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Home » Journey to Easter series

Read all of the posts for the Journey to Easter

Journey to Easter Is Available

By Paula Wiseman

Journey to Easter cover

I have some news! A brand-new Bible study Journey to Easter released this week just in time for Easter. (Yes Easter! We passed Groundhog Day. Now we just have Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, first day of spring and we’re there.)

If you remember the Journey to Easter series from a couple of years ago, this study greatly expands on those posts with insights into the passages and thought-provoking questions that challenge you to think deeply about your faith and your walk.

Over seven sessions, you’ll stop at a different place with Jesus, beginning in the Upper Room on the night of His betrayal and ending in the locked room after His resurrection. Each stop has its own distinct role to play in the unfolding redemption story. While you’re there, you’ll have a moment to observe, to reflect, to consider, and ultimately to worship the Savior who loved us and gave Himself for us.
 
I think my favorite stops were The Garden and The Locked Room. Want to sample it? Download the first chapter, The Upper Room.

Journey to Easter is available as a paperback from Amazon and as an e-book at BN, Apple, Kobo and other favorite retailers.

Thanks for reading! (PS. Thanks for your patience and understanding if you already knew about the release.)

Filed Under: Writing Friday Tagged With: Journey to Easter series, Paula Wiseman books

Journey to Easter: The Locked Room

By Paula

Journey to Easter The Locked Room title graphic

Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” John 20:26

For the last several weeks, we have stopped at significant places with Jesus as He moved ever closer to fulfilling His mission. The Upper Room. The Garden. The Chamber. The Judgment Hall. The Empty Tomb. We’ve seen that each stop was purposeful and planned. And if we took the time, we learned something at each location.

Pessimistic. Loyal. Fatalistic. Devoted. Thomas is an interesting character.

When Jesus receives word of Lazarus’s death and heads toward Jerusalem, knowing the imminent danger He faced there, Thomas is ready to go die with Jesus. (John 11:16) He wasn’t afraid. He didn’t hesitate. In the Upper Room, he wasn’t much for abstract ideas about going and preparing places, and said as much. Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” (John 14:5)

Like the other disciples, he fled when Jesus was arrested. Like the other disciples, he really didn’t expect Jesus to raise from the dead. In his defense, the other guys were trying to persuade him AFTER they had the evidence. A few hours before, they didn’t believe the women’s reports any more than Thomas believed theirs.

On the eighth day after the resurrection, the disciples were gathered in a locked room.

This time Thomas was there. I suspect we have all been where Thomas was that day. We have heard the promises Jesus made, but reality and the pain we’ve experienced made those words seem distant at best. We have heard the joyous testimonies of people around us, but struggled to respond with the same faith. Maybe we have wondered what was fundamentally wrong with us. Why don’t we get it? The faith thing seems so easy for everyone else. Maybe the heartache and struggles make the risk of faith too great.

But he was in the room.

Notice how Jesus interacts with Thomas. Jesus doesn’t upbraid him for his lack of faith. It’s important to remember that Jesus didn’t shy away from doing exactly that when the situation warranted, like when He calmed the storm, or at Lazarus’s tomb. However, there is a difference between faith in Jesus and faith in our EXPECTATIONS about Jesus. Thomas misinterpreted that faith in his expectations for faith in Jesus Himself. When the expectations weren’t met, a faith crisis resulted.

Maybe you can identify. I know I can.

Thomas teaches us something else.

His response wasn’t one of wonder or confusion like Peter and John at the tomb. It wasn’t even joy like Mary after seeing Christ in the garden. Thomas exclaims, “My Lord and my God!” Complete surrender. Genuine faith in Christ brings that. It throws out our agenda and our posturing.

The locked room is where things get real.

Pretenses are stripped away, and humility is refined. But the authenticity that results opens us up to the kingdom assignment Jesus has for us.

Thomas was in the boat when the tremendous haul of fish was taken a few days later. He was on the mountain when Jesus ascended. He was in the room when the Holy Spirit came. On Pentecost, Thomas preached the gospel in a language he had never studied enabling foreigners to hear the gospel clearly. There is strong evidence that he carried the gospel all the way to India where he almost certainly was martyred for his faith.

As you spend some time here with Thomas, consider your own faith.

Is it in Christ or your expectations of Him? Are you genuinely surrendered? Are you ready to take on the task He has for you?

When you leave the locked room, your journey beyond Easter awaits!

Filed Under: Thursday in the Word Tagged With: Easter, John, Journey to Easter series, resurrection

Journey to Easter: The Empty Tomb

By Paula

Journey to Easter The Empty Tomb title graphic

Jesus was not a victim of circumstance. He was not swept up by the events around Him. Every moment of His entire life was part of a divine plan laid down before time began. Each stop on the journey to Easter was purposeful and planned. We’ve stopped at the upper room, the garden, the chamber, and the judgment hall. Today’s stop is the empty tomb.

So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word. Matthew 28:8

All four gospels tell us the tomb was cut out of a rock and stone was laid across the entrance. Matthew, Luke, and John tell us that it was a new, unused tomb. The Jewish leaders knew Jesus would rise in three days. He said as much during His trial. So they convinced Pilate to set a guard at the tomb. However, the guards were only capable of keeping regular people out. They had no power whatsoever when it came to keeping Jesus in.

In fact, when Pilate boasted of his authority, Jesus informed him that the only authority he had was what was given to him by God.

The empty tomb displays the stark contrast between the power of men and the power of God.

And if God only wielded power, fear would be our only response to Him. More like the guards. The empty tomb proves that His power is wielded out of His great love for us. The empty tomb proves God’s character and His promises as he vindicates Himself before the universe and for all of eternity.

That adds the great joy.

At this stop at the empty tomb, what is our own response? Jaded indifference because we’ve heard it all before? Muted skepticism? Obligatory celebration? Parroted catchphrases? Or do we realize this is holy ground? This is a glimpse into the heart and will of God. This is a place where our unworthiness meets His grace, where our failure meets His victory.

Reverential fear that clearly Jesus is not like us. Great joy that He chose to be one of us.
Fear that He is so much more than we will ever know. Great joy that He reveals Himself to us.
Fear at the dreadful cost of sin. Great joy that is was paid in full.

The evidence of our response is in what happens next. Do we, like the women, run to tell others? Do we go with fear and great joy?

If not, maybe we should stay here a little longer.

Next stop: the locked room

Filed Under: Thursday in the Word Tagged With: Easter, Journey to Easter series, Matthew, resurrection

Journey to Easter: The Judgment Hall

By Paula

Journey to Easter Judgment Hall title graphic

Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him.” John 18:38

Jesus was not a victim of circumstance. He was not swept up by the events around Him. Every moment of His entire life was part of a divine plan laid down before time began. Each stop on the journey to Easter was purposeful and planned. Today’s stop is the judgment hall of Pilate, the Roman governor.

Pilate had been appointed governor or prefect around 26 AD, and like the rest of the Romans thought he was superior culturally, intellectually and morally to the Jews he ruled over. His appointment to this dead-end position was a signal that his career was over as far as advancement or promotion were concerned. So the Jewish people became the targets upon whom he vented his bitterness. He was harsh and provoked the Jews at every opportunity. At one point, he seized the Temple treasury to build an aqueduct. He brought imperial images into the holy city which was considered a blasphemous insult. To say he held the Jews in contempt was an understatement. Luke 13:1 makes reference to him murdering a group of Galileans in Jerusalem. Remember Galilee was outside his jurisdiction but was Herod’s domain. Galilee was also a known hotbed for anti-Roman sentiment and haven for insurrectionists. (Think the Easter Rising in Ireland in 1916 for a more modern type.) As soon as the band arrived in Jerusalem, Pilate made his move and had them slaughtered.

It is against this backdrop that Jesus, the king of the Jews, is delivered to his doorstep at the judgment hall early Friday morning. The charges were vague at best. “Doing evil.” (John 18:30) Pilate’s initial response was “I don’t have time for this.” But the charge that Jesus is an insurrectionist required further investigation. Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” (John 18:37)

Yes, but my mission is to bear witness to the truth. The truth is people are hopelessly separated from God because of their sins. I have come to reconcile and redeem them. (That’s reading between the lines a little.)

Pilate speaks for the skeptics across countless ages when he responds, “What is truth?”

It’s a fair question. In our culture, we’ve seen the rise of “personal truth”. Is that the answer? To the post-moderns, truth is something that everyone possesses and it is unique, but also malleable. However, if there is truth, doesn’t that also imply there is a lie? I don’t know that I’ve ever heard anyone claim, “What’s a lie for you, may not be a lie for me.”

The attraction of the “personal truth” is that it makes us, as individuals, the arbiters of truth, which in turn gives us complete moral authority, which means we never do anything wrong. Small wonder it’s appealing.

But if truth is an absolute, immutable reality, then it was established beyond me by someone greater than I am. And His pronouncements are that I have transgressed His character revealed in His law. He has the moral authority, then, levy punishment for those transgressions.

Rooted in Pilate’s response is the undertone that truth confers authority. He was used to wielding authority so he didn’t want to follow the truth business to its logical outworking.

At this stop on our journey, we are confronted with the same question. What is truth? Is it what Christ testified to, that we need a Savior? Or is it what we decide? And we continue to face this question every single day. Will we hold fast to what Christ says about us, about the Father’s love, about our security, about our empowerment and commission or will we define all those things in terms of culture, achievement, or identity?

What is truth? And more importantly, what will you do with the truth when you discover it? Pilate dismissed TRUTH and walked away. History says little about him after this moment. He faded into obscurity and then into eternity. Are our present-day struggles a direct result of dismissing, ignoring, or rationalizing truth?

Don’t move on from this stop at the judgment hall until you’ve considered what is truth?

Next stop: the Empty Tomb

Filed Under: Thursday in the Word Tagged With: Easter, John, Journey to Easter series, resurrection

Journey to Easter: The Chamber

By Paula

Journey to Easter The Chamber title graphic

And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. Matthew 26:57

Jesus was not a victim of circumstance. He was not swept up by the events around Him. Every moment of His entire life was part of a divine plan laid down before time began. Each stop on the journey to Easter was purposeful and planned. We’ve stopped at the Upper Room and the Garden. Today’s stop is the Chamber of Caiaphas, the High Priest.

Everything about Jesus’s trial was sketchy.
It was held in Caiaphas’s home, not the Temple.
It was a secret trial, not a public one.
It was held at night, not during the day.
It was held during a feast. (Plus, a death sentence required a three-day fast by all the members of the court before carrying out the sentence. Observant Jews weren’t supposed to fast during a feast.)

The Sanhedrin couldn’t nail down a specific crime Jesus has committed, even with bribed witnesses. They finally settled on Christ’s own confession to seal their verdict. Incidentally, in a typical Jewish trial, the defendant’s confession was NOT sufficient evidence for a conviction. The legal system God designed for the Jewish nation was structured to give the accused every advantage and allow for every reasonable opportunity for overturning the conviction.

Of course, that wasn’t the goal for this trial.

There was no time for a reasoned examination of the evidence. There was no desire to interview all the available witnesses. The verdict was pre-decided. This was a formality. A rubber-stamp. A kangaroo court.

The members of the Sanhedrin had regularly been embarrassed and called out by Jesus for their hypocrisy and self-righteousness, for their lack of compassion toward others and their cold-hearted formalism.

This stop on the journey to Easter is uncomfortable. The longer we linger in the Chamber the more we realize we have in common with Jesus’s accusers.

Do we have an expectation of who Jesus should be?
Are we offended when He suggests our righteousness is really just a show?
Do we demand He answer our questions or recognize our position?
Do we fail to thoroughly investigate His words and claims to discover the Truth?
Do we bring our preconceptions to Him and demand that He fit them?
Do we value our status and position so much that we are blinded to who He is and what He says?

Jesus didn’t receive a death sentence because of the skillful prosecution of the Sanhedrin lawyers. He received the death sentence because He willingly chose to carry out the Father’s redemption plan. He knowingly endured the injustice. The stop at Caiaphas’s chamber underscores what Jesus went through to redeem us. It also confronts us with the outworking of justice. If we received justice from the hand of God, we would be hopeless. Instead, He pours out His grace on us.

Next stop: The Governor’s Hall

Filed Under: Thursday in the Word Tagged With: Easter, Journey to Easter series, Matthew

Journey to Easter: The Garden

By Paula

Journey to Easter the Garden title graphic

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” Matthew 26:36

Jesus was not a victim of circumstance. He was not swept up by the events around Him. Every moment of His entire life was part of a divine plan laid down before time began. Each stop on the journey to Easter was purposeful and planned. Last week we stopped in the Upper Room. Today’s stop is the Garden at Gethsemane.

The name Gethsemane means olive press. How fitting. It was here Jesus faced a spiritual test beyond our imagination. The content of the temptations are not recorded, but Jesus’s prayers are. “If there is any other way, let this cup — the cup of divine wrath and judgment — pass.” A few verses later He says, “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” That’s not simply a proverb. Jesus speaks from His experience just moments earlier and just yards away.

One remarkable thing about Gethsemane is that even in these moments of deep struggle and anguish, Jesus never stopped teaching His followers, and in this crucial moment, He taught them how to handle crushing sorrow and anguish. We can take those lessons to heart when we find ourselves in a crucible.

He enlisted the support of His friends. Granted, they failed Him. But He didn’t head off to the Garden alone. He wanted His friends close by. They guarded the entrance to the garden and kept watch so He could pray without being interrupted. He invited His closest friends to pray with and for Him.

Then He prayed for the support of His Father. He was strikingly honest, yet unwaveringly reverent. He was persistent and when He faced His enemies it was with the resolve and strength the Father sent.

We will go through intense periods of trial, sorrow, and anguish. Count on it. Thankfully, this stop on our journey to Easter gives us Jesus’s own example on how to face it.

Next stop: The Chamber

Filed Under: Thursday in the Word Tagged With: Journey to Easter series, life of Jesus, Matthew

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