Getting ready for Easter Sunday — John 20
I don’t believe that, humanly speaking, you can get any lower than the events of Good Friday. In fact, even calling it “Good Friday” seems bizarre. There was nothing good about a thrown-together courtroom and trial to convict the totally innocent Jesus to a brutal death on a cross. To top it off, almost all of those who had sworn they would stand by Jesus to the bitter end actually ended up running off in fear and shame. One of them even became a spy and sold him off for financial gain.
There was only a very—very—small group standing at the cross witnessing this human-created violence on the Holy God:
- His very own mother, having been through the amazing events surrounding his birth, watched the child she had birthed.
- A small group of women, who had been totally transformed by this Jesus, looked on.
- Only one of the Twelve, John, stood witness.
Virtually everyone else was part of the cheering mob that was happy to see him die.
This is about the bottom of the bottom of the bottom. This is the lowest of lows. This is the pit of hell itself.
It is only when you come to grasp the depths of depravity of Good Friday that you get a sense of the exalted nature of Easter Sunday:
- The Resurrection Day
- The defeat of the ultimate enemy
- The conquering of the grave
How do you prepare for Easter Sunday and the remembrance and celebration of what Christ has done for you?
- Read John 20 before you come to the worship gathering. Go slowly and carefully through this resurrection story, the empty tomb, and Christ appearing before his followers.
- Reflect on Philippians 2:5-11:
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
We will see you Sunday morning—Easter Sunday, the Resurrection Day—through one of the 3 doors to LifeWay Church at 10 a.m.
- 1: Watch online in your own home
- 2: Join a small group and stream the service together
- 3: Come to church and join us inside the building (remember to register!)
Jesus Christ is risen—he is risen indeed.
