Holy Week Part 2

Yesterday, we learned about the Passover.  We read about the first Passover, when the Israelites were instructed to put lamb's blood on their doors to protect their children from death.  Those without the blood of the lamb on their doors lost their firstborn sons.  On Passover, Jews remember how God spared them and rescued them from lives of slavery in Egypt.  Why did God have them do this strange thing, put lamb's blood around the door frames? 

This act was just foreshadowing the Lamb that would one day come and shed his blood for all of us.  Jesus.  Why did the spirit pass by those bloodied doors?  Was it because the oldest boy inside was good, or better than an Egyptian boy?  No.  It was simply because of the blood of the lamb.

And now I know as a Christian that, through no sacrifice or special deeds of my own, I am saved by the blood of the true lamb, Jesus Christ.  He is the only one who could take away my sin, the Son of God, who lived a sinless life and became a perfect sacrifice.

Yesterday, we re-enacted the Last Supper (Passover meal) in which Jesus also instituted holy communion.  Here you see the disciples reclining at the table with Jesus after they finished their unleavened bread, wine, and bitter herbs.  

 And here is Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, while Peter, James and John kept falling asleep (they're in the leaves).  We discussed how Jesus said to God, "Take this cup from me..." but he also said, "Your will be done."  We talked about what that means to say, "Your will be done."

Today we read about Jesus death a little bit (tomorrow is Good Friday so we'll talk about it more then) and focused on the thieves on the crosses beside Jesus.  At least one of the thieves is in Heaven with Jesus today.  It is never too late to be saved, and even the dirtiest, most awful criminals can be saved.  "While we were sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8)."  FREE grace is one of the hardest things in the world to understand!
But all it takes is a word, a whisper, a cry out to him to be saved.

And he [the thief] said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”