hey guys, it's 7:31am (be happy, I woke up early to blog and then paint.. talk about devotion =P haha silly me)
Yesterday was Good Friday and here's a bit about my day and then some scripture and stuff to (hopefully) reflect on. So in the morning I went to tal-ibragg church and we did the seven visits over there. When I got home I was in real pain (no need to elaborate =P) and then I decided to eat something thinking that it may help but I only got worse. I was telling God that I know that my pain is nothing compared to His but I really was hurting and, well, wanted it to stop. at around half one I got into my bed and at around half 2 I called up work and thankfully I got the night off (ahhh praise report =D) and then I just remained in bed till after half three. I later on realised that the pain was constant but it flactuated and it's peak was basically three hours long; between 12 and 3. How phsyc is that? I was sufferring with Jesus. Fine, nothing close to what He did, but I was still sufferring.
At half six I went to st mikes. There was the replica of the shroud- incredible. We were just looking at the way Jesus was placed into His tomb, all the markings on His back. It's one thing watching the passion, it's another thing actually seeing the markings. This really nice priest came to speak to us about it and about how it is a scientific enigma because there are thigns that can't be proven. There is one thing that really hit all of us though. The markings are a negative print of Jesus (wrong way round, dark is light blabla) so the print on the shroud would have actually been of Jesus' ressurection! The bright light issued from His body damaged the cloth and thus, creating the miracle of the shroud- awesome. He porjected it in negative form and there you go, the face of God, in the same room as us. We saw Jesus. Jesus in His glory.
Then we all watched the passion, you can only imagine what happened then. Let's just say that I ended up using tissues cos my sleeves were soaked. And all I had on was some make up from the night before yet I still managed to get covered in black. I don't know how to explain, I don't think it's possible. But seeing Christ there, taking all that for me it's unbearable- no matter how strong you think you are or how many times you've watched it. All I could say throughout the whole film was "thank You for You're precious blood cos I'm so unworthy". I was just mumbling it over and over. And as I'm typing this I'm really in pain again but it's ok, because Jesus felt all this and much worse for me, for my sins.
After watching the passion jean came near me and told me that I looked like shit so I went to the bathroom and, boy, he was right! I had black ALL over my face and all down my neck! I cried a bit more in the bathroom and then I cried a bit more with vicky, janika, sarah and amy. I took a photo of the shroud in negative but it didn't come too good but I just feel satisfied to know that I have the face of Jesus that I saw on my phone. Obviously, as the priest said, we can't base our beliefs on the shroud because after all, we live by faith and not by sight.
Then I went outside, cried a bit more with amy and duncan took me home. It was like 11pm when I got 'home', I went in when it was hitting 1am XD poor guy had to listen to me blab on and on but I was so impressed that I saw God, like seriously! Those two hours really helped, thanks =)
ok so here's something to chew at..
Luke 22:63-69
The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him. They blindfolded him and demanded, "Prophesy! Who hit you?" And they said many other insulting things to him.
At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them. "If you are the Christ," they said, "tell us."
Jesus answered, "If I tell you, you will not believe me, and if I asked you, you would not answer. But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God."
They all asked, "Are you then the Son of God?"
He replied, "You are right in saying I am."
Then they said, "Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips."
They beat Him, spat at Him, insulted Him and that was before any of His judgement. He was taken from the highpriests to pilate, to herod and back to pilate. Herod and pilate could find nothing to condemn this man for yet the highpriests insisted after welcoming Him with palm leaves the week before.
Luke 23:1-25
Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, "We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king."
So Pilate asked Jesus, "Are you the king of the Jews?"
"Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied.
Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, "I find no basis for a charge against this man."
But they insisted, "He stirs up the people all over Judeaby his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here."
On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. When he learned that Jesus was under Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform some miracle. He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. That day Herod and Pilate became friends—before this they had been enemies.
Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, and said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. Therefore, I will punish him and then release him."
With one voice they cried out, "Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!" (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)
Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. But they kept shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!"
For the third time he spoke to them: "Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him."
John 19:1-16
Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they struck him in the face.
Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews, "Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him." When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, "Here is the man!"
As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, "Crucify! Crucify!"
But Pilate answered, "You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him."
The Jews insisted, "We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God."
When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, and he went back inside the palace. "Where do you come from?" he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. "Do you refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said. "Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?"
Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin."
From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, "If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar."
When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge's seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour.
"Here is your king," Pilate said to the Jews.
But they shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!"
"Shall I crucify your king?" Pilate asked.
"We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered.
Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.
I couldn't really cut form there, it's just all so important..
Luke 23:26-46
As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. Jesus turned and said to them, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. For the time will come when you will say, 'Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!' Then
" 'they will say to the mountains, "Fall on us!"
and to the hills, "Cover us!" 'For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?"
Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One."
The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself."
There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!"
But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."
Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last.
Matthew 27:51-56
At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!"
Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.
Jesus forgave, even whilst taking His last few breaths He forgave the theif with comforting words. He forgsve everyone for He died for our sins. It's incredible. A love that no one could ever feel or give. He died to save the guys who killed Him, and not once did He hesitate. He could have made the pain stop, subdue, but no! He endured it all, every last drop of it. You know that song we sing, almighty God? well, "if we did not praise the rocks would cry out" that's what happened. Jesus died, the world felt it! God showed the people their mistake with worldly disasters, and the impossible (people rising)
John 19"25-27
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
In doing this, Jesus gave us all His mother. Her love is amazing. To see her son die in such a brutal manner and not turn away from God or even ask Him to stop the pain shows such devotion to the Father. Because of this, we all have the blessed virgin mary as our own mother.
Matthew 27:46
About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
At that precise second, Jesus took all the sin of the world on His shoulders. He became so unclean that His Father actually closed His eyes and couldn't look at Him. But the moment that Jesus cried out to Him, He was back there, holding Him, comforting Him, helping Him. This just shows how much we've all sinned and will sin. For God to actually look away for what, a split second, we must be so filthy. But God's a loving God, a caring God, a God of unfailing love. He will NEVER forsake us, has never and will never. Look at the ammount of sin that Jesus was carrying, and look at yours. Now God turned away for such a fraction of a second because of looking at all the sin of the world at that time, that had past, in our time and in the future.. Would He turn away from you; never, and that's a promise =) Even when you're life is crashing down apon you, nothing will stop Him from holding you close, even if you can't feel Him.
Matthew 27:57-61
As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.
That's where we're hit so far. He's been burried and now we wait for the sun to rise tomorrow, to be freed once again =)
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