Were You There with Simon of Cyrene?
Tag Archives: Jesus
Were You There with The Crowd?
Were You There with Barabbas?
Were You There with Pilate?
Were You There?
Good Friday was quite an event in PB’s dad’s church. Seven pastors from local congregations gathered to preach on the seven last words of Jesus from the cross. Each speaker was allowed ten minutes. But if you know anything about pastors, you know ten minutes doesn’t cut it.
That service was a marathon—
a true experience of long-suffering.
It definitely was not the day to volunteer for nursery duty.
In between each message there was a hymn or special music. One year, a man with a deep baritone voice sang an old hymn with incredible depth of emotion.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh – Ooohhh – Oh.
Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
As his voice soared, my heart trembled.
For a moment, I was there.
I still find myself there, in the cast of characters that were eye-witnesses:
Malchus and Pilate and Barabbas;
Simon of Cyrene, the centurion, and the thief;
the Pharisees, Joseph of Arimathea, and Mary Magdalene.
As Holy Week approaches, I’m preparing a series of ten reflections called “Were You There?” I’ll post five of them here, from Monday, April 7 through Friday, April 11, and five more the following week, ending on Good Friday.
Come with me over the next two weeks
and see if you can’t find yourself there, too.
Rest Assured
It’s the first day of spring.
It doesn’t look like it.
It doesn’t feel like it.
But it’s the truth.
And I believe it.
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for,
the conviction of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1
Recently I was with a friend who expressed a concern. She was worried about her faith. Did she have enough? What if she didn’t? How would she know? What would happen if she came up short? From her perspective, it didn’t look like she had enough faith. And it didn’t feel like it.
We talked it over and I reminded her that it doesn’t take much. God is happy to work with a tiny amount of faith, even as small as a mustard seed. (Matthew 17:20) She was quiet for a few moments, then said, “Well, then……..I guess I’m ok.” Yes, my dear, you are ok.
We all need a little reassurance from time to time.
We’re in good company.
When God called Moses to deliver the Israelites from bondage in Egypt, Moses was a bundle of doubts and fears. “Who am I?” “What if…?” “Suppose…?” “Why? Why? Why?” He finished with, “Please send someone else.” (Exodus 3-5)
When God called Gideon to lead an army against his enemies, Gideon whined, “But, why…?” “But, how…?” “But…me?” Then he put God through a string of tests, just to be absolutely sure he heard from the Almighty correctly. (Judges 6)
Even John the Baptist had his doubts. John—who introduced Jesus as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) John—the one who witnessed a voice from heaven declaring, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matt. 3:17) This same John sent a message to Jesus, “So, are you the one or should we look for someone else?” (Matt. 11:2)
These heroes of the faith needed assurance. They hadn’t gone off the rails or shipwrecked their long-held beliefs. They just needed to be reminded of truth they already knew down deep.
On those days when doubts and fears creep in,
turn to the Word of Truth.
And rest assured.
Today is the first day of spring.
It doesn’t look like it.
It doesn’t feel like it.
But it’s the truth.
And I believe it.
2025 Bible Reading Plan
This week between Christmas and the new year is my favorite week of the year. I like to look back over the notes I’ve made, read some old journal entries, and peruse the list of books I read. It’s a satisfying and somewhat solemn review of things I’ve learned and tried to process. It’s also a time to anticipate new growth in the coming year.
The schoolgirl in me loves a syllabus, a list of assignments, a program to carry out. Without a plan, I tend to wander and waver, making excuses and sliding through the weeks. So here is my 2025 plan. You are welcome to follow along!
I’m going to start 2025 with a read-through of Proverbs. Who doesn’t need wisdom when facing a new year? I will read one chapter a day for 31 days and pick one verse out of each day’s chapter to copy in my notebook, followed by a reflective sentence or two.
In February and March I will take a slow stroll through Ephesians, taking about 20 verses each week. I plan to read Eugene Peterson’s “Practice Resurrection” and “A Week in the Life of Ephesus” by David A. DeSilva during these two months.
Old Testament prophet Jeremiah will be my focus in April and May, reading 5-7 chapters per week. I have “Run with the Horses” on my book pile, which is another Eugene Peterson book, this one on Jeremiah.
In June, I will do a word study on Patience, the fourth fruit of the spirit as listed in Galatians 5. One verse for each day, Monday through Friday.
July and August will take me to Psalms. First, Book IV, which consists of Psalm 90-106. (Did you know the book of Psalms is divided into 5 books?) After that, I’ll soak in the special group of psalms called “The Songs of Ascent” (Psalms 120-134).
I’ll kick off the fall with Paul’s letter to the Romans, taking two chapters in each week (M-F) of September and October.
In November, I’m going to do a character study on Peter by reading four different accounts in the gospels along with his own words from his letters, 1 and 2 Peter.
The year will close with an Advent devotional of some kind.
Too much? Maybe.
Will I stick to it and complete it? Maybe.
Will this give me the nudge I need to keep plugging away
and give me a framework to pick back up if I fall off the plan? Absolutely.
May God bless the reading of His Word in 2025.
31 Days of Questions: Day 23
“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” Matthew 18:1
When PB calls all the kids up for the children’s sermon, there is a stampede of little feet up the aisles. The little ones love sitting up in front next to their pastor. They are eager to hear a story from the Bible.
Or maybe it’s the Tootsie Pops.
One thing I’ve noticed through the years —
the right answer to every question in every children’s sermon is always “Jesus”.
“Whose birthday do we celebrate at Christmas?” JESUS!
“What is Easter really all about?” JESUS!
“Who loves you more than anybody?” JESUS!
You can’t go wrong by answering just about any question at church with “JESUS!”
Which is why this question might have thrown the disciples off a bit.
“Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”
It’s gotta be “JESUS!”
Or “GOD!”
One of those two.
Has to be.
Right?
The Master Himself answered the question by calling a little child to come and stand in the middle of twelve men who were jockeying for an exalted position in the coming Kingdom.
Here’s how to be great: be like a child.
Be humble.
Be honest.
Trust.
Love unconditionally.
Be like Jesus.
Bread Crumbs
He gives thanks for the seven loaves, hands the bread to his disciples, and 4,000 people eat dinner.
The disciples pick up the scraps, but somehow forget to bring any along for the boat ride home.
Well, there is one little loaf….but that’s not enough to feed 12 hungry men…..right?
There is a discussion. “Why didn’t you bring some of that leftover bread?” “Nobody told me to.” “I thought he was getting some.” “I thought you were.”
The Master asks the next question: “Why are you talking about having no bread?” The embarrassed silence is followed by seven more rapid-fire questions. The men manage to answer two of the eight questions.
The easy ones.
“How many basketfuls did you pick up when I fed 5,000 with 5 loaves?”
“Twelve.”
“How many basketfuls did you pick up when I fed 4,000 with 7 loaves?”
“Seven.”
Now the hard ones:
“Do you have eyes but fail to see? Do you have ears but fail to hear? Are your hearts hard? Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember?”
I think I’m starting to understand.
Followers of Jesus are called to give and serve and feed and clean up after people. The task can appear overwhelming and some days it seems impossible to satisfy the needs of so many. And then Jesus speaks blessing over the paltry offering and a miracle takes place. It’s amazing, but it’s also exhausting. Servants go home tired and realize they didn’t get to eat the miracle meal.
Jesus says, “What do you mean, there’s nothing left for you? What’s in your hand?”
I say, “A few bread crumbs.”
And He says, “Don’t you remember? Don’t you understand?”
Jesus, the great multiplier, is in my boat, where crumbs become a feast.
I’m beginning to understand.
(You can read the Biblical account in Mark 8:14-21)
Lead the Way
“They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid.” Mark 10:32
This is the picture that has gripped me during Holy Week:
Jesus, striding up to Jerusalem, determined to carry out his mission….
which would involve betrayal, mocking, flogging, crucifixion and death.
He led the way.
Four times, Jesus told His disciples what was coming, except He always added the final part – resurrection — but they didn’t seem to hear it.
“The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief. Matthew 17:23
Jesus lost them at “they will kill him”.
The twelve were full of fear, perhaps wondering if death was also waiting for them in Jerusalem.
BUT THEY STILL FOLLOWED.
They did it scared.
I must remember, when I am astonished at being led down the road marked with suffering,
that it’s a place He’s been before….
and He knows the way.
I can do it scared.
“The cross is never the end. It’s only partway through. The cross is necessary, but the cross is always accompanied by the resurrection and the victory that comes from the resurrection…..that’s always true.” Experiencing the Cross, Henry Blackaby
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