April 2nd, 2021
Love Goes the Distance – Good Friday – Day 40 - April 2nd - Pastor Todd Crofford
Read Mark 16 and focus on Mark 16:1-8 below
Remember to Pause | Read | Reflect | Listen |Pray | Journal |Practice | Encourage/Share |Fast
After the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene, Salome, and Mary the mother of James bought some spices to put on Jesus' body. Very early on Sunday morning, just as the sun was coming up, they went to the tomb. On their way, they were asking one another, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance for us?” But when they looked, they saw that the stone had already been rolled away. And it was a huge stone!
The women went into the tomb, and on the right side they saw a young man in a white robe sitting there. They were alarmed. The man said, “Don’t be alarmed! You are looking for Jesus from Nazareth, who was nailed to a cross. God has raised him to life, and he isn’t here. You can see the place where they put his body. Now go and tell his disciples, and especially Peter, that he will go ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you.” When the women ran from the tomb, they were confused and shaking all over. They were too afraid to tell anyone what had happened.
Christianity can never be accused of launching from a well-scripted, carefully thought-out Resurrection story. The empty tomb was discovered by a group of bewildered women whose most significant concern was figuring out how they would get the stone out of the way to embalm their dead teacher further. As Peter tells this story to Mark, he does not try to bend the facts to make himself or any of the disciples look better. As one pastor said it, “nobody expected to find no-body!” It is the greatest never-saw-that-coming-moment in history.
Still, what began with a few tight-lipped fearful women soon spread to Jesus’ closest friends. From there, hundreds saw him alive and began to testify—often at the cost of their own lives—that Jesus has risen. Within three centuries, most people living within the Roman world would profess to be followers of a risen savior. Now two Millenia later, billions celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus this Easter weekend. I know we are reading this on Good Friday and must experience the sadness and anguish of the tragedy, but let the door crack open, revealing a shaft of light…Sunday is on the way!
Prayer Focus – Today, we will pray for the movement of the Holy Spirit this weekend, not just in our community but our nation and around the world. That this Good Friday and Easter Sunday, the Gospel is proclaimed with power, and many come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
Read Mark 16 and focus on Mark 16:1-8 below
Remember to Pause | Read | Reflect | Listen |Pray | Journal |Practice | Encourage/Share |Fast
After the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene, Salome, and Mary the mother of James bought some spices to put on Jesus' body. Very early on Sunday morning, just as the sun was coming up, they went to the tomb. On their way, they were asking one another, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance for us?” But when they looked, they saw that the stone had already been rolled away. And it was a huge stone!
The women went into the tomb, and on the right side they saw a young man in a white robe sitting there. They were alarmed. The man said, “Don’t be alarmed! You are looking for Jesus from Nazareth, who was nailed to a cross. God has raised him to life, and he isn’t here. You can see the place where they put his body. Now go and tell his disciples, and especially Peter, that he will go ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you.” When the women ran from the tomb, they were confused and shaking all over. They were too afraid to tell anyone what had happened.
Christianity can never be accused of launching from a well-scripted, carefully thought-out Resurrection story. The empty tomb was discovered by a group of bewildered women whose most significant concern was figuring out how they would get the stone out of the way to embalm their dead teacher further. As Peter tells this story to Mark, he does not try to bend the facts to make himself or any of the disciples look better. As one pastor said it, “nobody expected to find no-body!” It is the greatest never-saw-that-coming-moment in history.
Still, what began with a few tight-lipped fearful women soon spread to Jesus’ closest friends. From there, hundreds saw him alive and began to testify—often at the cost of their own lives—that Jesus has risen. Within three centuries, most people living within the Roman world would profess to be followers of a risen savior. Now two Millenia later, billions celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus this Easter weekend. I know we are reading this on Good Friday and must experience the sadness and anguish of the tragedy, but let the door crack open, revealing a shaft of light…Sunday is on the way!
Prayer Focus – Today, we will pray for the movement of the Holy Spirit this weekend, not just in our community but our nation and around the world. That this Good Friday and Easter Sunday, the Gospel is proclaimed with power, and many come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
Posted in Love Goes the Distance
Recent
Archive
2024
January
New Year, Fresh StartA Good Plan for the New YearCall on MeHope Has a NameHolidays in Rear ViewHolinessHow to Have our Mind TransformedNew Year, New YouA Pattern of RenewalVictory in JesusFear Knot? Fear Not.Seek the LORDBetterWhere to Place your TrustRadical GraceGenerosity God's WayThe Poor and NeedyThe Open Hand ConceptA Need that Burdens your HeartHow's Your Heart?Who Are You?Testing in the Wilderness
February
CallingDon't HideWhere You AreJust the Two of UsInvesting in the Kingdom of GodThe Golden RuleAgainst the GrainUnexplainable JoyThe Power of God's WordFollow MeThe God of the ImpossibleOut on a LimbWe All Face ItTrue JusticeGatherGood SoilDon't Put God in a BoxBe BraveCulture CheckFeed His Sheep. Love His People.Jesus Revealed
March
Jesus in His GloryNot QuantityHow Much God Loves ChildrenWhere Two or Three are GatheredLike Little ChildrenFocusAmazing GraceBeing Confronted By JesusKingdom FruitWedding AttireCome with a Hungry HeartLive and Lead Like HimTough LoveBe on your GuardKeep WatchTalentsSlow DownBeing Led by the SpiritKingdom WatchThey Are Us. We Are Them.Jesus Gave His All For UsHe is Risen, Indeed
2023
January
Daily PowerOur Heart MusclesBlessing Our NeighborsStay in the FightTime to ChangeWell, this is Practical!Keep it to YourselfHumility in FastingSupernatural WisdomMore of YouThese Crazy PeopleCrazy PeopleConvictionOverwhelmedAs Legitimate as Porcelain PieHunger For MoreLove the LightA Fulfillment that DeliversSatisfactionContent With What IsHow Great is Our GodEnough
February
Categories
Tags
no tags
No Comments