Promises

"Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen! Remember how He told you, while He was still with you "The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again." Then they remembered His words." Luke 24:5-8

"Then they remembered His words." You don't always catch that part of the scripture. How many times have I overlooked it myself. What if they would have remembered His words? Would they have been sitting and watching the tomb all night, waiting for the rock to roll away? If I remembered His words, would I worry about so much or would I wait in expectation of the revealing of His plan?

It's important to memorize and remember His words! There we find peace and hope. "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; If it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." John 14:1-3

Remember His words...  He is alive and He is coming back!

Why is Good Friday so good?

Last week I was preparing the April calendar. There is a picture card for Good Friday with three crosses, and Easter is marked with a lily flower. One of my first graders asked me, “Why is it a Good Friday if He died on the cross that Friday?” The question is a very logically one, and I’m sure there are others who wonder the same thing. Let me explain.

He died because He loves me. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” John 3:16-17

He died to save and protect me. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by “Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:23-24
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23

He died to get me back. “Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” Ephesians 1:7

He died for the joy it would bring. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

Yes, there was extreme pain and overwhelming sorrow, but Good Friday is so sweet because it was the beginning of Easter morning!