Category Archives: Christian Topics

Holy Week – Good Friday

 Trial, Crucifixion, Death, and Burial on Good Friday

Good Friday is the most difficult day of Passion Week. Christ’s journey turned treacherous and acutely painful in these final hours leading to his death.

According to Scripture, Judas Iscariot, the disciple who had betrayed Jesus, was overcome with remorse and hanged himself early Friday morning.

Meanwhile, before the third hour (9 a.m.), Jesus endured the shame of false accusations, condemnation, mockery, beatings, and abandonment. After multiple unlawful trials, he was sentenced to death by crucifixion, one of the most horrible and disgraceful methods of capital punishment known at the time.

 

Before Christ was led away, soldiers spit on him, tormented and mocked him, and pierced him with a crown of thorns. Then Jesus carried his own cross to Calvary where, again, he was mocked and insulted as Roman soldiers nailed him to the wooden cross.

 

Jesus spoke seven final statements from the cross. His first words were, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34, NIV). His last words were, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” (Luke 23:46, NIV)

Then, about the ninth hour (3 p.m.), Jesus breathed his last breath and died.

 

By 6 p.m. Friday evening, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus’ body down from the cross and lay it in a tomb.

 

Friday’s events are recorded in Matthew 27:1-62, Mark 15:1-47, Luke 22:63-23:56, and John 18:28-19:37.

Source: LearnReligions.com

Holy Week – Maundy Thursday

Holy Week takes a somber turn on Thursday.

 

From Bethany, Jesus sent Peter and John ahead to the Upper Room in Jerusalem to make the preparations for the Passover Feast. That evening after sunset, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples as they prepared to share in the Passover. By performing this humble act of service, Jesus demonstrated by example how believers should love one another. Today, many churches practice foot-washing ceremonies as a part of their ​Maundy Thursday services.

 

Then, Jesus shared the feast of Passover with his disciples, saying:

“I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins. For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.” (Luke 22:15-16, NLT)

As the Lamb of God, Jesus was about to fulfill the meaning of Passover by giving his body to be broken and his blood to be shed in sacrifice, freeing us from sin and death. During this Last Supper, Jesus established the Lord’s Supper, or Communion, instructing his followers to continually remember his sacrifice by sharing in the elements of bread and wine (Luke 22:19-20).

 

Later, Jesus and the disciples left the Upper Room and went to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed in agony to God the Father. Luke’s Gospel says that “his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44, ESV).

 

Late that evening in Gethsemane, Jesus was betrayed with a kiss by Judas Iscariot and arrested by the Sanhedrin. He was taken to the home of Caiaphas, the High Priest, where the whole council had gathered to begin making their case against Jesus.

Meanwhile, in the early morning hours, as Jesus’ trial was getting underway, Peter denied knowing his Master three times before the rooster crowed.

 

Thursday’s events are recorded in Matthew 26:17–75, Mark 14:12-72, Luke 22:7-62, and John 13:1-38.

Source: Learn Religions.com

Holy Week – Holy Wednesday

The Bible doesn’t say what the Lord did on the Wednesday of Passion Week. Scholars speculate that after two exhausting days in Jerusalem, Jesus and his disciples spent this day resting in Bethany in anticipation of Passover.

 

Just a short time previously, Jesus had revealed to the disciples, and the world, that he had power over death by raising Lazarus from the grave. After seeing this incredible miracle, many people in Bethany believed that Jesus was the Son of God and put their faith in him. Also in Bethany just a few nights earlier, Lazarus’ sister Mary had lovingly anointed the feet of Jesus with expensive perfume.

Source: Learn Religions.com

Holy Week – Holy Tuesday

Holy Tuesday – Challenge His Deity

The significance of Holy Tuesday is not easily grasped. In a single day, Jesus would simultaneously condemn the religious authorities while confirming His deity. The cleansing of the Temple on Holy Monday caused the Pharisees to question Jesus’ right to do “these things.” Jesus had not received His authority from the religious leaders . . . so they wanted answers.

Attempts were made to force Jesus to state that He had divine power from God. Then He could be charged with blasphemy, even arrested. Knowing their motives, Jesus agreed to answer their questions if they first answered whether John the Baptist’s work was human or divine. If divine, John’s preaching affirmed Jesus as divine. If human, those who followed John would riot. It was the Sanhedrin’s responsibility to know the difference between true and false prophets, yet they shamefully admitted they didn’t know. Thus, Jesus did not answer their question (Matthew 21:23–27; Mark 11:27–33).

Holy Week – Holy Monday

On Monday morning, Jesus returned with his disciples to Jerusalem. Along the way, he cursed a fig tree because it had failed to bear fruit. Some scholars believe this cursing of the fig tree represented God’s judgment on the spiritually dead religious leaders of Israel. Others believe the symbolism extended to all believers, demonstrating that genuine faith is more than just outward religiosity; true, living faith must bear spiritual fruit in a person’s life.

 

When Jesus arrived at the Temple, he found the courts full of corrupt money changers. He began overturning their tables and clearing the Temple, saying, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves” (Luke 19:46).

 

On Monday evening Jesus stayed in Bethany again, probably in the home of his friends, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.

 

Monday’s events are recorded in Matthew 21:12–22, Mark 11:15–19, Luke 19:45-48, and John 2:13-17.

Holy Week – Palm Sunday

This year during Holy Week, we will have a special post each day talking about this most special week of the Christian Faith.

Source: Crosswalk.com

5 Things about Palm Sunday that Remind Us Christ is King

1. God’s Word tells us the people cut palm branches and waved them in the air, laid them out on the ground before Jesus as He rode into the city. The palm branch represented goodness and victory and was symbolic of the final victory He would soon fulfill over death.

“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 1 Cor. 15:55

2. Jesus chose to ride in on a donkey, which directly fulfilled Old Testament prophecy of Zech. 9:9. In Biblical times, it was common for kings or important people to arrive by a procession riding on a donkey. The donkey symbolized peace, so those who chose to ride them showed that they came with peaceful intentions. Jesus even then reminded us that He is the Prince of Peace.

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Zech. 9:9

3. When the people shouted “Hosanna!” they were hailing Christ as King. That word actually means “save now,” and though in their own minds they waited for an earthly king, God had a different way in mind of bringing true salvation to all who would trust in Him.

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!” Ps. 118:26

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Rom. 10:9

4. The Bible says that Jesus wept for Jerusalem. In the midst of the praise of the moment, He knew in His heart that it wouldn’t be long that these same people would turn their backs on Him, betray Him, and crucify Him. His heart broke with the reality of how much they needed a Savior.

“As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it, and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace–but now it is hidden from your eyes.” Luke 19:41-42

5. Palm Sunday reminds us that the reign of Christ is far greater than any the mind of man could ever conceive or plan. Man looked for someone to fight their battles in the present day world. Yet God had the ultimate plan of sending His Son to fight the final battle over death. This is the greatness of why we celebrate this week. Because of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice, we can be set free of death.

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,'”John 11:25

We have so much to be grateful for this week.

The enemy knows that, and you can bet, he’s going to do everything he can to try and distract us away from the true meaning of what this Holy Week means. Don’t let him win.

In this Holy Week, may God direct our thoughts and attention towards what matters most, Jesus Christ our King…

Let’s choose to focus on worshipping our Lord, thanking Him for the gift of His sacrifice, celebrating the power of the Resurrection, and the new life found in Him alone.

Grace.

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” 2 Cor. 9:15

New Feature “Anti-Christian News” To Start on EdBoston.com

An 84-year-old woman is being threatened with eviction from the California Veterans Home where she lives if she continues to host Bible studies there.

The Pacific Justice Institute (PJI) is standing up for the religious rights of Artis Breau in this case.

“For much of the past decade, Artis has volunteered with the chaplaincy program and led Bible studies in the Home,” PJI reports. “She began encountering opposition from officials last September when it was claimed that a discussion between herself and another resident about heaven and hell had allegedly caused him to lose sleep and therefore was elder abuse, emotional abuse, and otherwise illegal.”

We are going to start a new weekly feature here at EdBoston.com called “Anti-Christian News”. The more that Christians ignore or are not informed of these types of incidents – the worse it will continue to get.

The purpose of this new feature will not be just to get Christians riled up but to put out information for Christians to share and get involved with helping fight for the God-given rights that we have.

This week we will just have one story but in the future, there will be multiple stories linked and sharable.

It’s time for the “silent majority” to no longer be silent AND to sit around and not take action when these things happen.

Here is this week’s Anti-Christian News:

H/T to CBN News:

‘Deeply Disturbing:’ 84-Year-Old Widow Faces Eviction from Veterans Home for Her Voluntary Bible Studies

PJI points out Artis and her husband both served the US military honorably throughout their lives:

“Artis and her late husband moved to the Veterans Home about nine years ago. Her husband had served as a Merchant Marine in World War II, served in the famed 82nd Airborne Division overseas, and then served in the Air Force during the Korean War. Meanwhile, Artis worked as a civilian employee in the Office of the Chief of Staff of the Army at the Pentagon during the Korean War.”

But officials are labeling her conversation with the other resident as “abuse.”

In December, her volunteer status at the home was suspended indefinitely and three months later she remains barred from serving in any official role.

“On Friday, March 1, PJI received an alarming e-mail from an attorney for CalVet, claiming Artis’ Bible studies were in violation of prior directives and would subject her to ‘involuntary discharge’ from the Home if they continued,” the PJI statement explains. “The Home claims it needs to protect residents from this elderly widow, even though attendance at her Bible studies is entirely voluntary.”

Meanwhile, Artis says that she’s been attacked because she’s “an evangelical Jewish believer in Jesus, which does not sit well with some of the chaplains.”

Brad Dacus, president of PJI, stated, “This shocking attack from the State against our client’s exercise of religious convictions is deeply disturbing. The State seeks to punish Artis based on non-existent directives and deprive her of a personal ministry to the veterans who have benefited from her religious services for years. Artis isn’t fighting just for herself, but for the Gospel and for the residents who are unable to fight for themselves against the State’s attempted intimidation.”

Attorneys are weighing all legal options in the case.

Trump Likes Option of Bible Literacy Classes in Schools

Like our President or hate our President, but he’s not afraid to speak out about his thoughts on the Bible. And just to point this out, but the word OPTION is in there.

45th Annual March for Life

Source: EWTN.com

 

Warm weather greets marchers at the 45th annual March for Life

By Christine Rousselle

They came from across the country and the globe to Washington, DC. for one purpose: to stand in solidarity with unborn children.

With a quite a few groups donned in matching hats and scarves – quickly rendered unnecessary due to the unseasonably warm January day – and clutching some innovative signs, the 45th annual March for Life went off without a hitch Jan. 19.

While the rally made history as President Donald Trump became the first sitting president to address the march via livestream video, the individual marchers to whom EWTN News spoke over the course of the day were more concerned with the need to protect the unborn and to promote the dignity of life.

And they were big fans of the nice weather, of course.

The crowd was overwhelmingly young, and large groups from all over the country were spotted on the National Mall. A group of around 400 from Baton Rouge, La., made an impressive entrance, and the wave of white hats continued as far as the eye could see.

The University of Mary had a three-bus contingent of about 150 students, faculty, and staff, who made the 30-hour car ride to Washington, D.C from Bismarck. The prospect of a long bus ride didn’t sway UMary junior Mary Kampa, who was returning to DC for her second March for Life in a row.

Click here to read the rest of the story on EWTN.com