40 DAYS and 40 NIGHTS ... The RESURRECTION SEASON !

DAY 6 

of the Resurrection Season

of the Christian Calendar

The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that JESUS began both to do and teach,  Until the day in which HE+ was taken up, after that HE+ through the HOLY SPIRIT had given commandments unto the apostles whom HE+ had chosen: 

To whom also HE+ shewed Himself+ alive 

after His+ Passion by many infallible proofs, 

being seen of them forty days, 

and speaking of the things pertaining 

to the Kingdom of GOD:

Acts 1: 1-3

+  +  +

Forty days and nights --- unlike ANY other 40 days and nights ever had been or ever will be on planet earth --- were 40 VERY ACTIVE days and nights. 

Disciples were moved from  a despair they could hardly live with to  a  JOY that they could hardly contain in their natural bodies. 

In fact, the brothers walking to Emmaus were SO ENLIVENED by contact with the Resurrected, Living LORD , that they turned around and walked BACK TO JERUSALEM  that very same night ... a matter of nearly 7 miles ! --- just to share the fact : 

JESUS IS RISEN !

What did The Risen LORD talk to them about during that 7 mile journey from Jerusalem to Emmaus ? 

 

Then HE+ said unto them, 

O fools, 

and slow of heart to believe 

all that the prophets have spoken: 

Ought not CHRIST 

to have suffered these things, 

and to enter into His+ Glory?   

And beginning at Moses and all the prophets,  

HE+ expounded unto them 

in all the Scriptures 

the things concerning HIMSELF+.

Luke 24:  25- 27 

+  +  +

 Earlier, verse 16 tells us that their eyes were holden, that they might not know Who+ HE+ was, as they expounded to HIM+ their puzzlement over His+ death. 

From the very words of these brothers, they had TRUSTED in CHRIST, so they were quite confounded at the works of GOD.  

Apparently, they did NOT trust the witness of the women of their company who found His+ Tomb empty ... and had talked with an Angel !  

HOW OFTEN HAVE WE OURSELVES

REJECTED THE  WITNESS 

OF THE LIVING CHRIST ?

Why do we make The LORD "prove" HIMSELF+ to us, over and over again?  

Yes, we "agree" in our minds... but do we ALWAYS AFFIRM in our hearts the Truth, when we are faced with great and serious difficulties ? 

The LORD,  The LIVING LORD, The RESURRECTED JESUS, up-braided the brothers ... and it was NOT GENTLE. 

"O, fools ... "

The LORD called these brothers !  

and slow of heart to believe 

ALL

that the prophets have spoken:

 

 The LORD JESUS+ revealed HIMSELF+ to them only in the breaking of the Bread, His+ Body,  because their minds were fixed on "what they knew"  or thought they knew.  

Unbelief is like that.  

The LORD had to share with them the Crucified CHRIST, alas,  before their eyes were opened to the Resurrected, Living CHRIST !

The breaking of the Bread, HIS+ Body, was required to move them from unbelief to FAITH ... that living trust in CHRIST to be exactly WHAT HE+  said HE+ is ! 

IS CHRIST REQUIRED 

to do that for us too ? 

Must  HE+ prove Himself+ over and over again to us before we move from unbelief to faith in HIM+, faith in His+ Victory over death, hell, and the grave ?  

Do we continue to live in despair in secret, tormenting areas of our lives ?

Must HE+ upbraid us, also ?

+  +  +

Dear Heavenly FATHER, 

O, THOU WHO hast given  us Thy SON+ and made us meet to be partakers with HIM+ in glory,  I stand ashamed before THEE for my unbelief. 

I repent and forsake my clinging on to unbelief even when I know The LORD JESUS is ALIVE and LIVES ever to make intercession for us. 

Turn my vision from myself and onto the Victory in CHRIST.  

Turn my vision from the affairs of this world and onto the Coming Return of CHRIST, when HE+ makes all things new and puts to flight the workers of evil, high and low. 

Grant me that Living victory, entrusting my care and keeping unto HIM+ Who+ lived and died, and "Behold,"  HE+ said, " I+  AM  ALIVE FOR EVERMORE! " 

 In the Mighty and LIVING Name of our Resurrected LORD JESUS CHRIST, I lift these prayers to THEE, O FATHER. 

+  +  +

Glory be to GOD ON HIGH ! 

HalleluJAH ! CHRIST IS RISEN ! 

HE+ is risen INDEED ! 

+  +  + 

HE+ LIVES! Resurrection of Jesus Christ, The HOPE of The Human Race

Jesus is ALIVE ! 

Life will never be the same.

 

Life is not about making money, buying endless things, being popular and well thought-of.

 

Life is about an ETERNITY with The ONE+

Who created you and all that exists.

 

HE+ came to us from another realm, another dimension, the heavenly-celestial dimension.

 

HE+ came to HIS+ own but they would not receive HIM+.  Many who say they are HIS+ still do not receive HIM+.

But HE+ is ALIVE! 

 

The Disciples saw HIM+ die a hard and painful death, complete with reviling and mocking. They heard HIS+ Words from the Cross. They watched the Roman soldier shove a razor sharp Roman lance into HIS+ heart to make certain HE+ was dead.

 

Joseph and Nicodemus lovingly removed HIS+ battered body from the Cross, wrapped it,  and placed it in Joseph’s tomb.

 

The religious leaders besought Pilate for a Roman guard detail to be placed to guard the tomb. Pilate gave them a watch, a squad of soldiers numbering 4 soldiers, which was changed every 4 hours, a total of 16.   The  penalty in the Roman army for allowing your “Prisoner” to escape was death.

When JESUS came out of the Tomb these hardened Roman soldiers passed out and became as dead men. Angels rolled the stone away. Their appearance was like lightning.

The SON+ of GOD is Alive and at The Right Hand of The Eternal GOD HIS+ Father, and will soon come again as HE+ promised. A Day of rejoicing for HIS+ Children, a day of terror for HIS+ enemies.

 

LIGHT OF THE WORLD, 

HE+ is Alive. 

Nothing will ever be the same again.

 

CHRIST IS RISEN!   

HE+ IS RISEN INDEED!  Hallelujah!!  

Come LORD JESUS!

They Have Stripped ME+ of My+ Garments

This is a  3-minute chant from the English Orthodox Byzantine Church, traditionally done on Holy Thursday before the Crucifixion of CHRIST JESUS. 

( It has a surprise ending; be sure to listen to the last stanza. ) 

While we can only count "3 nights and 3 days"  from a Wednesday Crucifixion, with two Sabbaths in that Passover week,  we join with other Christians in the Commemoration of The LORD'S Crucifixion on the western Christian world's "Good Friday" ... since the commemoration itself is not a matter of Salvation. 

  They Have Stripped ME+ 

of My+ Garments 

English Orthodox Byzantine Chant

EnglishOrthodox Chants

Holy Thursday, They Have Stripped Me of My Garments - English Orthodox Byzantine Chant Published on Jul 18, 2014 

Chanted by Vassilis Hadjinicolaou.

 

  They Have Stripped ME+ 

of My+ Garments  ... 

for the LAST TIME ! 

+   +   + 

MARANATHA!  

Come, LORD JESUS !  

 

* We have portrayed in this video Christian ART; we do not worship images nor icons. / Sr. Judith Hannah  + + +

 

" GOOD " WEDNESDAY

HOLY WEEK

in commemoration of

The Great --- and Final --- Passover

.

  CHRIST our Passover+

is sacrificed for us;

therefore, let us keep the feast.

not with old leaven,

neither with the leaven

of malice and wickedness;

but with the unleavened bread

of purity (Gk) and truth.

1 Corinthians 5:7,8

.

  .

The Crucifixion

... on "Good"  Wednesday

.

The LORD JESUS had sanctified the Bread and the Cup as His+ Body and Blood for the disciples.

.

HE+ had taken the Cup --- perhaps, His+ own Cup --- and passed it around at the Table, telling His+ disciples to divide it among themselves.

.

His+ prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane along with His+ first drops of blood, shed in agony, were finished.

.

The mockery of a trial by the unrighteous authorities, both civilian and religious, had been endured, along with the bruising dealt HIM+ by the goyim, the unclean.

.

Some more of His+ Blood was shed.

.

The crown of thorns pierced His+ brow.

.

More shedding of that Precious Blood.

.

Then the scourging, with leather whips embedded with metal and sharp objects, was administered by the men of war. At this point His+ Blood was flowing .  The skin on His+ backside was in tatters. Very likely His+ arms and legs felt the lash as well; the Romans were not known to be gentle.

.

And HE+ had not come to the Cross yet.

.

Crucifixion would have taken place ( on our Wednesday ) at the hour of the morning sacrifice in the Temple, the 3rd hour ... our 9 a.m. 

.

As the LAMB+ of GOD, the LORD JESUS CHRIST fulfilled the entire pattern presented to Israel in the Temple sacrifices, for they were precisely ordained of old for this reason exactly.

.

This Carpenter, this LAMB+ of GOD, had likely carried many a beam of wood hewn from the forest. Likely HE+ had walked many a mile in His+ 3.5 years of ministry. HE+ was hardy.

.

After His+ Agony, His+ bruisings, His+ scourging, The LAMB+ was so depleted of blood, of His+ natural strength, that HE+ could not carry the beam of His+ Cross and walk a mile.  It would seem HE+ had super-natural strength, though, or else medical shock would have set it.

.

Thus, they crucified the SON+ of GOD. All the unclean... the unclean goyim...  the unclean religious leaders ... the unclean public who cried with insatiable lust for blood:

.

" Crucify HIM+ ! "

" Crucify HIM+ ! "

  .

HE+ Who+ showed mercy, had none given to HIM+.

.

  .

Thus, at 9 a.m., mid-week, the day before a High Holy Sabbath, they crucified our LORD JESUS CHRIST at the time of the morning sacrifice in the Temple.

.

His+ words recorded were:

.

" FATHER,

forgive them,

for they know not

what they do."

..

Do we suppose The FATHER answered this prayer ?

.

At noon, the 6th hour, the world went dark. It was a darkness which could be felt and NO... it was NOT an eclipse. None had been recorded by the astronomers. Only darkness was recorded as HE+ endured the agonies of the Cross.

.

The world is going to go dark again soon as we prepare for His+ return to planet earth and this time, with a DIVINE ROD of IRON.

.

The Agony of the Cross 

.

Let's look at some of it. It is written that every muscle in the body of a crucified victim locks into a muscle spasm. We call them "a charlie horse." 

.

Normally, it is only one painful muscle which tightens and locks. Normally, it is over in minutes. HIS+ lasted hours, and there was no pulling out of them. It affected His+ entire body.

.

Then, at the 9th hour ... 3 p.m. our time ... HE+ said,

.

" It is finished, FATHER;

into Thy Hands

I+ commend My+ Spirit."

.

As HE+ gave the sop to Judas at the Table, the LORD JESUS  gave permission to be crucified to the Unclean. HE+ set in motion the final act to do His+ Heavenly FATHER'S will, a plan that was agreed upon before the foundation of the earth,  Revelation 13:8.

.

HE+ did the Will of The FATHER

to bring many sons to HIM.

.

As it is written: 

 For it became HIM, 
for Whom are all things, 
and by Whom are all things, 

in bringing many sons unto glory, 
to make 
the Captain+ of their Salvation 
perfect through sufferings. 
Hebrews 2:10
.

The count-down of three days and three nights HE+ would spend in the heart of the earth began.

.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT:

.

Night one

in the heart

of the earth.

+ + +

.

Worthy is the LAMB+

that was slain

from the foundation 

of the world.

The FIRST Supper... The LAST Passover+

HOLY WEEK

in commemoration of

The Great --- and Final --- Passover

CHRIST our Passover+

is sacrificed for us;

therefore, let us keep the feast.

not with old leaven,

neither with the leaven

of malice and wickedness;

but with the unleavened bread

of purity (Gk) and truth.

1 Corinthians 5:7,8

+  +  +

The FIRST Supper

The disciples made ready the Passover for The LORD and His+ disciples to eat.  It was indeed the LAST Passover The LORD JESUS would eat.

However, for the disciples, it was their FIRST Supper, their first Communion with the Body and Blood of The LORD CHRIST. 

At this time, The LORD instituted His+ Holy Communion, or as the Early Christians called it, the GREAT THANKSGIVING , the Eucharist ( GK ). 

From Matthew's account, chapter 26:

And as they were eating, JESUS took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said,

Take, eat; 

this is My+ body.

And HE+ took the Cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying,

Drink ye all of it;

For this is My+ Blood

of the New Covenant,

Which is shed for many

for the remission of sins.

.

From Mark 14:

Take, eat: 

this is My+ Body.

And HE+ took the Cup, and when HE+ had given thanks, HE+ gave it to them: and they all drank of it.

This is My+ Blood

of the New Covenant,

Which is shed for many.

And from Luke 22:

.

And HE+ took the Cup, and gave thanks, and said,

Take this, 

and divide it 

among yourselves:

For I+ say unto you, I+ will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the Kingdom of GOD shall come.

 And HE+ took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying,

This is My+ Body 

which is given for you:

this do in remembrance of ME+.

Likewise also 

the cup after supper, 

saying,

This Cup is the New Covenant

in My+ Blood,

Which is shed for you.

But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth ME+ is with ME+ on the table.

+  +  +

Thus, HE+ gave them their FIRST Communion at the LAST and Final Passover.

This Final Passover was no mere "remembrance."  No. It was the actual thing which GOD had prepared for His+ people all along.

During any ACTUAL Passover which is NOT a mere remembrance, there must be blood shed to cover us so that we are not destroyed with the unbelievers. The blood COVERS the sinner who has repented before GOD.  

( Heb. = kippor = covering, or, Gk = hilasterion, a Divine lid covering the Ark of the Covenant )

In one sense, GOD performed a precursor to the first Passover when HE slew animals to COVER Adam and Eve's nakedness, Genesis 3:21.

Did HE also cover their sin that day, so that the satan could not destroy them? The satan was certainly upon earth at that time because through his wiles, Adam and Eve brought sin into the entire Adamic race of men.  

Some say the animals slain for their coverings were Lambs. It could have been, but Scripture is silent on this. No blood had been shed on planet earth before that time. 

No blood at all,

of either animal or man. 

Would that HE+ would return

and restore planet earth

to that pristine state !

Thus, as our LORD prepared to enter into GETHSEMANE's garden after eating the Passover Meal, HE+ prepared His+ disciples with His+ Body and Blood to face their battle of great fear, horrifying doubt, and immense sorrow that would soon follow. 

Gethsemane, a word from the Chaldean / Aramaic language, was the place for pressing out oil by crushing the olives. Somehow, the "gath" root of this word also means a treading of grapes to produce wine.

Both meanings show us Whose+ Life was being crushed, treaded down, and wrung out  during this Final Passover night in the garden of "Gethsemane."

From Luke 22:

Saying, FATHER, if THOU be willing,

remove this cup from ME+:

nevertheless not My+ will,

but Thine, be done.

And there appeared

an angel unto HIM+ from Heaven,

strengthening HIM+.***

And being in an Agony

HE+ prayed more earnestly:

and His+ sweat was

as it were great drops of blood

falling down to the ground.***

+  +  +

For even

CHRIST our Passover+

is sacrificed for us:

+  +  +

*** Modern versions have removed those last two verses from their Bibles, which is totally unjustified editing. Those Bibles are faulty and not to be trusted as the ACCURATE Word of GOD.