The Gentle Hands of Easter - a Poem of Resurrection Day

image credit

The little hands reach out to the new world.

The gentle mother softly touches the tiny fingers.

A soft sound issues from the baby, And the mother replies: “I love you."

The hands grow as time quickly passes.

They learn to handle the wood and tools of a carpenter.

They are kind hands, helpful hands.

The years have sped by so quickly.

The hands reach out and gently touch the mother.

"I must begin my journey. That is my purpose."

She places her hands upon His strong arms.

“I understand," she whispers, 'may God go with you."

From the Jordan River, the hands lift heavenward.

The strong voice sounds clearly, "I love you, my Father."

Over the coming years, the hands reach out to humanity.

They touch the hurt, the diseased, the unloved.

They bring healing, strength, joy, encouragement.

They cause no pain, they are gentle and kind.

The hands are bound by the be­trayal of a friend.

They perform no miracle now, they are subdued.

Taken to the enemy's judgment hall,

They are lashed to a whipping post.

They strain against the thongs as love is repaid with anger.

The feet falter and stumble.

The hands grip the rugged beam.

The walk is long and the arms ache.

The hands seem powerless now.

The enemy seems to win.

The journey is completed.

Those gentle hands are roughly thrown against the beam.

The nail is placed, the hammer raised!

There is a soft gasp as the hands of love are pierced.

They are raised toward heaven, but not in praise.

The lifeless hands are released from the beam.

The body is lowered into the arms of the sobbing mother.

Gently wrapped, it is placed in a borrowed tomb.

The day is dark, love seems gone, hope is lost.

Hallelujah! Greet the brand new morn! Love has won, not lost!

"Come to me" is the cry of His heart,

As He stands today with out­stretched arms.

And the price of love is seen in His gentle hands!

—Rev. James E. Blubaugh—Easter 1988

Telling the Story of the Passover Feast and the Lord’s Supper to Children

It was time for the Feast of Passover. On this day each year the Jews were to eat a special Passover meal. The meal reminded them of the time God led the Israelites from Egypt.

The disciples came to the Lord Jesus and asked, "Where do You want us to get ready for the Passover?"

The Lord Jesus said, "Go into the city and find a certain man. Tell him that the Master says, 'My time is near. I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.' "

The disciples obeyed the Lord Jesus; then they prepared the meal for the Passover.

When night came, the Lord Jesus and His twelve disciples sat down in the house to eat. While they were eating, the Lord Jesus said, "One of you will betray Me." He knew that one of His disciples would help His enemies.

The disciples felt sorry. They hated to think that any of them would do such a wicked thing. "Lord, am I the one?" each of them asked fearfully.

The Lord Jesus said, "The one who dips his hand into the dish with Me is the one who will betray Me."

The disciples and the Lord Jesus did not use silverware to eat. Instead, they used their fingers to dip pieces of food into a dish of stew.

The Lord Jesus already knew what would happen to Him. He knew that He would die soon.

"Woe unto the man who betrays the Son of man," the Lord said. "It would have been better for that man if he had never been born." "Son of man" is another name for the Lord Jesus.

Judas, the disciple who would betray the Lord Jesus, then asked, "Master, am I the one?"

The Lord Jesus said to Judas, "You have said it."

While the disciples were eating, Jesus picked up some bread and blessed it. He then broke it into pieces that He gave to the disciples. "Take. Eat," He said. "This is My body."

He then picked up a cup and thanked God for what was in it. He gave each disciple a drink from the cup. "Drink all of it," He said. "This is My blood, which is shed for many people so that they can have their sins forgiven."

The Lord Jesus said, "I will not drink the fruit of the vine until I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom."

The Lord was reminding the disciples that He had not come to rule like an earthly king. His kingdom is in heaven (cf. John 18:36).

The disciples and the Lord Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

 

Life application

The Lord Jesus knew that He was going to die soon. He knew that Judas was going to turn Him over to His enemies.

The Lord wanted the disciples to remember His last meal with them. He wanted them to remember the things He had taught them. Most of all, He wanted them to remember that the purpose of His death was to forgive sins.

The bread was not really Jesus' body, and the juice was not really His blood. The Lord told the disciples that the bread would remind them of His body. The juice, which was made from grapes, would remind them of how the Lord bled and died on the cross for them.

Christians still obey Him by remembering His last supper with His disciples. Churches have special services called communion services. When Christians eat the bread and drink the juice, they remember that the Lord's body hung on the cross. They also remember that the Lord Jesus shed His blood for them.

The Lord Jesus knew that He would rise from the dead. We know that someday He will come to earth again. Until the Lord Jesus comes, we are supposed to remember how He died for us.

When the Lord Jesus hung on the cross and shed His blood, He took the punishment that we deserve. The Bible says that all people deserve to die and to be separated from God forever because of their sins.

The Lord Jesus loves you so much that He died in your place. He wants to save you so that you can live forever in heaven with Him.

Biblical Reference: Matthew 26: 36-50

Palm Sunday Hymn: All Glory Laud and Honor

All Glory, Laud and Honor sheet music and audio HERE 

On Palm Sunday morning, an interesting bit of pageantry takes place in some liturgical churches. As the opening processional moves around the sanctuary, it will pause in one corner, and a soloist or a small group of the choir will sing the ancient Latin canticle Gloria, laus et honor or its English equivalent "All Glory, Laud and Honor." When the song is completed, the processional moves on and the service continues. This tradition may be based only upon a legend, but it has been perpetuated for more than a thousand years.

It is said that in the year 821 King Louis the Pious, son of Charlemagne, was participating in the Palm Sunday procession through the streets of Angers in the region of Orleans. As the parade stopped near a prison tower, suddenly a melodious voice was heard singing "Gloria, laus et honor." The emperor learned that the vocalist was Theodulph of Orleans, a great pastor, bishop and poet whom he had jailed on suspicion of treachery against the crown. Whereupon, so the story goes, "the gentle and merciful monarch was moved with compassion, and from that hour he delivered and pardoned him, and sent him back to his church, quit and absolved of the crime whereof he had been accused."

There are puzzling aspects to the story of Jesus' "triumphal" entry into Jerusalem, the event we remember on this Sunday of the church year. Four hundred fifty years earlier the prophet Zechariah had written: "Rejoice greatly, 0 daughter of Zion; shout, 0 daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass" (Zech. 9:9). Yet it is quite probable that those who waved the palms never knew that they were fulfilling prophecy.

Jesus was offering Himself to the Jews as their promised Messiah and King. But they desired and expected a mighty deliverer who would rescue them from the legions of Rome and restore to them the glory of their ancient kingdom. Many of them were attracted by the miracles which Jesus had performed, and therefore were willing to join the shouting crowds that day. But when they were asked about His identity they said only, "This is Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth, of Galilee." No Messiah, no king, no promised deliverer; just Jesus, a prophet of Nazareth.

Of course, our Lord's disciples — at least some of them — had recognized Him. Several weeks earlier, Simon Peter had said to Him, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matt. 16:16). It may be that it was the disciples (see Luke 19:37-38) who started the chant that day, "Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest" (Matt. 21:9). Many of the multitude joined in the cry, possibly without fully realizing what they were saying. Doubtless, some of the same people were part of another crowd which, only a few days later, shouted: "Crucify him! Crucify him!"

There will be many in our churches today, repeating these verses of praise, whose singing will be as meaningless as it was many years ago. If we are to praise Christ properly, He must be King in our hearts and Lord of our lives — sovereign over body, mind and spirit. Because the ancient Hebrews were not prepared to accept Him as "spiritual King," Jesus knew that it was not time to be their temporal ruler. But the day will come when He will return as a glorious Monarch. Revelation 19:11,16 pictures Him as seated on a white horse; and "he . .. was called Faithful and True... And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."

Christ desires our praise and our adoration; He deserves it, and He knows that it is through worship that our lives are purified and made complete. When the Pharisees asked Jesus to restrain His disciples in their jubilant praise, He said, "I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out." Yes, Jesus must be praised; nature will do it if man will not!

Today, let us join with the children of that first Palm Sunday, with all those who truly accepted Him as Lord, with the angels on high, and with the saints of all ages, singing "All glory, laud and honor to Thee, Redeemer, King."  -  Hymn story by Tedd Smith