Holy Saturday!

For Holy Saturday, April 4, 2026:

Matthew 27:64 NLT, asking Pilate: “We (the leading priests and Pharisees,) request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he was raised from the dead! If that happens, we’ll be worse off than we were at first.”

The leading priests seemed unconcerned with spiritual authenticity, unconcerned with truth. To them, Jesus was a threat to their power and money. People had left the Synagogue to follow Jesus, and their tithes had gone to Jesus rather than the Temple. Because Jesus was a perceived threat, the leading priests and Pharisees plotted to kill him, which goes against everything they stood for. Now they were worried that Jesus’ prophecy would come true, that he would rise in three days. Men were sent to guard the tomb so that no one could steal the body and falsely claim that Jesus was alive.

The Great Exchange: Remember that while on the cross, the sins of the world were heaped upon Jesus, and His innocence was imparted to believers. That’s a massive amount of forgiveness, but that was the Father’s plan to bring believers home. That was Jesus’ mission, to rescue mankind from Satan’s territory. You could say that Jesus was on a mission trip to planet Earth!

One more thing: Many of us learned the Apostles’ Creed growing up. There’s a mistranslation that has always bothered me. The creed states, “Jesus was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell.” Friends, Jesus did not go to hell. He went to Sheol, a place for the dead. It is not heaven, and it is not hell. It may involve judgment, since Moses wrote, “The anger of Yahweh is a flame which burns in the ‘depths’ of Sheol.” But believers are already forgiven by the work Jesus did on the cross.

I suspect that not much happened on Holy Saturday, since that day is the Sabbath for Jews. It’s the Lord’s day, not a day for customary work. Jesus will be back to work tomorrow, walking away from his grave. Christians worship on Sunday, the day we realized that Jesus had conquered sin and death at the same time! In the meantime, "Shabbat Shalom!"

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Good Friday!

For Good Friday, April 3, 2026:

Matthew 27:20 NLT: “The leading priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be put to death.”

Many people had pilgrimaged to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover at the Temple. So Jesus’ trial before Pilate was witnessed by many. The custom was to release one prisoner on that special day, giving them a second chance. Barabbas was a horrible man, but the priests convinced the crowd to ask for him rather than Jesus.

Pilate responded, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”

They shouted back, “Crucify him!”

This dialog went back a forth a number of times. Pilate literally washed his hands of the matter, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood.” Pilate’s wife had suffered a nightmare over what was about to happen. The guards took Jesus to be flogged, and eventually crucified. It’s a horrible death. The body grows weak, collapses and dies of asphyxiation, unable to support itself to take in one more breath.

Jesus was fully God and fully human. We sadly remember the human part dying on this day. Our spiritual mentor, our life coach, was gone. His body was quickly placed in a tomb donated by Joseph of Arimathea, and secured with a huge stone. No further work could be done as the Sabbath (Saturday) was drawing near. The women would finish preparing the body on Sunday.

The fully human part will remain in the grave, at least until Sunday. But what will the God-part be doing?

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Maundy Thursday!

For Thursday, April 2, 2026, Maundy Thursday:

Matthew 26:21 NLT: “While they were eating (the Last Supper), Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.”

This was an unpleasant day in the Christian diary. Jesus knew this was their last meal together. He knew the end was imminent. But the 12 remained optimistic despite opposition from Jewish leaders and the Roman government. God, in his wisdom, made this day of suffering go quickly.

Before the meal, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, a task usually executed by servants. Jesus emphasized that he had come to serve, not to be served. Simon Peter protested, but eventually relented. Following the meal, Jesus instituted what we call Holy Communion, telling those present to “Do this in remembrance of me.” They then adjourned to the Mount of Olives.

Judas Iscariot later betrayed Jesus, pointing him out so he could be arrested by representatives of the leading priests and elders. He was brought before the high priest, Caiaphas, and those involved in the conspiracy sought witnesses who would lie about Jesus to get him killed. Peter denied knowing Jesus three times. This all happened overnight. The rooster crowed the next morning.

Found guilty in a kangaroo court, it was up to Mount Calvary. Jesus had been beaten and spat upon, then nailed to a cross stuck high in the air. The 12 had abandoned him, fearing for their own lives, I suspect.

The story ends tomorrow, on Good Friday. Or does it?

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church