Cross

When the angel Gabriel came to Mary, she was greatly troubled. Imagine her shock and dismay as the angel suddenly appeared and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” (Luke 1:28). Mary’s fear was visibly evident as Gabriel continued,

Jesus and his disciples were in the area of Caesarea Philippi when he asked them what people were saying about him. What was the word on the street? The disciples told him that some believed he was John the Baptist; others said he was Elijah, and still others thought that he was Jeremiah or one of the prophets. Then Jesus asked the most important question:

When God sent his Son into the world, he took away all the advantages and privileges of deity. Jesus came “not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Seven hundred years before his birth, the prophet Isaiah wrote this about Jesus:

Do you ever wonder why the person who cuts corners gets the promotion? Why one with no scruples lands the deal? Why do the promiscuous ones get the engagement ring? Why do the wicked ones prosper? The psalmist wondered the same thing.

God wants you to experience peace. A deep, settled peace. An unexplainable peace. A continual peace that is experienced every day. A peace that is felt all the way to heaven. That peace can only be delivered by Yahweh Shalom. Let me set the context for today’s passage.

We call it Good Friday. But “good” hardly describes what was happening, especially as Jesus’ mother stood at the foot of the cross.

Thursday was the last day Jesus would spend with his disciples before the cross. It was the day of Passover, the time when Israel remembered God’s faithfulness in delivering them from slavery in Egypt.

On the Wednesday before the cross, Jesus told his disciples that he was going to be crucified. The religious leaders made plans to seize and kill him. And it was on Wednesday that Judas met with the High Priest and bargained for the sum of thirty silver pieces to betray Jesus. However, one encounter with Jesus stands out as an extravagant act of worship.

The Tuesday before the cross was a busy day for Jesus. Three groups of people came to him with questions. Their queries aimed to trap Jesus in a contradiction or statement they could use against him. Jesus' popularity was getting out of hand, and the religious leaders planned to put a stop to it.