A piece on the HOLY WEEK (EASTER) by Saydah D. Benson

As a Christian brought up and raised in a Christian family, I enjoyed the Holy Week being a time where we could observe, honor and celebrate a lot of biblical activities, such as :

♻️ Palm Sunday

commemoration of Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem

♻️ Monday

Jesus at the temple. Curses of fig tree

Matthew 21:12-22

♻️ Tuesday

Religious Leaders question Jesus

Matthew 21:23-32

♻️ Wednesday

Judas decides to betray Jesus.

Matthew 26:1-16

♻️ Holy Thursday

Jesus commemorates The last supper

Matthew 26:17-29

♻️ Good Friday

The day Jesus was crucified

Matthew 27:1-61

♻️ Holy Saturday

Jesus was placed in the tomb

Matthew 27:62-66

♻️ Easter Sunday

Christ was Risen!

Matthew 28

Every single day during this period(Holy Week) is a day of great value, why? Because the death of Jesus wasn’t a showcasing of how to crucify a person to a cross, rather the reason we all have access to THE GRACE OF GOD today!

Go through these words spoken by JESUS in His last and final pain the world gave Him:

✝️ 1. "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing." Luke 23:34

~ oh yess, Jesus asked the father for Forgiveness on behalf of those very people who humiliated, abused, insulted, disrespected, stripped Him naked and did a lot of hateful things to him.

Someone will say “we are not Jesus to forgive people” yes it’s true, you’re not Jesus but remember He forgave so we can be able to do the same to and for others. You don’t have to forgive in the midst of your pain, but find a place to ask God for the act of forgiveness.

✝️ 2. "Today I will be with you in Paradise." Luke 23:43

The a word of Assurance Christ left behind for everyone. Many at times we consider ourselves being hit by the cold hands of death, when exactly will we get to this paradise instead of focusing on how can we STAY IN God's promised PARADISE? The answer is to be in His very presence always.

✝️ 3. "Woman, this your Son, Son, this is your Mother..." John 19:26-27

A mother and child relationship shows us the word of concern, love, care, values, responsibility and so forth. His words show God's concern for us even in pain.

✝️ 4. "Father, Why have you forsaken me?" Matthew 27:46

We see Jesus feeling left alone, neglected, abandoned and as many phrases you can think about. We see ourselves being left alone and oftentimes feels like God is not with us anymore, Jesus spoke words of Longingness to the Father.

Now ask yourself this question, ‘Do I come to God in acknowledgment of why things are certain ways, or do I leave God when the going gets tough?’

✝️ 5. "I thirst." John 19:28

Jesus was in state of suffering which caused dryness. But he asked for water and they gave him vinegar .

We may think we have everything and have the power to getting our basic needs until we feel so dry and can’t afford anything ... in such moments, do we come back to God for His water of life that never runs dry? We must be cautious about the people we take water from in your thirstiness.

✝️ 6. "It is finished!" John 19:30

Jesus had endured everything that he was sent into this world to do, Ecclesiastes chapter 3 makes us to understand that there’s time for everything. Jesus’s life as an earthly being was Completed and Accomplished. We must live and fulfill our purpose in the time given us by God.

✝️ 7. "Father, into your hands I commit my Spirit" Luke 23:46

We’re incomplete without the spirit of GOD, Jesus committed his spirit to the FATHER as a sign of Dedication and submission.

Take again some time, pause and ask yourself;

What have I dedicated to the hands of God?

How can I dedicate my_______? say out the things you know and that needs dedication to the Father.

And commit yourself into the hands of the Father

See yourself desperately searching and seeking eternity with the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.

The death of Jesus paid for everyone of us before our lives began, Yes, we were born into a sinful world after God cast Adam and Eve out for disobeying His instructions in the Garden of Eden.

But do we all have to continually live in sin and disobedience to God? The answer is NO!

Jesus suffered crucification, died and was buried, therefore, the nature of sins was buried. The resurrection of Jesus Christ brought us a NEW IDENTITY.

You can’t gain this new identity from a distance, James 4:8 tells us that if we come near to God he will come near to us.

As we celebrate this HOLY WEEK we pray that our lives see the meaning of the sacrifices that Jesus paid for our sinful deeds and life, so that we can be FREE from losing our True Identity In CHRIST.

🛐PRAYER 🛐

The only ONE GOD who loved me even before i was born, THANK YOU for sending your precious GIFT to save me and the world.

I know You thirst for my soul. For You finished what You started by dying on the Cross for my salvation and the salvation of the world. I humbly ask that You help me to understand Your love and to accept it into my life. I have hurt You, myself and people around me, but GOD,forgive me from all my wrongs, Help me to forgive and forget all my hurts, as you heal the wounds of the people I’ve hurt knowing and unknowingly.

Lord, Help me to invite you into my own darkness and sin. At Your feet is where I can gladly leave everything, Help me to abandon all to You.

I thank You Jesus, for the cross and the victory of resurrection, for the gift of Your Precious Blood, poured out for the salvation of this world.

You saved us with Your RIGHT RIGHTEOUS HANDS and we are grateful!

By your stripes we are saved, Amen ! ... Written by Saydah D. Benson