CREDIT: Des Colhoun
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
When we think of “passion” we think we think of something we have an intense feeling or longing for. Maybe it’s a hobby or activity. Perhaps it’s a favorite team. Often, it’s a person.
As Jesus enters Jerusalem, riding on a donkey, He enters His week of Passion … for mankind. We’ve often heard the “Gospel in a Nutshell” – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Jesus’ passion – His intense feeling for us – is evident by the lengths He went to show His Father’s love for us. He spent three years preaching, teaching, and doing miracles as He walked the countryside of Galilee, Judea, and the wilderness … that’s a lot of distance traveled on foot!
But that only scratches the surface of His passion for us. The donkey ride was simply the end of His journey. A journey that began on His heavenly throne. A throne He gave up to “make Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men … becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:7-8) It’s a journey, not measured in miles, that shows the length and depth of His passion for us. He gave up all the glory of heaven to live as a lowly carpenter and itinerant preacher. And then die the most excruciatingly painful death, death on a cross … for us.
This week we remember Jesus’ passion for us. And as we do, I urge you to make some time to recall how far He went to express His Father’s love for you and all mankind. Spend Monday – Thursday reading each of the Gospel accounts of His Passion. Then join us for worship at 7:00PM on Thursday, April 17th and Good Friday, April 18th. Finally, celebrate His resurrection on Easter, April 20th at 6:30AM, 8AM, or 10:45AM. God so loved the world, including you … see how much.
In Our King’s Love,
Pastor Jim