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"Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:4-5
Remember, there is no resurrection without death. There is no Easter Sunday morning with the chaos and pain of Friday's events. There is no redemption without the One who redeemed. Where would we be without the cross of Friday and the empty tomb of Sunday. Tomorrow is Good Friday. Take time to read the account of the crucifixion of Jesus found in John 19. Then spend some reflecting on the love and compassion of God that drove Him to send His one and only Son to the cross, to die in our place, so that you and I can have eternal life. Pray this prayer: "Jesus, quiet my heart that I may ponder what you did on the cross. Amen". Join us tomorrow at 6:00pm in the Fireside Room for our Good Friday service. This special time of reflection will include singing, scripture reading, a brief message and communion. See you tomorrow night. Pastor Doug For most Christians today, Good Friday and the cross is viewed as symbolic of some sort of victory, but it was devastating in the moment. The significance of Christ's death was the shedding of innocent blood--the perfect and final sacrifice for our sins. In contrast, the significance of the resurrection is best explained by Peter's words in I Peter 1:3-7:
Praise be the the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Yes, Jesus had to die...but Sunday is coming! Where would we be without the cross of Friday and the empty tomb of Sunday?! As you enter Good Friday, pray this prayer... "Jesus, touch me with the Truth of today. Quiet my heart that I may ponder what You did on the cross. Amen" Also take time today to read the account of the crucifixion of Jesus found in Luke 23 or John 19. As you read, it will become clear what it took to make the ransom for our sins. And this is just the physical part of it. We can't imagine what it meant for Jesus to have the Father's back turned on him. When you come to a point like this, recognizing the extreme price that was paid for our salvation, obedience and gratitude become the only option. I want to encourage to do two things in response to Good Friday. 1). Commit to living a life of obedience, through the power of the Holy Spirit and 2). Thank Him. Thank Him for enduring the scourging. Thank Him for taking your place on the cross. Thank Him for paying the complete price for your sins--past, present and future. Thank Him for dying that day, that you might live forever and remember...JESUS PAID IT ALL! Join us tomorrow at 7:00pm in the Worship Center for our Good Friday service (in-person only). The night will consist of singing, scripture reading, and prayer for our hearts to be receptive to the message of Easter; for our friends and neighbors who need to hear the gospel message; and that we would commit to make Jesus non-ignorable in Beaverton. The evening will conclude with the Lord's Supper. See you tomorrow night, Pastor Doug Even as Jesus rode into Jerusalem, with all the crowds adoring Him and electricity in the air, He never struggled to keep His heart and mind set on the eternal task in front of Him. Just read the Gospels and see how often He talks to the Father. It's constant. Look at how He alludes to the Father and how often He directs the disciples to think about things above. At every step in His journey to the cross, Jesus never wavered from His commitment to fulfill God's plan. Jesus focused on things above, on things eternal, and not temporary.
As we approach Easter, may we do so with eyes on the eternal significance of what Jesus accomplished through His death and resurrection. "May we understand that spiritual growth is about experiencing eternal truths while living in a temporary world". Pete Briscoe (Pastor/author) This Sunday begins what many refer to as Passion Week. May our passion revolve around God, the truths of His Word, and that we are being made new through the love of God, the grace of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. This Sunday, Larry Annes will continue our series, Encounters with Jesus. In the story of the Triumphal Entry, it is Passover season and Jerusalem is the religious hub of this celebration. It is a time to remember how God delivered the children of Israel from Pharaoh. Many pilgrims are making their way to Jerusalem to mark Passover. To offer the sacrifice at the temple. To remember that it is blood that covers our sin according to the Law of Moses. This is the context in which Jesus enters...and it causes quite a stir. Join us on Sunday at 9:30am, as we journey back in time when Jesus enters into the city of Jerusalem. Bask in the triumph, revel in the joy, delight in the anticipation of Jesus the Messiah...a King entering His city! Who are you inviting to Easter? A family member, a friend, a neighbor? It's not too late to make the "Ask". Take the next few days and spend time in prayer, asking God to give you boldness as you invite someone to spend Easter Sunday morning with you here, at Calvary Parkside. This Sunday, be sure and grab a stack of Easter invite cards, hand them to someone you know, and give God the opportunity to surprise you! Calvary Parkside Upcoming Events: Good Friday Service: April 7 at 7:00pm. Join us for a time of singing, scripture reading, directed prayer for our hearts to be receptive to the Easter message; for our friends and neighbors who need to hear the gospel message, and that we would continue to make Jesus non-ignorable in Beaverton. The evening will conclude with the Lord's Supper. (In-person Only) Egg Hunt, Games and Crafts: April 8 from 11:00am to 1:00pm. Invite your friends and neighbors to our egg hunt! Kids will enjoy games, food, crafts, a place to snap a family photo, and a good old-fashioned egg hunt. Easter Sunday Service: April 9 at 9:30am. Join us as we celebrate our risen Savior! Don't forget to bring a friend, neighbor or family member with you. (In-person and Online) Beaverton High School Serve Day: April 14th from 9:30am to 1:00pm. This will be a great opportunity to serve those who don't yet know Jesus. More details to come. See you Sunday Doug We are just two weeks (and a couple of days) from Easter Sunday. Every year, during the Easter season, Christians find renewed hope in the resurrection story. Easter and hope are synonymous. There is nothing like Easter to bring hope back to life. Easter has its own anthems. Easter has its own scriptures. And Easter has it own proclamation: "He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said..." (Matthew 28:6)
This year, I want to challenge you to share the hope of Easter by inviting a family member, friend or neighbor to our Easter Sunday gathering. Easter is the perfect time to invite someone to church. Here's why, "...but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8. The Easter Story is the essence of the gospel. The most important piece of information you could ever share with another individual is that Jesus paid the price for our sins by dying on the cross, and that he overcame death by resurrecting on the third day. Easter is a day when Jesus' followers celebrate His victory over death and reflect on the resurrection. Jesus' sacrifice was real, and Easter provides an opportunity to refocus on the most important part of our faith. Who is God wanting you to invite to church this Easter? Is it that neighbor you casually say "hi" to when checking the mail? Or is it a family member who hasn't been to church in years? Maybe it's someone you haven't seen for a while, but they've been on your mind lately. Or it could be someone on your i3 list. Reach out with some type of invitation to join you this Easter. Be sure and use the invite cards from church (available at the next step table) to convey the church location and service time. This Easter, extend the invitation and give God the opportunity to surprise you! Calvary Parkside Upcoming Events: Good Friday Service: April 7 at 7:00pm. Join us for a time of singing, scripture reading, directed prayer for our hearts to be receptive to the Easter message; for our friends and neighbors who need to hear the gospel message, and that we would continue to make Jesus non-ignorable in Beaverton. The evening will conclude with the Lord's Supper. Egg Hunt, Games and Crafts: April 8 from 11:00am to 1:00pm. Invite your friends and neighbors to our egg hunt! Kids will enjoy games, food, crafts, a place to snap a family photo, and a good old-fashioned egg hunt. Easter Sunday Service: April 9 at 9:30am. Join us as we celebrate our risen Savior! Don't forget to bring a friend, neighbor or family member with you. Beaverton High School Serve Day: April 14th from 9:30am to 1:00pm. This will be a great opportunity to serve those who don't yet know Jesus. More details to come. See you Sunday Doug |
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