Maundy Thursday, the date of Christ’s Last Supper and his arrest, was anything but April Fools’ Day. This was His day of teaching, of betrayal, of the Last Supper, of prayer–agonizing prayer, of arrest, scourging, and trial. Scripture tells us, “God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall have everlasting life.” The irony is that fools will reject this message because they think this is the ‘only’ life, but our Creator and Redeemer has far more abundant plans. As we grieve for others, as we watch how sin has overcome the light in so many parts of the world, and as we mourn for what was God’s original message of Christ’s coming as Prince of Peace, we who believe God’s message can lay all of this aside in the sure knowledge that one day, He shall reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and that He shall wipe away every tear from our eyes, heal every disease, and reign forever. And that, my friends, is no April Fools’ Day story. Go to church on Good Friday and Easter to hear the real reason for Easter has nothing to do with bunnies and eggs and finery.
My Psalm 339 He Did it for Us
MY PSALM 341 HE DID IT FOR US
Dear Heavenly Father, Provider of all good things,
Sustainer of Creation, Merciful to all, Abba, Father,
We glorify Your Name and thank You for Your Son, Jesus.
We celebrate this special week, this Holy Week
For in it, we recognize the immensity of Your sacrifice
To fulfill Your Covenant promise, “ I will be Your God.”[1]
May we in worship and renewed lives fulfill our part,
We will be Your people and live for Your Glory!
We remember His humble beginnings on our behalf.
Born in a rustic place, scratchy straw his pillow,
Lowly animals his lullaby songs,
No sterile environment, doctors, and ultrasounds,
Not for the Son of God, our Savior.
We remember his earthly parents
Charged with the responsibility of raising Your Son
To live humbly, to appreciate the little things,
To see possibilities because You are God Almighty,
To reserve His power for important moments,
To strive for Holiness, to seek the poor and downtrodden,
To shun glory for Himself, to teach precepts by example,
To turn everyday things into parables of significance,
To choose His associates from among the humble
To speak in public places and influence leaders,
To spend precious time in prayer and thanksgiving,
To resist Satan’s temptations and the easy road to fame,
To give Himself away as the Perfect Sacrifice,
And to show us the way to Heaven
And the relationship we can enjoy with You.
We see His miracles, we read His story,
We imperfectly follow His example
To serve You in every circumstance
In humble submission to Your will.
Help us to remember the joy of our salvation
To pray often for those who are lost,
To serve those who need You most,
To set our priorities to align with Your will,
And to be worthy of Your grace
Given so freely yet at such a price.
We bow in Your Presence
By serving You in thanksliving
For loving us enough to send Your Son
Jesus to redeem, restore, and resurrect us
On that last day when we join You
In eternal praise and worship.
In Jesus’ Precious Name
And for Your Glory. Amen.
[1] Jeremiah 30: 22
About the Author
