The Quiet Week

The closing of the season of Lent brings a silence to all of humanity.  The events that took place from, what we call Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday defy the use of words to describe the importance of them.  From shouts of Hosanna to every tongue be stopped is truly God’s work to reveal to all of creation the greatness of His Love.  All of the combined wisdom of mankind can not comprehend or design so great a salvation for a broken world.  As the quietness descends throughout this week, may we look to the events we caused as a resounding yes to the complete work of His Son Jesus Christ.  As you stand silent like those closest to Him, let your voice be stilled with them and look at the one that Isaiah described in the 53rd Chapter  verses 1-5:

“Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?   For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.  He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.   Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. ”

Nothing could change the course he set.  Not the boldness of Peter that he would follow him to death.  Nor the denial that came from the same Peter, who was our representative.  The tender love that drew salvation’s plan, was the same love that stayed the path through the false accusations, trial and sentencing.  It was with love that Jesus remained silent in proclaiming His innocence.  He was without sin, but took upon himself the sin of the entire world, “bore our griefs, and carried our sorrows” so we might be healed.  His silence has become our peace.  Our silence can turn to praise with his disciples with the words recorded in the 16th chapter of the Gospel of Mark verses 4-7:

” And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.   And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.   And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.   But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.”

Pastor Stan