Category: Holidays

For Us

On By BrianIn Holidays, PASSION Quotes

Was he flogged? 
It was done so that “by his wounds we are healed” (Isa. 53:5). 

Was he condemned though innocent? 
It was done so that we might be acquitted, though guilty. 

Did he wear a crown of thorns? 
It was done so that we might wear the crown of glory. 

Was he stripped of his clothes? 
It was done so that we might be clothed in everlasting righteousness.

Was he mocked and reviled? 
It was done so that we might be honored and blessed.

Was he reckoned a criminal, and counted among those who have done wrong?
It was done so that we might be reckoned innocent, and declared free from all sin.

Was he declared unable to save himself?
It was so that he might be able to save others to the uttermost.

Did he die at last, and that the most painful and disgraceful death?
It was done so that we might live forevermore, and be exalted to the highest glory.

– J. C. Ryle

Questions for Easter Gatherings

On By BrianIn Holidays

How can we direct our conversations this Easter time toward Jesus and what he did for us?  Whether you are talking to a co-worker, classmate, neighbor, friend, or family member, how can you lead your discussions toward the cross and empty tomb?  Donald Whitney suggests several questions to guide our conversations toward Jesus:

What was your favorite Easter tradition as a child?

Why do you think people celebrate the resurrection of Jesus?

What makes this day different from all others?

See all 10 questions on his website.

His Love For You

On By BrianIn Holidays, PASSION Quotes

And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
– Matthew 26:39

What is this cup?  It is clearly a reference to the wrath of God for your sins and mine….

That’s why there’s shuddering terror and deep distress for him at this moment.  In the crucible of human weakness he’s brought face to face with the abhorrent reality of bearing our iniquity and becoming the object of God’s full and furious wrath….

This is what bearing our sins means to him – utter distress of soul as he confronts total abandonment and absolute wrath from his Father on the cross, a distress and an abandonment and a rejection we cannot begin to grasp. 

In this, our Savior’s darkest hour…do you recognize his love for you?

– C. J. Mahaney

Easter Timeline and Geography

On By BrianIn Holidays

In what order did the events of Passion Week occur, and where?  Here are some interesting attempts to visualize the answers to those questions.  

First, Bible Gateway has created a Holy Week Timeline.  You can get a glimpse of it below.  For more information and to see details, visit here. 

Meanwhile Crossway has put together a google map with possible locations of the various events of Jesus’ last week.  You can see a glimpse below.  See here to access the actual map and descriptions of each location.

Thanks to Justin Taylor for noting these visual resources on his blog.  Of course there is disagreement on the order and exact location of some events, but these still give us helpful visuals of when and where these events may have occured.  For a more detailed discussion of the order of events for Good Friday and Easter, I recommend John Wenham’s excellent book Easter Enigma.

Passion Week With Children

On By BrianIn Family Collection, Holidays

Easter bunnies, easter eggs, easter baskets, candy, gifts, and so much more.  Nothing wrong with these things in and of themselves.  But they can be a distraction from the true meaning of Easter.  In the midst of all these things, how can we help our children focus on what Easter is really all about?  Thriving Family magazine offers daily crafts and activities to do together as a family during Passion Week to help your family focus on Christ.  Check it out here.

Passion Week Reflections

On By BrianIn Holidays

Passion Week is quickly approaching.  A couple years ago I wrote some daily reflections to help me retrace the steps of Jesus from Palm Sunday to Resurrection Sunday.  You can make use of them by clicking on the appropriate links below:

Palm Sunday: Praise – Rejoice in the Messiah

Monday: Preaching – Give All To Him

Tuesday: Predictions – Take Up Your Cross

Wednesday: Prophecy – Be Alert

Thursday: Passover – The New Covenant
Perfect Servant – Follow His Example
Prayer – God’s Will, Not Mine

Good Friday: Plot – The Plans of God and Men
Pardon – In My Place
Passion – Remember the Cross

Saturday: Pain of Loss and Failure – Struggling Without Hope

Resolution Principles

On By BrianIn Holidays

After evaluating the past year and considering how you would like to grow in the new year, it is time to write down your resolutions for the coming year.  The biggest problem with new years resolutions is that they often are never accomplished.  While I do this every year, my record is rather spotty on follow-through.  So let me share ten principles I am learning along the way when it comes to new years resolutions:

  1. Be specific.  “Growing in your walk with God” is a great desire, but how will you do it?  You need to write out exactly how you want to grow in the coming year.
  2. Be realistic.  If you have never had a quiet time with God, resolving to start spending two hours each day is probably not realistic.  Take small steps.
  3. Keep it short.  The longer your list, the harder it will be to carry through.  The shorter your list, the more you can focus on making each one happen.
  4. Be Biblical.  Make sure your requests agree with the Scriptures.  How has he challenged you to grow recently as you have been in his Word?
  5. Be prayerful.  Ask God how he wants you to grow.  Ask him to guide you as you evaluate and ponder.
  6. Be committed.  I just read in I Timothy 4 that we should train ourselves for godliness.  We make resolutions to guide this training.  But we must commit to carry through.  Training will require some real effort on our part.  Commit to work hard to do what you resolve to do.
  7. Be grace-dependent and grace-empowered.  While we must train ourselves, God is the one who changes people.  You need his help.  Seek his help regularly in prayer.  At the same time recognize that he will help you.  His grace will empower you.  We need not walk defeated.
  8. Be grace-filled.  Change is a struggle.  You will fail.  Remember the cross covers all your sins.
  9. Review regularly.  If you write your resolutions down and never come back to them, you have wasted your time.  You must regularly review them and recommit to fulfill them.
  10. Be flexible.  As you review your resolutions, be flexible enough to change strategies along the way that aren’t working.  If your life situation changes during the year, be ready to adjust your resolutions.  Perhaps God challenges you to add one or postpone one during the year.  Life changes – be ready to make changes to your resolutions as you go.

May God help us to grow and change for his glory this year!

Jonathan Edwards’ Resolutions

On By BrianIn Biography/History, Holidays

In the last two posts I have given some suggestions of questions to ask to evaluate our lives and ponder changes we might want to pursue for the coming year.  Another way to profitably evaluate ourselves and consider the coming year is to look at other people’s resolutions.  Perhaps some of their resolutions might suggest ways we want to live in the coming year.

Jonathan Edwards recorded 70 resolutions not simply to guide one year but to guide his life.  Below are a sampling.  All 70 can be found here.

1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty, and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever.

2. Resolved, to be continually endeavoring to find out some new invention and contrivance to promote the forementioned things.

3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.

4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.

5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.

7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.

8. Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God.

9. Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death….

24. Resolved, whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then both carefully endeavor to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it.

25. Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it….

28. Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same….

More Questions For The New Year

On By BrianIn Holidays

In addition to the ten questions I suggested in my last post, I would encourage you to check out Donald Whitney’s questions to ask for the New Year.  Whitney asks some great questions to help you evaluate your life and ponder the coming year.  The first ten in particular are really helpful.  I have used these questions for the last few years, and also print them out as a bulletin insert for our church each year.

Questions For the New Year

On By BrianIn Holidays

Each year, I take this time to evaluate my life and consider changes/growth I would like to see.  Here are 10 questions related to the Three Passions idea that I am asking that you might find useful as well:

  1. How can I grow in my awareness and understanding of God’s love, mercy, and grace this year?
  2. How can I grow in my relationship with God this year?
  3. How can I grow in my relationship with my family this year?
  4. How can I grow in my relationship with my church family this year?
  5. How can I grow in my relationship with ___________ this year?
  6. In what ways do I need to treat God better this year?
  7. In what ways do I need to treat my spouse better this year?  My parents?  My children?  My siblings?
  8. In what ways do I need to treat my church family better this year?  My pastor?
  9. In what ways do I need to treat my neighbors better this year?  Friends?  Co-workers?  Classmates?
  10. In what ways do I need to treat _____________ better this year?