Holy Week & Easter
« Previous EntriesGod’s Resurrection Power for Us!
Sunday, April 4th, 2010READ Ephesians 1:19-23
I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.
Ephesians 1:19-20
Christ is risen! He is risen, […]
The Seven Last Words of Christ for Holy Week: The Seventh Word
Saturday, April 3rd, 2010READ Luke 23:44-56
“Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands.”
Luke 23:46
Two of the last seven “words” of Jesus were quotations from the Psalms. Earlier Jesus had used Psalm 22, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” to express his anguish. Later he borrowed from Psalm 31, which comes to us from Luke […]
The Seven Last Words of Christ for Holy Week: The Sixth Word
Friday, April 2nd, 2010READ John 19:19-30
“It is finished.”
John 19:30
I never saw a more difficult film to watch than Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ. For most of that movie, I wanted to avert my eyes. It was horrible to watch even a cinematic version of a crucifixion. And it was beyond comprehension to think that this […]
Resources for Eastertide
Monday, March 24th, 2008Eastertide?
I hadn’t heard this word until I was well into my thirties. At that time I was the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church. My Director of Worship was a big believer in celebrating, not just Easter Sunday, but Eastertide . . . the fifty day season that begins with Easter and ends at Pentecost […]
Christ is Risen!
Sunday, March 23rd, 2008
Reflection
Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed!
Christians confess that Christ is risen, not only in the hearts of the faithful, and not merely as some nice religious image, but truly and physically. On Easter morning the tomb of Jesus was empty. The power of death was broken, both for him and for us, by his […]
The Seventh Word: “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” (Luke 24:46)
Saturday, March 22nd, 2008Permalink to this post / Permalink to this series
Copyright © Linda Roberts, 2007.
For permission to use this picture, please contact Mark D. Roberts.
Reflection
Two of the last seven “words” of Jesus were quotations from the Psalms. Earlier Jesus had Psalm 22, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” to express his anguish. Later […]
The Sixth Word: “It is finished!” (John 19:30)
Friday, March 21st, 2008Permalink to this post / Permalink to this series
Statue from The Stations of the Cross, Serra Retreat Center, Malibu, California
Reflection
I never saw a more difficult film to watch than Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the […]
The Fifth Word: “I am thirsty.” (John 19:2)
Thursday, March 20th, 2008Permalink to this post / Permalink to this series
Painting from a church in Taormina, Sicily
Reflection
No doubt Jesus experienced extreme thirst while being crucified. He would have lost a substantial quantity of bodily fluid, both […]
The Fourth Word: “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Mark 15:34)
Wednesday, March 19th, 2008Permalink to this post / Permalink to this series
So-called “God’s Tear” from The Passion of the Christ.
Reflection
As Jesus was dying on the cross, he echoed the beginning of Psalm 22, which reads:
My […]
The Third Word: “Dear woman, here is your son.” (John 19:26)
Tuesday, March 18th, 2008Permalink to this post / Permalink to this series
Copyright © Linda Roberts, 2007.
For permission to use this picture, please contact Mark D. Roberts.
Reflection
As Jesus was dying, his mother was among those who had remained with him. Most of the male disciples had fled, with the exception of one whom the Fourth Gospel calls “the […]
The Second Word: “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43)
Monday, March 17th, 2008Permalink to this post / Permalink to this series
Copyright © Linda Roberts, 2007.
For permission to use this picture, please contact Mark D. Roberts.
Reflection
As Jesus hung on the cross, he was mocked by the leaders and the soldiers. One of the criminals being crucified with him added his own measure of scorn. But the other […]
The First Word: “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)
Sunday, March 16th, 2008Permalink to this post / Permalink to this series
Copyright © Linda Roberts, 2007.
For permission to use this picture, please contact Mark D. Roberts.
Reflection
It makes sense that the first word of Jesus from the cross is a word of forgiveness. That’s the point of the cross, after all. Jesus is dying so that we might […]
Handel’s Messiah: A Closer Look (cont)
Monday, April 23rd, 2007Part 3 of series: Handel’s Messiah and Easter
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(Note: I had originally intended for this post to appear last Wednesday, but the tragedy at Virginia Tech pre-empted my plans. Today I’m finishing off my short series on Handel’s Messiah and Easter. If you’re just tuning in, you may […]
Handel’s Messiah: A Closer Look
Tuesday, April 17th, 2007Part 2 of series: Handel’s Messiah and Easter
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In my last post I explained why Handel’s Messiah, a piece we ordinary associate with Christmas, is really an oratorio for Easter. Today I want to examine the libretto (the words of the composition) to show the strong Easter […]
An Unexpected Easter Masterpiece
Monday, April 16th, 2007Part 1 of series: Handel’s Messiah and Easter
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I ended my last post by promising to discuss one further piece of Easter music. Today I begin to keep my promise.
Recently the choir of my church, along with a couple of guest choirs, did something you might consider […]
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