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Why Have You Forsaken Me?

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  As we read the Gospel accounts of the Crucifixion, we notice Jesus said more than one thing during His time on the cross. In fact, He made seven statements when you add them together from all of the Gospels. Seven represents completion (e.g. a week is 7 days long) and when Jesus says His seventh statement, He dies. His earthly ministry, in His earthly body, is completed. The seven statements are: 1. Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing. Luke 23:34 2. Today, you will be with me in paradise. Luke 23:43 3. Behold your son: behold your mother. John 19: 26-27 4. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34; Psalm 22                      5. I thirst. John 19: 28 (cf. John 4: 4-26); Psalm 22:15; Psalm 69:21 6. It is finished. John 19:30 7. Father, into your hands I commend my spirit. Luke 23: 46; Psalm 31:5 The exact order is not known as no one Gospel has them all, although “It is...
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The Heart of the Crabapple Tree

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  [Some years ago, I heard a sermon with this story in it. This is my best recollection of the telling of that story. Dale Coparanis] Just outside the fence which enclosed some of the best apple trees in the county, grew a crabapple tree. This crabapple tree was a very prolific tree and produced much fruit. When some local kids came by they tried the crabapples and spit them out of their mouths. One of the kids said: “How can such a big tree with so much fruit have apples that taste so bitter?” So one day soon after, when the farmer was tending the irrigation around some of the apple trees, the crabapple tree started to cry. The farmer went over and said to the tree, “Are you crying?” “Yes,” said the crabapple tree. “I just want to have nice apples like your other trees. Perhaps if you were to let me share in some of the irrigated water then I could produce nice apples for the kids to eat.” “If that’s what you want,” the farmer replied. So the farmer dug a ditch to bring some o...
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What Child Is This?

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  During the Christmas season we often have to remember what the real reason for the season is. That is good and as it should be. However, as we do this, we often just stop with the miracle of Jesus being born in the manger. It’s difficult for our mortal brains to come to grips with the tremendous and total impact of Jesus’s role in God’s Plan of Salvation. All of it had to happen in order for the plan to work. Without it, we would have no hope and would rely on ourselves to save us from this fallen world – which, of course, would fail every time. The plan was for Jesus to have a lowly birth. Then He had a sacrificial death on the cross where He died for all the sins of mankind. Without this sacrifice, we could never truly follow Him. Jesus is our bridge to eternity in Heaven. A fter the cross, there had to be the Resurrection or else our faith is in vain. There are only a few Christmas songs/carols which begin touch on the totality of this plan. The one that I love is “W...
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