Over the next several days we will be on a spiritual journey with Jesus. Holy Week is the time that we remember and observe all that Jesus experienced on our behalf. There are aspects of Holy Week that are beautiful and intimate. There are elements that are painful and heartbreaking. And of course, in the end is great joy and celebration as Jesus wins the victory over sin and death.
There is an expression that comes out of athletic training; “no pain no gain.” If we're working out in the gym or trying to gain endurance in a particular sport, we have to go through the pain and the struggle of the hard workouts, the extra reps, the two a days, if we want to gain strength, stamina and ultimate victory. In the same way, Jesus had to go through the pain of the “Via Dolorosa,” the way of suffering, before experiencing the victory of the empty tomb.
For us to fully experience the joy of Resurrection Day, we must also walk with Jesus through the pain and the struggle that preceded it. This is why Holy Week services are so important for us. As we experience Maundy Thursday and Good Friday special services, it helps us to understand and even share in the experience of what Christ faced on our behalf. So, I want to encourage us to attend the Maundy Thursday service at 6:30 p.m. at our Sandown campus tomorrow (April 6), and our Good Friday service at our North Shore campus beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Friday (April 7). There are aspects of these services that are beautiful and intimate, and there are elements of the service that are painful as we journey with Jesus to the cross.
The good news is that all of this prepares us for Easter, Resurrection Day! When we have gone on this difficult Holy Week Journey with Jesus, the celebration of the Resurrection is intensified and magnified. Furthermore, because we have walked with Jesus through the last supper, the betrayal, the arrest, the trial and the crucifixion, we can now fully appreciate the joy of the empty tomb.
I look forward to us journeying together through Holy Week and rejoicing together on Resurrection Day. As I'm sure you know, Easter is also a great time to invite a friend who may not yet know the hope of Christ and the joy of the resurrection. So, I would encourage us all to invite at least one friend. It could change their life!
I love you all. I look forward to us being together this Sunday as we celebrate Resurrection Day.
Pastor Steve