Monday Morning Music Ministry

4-1-19

How do most of us prepare for Easter?

I am sorry to say that, often, in the same way we generally prepare for Christmas by buying presents and planning meals; and prepare for Thanksgiving by buying turkeys and inviting relatives. The arrival of Easter often is consumed by coloring eggs, dressing well for church, and deciding between lamb and ham.

Jesus prepared for Easter, although of course it was not called that in His day, in ways we know. Before His Incarnation, Father God prepared the way. The prophet Isaiah described it seven hundred years before Jesus’s birth:

Chapter 53: Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors….

Preparing for Easter. Seven hundred years earlier (in our own perspective, if we can imagine, that would be like two hundred years before the birth of Columbus), a Prophet of God described Jesus, even to whether He was handsome or not; His persecution and trial; and how He would die. And why.

But there was a prophecy that was closer in time to Jesus’s own day. We do not often connect it with Easter. From Luke chapter 2 –

The angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men….

There was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.

And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.

And he came by the Spirit into the temple where the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, then Simeon took him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:

For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel….

Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;

Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

So. Isaiah foretold the Person of the Christ, and details of His life and death; angels announced His birth; the holy man Simeon explained the holiness and mission of the Messiah, with attendant violence and sacrifice.

But let us back up to the angels in the hills above Bethlehem. Tidings of great joy… referring to this baby who was certain to be unjustly persecuted, tortured, and executed? Tidings of great joy about a someone the Bible also calls a “Man of Great Sorrow”? Tidings of great joy about the person who will be “despised and rejected”… by God Himself?

Does this make sense at all? Especially to call it “joy”?

Praise God, it doesn’t make sense.

It is God’s way, however. He loved us so much – even when we were yet sinners – that He provided the ultimate pathway to find eternal life with Him. We cannot earn it ourselves.

We cannot earn it ourselves. Isaiah knew it; the angels knew it; Mary knew it; Simeon knew it; Jesus, of course, knew it.

Do you know it? Go thou and prepare for Easter.

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Click: Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed?

3-19-12

Over in these parts it’s been a month of pressure, joy, challenges, stress, brokenness, prayer, deadlines, surprises, anticipation, worship, assessment, re-assessment… in other words, not very different than most months; and probably not much different for you. That is, if we want to see things that way – which is a constant temptation.

Looking back on yesterday, do you remember the bad or the good? Thinking of last week, do you remember the frustrations or the joy? Go back a month: do you remember disappointments or promises?

But do we remember Jesus? He, too, was always there. We try to remember Jesus. In any one day, He’s the Jesus of the pressure; He’s the Jesus of the joy; He’s the Jesus of the challenges; He’s the Jesus of the stress; He’s the Jesus of the brokenness; He’s the Jesus of the prayer; He’s the Jesus of the deadlines; He’s the Jesus of the surprises; He’s the Jesus of the anticipation; He’s the Jesus of the worship; He’s the Jesus of the assessments; He’s the Jesus of the re-assessments. And more: of needs, and of healing, and of relationships.

I invite you — especially so that we all don’t start a typical week the typical way — to remember also that He is Fairest Lord Jesus.

Simple: just the loveliest, lovingest, lover of our souls. He’s everything to us… but how often do we just luxuriate in his love? Fall back — trust Him to catch you — and commune for a moment with the Fairest Lord Jesus.

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Enlarge the screen, turn the lights out if you can, watch this music video, and realize that the most beautiful scenes in God’s creation cannot compare to the actual beauty of our loving Savior.

Click: Beautiful Savior