QC Journey To The Cross

John 20: 6-7 Eric Brei, DCE Nothing. Bare. Completely empty besides the bindings that once wrapped His lifeless body. Where is He? What happened? Did someone steal His body? What happens when we expect things to go a certain way and then everything is completely different than we thought it would be? What happens when the hopelessness that we have felt and are expecting to feel is replaced by questions and the slightest glimmers of hope? What happens when our world, destroyed and left in ashes, begins to re-form? This is the scary uncertain beginning of resurrection.

Mark 16:1-3 Eric Brei, DCE In the book of Mark, Scripture tells us that as the women walked to the tomb early on Sunday morning they asked each other who would remove the stone over the tomb for them. They were concerned as they wanted to finish preparing Jesus’ body for burial. There was a barrier between them and what or who in this case was inside the tomb. We have barriers between us and Jesus as well. We each have stones that prevent us from getting close to Jesus. For many of us, it’s something that WE do. Things like addictions, apathy, fear, or pride. For some of us, the barriers that stand between us and Jesus were not put there by us. It could be any number of things that we did not choose for ourselves. But we need to remember that there is nothing we can do by ourselves to remove them. It is beyond our power to roll the stones away. We need Jesus! Think for a moment to the women heading to the tomb. Although they didn’t know how they would remove the stone or barrier, they went to the tomb anyway. They were seeking and trusting that Jesus would provide a way. We must do the same. We cannot begin to imagine how God works, but we know that when we seek Him first and trust in His great power, stones and barriers go away.

Matthew 27:58-60 Eric Brei, DCE In the ancient world, people used tombs to place the dead. They were a holding place for things that no longer had life. Thus Jesus was placed in a tomb. He was counted as a loss. Many believed He had no possibility of life again. Are there things in your life that you have placed in a tomb? Things you have counted as a loss or are dead to you? A relationship? A hope or dream that was squashed or squandered. Maybe it is just how you think about your own life? Some of us have set our lives on auto pilot just waiting for this all to end and be over. For some things in our lives, it is ok to count them as dead or lost. But for other things, even though they may be dead, God may have other plans. Plans that may involve rolling away the stone and seeing an empty tomb. So ask yourself today, what part of your life needs resurrecting? Are you willing to turn these things over to God so that He can bring it back to life in you?

John 19:31-37 & Matthew 27:55-56 Tony Dixon, DCE What do we all look for in a friend? Even though we don’t always think about it, Jesus is the best friend anyone could ask for! Jesus kept His promise through the fulfilment of prophecy for all who believe. He did not fight for his physical life on earth but rather gave up his spirit willingly because of His great love for us. Through his earthly ministry, Christ built relationship with those around Him because He cared for them and He cares for each of us too!

Mark 15:38-39 Tony Dixon, DCE We are always under pressure to perform, but what happens when we don’t do things as well as we are supposed to? The Israelites were faced with being righteous only through clean living and sacrificial atonement! Thankfully, we can confidently say that through Christ’s death, we are no longer separated from the holiness of God, but rather united with our righteous Father.

John 19:28-30 Tony Dixon, DCE What did Christ mean when he made the statement, “I thirst.”? We can assume that he was physically thirsty, but was there more meaning to these two words? Rather than being given clean and pure water, Christ was given sour wine to drink. Sin can sometimes taste like that sour wine which Christ drank, but thankfully it is through his sacrifice that we are offered pure living water. Because of His sacrifice, IT IS FINISHED!

Mark 15:26-32 King of Compassion - Pastor Steve Henderson There is a reality, that we find it easy to mock pain and weakness. Often so that we don’t reveal or show our own weakness and pain. Jesus is so very different. He has compassion on the weak and hurting. He heals rather than jeers. He gathers in rather than forcing out. He saves others rather than saving Himself!

Matthew 27:38-43 What our Deeds Deserve - Pastor Steve Henderson Many people in the world don’t care what their deeds say about them, and to be honest some of them claim to follow Jesus. To do so, only pushes our own self-righteousness…and pushes us further away from Jesus. There are two thieves…one who mocks and one who confesses. Which one would you be? Do you see that which your deeds deserve is death (eternal and temporal)? I do, and it drives me to my knees.

John 19:16-22 Struggling Inside - Pastor Steve Henderson Pilate hands Jesus over, but he sticks by his sign – “The King of the Jews.” The same man who questioned what truth was, just hours before. Was he really searching for an answer, or what he responding in a loss of hope? Did he see truth in this King? We all struggle and wrestle with moral decisions and truth, but Jesus tells us that He is the way, and the truth, and the life. Put your hope in Him!

Matthew 27:27-31; John 19:2-5 Eric Brei, DCE Why the crown of thorns? Why a purple robe? To mock Jesus whom they thought wanted to be some kind of political king that was revolting against the Roman government. So they dressed Jesus up in purple, the color of royalty and placed a crown of thorns upon His head, pushing it into His scalp. Think about how you represent Jesus. Do you live your life as if you are placing a real crown upon His head or a crown of thorns? Whenever we take on the name of Christ or “Christian”, we’re telling the world that we‘re different. We’re telling everyone who knows us that we live by a different set of standards, priorities, and rules. We pledge our allegiance, not to governments or rulers, but to the Father of Jesus, God Himself. When we do this, we place a real crown on His head. But when we live our lives in rebellion to God’s Will, seeking our own control and pleasure, it is like we are making another crown of thorns. So today, ask yourself who do your values, actions, words, and priorities represent? Is it God or is it yourself?

Matthew 27:26; John 19:1 Eric Brei, DCE The Roman government wanted to make an example out of Jesus, so not only did they sentence him to be crucified; they also beat, humiliated, and whipped him. All because they wanted everyone to know that the government was the only law and Tiberius was their only god. So the Roman government decided to publicly flog Jesus to deter any of Jesus’ followers from continuing His mission. They used a whip called a “cat of nine tails”. This was a special torture device that consisted of nine long leather strips, each strip contained shards of bone and metal. When the whip struck Jesus it tore into His skin and ripped it. The soldiers stripped Jesus naked, and flogged Him until He was almost unrecognizable. This was a horrific site as you can imagine. That is exactly what I ask you to do today. You could spend time thinking about how your words are like a whip to others sometimes or how Jesus kept his composure and didn’t fight back. But rather than look for some life application today, just sit and think about the suffering that Jesus endured through the flogging and humiliation by the Roman government. He did it for you!

Luke 22:54-62 & John 21:1-19 Eric Brei, DCE Don’t you hate it when you do that thing you said you’d never do? That is how Peter must have felt after betraying Jesus three times. Jesus told Peter he would betray him in a conversation they had before Jesus was arrested. Peter strongly denied these words and told Jesus he could never do such a thing. Then just after Jesus was arrested, in three different scenes, Peter does the very thing he swore he’d never do. In each scene someone recognized Peter as a close friend of Jesus. Then just after Peter denied Jesus the third time, the rooster crowed in the background. Immediately Peter realized he did that which he swore he would never do. He was overcome with shame, guilt, and sadness. But then in John 21:1-19, we find Peter having fish by the Sea of Galilee and a risen Jesus. Peter is shown forgiveness and love. Faithfulness is restored. There is grace beyond grace given. This is what we experience after we too have done what we said we would never do. Take some time today and read the story and think about the limitless grace of God.

Luke 22:47-51 Tony Dixon, DCE How often have we either betrayed someone else or been betrayed? It can be a very hurtful ordeal for us, but in today’s passage we see a challenging response to betrayal. Our first reaction might be to draw our sword and be ready to fight, which is certainly understandable. Jesus knows the feeling of betray all too well and takes the opportunity to show the love of his Father to his followers and to each of us!

Matthew 26:40-41 Tony Dixon, DCE How do you respond when you are tempted by something? Do you depend on your own will power to make it through or do you need something more? Although we might like to believe that we can resist temptation on our own, we don’t always have much success. It didn't take long for the disciples to let Jesus down. He then quickly points out their shortcomings, but then offers helpful advice and a reason why it is difficult.

Mark 14:35-37 Tony Dixon, DCE In this moment of suffering as Christ began to take the sins of man on himself, we see Christ call out to his heavenly Father asking for help. What can we learn from Christ’s example as His followers? As we face the situations each day that our lives throw our way, we aren’t meant to do it on our own. It is through the almighty God, Abba father, that we have been given the power to do amazing things.

Matthew 26:36-38 Tony Dixon, DCE Sometimes it’s easy to forget that Jesus was a human. He had emotions and feelings just like anyone else. He knows what we go through and thankfully, he has given us an example of what we can do in those situations. When we face challenges, God is listening and wants to hear our requests. Jesus wasn't the only one spending time in prayer, He also asked his closest friends, the disciples, to join him.

1 Corinthians 11:23-39 Pass It On - Pastor Steve Henderson More than just that old song that some leader at camp wants to sing (nostalgia of the old days; song info). Paul tells us of something important to pass on to others. The teachings that we have received (examples; 2 Tim 3:16), specifically here he tells us of the sacrifice…the one that replaces the Passover with a new covenant for the forgiveness of sins.

Luke 22:7-13 Just Tell Me What to Do - Pastor Steve Henderson There is some great strength and confidence established in feeling independent and making decisions for yourself, but sometimes it is just nice for someone to tell you what to do. Imagine Peter and John’s peace and amazement from following Jesus’ advice and everything being just as he said. Life decisions are tough! College, marriage, activities, career; there are so many choices. Jesus gives us a guide to help in these decisions – His Word!

Matthew 26:17-20 The Inner Circle - Pastor Steve Henderson The inner circle reveals much about our lives. Who we eat with gives insight into whom we go to for direction, for comfort, for help, for advice… For a long time, this has been the family at the home (statistics), but often now, people have more meals with people outside their family than they do with their family. Who is your inner circle? Does it reflect what you want? Jesus calls you to His table and makes you His family!

John 13:10-17 Eric Brei, DCE This excerpt is from pg. 33 of the Lutheran Hour Ministries Lent Devotions 2015 written by Rev. Wayne Palmer, theological editor and writer for Lutheran Hour Ministries. I feel like Rev. Palmer describes Jesus’ love and forgiveness very well, even being extended to those who betray Him. “Jesus is pointing to Judas, the one who has abandoned his Lord and become unclean and is even now awaiting the chance to betray Him. The other eleven are forgiven, cleansed of their sins because they still walk in the light by faith; Judas has rejected that light and walks in darkness. Very gently Jesus reaches out to His lost disciple in an unforgettable demonstration of His love, forgiveness and acceptance. It’s a demonstration He wants Judas to remember when he is gripped by guilt and remorse for what he is about to do.”

John 13:6-9 Eric Brei, DCE Peter speaks to Jesus and tells Him that he will never wash Peter’s feet. Jesus reminds Peter, in a spiritual context, that unless He washes Peter’s feet, Peter has no part with Him. Peter would later understand that Jesus was referring to His death on the cross and the shedding of His blood for the purification of the sins of all those who believe. We are sanctified each day by the cleansing of our sins through Jesus Christ.

John 13: 1-5 Eric Brei, DCE It was time for the Passover meal and it was the night before Jesus was to be tortured and put on the cross. Jesus gathered with His brothers the disciples to break bread together. Jesus knew that the hour was coming and demonstrated His unchanging love by putting a towel around His waist and washed each of the disciples’ feet. Jesus showed how humble He was as He taught the disciples as well as all His followers how much He loves us.

Luke 22:2-6 Tony Dixon, DCE When we refuse to let Christ be the one in control of our lives who are we letting take the wheel? Although Judas chose to give up Jesus to the religious leaders for 30 pieces of silver, this passage indicates who was truly scheming behind the scenes. In what ways might we let our guard down to the things that Satan uses to accomplish His work? Satan thought he had the upper hand by using Judas to betray Jesus, but it turns out that HE was the one playing into God’s master plan.

Matthew 26:14-16 Tony Dixon, DCE How often do we identify with Judas and we are willing to betray Christ, the one who loves us and died for us? Maybe it isn’t 30 pieces of silver that we require, but rather things like popularity, success, or material items. As broken people living in a broken world, our vision is often clouded, causing us to forsake certain truths that we know and focus on false hope that is found in other areas of life. Thankfully, despite our sin and failure Christ does not leave us but instead embraces us and says, “you are forgiven and loved, now follow me”.

Luke 19:35-40 Joy Uncontainable - Pastor Steve Henderson Something about the people on Palm Sunday was contagious! Even when we celebrate Palm Sunday, we wave our branches and say what we are supposed to say but are we overcome with the joy of the King? Only one group had no problem resisting the joy – the Pharisees. What if the people were quiet? Then even the stones would cry out.

Mark 11:7-11 The King & His Kingdom - Pastor Steve Henderson On Palm Sunday we see Jesus enter into Jerusalem as a triumphant king. His kingdom processes with him…and it is easy to see this as the high point of Lent-no blood, beatings, mocking, just praise. Yet for Jesus, and for we who worship Him, this is not His real kingdom. His kingdom is not of this world, it is an eternal kingdom (promised to David). His kingdom is coming (through the Word, through His grace, through His return).

Matthew 21:8-11 Fellowship - Pastor Steve Henderson We all have a need for other people. This is never more evident than when we see the God of Creation walking this earth. Throughout His days, he was surrounded by people (sometimes by choice and other times by interruption). Even when Jesus did “get away” He did so with His Father. As we attempt to be our own people, may we always remember that we need one another. We need fellowship (church). We need Christ (baptism)!

Matthew 21:6-7 Eric Brei, DCE By riding a humble donkey which was borrowed and the disciples giving up their cloaks to place on the donkey back; just a few of the ways that Jesus showed His meekness. He came to serve others not to be served. He had nothing other than what was given to him by friends and family. Not what we would imagine a King to be like. Where was His white steed, his royal robes, his gold and jeweled crown, his riches? His majesty? That is not what Jesus was about or wanted us to focus on either. Jesus meant for His public appearance to be in meekness rather than majesty in order that through His mercy salvation would be given to all who believe in His name.

Matthew 21: 4-5 Eric Brei, DCE The pre-knowledge that Jesus had to know that there would be a donkey in the village of Bethpage is only something Jesus (true man and true God) could have done. He did it to fulfill the prophecy found in Zechariah 9:9, which foretells that the Messiah will come to us “riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey”. He knew that the donkey was considered the humblest of animals and that only animals that had never been ridden before would be regarded as sacred. This is also the only instance that we find Jesus riding on any animal. He truly was and is the only Messiah.

Matthew 21:1-2 Eric Brei, DCE How do you prepare for things in your life? In today’s devotion we hear about how Jesus prepared for what was yet to come. Not only did He prepare himself but the world around Him! "As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me."

John 12:8-10 Tony Dixon, DCE What an exciting event in the lives of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. They had just been through an emotional roller coaster thanks to Jesus’ miraculous gift of new life given to Lazarus. Such an act of love would likely lead them to tell everyone that they knew about the love of Christ. Even though there is often opposition to sharing about the love and life that Christ offers, we can’t help but share the good news!

John 12:4-7 Tony Dixon, DCE It’s hard not to be concerned about everything going on in our lives. Our attention constantly shifts from one demand to the next, but in this conversation between Jesus and Judas, we see that it is very dangerous when we selfishly focus on our own desires more than how we can serve others around us and show them Christ’s love. Acts of true service are not self-seeking but about God’s desire: that all would know Him and His unending love.

John 12:1-3 Tony Dixon, DCE We come across a variety of smells (good and bad!) in our lives. It's amazing to think about the ways that God can use something as simple as our sense of smell to remind us the amazing ways that HE works in our lives. We can really stink up our lives when we fall into sin but thankfully there's hope. Jesus takes away the terrible smell of sin from his children and replaces it with the sweet smell of His love and a call to share that love with others.

We are so happy to have you here with us. Our Podcast over the next 6 weeks is a combined ministry effort of Trinity, Risen Christ, and Our Savior Lutheran Churches. Please visit our website for more information about the Journey To The Cross! http://qcpassion.weebly.com