16 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices(B) so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3 and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”(C)4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe(D) sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene,(E) who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him,(F) just as he told you.’”(G) 8 Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.[a]

~Luke 16:1-8

Mary Magdalene and Mary mother of James had come to tend to their Lord, they had expected Him in the tomb, and even contemplated who would roll away the stone, maybe they had not remembered His words:

"The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise." ~Mark 9:31b

They had come expecting Him dead but found the tomb empty, the stone rolled away. It is here that the Lord told them something I believe to be very important, He said to them:

 “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene,^(E) who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. ⁷ But go, tell his disciples and Peter,  ~Luke 16:6

Go tell his disciples and “Peter”

I think we gloss over that verse only hearing “He is risen.” But I believe this part of the verse is very significant:

“Go tell Peter”

Peter who just a short time ago would deny Him three times, who in His Lords greatest hour would turn away “reject” Him.   

See that’s it the purpose of the Lord’s sacrifice: “RESTORATION”   Jesus in this verse was saying “You are important to me”   Peter I have risen, you can be “RESTORED,”  yes you have fallen, but you too can “RISE” again, you too can experience real “GRACE.”   

Thank you Lord that you rose again, that I have been restored because of you.  Thank you for dying on a cross for me, thank you for the grace that so abounds to me. 

When we think of death we think finality, that’s it, over, done, but in the case of Jesus this was a means to a beginning.   A new beginning for all who would receive him, for Him it would not be the end but a necessary work to reconcile the world to the Father.   A GRACE SUFFICIENT FOR US AND GENERATIONS TO COME

When we think of

John 3:16 “For God so Loved the world , that He gave His only begotten Son , that whosoever should believe in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”   

I am not quite sure that we equate the sacrifice that Jesus took so that we could spend eternity with Him in heaven, so that we would not be justly punished for our sins and sent to hell.  

In Luke’s view of the cross he tells of two thieves who were hung next to Jesus , listen to those words:

32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said,“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”[a] And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

 39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.[a]” 43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

        ~Luke 23:32-34;23:39-43

How many of you would take the punishment for someone you love?  Not many, but lets intensify that question; how many of you would take the punishment for someone who you didn’t love or have a relationship with, who you could justify how they deserved what they would receive.     Jesus didn’t deserve the punishment He would take for you and I, He laid it all down.   I love this scripture, because Jesus in the midst of such persecution pens these words eternally in history: “Father forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.”   

It’s crazy to think of such love,  I don’t believe that many of us offer forgiveness for the petty things in our lives much less in the light of being scourged almost to death, ridiculed, spit on and forced to carry a huge cross to the place in which they would hang Him.

You and I would barely forgive someone when they cut us off while driving down the road, or when they offended us.   I heard a story of a mother and daughter who lived 2 miles from each other and didn’t speak for 20 years because of an argument.  But Jesus says these words “Father Forgive them.” 

See that’s it, Jesus is offering a grace that cannot be measured, giving what no one in history has ever given;  forgiveness that would restore those who would receive it to a right relationship with God and we see that in Luke 23:39-43; two criminals on the cross, one who would see the same events that everyone that day saw, He would see Christ (The Messiah) crucified and would choose to reject Him, and another criminal, would see Christ and recognize that salvation had come to him, grace that would redeem him.  I love these words “Remember me, when you come into your kingdom.”   

Thank you Lord for remembering me.  Daily I will reflect on the great sacrifice you made for me, though I did not deserve your grace, your mercy you extended it to me.  Thank you for a love that restored my life.  Thank you that your sacrifice was a new beginning for my life.

 Lord as we go may we understand that there has never been nor will ever be no greater love than what you gave for us.

That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.

~Genesis 2:24

I had the privilege recently to listen to a broadcast on the Intersection of Faith & Reason in regards to traditional marriage.  

The following is a testimony of a 11 year old young lady named Grace Evans who testified before the Minnesota State Legislature about  the importance of having a mom and a dad as well as her question that left the legislature speechless.

I would like to say to the parents of Grace Evans "God Bless You," good job and know that this young lady will be a powerful force for the Lord.  Thank you.

We Christians should be a voice of truth in the ears of this world, even if it renders them silent; our voice should be heard speaking the truth, we should rise up even if it cost us.  

More of us need to be like young Grace Evans who so powerfully and boldly told  how we need Mothers & Fathers to mold us into the people who God intended us to be that they have unique qualities that God ordained and that no other substitute will do.

The Triumphal Entry

21 Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage,^[a] at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, ² saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. ³ And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.”

⁴ All^[b] this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:

⁶ So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. ⁷ They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him^[d] on them. ⁸ And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹ Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:

¹⁰ And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”

¹¹ So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”

^{14 Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant 16 and said to Him, "Do You hear what these are saying?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes. Have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise'?"[i] 17 Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.} 

 ~Matthew 21: 1-17

HO SAN' NA  which literly means "SAVE US WE PRAY"

This Palm Sunday I was reminded how our faith in Christ is our first and most pefect act of praise to our King Jesus.

See on that great day they shouted with un-containable praise, shouting Hosanna in the Highest declaring  the promissed Messiah had come, Hosanna in the Highest, Hosanna to the Son of David.  

When they saw Jesus they saw the fullfillment of the promissed messiah (savior,) salvation was at hand and the shouted with great praise; a praise that had been perfected in their faith, they were so close to God in this very moment.  He even tells the Pharisees "Haven't you heard! from the lips of the FAITHFUL (little children) He has ordained perfect praise."    

It is our pefect faith that pleases God. It's when we invest like little children, when our faith becomes simple and we just believe that it becomes perfect.

And he said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  ~Matthew 18:3

He bosted on their great faith, my hope today you would boast of the Lord in your faith, that you like those in that day would shout "Hosanna "Hosanna" in the hightest, that you would praise Him for your salvation, for coming to save you.

He deserves the highest praise!

Let us proclaim it: Hosanna in the Highest Hossana to the King of Kings, Lord of Lord's..

Just as the Lord had cut off the waters of the Jordan to keep Israel from harm, the Lord has cut off our enemies.

We must remember the victories we have seen, the miracles that the Lord has performed in our presence and take our stones of remembrance into the next battle.

The Lord is great and His arm is mighty to save us, to save us from any circumstance.   Israel had a battle ahead of them, but again the Lord wanted them to know that His mighty hand was with them, that they would overcome their enemies.     God is bigger than any trouble or circumstance we may face, and our victories, our stones of remembrance assure us that we are not alone in this battle, that the Lord goes ahead of us in it.

Lord when we get overwhelmed “Remind Us O Lord.”

⁴ So Joshua called together the twelve men he had chosen—one from each of the tribes of Israel. ⁵ He told them, “Go into the middle of the Jordan, in front of the Ark of the Lord your God. Each of you must pick up one stone and carry it out on your shoulder—twelve stones in all, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. ⁶ We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ ⁷ Then you can tell them, ‘They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant went across.’ These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever.”  ~Joshua 4:4-7