“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. (Isaiah 43:1) Mary Magdalene experienced Jesus’s rescuing power in her life. But being freed from her demons didn’t automatically remove her difficult circumstances. No doubt she had painful memories, relationships that were strained or broken, and consequences that came from life gone awry. But also, she had Jesus. No wonder she ended up becoming one of His devoted followers, exchanging the roof over her head for a tent, and familiarity for a whole new kind of wilderness wandering. She had found the kind of rest that only comes from communing with the Creator, and she wasn’t about to lose His presence. (The Chosen) There…

For the month of April we will discover some of the many lessons that can be learned from studying the life of Mary Magdalene Overview – A New Creation in Christ Mary Magdalene was a woman with a troubled past.  She had been possessed by seven demons before Jesus set her free.  After her healing she became a follower of Jesus and is mentioned as one of the women who traveled with Him and contributed to meeting the needs of His group.  Her devotion to Jesus was evident in her dedication to Him not only during His ministry but during His crucifixion and after His resurrection as well. Mary is…

What just happened! Yesterday was a day like no other and the believers were emotionally crushed and in observance of the Sabbath, were at their homes. The stillness must have been deafening compared to the uproar of the events the day before. How their minds must have been trying to remember the words that Jesus spoke and comprehend their meaning now that He was dead and buried. Was this real? What would happen next? As the believers sat in silence, the Pharisees remembered and were actively trying to prevent the predicted outcome. The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate.  “Sir,” they…

In order to prepare my mind and heart for today I read each version of the Good Friday events from Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. I’m a visual learner and as I read the passages my mind would recall the scenes from the movie The Passion. Tears filled my eyes as I read about the brutal treatment that was given to my Lord. I thought of how exhausted He must have been, the sadness at betrayal and abandonment of some of His followers, the pain from the beatings and the mockery that He endured. Over and over in the passages it said, “these things happened that Scripture might be fulfilled.”…

The Thursday before Easter is known as Maundy Thursday, which is derived from the Latin word for “command,” and refers to Jesus’ commandment to the disciples to “Love one another as I have loved you.” On this night Jesus and His disciples celebrated the Passover meal together and it’s when Jesus explained and shared communion (The Lord’s Supper) with them; giving them a new commandment, “Do this in remembrance of Me.” This was something that Jesus had eagerly desired to do with His disciples before He suffered. To be in that room watching Jesus interact with His beloved disciples, eating with them, talking with them, reclining with them, must have…

Wednesday is right in the middle of the week. It’s a day that seems pivotal for our attitudes and mindsets. During Passion Week there was no exception. The bible tells us about two people who, at that moment, on that day, made decisions that forever marked them and changed them. One was Mary, the sister of Lazarus, and the other was Judas, one of Jesus’ disciples. Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him.  “But not during the festival,” they said, “or the people may riot.” While…

Tuesday is one of my favorite days of Holy Week. It is the day that Jesus taught parables, confronted the religious leaders, noticed the unnoticed and spoke about the future. Oh how I would have loved to have been there, listening to His voice, seeing the passion in His words, watching the responses of those in the crowd and most importantly, just being near Jesus. The day started with Jesus and His disciples walking to the temple and along the way they saw the fig tree from the day before, all withered up. Peter was surprised, but Jesus responded by saying, “Have faith in God. Truly I tell you, if anyone…

Easter is not a day – it is a season and a way of life. It’s being intentional about choosing to see Jesus in every moment of your life and not only imagining walking with Him, but actually living in a vibrant and personal relationship with Him. During this passion week put yourself in the moments of each day by visualizing yourself being right there, with Jesus. What would you do? What would you say? How would you feel? Make it personal. The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry.  Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any…

“Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” The word hosanna comes from a Hebrew word meaning “save now” or “save us, we pray.” The crowd’s use of this word at the triumphal entry was significant—especially as they waved palm branches. By saying “hosanna” as Jesus passed through the gates of Jerusalem and referring to David and David’s kingdom, the Jews were acknowledging Jesus as their Messiah. Their shouts of “hosanna in the highest” indicated the hope that their Messiah had finally come to set up God’s kingdom then and there. Today begins my most favorite time of year, Holy…