Dear Church Family;

 

“Gone with the Wind”, “The Sound of Music”, “Mary Poppins (original)”, “Lion King”, “Beauty and the Beast”….You get the point.  These movies never get old.  They are timeless tales that always evoke emotion, entertainment, and a smile.

 

To an even greater degree, the story of Jesus, especially at the last moments leading up to the cross, and ultimately concluding with the resurrection, never gets old either.  We are moved with compassion as Jesus shares the Lord’s Supper with His disciples.  We are grieved and touched as Jesus washes the disciples feet, (Including Judas), as He knows he is about the be betrayed.  We are gripped with emotion as Jesus asks for “this cup to pass from me” in the garden, and are terrified as Jesus is arrested and taken off to ultimately be crucified.

 

We weep with Mary as she (unlike many disciples), stands by Jesus on the cross.  We wonder, “what is she feeling” as her son is hurting so bad.

We go into the tomb (in our imagination) as Jesus wakes up on Easter Sunday morning, knowing that before he rolls the stone, He must be contemplating what has just happened, and what is about to happen.  And we imagine that the victorious exit from the grave, includes a moment when He might think about you, and smile a wry smile of victory.

 

We are touched in the heart when Mary realizes it is Jesus, and begins to cling to Him, never wanting to let go.  Only to know that He must go.  Jesus must go once again to the Father.

 

Every time we read the classic story of Jesus, we are again gripped, moved, and touched in a way much deeper than any movie can do.  So, as you settle in to celebrate this timeless story today, be ready to be moved, by Jesus.

 

Blessings, Dr. j