unborn, are present (and even participate) in Christ's death and resurrection? Because we are part of the human race, which Jesus was also? Because His death and resurrection transcend time in some mysterious way? I don't know. What I do know is we have "been buried with Him in baptism and raised with Him through your faith in the power of God..." (Col. 2:12) and as a result we are alive in Christ!
Here are a couple of verses that can help you think more about this topic:
Romans 6:6-8 "For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin - because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him."
Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me."
Colossians 3:20 "Since then you have been raised with Christ, set you hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God."
Hope you have a blessed Easter.
Greetings, all. Tracy - please keep these posts coming. I assure you, I read them, reflect on them, and - occasionally - respond to them in writing. I've also shared them with some of the women in my Bible Study here ... you have quite a following :-)
ReplyDeleteThings have been hectic here with Hugh's mom in hospital for the second time since Christmas, our house up for sale and preparations in full swing for our move into the new house on April 28th. Hugh's been back and forth to Toronto three times in three weeks (with more trips to come as his mother transitions from hospital to a rehab facility and, hopefully, back to her retirement residence). When it became apparent he wouldn't make it back for Easter I flew up at the last minute and was blessed to be able to spend some time with my mother (who also happened to be in Toronto, spending Easter with her brother). Hugh attends to his mother, I pack up other people's stuff(!), and we wait to hear if our house has sold (offer pending, but with a long list of conditions). Easter wasn't the peaceful, meditative event I was hoping for, but we were blessed nonetheless.
Tracy - when do you move?
Love to all ... missing you and praying for you.
Lianne
Hi all,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the update Lianne. Clint left on Wednesday to start his job yesterday (April 15th). He will be back every second weekend until June 25th which is the date that the buyers take possession of our house. We will travel that weekend (26th-27th) to Manitoba. Thanks for the encouragement about the blog. I do have another idea - just need to sit down and write!
love,
Tracy