Where's Your Focus?

In the Christian world, we are in the middle of Holy Week.  Last Sunday was Palm Sunday, a time we remember the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, riding on the colt of a donkey.  We sang songs of praise, including one using the word, "Hosanna", which was the word used by the people as they cheered, laid their coats on the road, and waved palm branches for Jesus.

Today is known as Maundy Thursday, which is a day set aside to commemorate "The Last Supper" during Holy Week.  This was when Jesus washed the feet of His disciples and shared a meal with them in the upper room.  The word "Maundy" comes to us as an Anglo-French word derived from the Latin word "mandatum", which means "commandment".  It was on this night Jesus gave His disciples a new commandment to love one another, as He had loved them.

Many churches use Maundy Thursday to celebrate communion, but our pastor chose to wait until Good Friday to lead a "social distancing" time of communion over our church's YouTube live stream.  With the evening free, several of us decided to watch, "The Passion of the Christ", a movie produced by Mel Gibson in 2004.

Having watched the movie back then, there were no surprises.  It follows closely to the narrative of the Gospels accounts in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, beginning with Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, and ending with His death on the cross, followed by His resurrection.

Remembering how I felt after watching the movie for the first time, I was hesitant to watch it again.  It is not a fun movie to watch, as it depicts in vivid detail the horrific suffering Jesus endured to bear the sins of the world.  It is easy to read over the Biblical accounts during the Easter season, but seeing them played out before you on a screen with real people displaying real emotions is not so easy.

You see the remorse of Judas when he realizes what he has done in betraying Jesus.  You see the fervor of the crowds as their cries of "Hosanna" changed to "Crucify Him!"  You see the heavy heart of Mary, the mother of Jesus, as she watches her son falsely accused and unfairly beaten.  You see the sorrow of Peter when the rooster crows, knowing he has denied Jesus three times.  Hardest to bear are the actions of the guards and soldiers as they mistreat Jesus, and nearly beat Him to death prior to sending Him to the cross.  Through it all, you see the love of Jesus as He knows He must endure to fulfill His destiny.

To many people, Easter is a word which brings to mind bunny rabbits, baskets, and egg hunts.  Although these things were a part of my Easter experience through the years, I always knew the main focus of Easter needed to be remembering the death of Jesus on the cross, and on the third day, finding an empty tomb.

This year we are in the midst of a different kind of "crisis" with the coronavirus capturing the majority of our attention.  We watch the news reports, we read about it on social media, we wonder how long this season will last, and we long for a return to spending time with our family and friends.  Easter will feel a bit different this year, but perhaps God has allowed all of this to recapture our focus.  We have been so caught up in our own agendas, we fail to take time to seek the plan He wants us to follow.

Tomorrow will be Good Friday.  Use the time to re-read the Gospel accounts of the journey of Jesus to the cross.  If you have access to "The Passion of the Christ", set aside a couple of hours to immerse yourself into the story.  Feel the weight of your sin as it was placed on Jesus, and the freedom that comes from knowing Jesus was right when He said, "It is finished."  Satan has been defeated, and our forgiveness is paid for.

Yes, Easter will feel different this year, but the story will end with the same news of, "He has risen from the dead!"  Taking our eyes off the things of this world, and turning them to Jesus will give us peace, comfort, and the assurance He is with us, whatever we face down the road!