Sunday Reflections (11) -

Sunday Reflections Week 11! 

~ Palm Sunday ~
How greatly I look forward to Easter Sunday every year. Every year since it was engraved on my heart of the sweetness of the resurrection and the finishing of my salvation by Christ. How wonderful it has become to look upon the week that He took upon Himself the debt I owed, and paid it in full. He is fully glorified and ALIVE, and has bought us with His own precious blood. We are children of God by His perfect atonement, we are washed clean, we are made new creations, we will live forever with Him!!

Singing in church today, I felt my whole body just vibrating with trying to hold myself (mostly) still during the service. With all that was in me, I sucked in air, and poured myself out in gratitude. Palm Sunday, Passion week and Good Friday and Easter drops me to my knees in joy.

I taught my Sunday school children, and as we wrote out answers for What we were before, What We deserved, What Christ accomplished on the Cross, and What we have now and will have because of Him, I found my heart swelling with each answer.

 Forgiveness. Life. Joy. Freedom. Heaven. Communion with God. Healed. Grace. 
Adopted and co-heirs with Christ. Children of God. My debt ALL paid. Peace. Hope. 
 No condemnation. No punishment. No prison and no death. No separation. Made pure and holy. 
Redeemed. Loved. Accepted into God's family. 

As I turned around, and I asked one of the girls for another answer, she looked at me like she couldn't think up another one, and we said "JOY!" at the same time. ;) I said "Joy covers so much of what we feel when we think about this, doesn't it!!", and she quickly agreed. How sweet to see the gospel light in their eyes.

Please be moved this week, as you go into Passion week....please let this, the gospel truth of Christ on the cross and Christ as your Savior and Christ resurrected pull you down to your knees in gratitude, let it overwhelm you with joy, let it bring you before the cross and the throne in utter worship for the High King of Heaven and the Lamb that was slain for His beloved. Let there be joy in every heart over this!!!

Here is one of the songs we sang this morning. With eyes brimmed with tears, and gratitude pumping faster than anything else through my heart, with overwhelmed and staggered amazement at the Savior, I sang this song that is and will always be one of my very favorites. May it be sung on the day that I am even laid to rest in the ground, because I will be singing it on this earth, and in Heaven as well.

With love always,
~ Jean Marie ~

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! 
Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation,
Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey." 
~ Zechariah 9:9 ~


" Man of Sorrows! What a Name" by Philip P. Bliss (1875)

"Man of Sorrows! what a name for the Son of God, who came, 
ruined sinners to reclaim: Hallelujah! what a Savior! 

Bearing shame and scoffing rude, in my place condemned He stood,
sealed my pardon with His blood: Hallelujah! what a Savior! 

Guilty, vile, and helpless, we; spotless Lamb of God was He; 
full atonement! can it be? Hallelujah! what a Savior!

Lifted up was He to die, "It is finished!" was His cry;
now in Heav'n exalted high: Hallelujah! what a Savior! 

When He comes, our glorious King, all His ransomed home to bring, 
then anew this song we'll sing: Hallelujah! what a Savior!!!" 


(Dogwood blossoms. March 18, 2012)