Easter – watercress words by Dr Aletha

“For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.”

Job 19:25

He is Risen-praise, honor, glory, power, king of kings-Hallelujah — graphic from LIGHTSTOCK.COM, an affiliate link

“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. “

1 Corinthians 15:56-57

“Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.”

Dr. Handel and his son

I know families with multiple physicians, including parents, siblings, or children. My grandfather was a dentist, but he died before I was born. My sons had no interest in medicine and instead chose technology careers.

Georg Handel was a barber-surgeon in northern Germany in the 17th century. Barber-surgeons were physicians in medieval Europe who only performed surgery, often treating wounds from war injuries. Eventually, surgery and barbery became separate occupations.

His son George did not follow his father into medicine. Instead George Frideric Handel followed his HEART and studied music and eventually composed his masterpiece , Messiah, first performed in 1742, and presented countless times since then.

Modern choirs perform Messiah at Christmas, but Handel wrote it to be performed at Easter. The lyrics of the songs in Messiah explore the HEART of the Bible with passages that tell the story of God sending Jesus to earth to redeem His people.

The London Symphony Orchestra presents Handel's Messiah

Find Handel’s Messiah on iTunes.

The scripture references in this post are used as lyrics in songs from Messiah, including the song that brings the audience to its feet, Hallelujah.

Text for “Hallelujah” comes from the book of Revelation in the New Testament.

Revelation 19:6: “Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.”
Revelation 19:16: “And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.”
Revelation 11:15 reads, “And he shall reign for ever and ever.”

The kingdom of this world;

is become the kingdom of our Lord,

and of His Christ

And He shall reign forever and ever

King of kings and Lord of lords

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah

Hallelujah

sharing the HEART of Easter

Dr Aletha

Palm Sunday is one of several “holidays”, or more correctly holy days that Christians “celebrate”, or observe, in the weeks before Easter called Lent. Palm Sunday comes from an event recorded in the Bible books of Mark, Luke, and John.

The prophet Zechariah had said

“Announce to the people
of Jerusalem:
‘Your king is coming to you!
He is humble
and rides on a donkey.
He comes on the colt
of a donkey.’ ”

image from the LIGHTSTOCK.COM collection, an affiliate link

The disciples left and did what Jesus had told them to do. They brought the donkey and its colt and laid some clothes on their backs. Then Jesus got on.

The next day a large crowd was in Jerusalem for Passover. When they heard that Jesus was coming for the festival, they took palm branches and went out to greet him. They shouted,

Hooray for the Son of David!
God bless the one who comes
in the name of the Lord.
Hooray for God
in heaven above!”

(Mark 11.1-11; Luke 19.28-38; John 12.12-19)

Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)

Lent starts with the well known Fat Tuesday-Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday.

Holy Week starts with Palm Sunday, related in the story above.

At my church on Palm Sunday, the preschool age children march into the auditorium waving palm branches and sing a song for us. The parents and grandparents sit up front, proudly taking pictures and video. Then there is a carnival and of course hunting for Easter eggs.

It’s a day to celebrate before we observe the solemn days of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.

Another Palm day in the Bible

It may not be on a Sunday, but I recently discovered another time when palm branches are used to honor Jesus. But unlike the first Palm Sunday, it celebrates a much happier occasion. It’s in the book of Revelation written by the Apostle John who was in exile on a deserted island.

“After this, I saw a large crowd with more people than could be counted.

They were from every race, tribe, nation, and language, and they stood before the throne and before the Lamb. They wore white robes and held palm branches in their hands, as they shouted,

Our God, who sits upon the throne,

has the power to save his people,

    and so does the Lamb.

Amen! Praise, glory, wisdom,

    thanks, honor, power and strength belong to our God

    forever and ever! Amen!”
Revelation 7:9-12, CEV

Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)

sharing faith, hope, and love

FAITH LOVE HOPE- words created with letter tiles — These three remain, faith, hope and love, and greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13

The first Palm day was a prelude to unexpected pain and suffering. Most of us did not anticipate the pain and suffering the COVID-19 pandemic would cause.

But the Bible describes the second Palm day as a celebration because their pain and suffering was over. And I believe some day we will look back on these difficult days and celebrate health and wholeness again.