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As we approach this Passover, Good Friday, and Easter Season, I begin to contemplate and dwell on the price Christ paid for you and me. There are two songs that spring to my mind. One is the “Revelation Song” and the other is “Mary Did You Know”.
I know that “Mary Did You Know” is commonly a Christmas song but as we reflect and remember all that was accomplished by Christ on Good Friday, as He went to the cross to bear our sin and redeem us, I often wonder:
Mary, did you really know?
Did you know that it would end like this?
Did you know you would watch Jesus be beaten, suffer and crucified?
Mary, did you fully understand the words of Simeon’s prophecy to you on the day you presented Jesus in the temple, from Luke 2:35b “… And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
Did you understand that you too would suffer as you watched His suffering?
As a mother, my heart wrenches for Mary. How must she have felt when she watched her beloved son, her miracle child, a gift from God to all humanity, be beaten and crucified and put in the grave?
Truthfully, I am not sure if any of us can truly understand the magnitude of His suffering and still His willingness to do so for us. I know in my limited mind and capabilities I’ve tried to understand but there is a disconnect because it is something that I myself have not gone through or observed.
I am a very visual person and anyone who knows me knows that I love movies. Movies have a way of drawing me in and engaging me, moving me, and movies can often depict things clearly that I may have a hard time understanding. This was the case when I saw “The Passion of the Christ.” To me, it moved me emotionally and gave me a very real and raw emotional understanding of what Jesus went through for ME!
There is a scene in the movie where Jesus is carrying His cross to Golgotha and He stumbles and falls to His knees. We then see Mary running towards Him to help Him stand, and as she runs there are flashbacks of when Jesus was a child and she picked Him up when He fell. Oh wow the raw emotion of the moment in that scene brings it home for me.
Now, you take clips from “The Passion of the Christ” movie and put it with the lyrics from the Revelation song, and well, you have me on my knees with tears running down my face. I am humbled by the price and suffering Jesus went through for me. I am moved by His Holiness and yet His willingness. I am brought to my knees at my unworthiness and yet also because He is worthy of my honor and adoration.
As we approach Good Friday and Easter, it seems relevant to ponder and ask ourselves some questions as well.
Do we fully understand what Jesus suffered for us?
Do we understand that we are sinners, and yet Christ died in our place?
Do we truly live in the freedom that Jesus Christ paid the price for?
Do we understand that we no longer have to identify with our sinful nature, but instead we can live?
I have come to realize that I may never fully understand all the facets of Jesus’ suffering, betrayals, His death by crucifixion and that is ok. The important thing is not necessarily understanding it, but believing it by faith and then responding to it and taking action!
“For we live by believing and not by seeing…” (2 Corinthians 5:7 NLT).
Do we have the faith to believe what we read in the Scripture?
Will we choose to accept Him and receive what He did for us?
Will we believe in Him and live our life for Him?
Will we live and walk in His freedom?
Will we share the good news of what Jesus has done for us with others, so they too may live in freedom?
What about you? Will you?
Really ask yourselves the questions and ask God to search your heart. If you are unsure of any of the answers or if you are struggling or even if you answered “no”, then ask God to show Himself to you today. Ask Him to reveal His truth to you today. Ask Him to help You and purpose to take the action needed to move yourself towards Him.
Jesus: “29 Thomas, you have faith because you have seen Me. Blessed are all those who never see Me and yet they still believe.” – John 20:29 ( The VOICE)
Oh Lord, that we may all be blessed because even though we haven’t seen You, we believe!
(Read the Passover, Good Friday and Easter story in Luke Chapters 22, 23, and 24.)
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If you are looking for a last minute dessert to make for Easter Sunday dinner, look no further than Marilyn’s Treats Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake. Reeses PB Cups are my all time favorite candy. If you need other last minute Easter ideas, last weeks linkup had several cute and great ideas.
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Will You Sit with Me? (Jesus is Calling.)
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Those words from Simeon to Mary about the piercing sword always stop me in my tracks, and they become so clear as we ponder Mary’s sacrifice alongside the sacrificial death of Jesus at this time of year.
Blessings to you, Debbie, as you celebrate.
Michele – those words do the same to me too! even at Christmas time when we most commonly read them. Blessings to you as well. May your celebrations be ever to Joy filled!
Many thanks for hosting the party. Happy Easter!
Happy Easter to you too!
Happy Easter my friend! We need to do face time again one of these days!
Happy Easter to you too! I so have missed commenting and chatting with you. And YES! We do need to do face time again soon!!!!! Love you.
Thank you for putting my heart right where it needed to be today. I often think of Mary. I can only imagine the pain she endured. From personal experience, the worst pain I have ever felt is when I am watching my child suffer.
My heart is so full of gratitude today for Christ’s sacrifice for every one of us.
Happy Easter!
Oh Maree, you are most welcome. My heart needed this reminder too and I couldn’t agree with you more, the pain of watching my children suffer is the worst. Happy Easter/ Resurrection Sunday to you and yours
Happy Easter and thanks for hosting!
You are welcome and Happy Easter to you as well!
Yes, I agree watching the passion of Christ is deeply painful & emotional for me too. I also agree that I don’t think we can understand the suffering He went through for us as He was sinless… but believing & accepting in Faith what He has done for each of us & being born anew of His Spirit is what He desires of us.
Have a blessed Easter & thank you for hosting,
Jennifer
Yes Jennifer you are so right, and you are also welcome for hosting! Happy Resurrection Sunday to you and your family.
THANK YOU FOR FEATURING MY CHEESECAKE! Thank you for hosting such a fun party each week. Today I brought a Collection of Easter Brunch menus, a colorful Easter Egg Bread Ring, and my favorite, a No Bake Cadbury Egg Cheesecake! I hope you enjoy them. Have a happy week! #OverTheMoon #WWBlogHop #ThursdayFavoriteThings HAVE A HAPPY EASTER!!
You are most welcome and you did indeed leave some more delish looking recipes this week. Thanks 🙂
Thank you for such a beautiful post and reminder this Easter season. It is so hard for me to think about what happened to my Lord on that day. All that He endured for me. And my mama heart does cry out for Mary and all that she must have felt. Oh, my heart. “Mary did you know?” is one of my favorite Christmas songs, and you are right, it is so perfect for Easter!
Happy Easter and thanks for linking up at #LiveLifeWell!
Blessings,
Amy
You are most welcome Amy. I am glad to know I am not the only momma, whose heart cries out for what Mary went through and must have felt. I pray you had a blessed Easter Weekend. Blessings to you as well
Thank you for this inspiring post ! He is Risen!
You are most welcome Pam and He is Risen Indeed!
I just need to listen more. Thanks for hosting and I hope that you have a wonderful Easter.
I think we could all use to listen more Patrick, you are not alone, don’t be so hard on yourself, just purpose to do more listening next time around 🙂
Thank you for hosting each week. Blessed Easter to you!
You are most welcome Elizabeth and thank you for being here. I pray you had a blessed Easter as well.
That passion of the Christ video gets me every single time! Thank you for this post – every reflective.
I am delighted to know that I am not the only one that gets emotional every time as well, thank you for being here today and commenting. 🙂
No, I know I will never really understand these mysteries. I think that is why we visit it each year and slowly we gain a deeper understanding. At our Good Friday service the song, “Mary did you Know?” was performed. Very fitting, I thought.
Theresa that is a good point, you are right, we do slowly gain a deeper understanding year after year. thank you for that reminder by sharing that little insight. I like that your Good Friday had the song Mary Did You Know. I do think it is very fitting for this time of year. Blessings to you and thanks for stopping by today.