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Living Well

Week 16 - Lest We Forget

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:10)

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday and marks the beginning of Holy Week. However, it is holy only in retrospect. In fact, it was more hellish and bloody than holy, though it started with bright promise. The much-talked-about Mel Gibson’s film, The Passion Of The Christ, portrays Jesus’ suffering vividly as narrated in the gospel accounts.

The film raises the question: Who killed Jesus? Was it Judas who betrayed Him? Was it the chief priests, the scribes and the elders who arrested him? Was it Pontius Pilate who asked Him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Was it the crowd who cried, “Crucify him!”? Was it the whole of humanity? Was it you and me? The answer must be all of the above. Jesus died for the sins of the world. Paul wrote, “When you were dead in your sins… God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins… nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:13-14 ).

I invite you to join me in reading and meditating on Mark’s narrative of the passion and death of Jesus in the coming week.

  • Sunday was a day of triumph (Mark 11:1-11 ) Let’s make room in our hearts for the coming King.

  • Monday was a day of cleansing (Mark 11:15-19 ) Let’s confess our sins to God and seek His forgiveness.

  • Tuesday was a day of preaching (Mark 11:27 ) Let’s receive His teaching and in turn teach others.

  • Wednesday was a day of preparation (Mark 14:1-11 ) Let’s give of our best to the Master.

  • Thursday was a day of communion (Mark 14:12-26 ) Let’s commune with Jesus and fellowship with fellow believers.

  • Friday was a day of suffering (Mark 15) Let’s thank God for sending His son Jesus Christ to suffer and die for our sins.

  • Saturday was a day of silence Nothing is said in the narrative about Saturday. The day was as silent as the borrowed tomb in which Jesus lay. Silent Saturday was followed by Resurrection Sunday (Mark 16). The shout “He has risen!” must have echoed throughout Jerusalem, over the centuries and to this day.

  • Sunday was the day of Resurrection. Hallelujah! The Lord has risen!

He paid a debt He did not owe, I owed a debt I could not pay. I needed someone to wash my sin away And now I sing that brand new song: Amazing Grace, For Jesus paid the debt, that I could never pay.