An Untamed Colt

 

Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’” The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. (Matthew 21:1-7 ESV).

 

Today is Palm Sunday, one week before the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection! So much takes place in this last week of Jesus’ ministry during these days. Hopefully we will look at some of these events a bit differently than we have before so that we may find encouragement and hope in our lives. So, today I’ve chosen to focus on the almost overlooked little animal that is so important to Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the untamed colt of a donkey.

 

From our reading we see that Jesus tells his disciples to go into the village, untie a donkey and her colt, and bring them to him. Mark and Luke describe it as a colt that “no one has ever ridden” (cf. Mark 11:2; Luke 19:30). And selecting a donkey’s colt, Matthew explains, fulfills a prophecy (cf. Zechariah 9:9). Riding a donkey’s colt identifies the rider as coming in peace.

 

What’s striking is how that donkey, never before ridden, submitted to Jesus without resisting. Even the loud “Hosanna” shouts of the people seemed to have no impact on this animal. Such unnatural behavior of this donkey’s foal is as instructive as it is miraculous. It is further proof that Jesus has dominion over all of his creation. Did Jesus look for the same submission from his disciples—total surrender to the Master? Paul wrote later, “I urge you in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God” (Romans 12:1). Perhaps our thinking about this colt should prompt us to ask whether we’re submissive to the Lord. Or do we tend to act as might be expected of a stubborn donkey, braying in protest and pulling against the lead? It is always best to submit to the leadership of Jesus. Make that your commitment today.

He Calls Your Name!

 

Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her. (John 20:16-18 ESV).

 

We should not leave the story of Mary Magdalene and Jesus at the empty tomb before we see how Jesus calls out to her. While John and Peter experienced the evidence of the empty tomb and the abandoned grave clothes, Mary had the privilege of a different kind of evidence. She had the amazing opportunity to be one of the first persons to actually meet the risen Lord and hear him speak (cf. Matthew 28:8-10).

 

Mary had been in tears, thinking that someone had stolen Jesus’ body from the tomb. As Jesus approached her, he asked her gently why she was crying. But she thought he was the gardener and assumed he might know where Jesus’ body was. Then Jesus spoke her name: “Mary.” And she knew.

 

All her distress immediately vanished. Instead of the dead body she had hoped to recover, she found herself face to face with the living Lord. It was all the evidence she would ever need. For the second time that morning, Mary found herself running to the place where the disciples were staying, and she announced, “I have the seen the Lord!”

 

Remarkably, God knows our name as well. “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands,” (Isaiah 49:16). If you listen, you will hear him calling your name deep within. It’s the only evidence you will ever need to know that he is alive. As we begin to look at each of the next days before Easter, please remember that He calls your name. He knows you and loves you so much He died in your place to give you eternal life. Regardless of what you have done or left undone, He comes to you with open arms and healing for all your ills. Trust in Him!

 

Stuck in Grief... Pulled into Joy!

 

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). (John 20:11-16 ESV).

 

Before we reach the last week before Easter, we must look at the response of those who first found the empty tomb. Today we see Mary Magdalene as she stood outside Jesus’ tomb, crying. Her Lord and friend had died, and a real and legitimate grief had come over her. She was broken-hearted just as any of us are when we experience the death of a loved one. In the same way as with us, Mary’s grief entombed her. It blurred her vision so that when she saw the stone rolled away from Jesus’ tomb, she assumed that someone had stolen his body. And when she saw Jesus standing in front of her, she thought he was a gardener. Jesus, fully alive, faced a friend who was blinded by so much grief that she couldn’t see him.

 

Perhaps Jesus spoke Mary’s name softly, gently. But he might well have said it forcefully to shake her out of her grief: “Mary!”—as if to say, “Get a grip on yourself! I’m alive! I’ve conquered death. I’ve broken its grip. Mary! Leave the tomb behind and come into the joy of new life!” Either way the lesson is still there.

 

Sometimes grief or other harsh realities can overwhelm us so much that we forget Jesus is alive. But he has conquered death—our death, our loved ones’ deaths—and our future is safe in his hands. We legitimately grieve the deaths of people we love, and we struggle with the cruelties of injustice and corruption in this world, but we do so knowing that our grief will one day turn to joy. What a call to thankful living!

 

Christ has risen, and one day he will return again!

 

The Meaning of Easter - Pt. 5

 

Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. (John 20:1-9 ESV).

 

The picture I’ve included with today’s devotional was taken in Washington D.C. Perhaps you can recognize the Washington Monument in the background. It is a part of the vast cemetery known as Arlington National Cemetery. Each year one of the most traditional practices takes place here and at many other cemeteries across the world. This tradition is rooted in our reading today. Easter “sunrise” services commemorate the early morning hour of Christ’s resurrection. These services are reminiscent of the earliest Easter celebrations which included an Easter Vigil, held very late on Saturday night or early Sunday morning. The Vigil ended with the lighting of a candle, celebrating the light of Jesus Christ coming into the world through the resurrection. I have taken part in many such services over the years. Many times these services were multidenominational, as the celebration of the resurrection crosses every boundary men have erected over the centuries since that first Easter morning… Jesus is risen!

 

So, next time you attend an Easter Sunday service, gather with family around the table for Easter dinner, or dye eggs with your kids or grandkids, remember that all of the traditions we have looked at have long histories. If we take time to reflect on the histories and symbolic meanings of these traditions, whether we participate in them or not, it can help us decide how to celebrate a more Christ-centered and meaningful Easter! After all, it is not about eggs, bunnies, festive meals, or sunrises. It is about Jesus having defeated death on our behalf. No grave can hold the child of God captive. We shall be risen with Him!

 

The Meaning of Easter - Pt. 4

 

The next day he [John] saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.” (John 1:29-34 ESV).

 

Almost all of our holidays have involved the Family Feast. Such a grand family meal has always been a part of celebrating the joyous nature of the Easter holiday. It is true today as Easter remains an occasion for families to gather together and share a meal. But, what’s the story behind the traditional foods that are typically served at such meals?

 

We’ve already discussed eggs and their symbolic connection to the resurrection, so it should be no surprise that eggs have had a place on the Easter table since the days of the early Church. Another original staple of the Easter meal is lamb. Lamb and eggs were both part of the Jewish Passover meal, a precursor to early Easter feasts. Lamb also strongly symbolizes Jesus Christ as the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (cf. John 1:23). To this day, many people still eat lamb on Easter Sunday.

 

However, the majority of North Americans today celebrate Easter by cooking and enjoying another Easter meat: ham. The tradition of Easter ham arose more out of practicality than symbolism. In Northern Europe, pork was always plentiful and spring was the time to enjoy hams cured over the long winter season. Similarly today, the supply of pork in North America dwarfs that of lamb, keeping this tradition of practicality going strong. Whether lamb or ham is a part of your menu or not, do not miss the truth of our reading today. Jesus is indeed the One who takes away the sin of the world through His sacrificial death. He is also the only One who can give us eternal life through that work of grace and love!

 

The Meaning of Easter - Pt. 3

 

Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” (John 11:17-27 ESV).

 

Our reading today is a part of the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. It is an important lesson in eternal life. It is also the foundation of our next examination of the Easter tradition we have come to know as the Easter Bunny. Much like the egg, hares and rabbits have long symbolized fertility and new life. In Medieval Christian art and architecture, particularly in Northern Europe, we sometimes find rabbits depicted in association with the Virgin and Christ child or with the Holy Trinity.

 

But the Easter bunny we know today probably finds its origin among 17th century German Lutherans who told stories about an egg laying hare, that delivered eggs to well-behaved children on Easter (much like Santa Claus). Children would make nests (the precursors to today’s Easter baskets) and leave them out for the Easter bunny to lay eggs in them. In the morning, children would find their nests filled with eggs. In other European countries, animals like foxes, or even cuckoos, fill the role of the Easter bunny and are said to deliver eggs on Easter day. Most scholars think the Easter bunny made its way to North America with German immigrants in the 18th century. Since that time, the tradition of the Easter hare has developed into an Easter bunny that brings not only eggs, but candy, and even presents on Easter morning.

 

The Easter Bunny was meant to teach the truth of eternal life. We can recapture that lesson if we will focus on Jesus’ promise revealed in our reading today. There is no death to those who are the chosen children of God redeemed by the blood of Jesus!

 

The Meaning of Easter - Pt. 2

 

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, ia ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, lwe know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born oagain he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:1-8 ESV).

 

Today we being with one of the most common Easter traditions… Easter eggs! Among ancient Mesopotamian and Egyptian cultures, eggs symbolized life and rebirth. Eggs held similar significance in pre-Christian cultures across Europe. Their inclusion into the celebration of Easter as a symbol of the resurrection occurred fairly early in Church history. Early Mesopotamian Christians dyed Easter eggs red, as a symbol of Christ’s blood. This tradition of dyeing and decorating Easter eggs likely spread from the Eastern Church to the Western Church and by the Middle Ages the practice had become widespread throughout Europe.

 

In Medieval Europe, eggs were also one of the common foods from which Christians abstained during the 40 days of Lent. It should be no surprise then that Christians included them in the celebration of Easter, both by decorating them and eating them during the Easter feast. By the 17th century, the Roman Catholic Church had even included an Easter blessing for eggs in their official rites. The decorating of Easter eggs hit its peak of extravagance in the 19th century, when Russian royalty exchanged jewel-covered eggs at Easter. Many of these were commissioned by the famous jewelry firm, House of Fabergé. Today, most families dye eggs all different colors for Easter. For many it is little more than a cultural tradition, but for some, the eggs still represent the new life that the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ offer to all who believe. It is a great reminder of Jesus’ teaching in our reading today… to have eternal life, we must be born again; and, that happens through the work of Jesus!