The Journey to Easter - Introduction

Our Study for the Month of March

by Sharron Montgomery

His journey from glory to earth had been a miraculous one.

Surrounded by the sounds of angel choirs singing, the King of Glory passed through the realms where stars He spoke into existence each bowed as He passed by.  One was selected to herald the moment of His birth as a newborn babe, the moment when God became Man and chose to walk among us.

There in that manger, nestled among the sheaves of hay, the Hope of all mankind lay wrapped in swaddling clothes.  The only voices to applaud His coming were those of the animals who found rest from the weariness of life within the confines of a simple stable.

His first lesson?  When it seems you are all alone, in a desolate place, know that He is there.  That is where He does His greatest work …

For thirty-three years the Carpenter worked feverously to complete His mission on earth - restoring hope.  Broken lives were mended, truths were revealed, and a small band of disciples was assembled for the purpose of taking the gospel to the whole world, the world beyond Judea, Samaria, and Jerusalem.

As the day of His departure from this earthly realm drew near, He entered Jerusalem, riding on the back of a donkey.  The crowds, gathering to begin the Passover celebration, had but one thought on their minds … they wanted to crown a King.  And Kings must be hailed, so hail him they did.  “Hosanna, blessed is He who comes …”   Palm branches and articles of their own clothing were strewn across His pathway.

His triumphant entry into the city stood in stark contrast to His miraculous entry as a babe.

Compare your journey with His.  From the moment of your conception the Word declares He has a plan for your life, whether you are born in a stable or a palace.  Whether you find yourself swathed with diamonds or covered with rags, His purpose does not change.  Equally important, the gifts He placed inside your very being are those you will need during the journey ahead.  The most fateful decision most of us will make, however, is that which determines which voice we choose to listen to. During His triumphant entry, the voices proclaimed Him king.  Remember, many of the same voices that echoed off this hillside soon turned against him.  Their king became a traitor and their savior became a scapegoat.

Been there? Done that? I have.

In His mind’s eye he could already see, looming just over the horizon, the cross.

It was The Cross of Calvary.

Look beyond the splintered tree.  Take your eyes off the rusty nails.  Focus instead on the crosses He bore before the hammer drove them into His broken body.  The cross of broken promises and shattered dreams.  The cross of doubt and fear, pain and despair.  The cross of spoken words and those left unsaid.  Bearing those crosses and thousands of others, Jesus chose to surrender to the will of His father. The Nazarene left nothing that you or I have ever done, or will do, uncovered.  Our sins are quite simply hidden behind the Cross of Calvary.

Hidden?  Yes, hidden.

And in case you are wondering, in the vocabulary of heaven, when something is hidden, it will never be found, not even by God.

He is such an awesome God.  His gifts are innumerable, but, if I had to choose between grace, and mercy, and gentleness and humility, I would say humility is the Greatest of These…

Describe humility.  We lump modesty, meekness, and lowliness in a litany of words to try to define what we mean.  Our language is so limited.   If we were to peer from the portals of heaven and look back, our definition might not be limited to words.  We might see the God of the Universe, the Creator of heaven and earth, leaving streets paved with pure gold to walk across the littered Judean hillsides strewn with refuse.  Humility demanded that He cast aside the Crown of Glory and replace it with a crown of thorns.  Humility demanded that the King become a servant to all.

Because everything He laid down, He would pick up again - as the Resurrected Christ.

Let’s see, resurrection means rising from the grave.  Oops .. all of this sounds unbelievable.  I mean the God of the Universe robed in flesh, coming to earth as a babe was a lot to take in.  But, rising from the dead?

How many of us could truthfully say we think we know what it feels like to be dead?  Hapless, helpless, hopeless.  Pretty sad picture, right?  Robbed of our futures and too afraid to think about all those yesterdays.  Dull of hearing, broken heart, just waiting for someone to write the death certificate.

But, the Word says Jesus Christ chose to bear all those things on that Cross of Calvary, He chose to carry them down into the pits of hell – and stay THERE for three days – so He could prove that He is truly the Lord of Lords, the Resurrected Christ! Dying is one thing.  Living again is another.

Believe the miraculous, embrace the triumphant, choose humility, and vow to rise again.  Allow the person you are to die so that the person He wants you to be can live, truly live!

Join us for this dynamic series.  You have some exciting choices to make …