Day 6 - Overview of Crucifixion - Easter Reading Plan

Day 6: Overview - Christ Crucified

• Readings: John 19:1-37
• Bonus Reading:  Other Gospel accounts of the crucifixion

photo: Desiring God

Today’s blog is a little different.  I think it’s important for us to understand the Gospels, the Gospel writers and why the Gospels were written.  All the Gospels are different because they were written to different audiences.  Their main theme was the same -The life of Jesus Christ.  Yet, each Gospel writer shares some aspect of Christ that they deem important.

What I love most about the Gospels is that each of them dedicates a large part of their writings to two events that changed the course of History for Christians – the Crucifixion and Resurrection.  Without these two events, we have no hope, no conquering of sin, no atonement, no victory, no eternal life.  The Crucifixion and Resurrection are everything to us.

Every Easter, my husband and I put the kids to bed, grab a box of Kleenex, a good blanket, sit on the couch and watch Passion of the Christ.  We have a love hate relationship with this tradition.  I hate watching this movie, YET it is so good for us.  It’s one thing to read the Gospel accounts but to watch the death of Christ is another thing. His sacrifice, the weight of the world’s sin, the separation from God, the beatings just make my heart completely ache. (Hence the Box of Kleenexes). We realize it’s Hollywood but we take this movie and bring it to the scriptures.  Then when we read, we have a visual and that visual helps us understand just a bit more and brings the Gospel story to life.  

I challenge you to do that this Easter.  I’m sure Red Box will have it or buy it here.

But let’s get off that rabbit trail and back to the Gospel accounts.  Below are each Gospel and a small summary of whom their audience is and why they wrote it.

Matthew – the book of Matthew was written to the Jews to portray Jesus Christ as our Messiah and eternal King.  Matthew uses many OT passages that prophesied Jesus as the Messiah from his birth to his suffering servant death.  Matthew proves with his historical narrative that Jesus was man and God and he alone provides the way to the Kingdom.

Mark – the book of Mark was the Gospel written to the Romans.  It is a very quick overview (because that culture wanted quick and concise)  of Jesus as the Son of Man, his work and his teachings.   Mark always aimed to portray Jesus as the Son of Man who came not to be served but to serve others.  In Roman times, the ideal man was strong and powerful but Mark shows us that Christ was a servant and not warrior.

Luke –the book of Luke was written for the Gentile and Greeks.  Gentiles were anyone who was not Jewish. Luke gives us a very detailed account on the complete life of Christ from conception to after death.  His Gospel is well researched and aimed to show that Jesus was not just an imaginary person but a very real man who came to be our Savior

John – the book of John was written for Christians in the early church.  John is all about deity of Jesus being the eternal word of God.  John’s goal was to prove to his readers that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and that Jesus is the only way to eternal life – All who believe in him will have life and not perish (John 20:31) He uses specific titles for Jesus and I Am statements that show Jesus’ holiness.  He wanted us to understand who Christ was and that we have direct access to him.

So as you dive into each account of the Gospels keep in mind who they were writing to and their purpose in writing.  When you do this, you’ll begin to understand why each Gospel account is so different yet just as important as the others.  

Day 5 - Bronze Serpant Foreshadows - Easter Reading Plan

Day 5: Bronze Serpent

• Readings: Numbers 21:4-9
• Bonus Reading: John 3:1-15, Hebrews 12:2

Okay let’s put this passage into context.  The Israelites are still wandering in the desert before the promise land.  They’ve experienced the miracles of the plagues (Exodus 7-13), parting of the red sea (Exodus 14) , they’ve been protected from the heat of the scorching sun by God as a cloud,  they were kept warm in the cool evenings by God as a pillar of fire, they’ve cried out to God many times and God has delivered.  They cried out for water so God made water come from a rock (Exodus 17), for food and God gave manna from the Heavens and quail (Exodus 16). They cried out in desperation over and over again and God has come to their rescue.  

BUT this time around it’s different.  Verse 4 tells us they became impatient.  Their exact words are at the end of verse 5.  

Sometimes I like to make the Bible come to life, so read verse 5 with a 5 year old whine and exaggerate while falling to the floor in a dramatic despair.  It’s how I picture this scene to be.  

“Why have you brought us out of Egypt to DDDIIIEEE in the wilderness? For there is not food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” (Emphasis mine) 

First off,  you can’t say there is no food and you end that same sentence with the fact that you have food but it’s worthless.  

Second, hello, water miraculously came spouting from a rock!!  Food falls from the sky!  I mean people... come on.

Let’s get back on point.

The Israelites cry out to God because of their unbelief and God sends judgment.  A serpent or snake. To be bitten by a snake means a very slow and painful death.   Up until now, you better believe God has been protecting the Israelites from those same snakes as snakes are all over the desert floors.  But here, God allows them to bite as punishment.  But Moses cries out to God in confession and prayer and God instructs him to make a fiery serpent and put it on a pole.  And whoever lifts their eyes to the pole will live.

Sounds odd right.  But it points to our salvation.  You see, the Israelites needed to look at this evil/sin (serpent) on a pole.  The bronze, back then, represented judgment.  So when Moses held up the pole, the Israelites were looking at their sin and judgment.  And as long as they kept lifting their gaze to the pole, they would be saved. They would be healed of their sickness, their venomous bite.

The Bronze Serpent foreshadows the body of Christ. Jesus taking on the sin of the world and bringing it to the judgment of the cross.

Just as the simple act of looking to the pole showed their belief and obedience to God, we need to look at the cross.  Our world is full of poison, sickness and sin.  The devastation is everywhere creeping in on us, but Christ gives us the answer to overcome the worldly sickness.  He gives us himself, on a pole (wooden cross), dying to overcome it all.  If we simply look to him, our hearts are healed and we are transformed.

Christ and his crucifixion and resurrection are what we need to look to each and every day to be reminded of his loving grace and mercy to save us from evil and bring us into His holy presence.  If we can always remember that, it's amazing how we can guard our hearts and mind from the world that surrounds us and focus on the mission he has before us.

Day 4 - Battle against Amaleks - Easter Reading Plan

Day 4: Battle with Amaleks

•  Readings: Exodus 17:8-16

photo - Wikipedia

Let’s first talk about who the Amaleks were.  They were descendants of Esau.  They were nomads and made their living off of raids.  And they were ruthless.  You read how they attack the Israelites in Deut. 25:17-18.  They attacked them from behind and took advantage of the stranglers, elderly, women and children.  But God uses this battle against the Amaleks to show His power and build even more trust with the Israelites.

This was the Israelites first battle coming out of 400 years of slavery.  And a tough one at that.  They took on the Amaleks who were known for their fighting skills. But the Rod of God (Moses's staff)  was on their side.  As long as Moses held his hands out wide, the Israelites would gain ground and overtake the Amaleks.  But when he rested his arms, the Amaleks quickly regained their position to overcome the Israelites.

Some believe with Moses hands held out wide that this was his posture of prayer crying out to God.  It wasn’t only his body position but his prayer and intercession before God and the Israelites that kept them strong in battle.

Whatever the case may be,  Moses and his stretched out hands is considered to be a figure of Christ on the cross, suffering for mankind, and getting complete victory over evil and sin.

Side note:  This passage also shows us the importance of community.  Aaron and Hur came along side Moses to "lift him up." We need brothers and sisters in Christ to come along side us when this life gets tiring. 

Day 3 - Bitter Water - Easter Reading Plan

Day 3: Bitter Water at Marah

• Readings: Exodus 15:22-27
• Bonus Reading: John 4: 1-42 (Woman at the Well)

When I first read this passage and was taught it pointed to the Cross, I think I literally stared, crossed my eyes, and said “huh?”  But the more you read this passage and the passages around the passage, you’ll soon realize it does and it has a powerful meaning.

So let’s simplify it.  Life is bitter like this water.  It’s yucky, pointless and can just leave us with a bad taste at the end of the day some days.  BUT when Moses throws a piece of wood into the water, this water now tastes so good, so refreshing, it now has purpose.

Life with the cross (our wood) has that same new found goodness.  Life is refreshing and full of purpose with the salvation Jesus gave us on the cross.

Water is used throughout the Old Testament and New Testament as a life source.  The prophets and Jesus use water so often in their teaching moments.  You see, without good water, we can’t survive.   Think of a time you were soooo thirsty.  You lost energy, you started to slouch, you labored in breathing but when you finally got a taste of that refreshing water you were brought back to life, renewed.

Jesus wants to be this for us.  He wants to be our living water.  Because a life without him is bitter, tasteless and without purpose.

 - - -

Side note:  I can geek out in the Bible pretty easy.  Like, in this passage, they cried out to God, and he showed them the Branch.  Hmm... the Branch sound familiar, oh wait, it's because in Zechariah 3 he prophesies that a Branch will be our High Priest. 

or wait, here is another one.  Do you feel like you have heard Marah before?   Well, you might have.  In the story of Ruth, her mother-in-law Naomi asks to be called Marah (Ruth 1:20) because the Lord had made life bitter for her. She had left Bethlehem full but was returning empty.  BUT little did bitter Naomi know when she came back to Jerusalem that God was going to bless her socks off! The Messiah, Jesus,  through Ruth & Boaz would actually be the living water! 

Day 2 - Power at the Red Sea - Easter Reading plan

Day 2 - Power at the Red Sea  

•  Readings: Exodus 14:1-31
• Bonus Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:2

In day 1 we read about Jesus leading the two men on the road to Emmaus through the words of Moses, prophets and scripture.  The words of Moses refer to the first 5 books in the Bible.  I imagine Jesus thoroughly explained the passage you just read to these men.

You see, the Exodus from Egypt prefigures the saving work of Christ for his people, you and me.  What God did through Moses was to provide physical salvation from a physical slavery.  What God did through Jesus and the cross was to provide spiritual salvation from a spiritual slavery.   As the Israelites were slaves and held captive to Egypt’s bondage, we are held captive and slaves to sin.  

The story of the Exodus is a powerful story of God’s mighty works and sovereignty.  

We won’t dive deep into it here in the blog post but each plague was aimed to show God’s power over an Egyptian god.  (Example,  Heket is an Egyptian goddess with a frog head.  God made frogs come out of the Nile. )

The events of the Exodus which include the parting and crossing of the Red Sea are wrote about again and again in the rest of the Old Testament especially the Psalms as worship and remembrance of God’s saving word and salvation for them.  (Psalm 66:6, 78:13; 106:9; 136:13).  

The parting of the sea was the final act in deliverance in the Exodus from Egypt for the Israelites. When Moses stretches his arms out wide, when the waters parted, the Israelites walked to freedom on dry ground. They passed through the waters and were now identified with Moses. We have this same freedom in a spiritual sense when Jesus stretched his arms wide on the cross. His death broke our chains from sin and evil, his death created a path to our Heavenly Creator and we now through baptism part the waters of a new life and are identified with Christ.

Side note:  if you want to be amazed by the miracle of the Red Sea and some crazy facts, read here.