Have you experienced one of those moments when you were working to solve a difficult problem, or learn something very difficult, like a math problem, a riddle, a rubix cube, or a new piece of music. You work and think and practice, then in what seems to be a split second, something clicks and all the pieces come together. You have it figured out.

In John 20:8-9, John is writing about the empty tomb after Jesus’ resurrection, “Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead.”

Jesus had told the disciples that he would have to die, but would rise again, many times. However, they could not understand. They had the scriptures, Jesus’ stories and illustrations, the facts of his capture, persecution and crucification but could not put them together. Finally with the empty tomb, all the pieces of information came together in their minds and they understood and believed.

This is why it is so important for us to read and study the Bible, go to worship, and fellowship with other believers. We all have un-answered questions, and just maybe that one piece of information, or inspiration we receive will tie it together and we will understand.

We have the joy of knowing the whole story. Jesus fulfilled the scriptures, was crucified, died, and rose, so that we can be saved and say, “He is Risen….He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!”

Praise and glory to you Lord for the miraculous gift of salvation we receive through Jesus’ Resurrection. Amen.

Matthew 27:54 writes, “The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, “This man truly was the Son of God!”

I imagine even though it was a gruesome task, the Roman Soldiers crucified many people. The verse specifies that it was a Roman officer, rather than just an ordinary soldier that made the comment. As an officer he would have been more senior and had more experience. Crucifying someone would have been a routine event for him.

But this event was much different, so much so that the bible history makes a point of recording the officer’s words, “This man truly was the Son of God.”

Dear Lord, we may never know the amazement of that day Jesus Christ was crucified, but through faith, we are saved by the result. For this we thank and praise you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

“By this time it was about noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle. Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!”And with those words he breathed his last.” Luke 23:44-46

From the time God told the Jews to build the first temporary temple in a tent during the time Moses led the Jews out of Egypt, there was a section in the temple called the Holy of Holies. Only one person, the High Priest, could enter this place, and only one day per year, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. This was the day the High Priest made sacrifices in atonement for the sins of all the people.

In the passage in Luke, and similar passages in other gospels, the curtain in the sanctuary, presumably that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple, was torn in half at the moment Jesus died. What an amazing symbol of the good news that Jesus has made the atonement for our sins once and for all. No longer do we have to have the high priest make sacrifices for us. Jesus is our high priest, and the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. By accepting this we are saved.

Dear Lord, saying thank you sounds so trivial for the amazing gift you give to all who come to you for their salvation. Help us overcome our fears to share the joy of this gift with others. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Today is Maunday Thursday, the day we remember the “Last Supper.”

As Christians, we typically think about the Last Supper as when our modern day Holy Communion was first instituted. However, what Jesus and the disciples were doing, was celebrating Passover, which was the day the Jews remembered God saving them from the Angel of Death in Egypt; the last plague before Moses led them out of Egypt. That day in Egypt, the Jews painted the blood of a lamb on their door posts as a sign of the agreement with God that the angel of death would “pass over” their homes safely. The first born in houses without the blood on the door posts was killed.

Mark 14:23-24 writes, “And he [Jesus] took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And he said to them, “This is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice for many.”

At that passover meal, Jesus instituted a new tradition that we use today to remember how the blood of Jesus saves us also from death, eternal death.

Dear Lord, We thank you for the wonderful gift you gave us in Holy Communion, reminding us of the new agreement, “Salvation,” you give us if we accept Jesus Christ. What an amazing agreement. You save us, all we have to do is accept it. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

You have probably heard the expression, “if you play with fire you will get burned.” Telling someone this is telling them that they are risking serious consequences with their action, and indirectly telling them to stop their risky behavior.

Psalm 16:6 expresses a similar idea but more directly, “by fearing the Lord, people avoid evil.” the Living Bible translates it as, “evil is avoided by reverence for God.”

If we “fear” God, or “have reverence” for God, we will avoid those things that bring us close to evil.

The chances of us giving into temptations are much lower, if we avoid where the temptations exist. When we fear God, we will try to fill our time with those things he would like us to do, which should inherently keep us away from many temptations.

Dear Lord, we need to avoid evil. Thinking we can just resist temptations every time is like “playing with fire.” Avoiding the temptation in the first place, gives us a much better chance to avoid evil, and do your will. Help us to see that path around temptation. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.