Jesus' Last Week

We are now in the midst of Holy Week (the days from Palm Sunday to Holy Saturday), traveling with Jesus during the last days before his death. Today is Maundy Thursday (or Holy Thursday) which gets its name from the new commandment (mandatum novum in Latin) Jesus gives to love one another in John 13:34. Tomorrow, Good Friday, marks Jesus’ trial, crucifixion, and death. This is all part of the story that leads to the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection on Easter Sunday. The message, “He is risen!” turns the events of Holy Week into a celebration of joy. This is the story of Jesus the Christ.

I invite you to participate in our Maundy Thursday worship at 7:00 pm this evening. My sermon, “Everyone Will Know,” is based on John 13 and Kevin LaGree is celebrating Holy Communion.

Tomorrow, our Good Friday worship service is at 7:00 pm. Kevin LaGree’s sermon, “Lead Us, Lord,” is based on Isaiah 52:13-53:12 and Hebrews 10:16-25.

This Sunday is the beginning of Easter. Our first celebration is at 7:30 am on the front steps. (The sun will rise at 7:12 am that morning.) As the sun rises over the downtown, we will gather on the front steps of the church, in a place that could resemble the stones around Jesus’ empty tomb. In that place we will celebrate Jesus’ resurrection. My sermon, “Do Not Be Afraid,” is based on Matthew 28:1-10. Last year we worshiped at 6:30 am at the Simon Estes Amphitheater along the river downtown and it was about 25 degrees with a wind chill in the neighborhood of minus sixty! It should be a little warmer than that, but if it’s too cold, we’ll go inside. We don’t want to press the Lord too much by asking for healing from frostbite two years in a row!

Everyone is invited to the Easter brunch in Fellowship Hall at 8:30 am. Special music begins in the sanctuary at 10:00 am and our second worship celebration begins at 10:30 am. Kevin LaGree’s sermon, “O Come, Let Us Adore Him,” is based on Colossians 3:1-4 and John 20:1-18. Why doesn’t Mary recognize Jesus when she meets him outside the empty tomb? What relevance does the command the Risen Christ gives Mary have for us?

This is the perfect time to invite others to come to worship with us. I recently saw the statistic that 84% say they would come if someone invited them.

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