# 16 LENTEN MEDITATION ~ 2023 ~ for the Preparation of the GREAT PASSOVER ~~~ The Morning Sacrifice in the Temple ~ The DEBT We Owe

 

Recalling that HE+ hid not His+ Face from shame and spitting, we thank YOU that by HIS+ Wounds we are healed.  We remember the chastisement of our peace was upon HIM+.

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The Moment of Silence

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ISRAEL'S Moment of Silence

The GREAT Passover... the Time of Preparation

 

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.

Isaiah 53:5

+  +  +

The Lenten Season is upon us once again. It starts on Wednesday, March 1. 

It is the season observed by many Christians in many church groups to remember the GREAT Passover of the LAMB+ of GOD… the Greatest Passover … and the Last Passover… recognized by GOD. 

The Lenten Season is NOT the sole property of the Roman Catholic, the Eastern Orthodox, or any of the liturgical churches. It belongs to all Christians everywhere.

During this time on the Christian church calendar, Ash Wednesday ( arbitrarily selected)  starts the remembrance of The LORD'S journey towards Jerusalem as HE+ headed towards His+ Crucifixion.

Many churches observe this Season as a time of serious reflection upon what it cost The LORD to save us from our sins --- and the Second Death in the Lake of Fire, for all Eternity ---  and thus, as a serious season of repentance. 

During this time, Christians try to bring the body under more control of the HOLY SPIRIT. To do this, supernatural strength is required. So, Christians fast, calling upon The LORD for help. 

Some Christians choose to fast from a favorite food (coffee,  pizza, chocolate, popcorn, sweets, all snacks,  etc.) simply as a way to REMIND their flesh that the spirit is in control, not the body. When they do this, they are usually shocked at the battle such a small commitment begins between their flesh and their spirit. 

Others choose to fast from a meal or  do one or two days of total fasting. Oddly enough, THIS type of fasting actually is easier; there is no battle, once the commitment is made. The "eating" time then becomes Quiet Time of Refreshment from The LORD.

There are other types of "fasts" that some Christians do during this( arbitrarily selected ) 40-day season.

Here are some little ways one could choose to submit the body to the spirit:  

   No parties or social get-togethers.

No games.

No reading, apart from the Bible.

An hour of total silence per evening / day.

No "chit-chat" or long conversations.

No un-necessary conversations.

Limited social interaction, be it by phone, emails, or visits.

No dining out.

No DVD's, No magazines, No computer... Nothing that could be construed as "entertaining."

No music or no up-beat music.

Only dark purple clothing is worn or no bright clothing until after the Resurrection.

The purpose of fasting is not to be ascetic but to cut away worldly distractions IN ORDER TO FOCUS more fully upon The LORD JESUS.

Time with HIM+;

Stillness with HIM+.

UN-CLUTTERED TIME WITH HIM+

.... a stillness that is SO STILL

that it ceases to think about

the day's events and duties.

Some Christians have heavy work-loads. Some work in the public; some attend classes and have time-absorbing assignments and exams; some have small children in the home; some home-school.

Whatever the situation,

The LORD will

show the WILLING HEART

what kind of fast is pleasing to HIM+

... and how much

... and WHEN

it is to be done.

Even a 5-minute break with The LORD . . . 

and a brief meditation on a verse of Isaiah 53 or a verse of a Psalm --- instead of a cup of coffee and a doughnut --- will increase the closeness one has with The LORD during this season.  Much good fruit of repentance and Quietness before HIM+ refreshes the body more than coffee and doughnuts.

 

But HE+ was wounded ...

is a good place to start the Lenten Season of Meditations focused upon The LORD JESUS CHRIST.

Other good Lenten Season Meditations include: Isaiah 53, Psalm 51, Psalm 32, John 14, John 15,  and John 17. Revelation chapters 2 and 3 lend themselves to serious reflection for repentance, also.

During Lenten Season, there is no great rush ...

to finish a Psalm or Isaiah 53. Line by line, phrase by phrase of Isaiah 53 ... one phrase a day...  works well for the spirit to meditate upon WHY HE+ was wounded.

What did your life, your sins cost HIM+ ?

What are your life and your sins

still costing HIM+ ?

Is HE+ being wounded

by your sins

that you choose to hide

and not confess and turn from ?

Is HE+ again being wounded

because you refuse

to yield the controls over to HIM+ ?

Are you wounding HIM+

because you are being sovereign

over some areas of your "own" life ?

Are there any worldly values or goals

you are holding or pursuing

that are wounding HIM+ afresh ?

+  +  +

Thus, whether "your church" does the Lenten Season remembrances or not, each Christian can still choose to observe the 40-day time of preparation for the Great Passover ... the greatest Passover the world has ever had, and the last.

Thus, I pray each one of you search your heart and see if HE+ is calling you to observe this season of the preparation for the Great Passover ... not from duty, but from a sincere heart of love for what HE+ has done for you. 

~ Sr. Judith Hannah  + + +

HOLY WEEK TIME-LINE

Sacrifice of the PASSOVER LAMB

HOLY WEEK 
Time-Line

REMEMBER:  All events were intricately tied to the Jewish Passover Holy Days, as JESUS CHRIST was the UN-blemished Passover LAMB+, the LAMB+ of GOD.

1. Lazarus Saturday ~ The Raising of Lazarus of Bethany who had been dead 4 days, from the tomb.

2.The LORD'S Day ( i.e., Sunday ) ~ His+ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem ~ Following a great feast hosted by the family of Lazarus, a multitude from Bethany accompanied JESUS on His+ way in to Jerusalem. They were met by a multitude coming UP FROM Jerusalem, to greet the SON+ of DAVID.

3. Monday ~ The Second Cleansing of the Temple -- The merchants and money-changers were waxing profitably due to the influx of Passover Pilgrims coming into Jerusalem at this time.
.
Josephus estimated the in-coming crowd to be around 2.7 million VISITORS in Jerusalem during Passover time. The census was ordered by Rome, to be taken by the Temple priests, according to Josephus. 
.
According to Matthew 21, though, the 2nd Cleansing of the Temple was after His+ Triumphant ride into Jerusalem ... not the day afterwards. The Church proper usually keeps the two events separated.  

4. Tuesday -- The Last Supper, the betrayal, and the drops of blood sweat in the Garden of Gesthemane, followed by the illegal night "trial" of The LORD.

5. Wednesday --- The Scourging, the parade of the Cross-carrying through Jerusalem to Golgotha, the dreadful crucifixion at the 3rd Hour (  9 a.m.), the time of the morning sacrifice in the Temple.

The darkened sky from noon, the 6^th Hour, until the 9th Hour ( 3 p.m.) when it was FINISHED and HE+ committed His+ spirit into the hands of The FATHER... at the time of the Evening Sacrifice in the Temple ... at which time the veil of the Temple was torn from TOP to the bottom.

Joseph of Arimathea laid His+ Body in the new Tomb.

First NIGHT in the heart of the earth.

6. Thursday --- High Holy Day. The HIGH Sabbath.

First DAY in the heart of the earth.

Second NIGHT in the heart of the earth.

7. Friday --- Day of Preparation for the regular Sabbath Day. The women went to buy spices to anoint His+ Body.

Second full DAY in the Heart of the earth.

Third full NIGHT in the Heart of the earth.

The "3 nights" in the heart of the earth were completed.

8. Saturday --- Regular Sabbath Day. The women rested.

The third full DAY in the heart of the earth

 was completed at 3 p.m. Saturday,

at the same hour

that HE+ died on the Cross

on Wednesday.

Having spent 3 full days and 3 full nights in the heart of the earth, as HE+ told us in Scriptures that HE+ would do,  from 3 p.m. Wednesday to 3 p.m. Saturday, His+ Resurrection had to occur at 3 p.m. Saturday.

However --- the FIRST WITNESSES, the women, did not SEE HIM+ until very early, before dawn, on The LORD'S day ( i.e., Sunday). That is when HE+ was revealed to them.

+  +  +

Having said all this, we remember that the Christian church services are commemorative, that is, we join together to REMEMBER these events.

Thus, we join with other Christians on Good Friday to commemorate His+ death and on Sunday to celebrate the REMEMBRANCE of His+ Glorious Resurrection.

Although there is no need to negate the truth of the timeline, there is also no need to cause more division in the Christian camp.  

+  +  +

Isaiah 53

Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
.

  ² 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.

³ 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.

⁴ Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

⁵ 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.

⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

⁷ He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

⁸ He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

⁹ And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

¹⁰ Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

¹¹ He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

¹² Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

PASSOVER, 2014 .... On the Blood-Red Earth

Isaiah 53

Who hath believed our report? 

and to whom is the ARM of the LORD revealed?

² 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+.

³  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.

⁴ Surely HE+ hath borne our griefs, 

and carried our sorrows: 

 yet we did esteem  HIM+ stricken, 

smitten of God, 

and afflicted.

⁵ 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.

⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on  HIM+ 

the iniquity of us all.

⁷ HE+ was oppressed, and HE+ was afflicted, yet HE+ opened not His+ mouth: HE+ is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so HE+ openeth not His+ mouth.

⁸ HE+ was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare His+ generation? for HE+ was cut off out of the land of the living: 

for the transgression 

of My people 

was HE+ stricken.

⁹ And HE+ made His+ grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His+ death; because (although) HE+ had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His+ mouth.

¹⁰ Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise HIM+; HE hath put HIM+  to grief: 

when THOU shalt make 

His+ soul 

an offering for sin,

 HE+ shall see His+ seed, HE+ shall prolong His+ days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His+ hand.

¹¹ HE+ shall see of the travail of His+ soul, and shall be satisfied: by His+ knowledge shall My Righteous SERVANT+ justify many; 

for HE+ shall bear 
their iniquities.

¹² Therefore will I divide HIM+  a portion with the great, and HE+ shall divide the spoil with the strong; because HE+ hath poured out His+ soul unto death: and HE+ was numbered with the transgressors;and HE+ bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.