Lent & Easter Quiz



463296047625Haven United Methodist ChurchLent & Easter Quiz…and the History of Lent2016Taken from 20161) How long is Eastertide? a. 24 hours (midnight Holy Saturday to following night) b. One week c. 50 days d. All of the above e. None of the above2) According to the Gospel of John, Jesus’ tomb was… a. Nearby b. In a garden c. Never before used d. All of the above e. None of the above3) What is another term for Good Friday, the day Christ was crucified? a. Friday of Mourning b. Long Friday c. Great Friday d. All of the above e. None of the above4) Why is Maundy Thursday a name for the night before Jesus’ arrest? a. Maundy means “sad.” b. Maundy means “sacred.” c. Maundy means “commandment.”5) Of these phrases, which one does the Bible not attribute to Jesus on the night before he died? a. “All those who use the sword will die by the sword.” b. “Physician, heal thyself.” c. “The spirit is eager, but the flesh is weak.” d. “Friend, do what you came to do.”6) When Jesus says, “Why have you forsaken me?” what book is he quoting? a. Ezekiel b. Jeremiah c. Psalms d. Deuteronomy e. None of the above 7) Jesus instituted communion during what celebration? a. Passover b. Rosh Hashanah c. Sukkot d. Yom Kippur8) What is another term for Palm Sunday in The United Methodist Church? a. Passion Sunday b. Blessed Sunday c. Jerusalem Day d. Arrival of the King e. None of the above9) Palm Sunday is March 29. What is the symbolism of palm branches? a. They were a symbol of victory in Roman Empire b. Palm is the Latin word for ‘return’ c. Hearts of palm were considered ‘kingly food’ d. All of the above e. None of the above10) Where does it say the Messiah rode a donkey into Jerusalem? a. The Gospel of John b. The book of Zechariah c. The Gospel of Matthew d. All of the above e. A donkey is never specified11) What are the Stations of the Cross? a. Moments in Jesus’ journey from his trial to the tomb b. Officially approved places for crosses in churches c. Place in Jerusalem where prisoners were sentenced d. All of the above e. None of the above 12) What group was not typically crucified in Rome? a. Religious leaders b. Slaves c. Roman citizens d. Foreigners 13) Why do we use lilies as a symbol of Easter? a. The white bloom is a symbol of purity b. Their blooming in the spring is a symbol of new life c. Jesus himself mentioned lilies in his teachings d. All of the above e. None of the above14) Which disciple objects to Jesus washing his feet? a. Peter b. James c. John d. Judas15) At the Last Supper, the disciples would have been— a. Standing b. Sitting c. Kneeling d. Reclining 16) What song in The Faith We Sing, from St. Patrick, would also be a good Lenten devotion? a. “Christ Beside Me” b. “Jesus Walked This Lonely Valley” c. “Come and Find the Quiet Center” 17) What snack food has significance during Lent? a. Pretzels b. Popcorn c. Chocolate d. All of the above18) Why do some churches hold Easter sunrise services? a. Jesus is sometimes called the light of the world. b. The women are said to have come to the tomb early in the morning. c. Easter prayer vigils were often ended as the sun rose. d. All of the above e. None of the above19) What does INRI mean on a crucifix? a. Pontius Pilate, Prefect of Rome b. Nazareth, Kingdom of Jerusalem c. Sign of the Cross d. Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews 20) True or false, Jesus predicted his death and Resurrection? a. True b. False 21) Communion is based on the Last Supper of Christ. Can anyone receive communion at a United Methodist Church? a. If you are a United Methodist b. If you were baptized a United Methodist c. If you are a Protestant d. If you seek to respond to Christ’s love e. If you agree with the pastor of that church22) Whom do the Gospels say Jesus first spoke to after he arose? a. Peter and Paul b. Pontius Pilate c. St. Matthew d. Mary Magdalene e. Roman guards 23) When do congregations ‘strip the Lord’s Table?’ a. At the conclusion of Ash Wednesday worship b. At the conclusion of Maundy Thursday worship c. At the conclusion of Good Friday worship d. At the conclusion of Holy Saturday worship24) What in nature is used as a symbol of Easter? a. The lily b. Butterflies c. Eggs d. A lamb e. All of the above25) Many people fast during Lent. How often did John Wesley fast? a. Twice a week b. Twice a month c. Twice a year d. Rarely e. He did not fast26) What do some United Methodists not sing at Lent? a. Alleluia b. Doxologies c. “In the Garden” d. The communion liturgy27) What does a Tenebrae service consist of? a. A drama about the 7 last words of Jesus b. A reenactment of the Last Supper c. Extinguishing of candles d. The receiving of ashes28) To whom does Jesus say, “Get behind me, Satan?” a. Pilate b. Herod c. Peter d. Judas29) Why do people give things up for Lent? a. To follow the example of Jesus’ 40-day fast in the wilderness b. To help us focus on prayer and devotions c. To give the acquired savings to the poor d. All of the above e. None of the above30) Does The United Methodist Church have official rules for observing Lent? a. Yes, members should abstain from meat on Fridays. b. Yes, members should fast once a week during Lent. c. Yes, members should abstain from sweets during Lent. d. All of the above e. None of the above31) Why are eggs associated with Easter? a. They symbolize new life b. They have a shell around the body inside, just as the tomb was around Jesus’ body and then was cracked open c. They can be dyed pretty colors to represent joy, just as we have joy that Jesus has risen d. All of the above e. None of the above32) True or False? Sundays are not counted in the 40 days of Lent. a. True b. False33) How did the early church observe Lent? a. They remembered the mercy and forgiveness of Christ b. They reconciled relationships among church members c. They prepared converts for baptism d. All of the above e. None of the above34) What does the term 'Lent,' which comes from the Anglo Saxon word 'lencten,' mean? a. Time b. Length c. Sacrifice d. Spring35) When did United Methodists officially start the 'imposition of ashes?' a. 1877 b. 1933 c. 1992 d. 2008Lent & Easter Quiz Answers1) The correct answer is?50 days.Easter is the festival day celebrating the Resurrection of Christ after his crucifixion. The season of Easter, like that of Christmas, lasts longer than the initial day. Eastertide is seven weeks or 50 days, including Ascension Day or Ascension Sunday and concluding with Pentecost Sunday, which celebrates the birth of the church.After Jesus said these things, as they were watching, he was lifted up and a cloud took him out of their sight. – Acts 1:9 (CEB)Fifty Days of Easter! What Would We Do?In my last post, I shared my personal discovery of Eastertide, the fifty-day season of the Christian year set apart to celebrate the resurrection of Christ and its implications for our lives. I’m sure some of my blog readers are wondering: “Fifty days of Easter? What would we do?” Surely I’m not suggesting fifty consecutive Easter egg hunts, or fifty new Easter dresses, or fifty ham dinners in a row. Celebrating Easter for fifty days is not duplicating Easter Sunday fifty times over, either. Rather, it’s taking time to reflect upon and delight in the truth of Easter and its implications for our lives.The basic truth of Easter is simple. In the classic litany of the church, it’s this: Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed!?On Easter Sunday, we celebrate this good news, rediscovering for ourselves what the earliest followers of Jesus realized on that first Easter Sunday. Yet the implications of the resurrection are more than we can adequately ponder on one day. Every year, when I prepared my Easter sermon, I left dozens of life-changing truths on the cutting room floor. There’s no way I could begin to probe the depths of Easter in a mere 20 minutes. So, I proclaimed the basic truth of the resurrection and explained one or perhaps two implications. Eastertide provides an opportunity to see “the director’s cut” of the Easter sermon, if you will. The season of Easter gives us a chance to reflect more broadly and deeply on the multifaceted meaning of the resurrection of Jesus. What might this involve? Let me suggest a few ideas:? You could meditate upon what the resurrection says about the character of Jesus Christ as the Righteous One of God (Psalm 16:10; Acts 2:25-28).? You might ponder the fact that death has been swallowed up in victory (1 Corinthians 15:54-56).? You could reflect upon the fact that the very power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to you today (Ephesians 1:15-23).? You might think of how the resurrection of Jesus is a precursor to your own resurrection (1 Corinthians 15).? You could consider how the resurrection gives us “new birth into a living hope” (1 Peter 1:3).And so on. And so on. Eastertide allows us to think deeply and to pray broadly about what the resurrection of Jesus means, both to us and to our world.From: 16:10 (NIV) 10?because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one?see decay.Acts 2:25-28 (NIV) 25 David said about him: “‘I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope, 27 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, you will not let your holy one see decay. 28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’1 Corinthians 15:54-56 (NIV) 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” 55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.1 Peter 1:3 (NIV) 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,2) The correct answer is?All of the above?(see John 19:41). While we know something about Jesus’ tomb, believers have often wondered what Jesus did between Good Friday and Easter Sunday morning. The earliest versions of the Apostles’ Creed say, “He descended to the dead” between the crucifixion and resurrection, but the Bible doesn’t say. Many churches remember this day of Jesus’ death with a vigil of prayer and fasting as a sign of the desolation of Jesus buried in the tomb.Did Jesus descend into hell or to the dead?"He descended into hell."That's one possible explanation of what Jesus did between Good Friday and Easter.For more than a millennium, Christians have uttered some version of that phrase as part of the Apostles' Creed. And for nearly just as long, theologians have wrestled with what the phrase means or whether it should be included in the creed at all.Early Methodist hymnals omitted the phrase altogether. The 1989 United Methodist Hymnal includes the likely more accurate translation, "He descended to the dead," and mentions "descended into hell" only as a footnote.But including any mention of descent in the creed says something about how Christians over the ages have come to understand God's saving work, say church scholars."It means there is no part of human existence to which Christ did not 'descend,'" said the Rev. J. Warren Smith, associate professor of historical theology at United Methodist-related?Duke Divinity School?in Durham, N.C."It's what it means for Christ to take upon himself ... the punishment of sin, which is death. If Christ really dies, then that means he (journeys) all the way to the place of dead." the Wesleys taughtBoth John Wesley, in his sermons, and Charles Wesley, in his hymns, used a variety of images to explain what Jesus achieved on the cross — including substitionary atonement. Methodism’s founders also emphasized God’s wondrous love.“Both John and Charles Wesley set a precedent for Methodists of refusing to limit themselves to only the ‘penalty satisfaction’ model,’” said Maddox, the Duke professor. The Wesleys used a range of biblical allusions, he said, “to stress that Christ not only dealt with the ‘penalty’ of our sin but also brought healing power to deliver us from the ‘captivity’ of sin and enable us to walk in newness of life.”The Wesley brothers considered one aspect of atonement nonnegotiable, and it is still an essential part of the movement they founded, said the Rev. Jason Vickers, president of the Wesleyan Theological Society. He is an ordained United Methodist elder and professor of theology and Wesleyan studies at United Methodist-related?United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.“Whatever it is Christ undertakes in his death and resurrection, however Christ’s death accomplishes salvation,” Vickers said, “we’ve always said that Christ undertakes his saving work for all — not just for the elect, not just for the rich, not just for certain people. He died for all.” Hebrews 4:14-5:10 (NKJV) 14?Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven,?Jesus the Son of God,?let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.?15?For we do not have a high priest?who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.?16?Let us then approach?God’s throne of grace with confidence,?so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. 5?Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God,?to offer gifts and sacrifices?for sins.?2?He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray,?since he himself is subject to weakness.?3?This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.?4?And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was. 5?In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory?of becoming a high priest.?But God said?to him, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.” 6?And he says in another place, “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” 7?During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears?to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard?because of his reverent submission. 8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered?9?and, once made perfect,?he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him?10?and was designated by God to be high priest?in the order of Melchizedek.3) The correct answer is?All of the above. “Good Friday” is not a universal name for the day. The liturgical title for the day in the Western church was “Friday of Preparation,” since at the time Jews used the word paraskeue?(getting ready) for Friday, meaning the “day of preparation.” Popular names for the day are “Holy Friday” among the Latin nations, “Great Friday” among the Slavic peoples, “Friday of Mourning” in Germany, “Long Friday” in Norway, and “Holy Friday” (Viernes Santo) among Hispanic peoples.Good Friday TraditionsGood Friday rituals and traditions are distinct from every other Church observances. They add to Good Friday's significance. The ceremony is somber, with priests and deacons dressing in black vestments. The pulpit and the altar are bare; no candles are lit. The purpose behind the solemn presentation is to create an awareness of grief over the sacrifice of God's only begotten Son. Today, many churches hold special services on Good Friday evening to commemorate this important day.Good Friday Church RitualsIn many Protestant churches, Good Friday observances begin at noon and last until 3 p.m. This coincides with the hours that Jesus hung on the cross. These services often include sermons on the last seven phrases that Jesus spoke while being crucified. Other services include reenactments of the Passion according to the Gospel of John, processions of the Stations of the Cross, and the singing of appropriate hymns.?To many Christians, Good Friday is a day of sorrow mingled with joy. It is a time to grieve over the sin of man and to meditate and rejoice upon God's love in giving His only Son for the redemption of sin. 27:27-28:8 (NIV) 27?Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium?and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28?They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him,?29?and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said.?30?They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.?31?After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. 32?As they were going out,?they met a man from Cyrene,?named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.?33?They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”).?34?There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall;?but after tasting it, he refused to drink it.?35?When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.?36?And sitting down, they kept watch?over him there.?37?Above his head they placed the written charge against him:?this is jesus, the king of the jews. 38?Two rebels were crucified with him,?one on his right and one on his left.39?Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads?40?and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself!?Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!”?41?In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him.42?“He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel!?Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe?in him. 43?He trusts in God. Let God rescue him?now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”?44?In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him. 45?From noon until three in the afternoon darkness?came over all the land.46?About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice,?“Eli, Eli, lemasabachthani?”?(which means?“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). 47?When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.” 48?Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink.?49?The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.” 50?And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. 51?At that moment the curtain of the temple?was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split?52?and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.?53?They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city?and appeared to many people. 54?When the centurion and those with him who were guarding?Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!” 55?Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs.?56?Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.4) The correct answer is?commandment. The English word?“Maundy” comes from the Latin mandatum, which means “commandment.” In John 13:34, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and then gave them a new commandment to love one another as he had loved them. This is why services on this night generally include the washing of feet or other acts of physical care as part of the celebration.Before the?Passover meal, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. By performing this lowly act of service, the Bible says in John 13:1 that Jesus "showed them?the full extent of his love."?By his example, Jesus demonstrated how Christians are to love one another through humble service. For this reason, many churches practice foot-washing ceremonies as a part of their Maundy Thursday services.The Full Extent of His LoveHere we are at the Last Supper, and Jesus is preparing to wash the disciples' feet. Where the English Standard Version states, "he loved them to the end," the New International Version says, "he now showed them the full extent of his love." The full extent of Christ's love is demonstrated in this humble foot-washing service, which he did even for the one disciple who would betray him, Judas Iscariot.His mission of self-sacrifice is magnified in the Lord's ultimate and final act of service on the cross.We, too, are called to imitate Christ's "servant-love." This story about D.L. Moody is a great human example for us to follow:A large group of European pastors came to one of D. L. Moody's Bible Conferences in the late 1800s. Following the European custom of the time, each guest put his shoes outside his room to be cleaned by the hall servants overnight. But of course this was America and there were no hall servants. Moody saw the shoes and mentioned the situation to some ministerial students who were there, but met with only silence or pious excuses. So Moody gathered up the shoes, and, alone in his room, one of the world's most famous evangelist began to clean and polish the shoes. Only the unexpected arrival of a friend in the midst of the work revealed the secret. 13:1-5, 12-20?1 It was just before the Passover Festival.?Jesus knew that the hour had come?for him to leave this world and go to the Father.?Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2?The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.?3?Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power,?and that he had come from God?and was returning to God;?4?so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.?5?After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet,?drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 12?When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place.?“Do you understand what I have done for you?”?he asked them.13?“You call me ‘Teacher’?and ‘Lord,’?and rightly so, for that is what I am.?14?Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.?15?I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.?16?Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master,?nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17?Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. 18?“I am not referring to all of you;?I know those I have chosen.?But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture:?‘He who shared my bread?has turned against me.’19?“I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe?that I am who I am.?20?Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.” 21?After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit?and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.” 22?His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant.?23?One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved,?was reclining next to him.?24?Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.” 25?Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?” 26?Jesus answered,?“It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.”?Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.?27?As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. So Jesus told him,?“What you are about to do, do quickly.”?28?But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him.?29?Since Judas had charge of the money,?some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival,?or to give something to the poor.?30?As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.5) The correct answer is?“Physician, heal thyself.” Those words are found in Luke 4:23 (CEB): “Then Jesus said to them, ‘Undoubtedly, you will quote this saying to me: Doctor, heal yourself. Do here in your hometown what we’ve heard you did in Capernaum.’”The gospel writers mention the others as part of Jesus’ agony in the garden of Gethsemane: “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Put the sword back into its place. All those who use the sword will die by the sword.’” (Matthew 26:52 CEB); “Stay alert and pray so that you won’t give in to temptation. The spirit is eager, but the flesh is weak.” (Mark 14:38 CEB); “But Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came and grabbed Jesus and arrested him.” (Matthew 26:50 CEB)Matthew 26:48-56 (NIV) 48?Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.”?49?Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!”?and kissed him. 50?Jesus replied,?“Do what you came for, friend.” Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. 51?With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword,?drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. 52?“Put your sword back in its place,”?Jesus said to him,?“for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.?53?Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels??54?But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled?that say it must happen in this way?” 55?In that hour Jesus said to the crowd,?“Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching,?and you did not arrest me.?56?But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.”?Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.Mark 14:32-42 (NIV) 32?They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples,?“Sit here while I pray.”?33?He took Peter, James and John?along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled.?34?“My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,”?he said to them.?“Stay here and keep watch.” 35?Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour?might pass from him. 36?“Abba, Father,”?he said,?“everything is possible for you. Take this cup?from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”37?Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping.?“Simon,”?he said to Peter,?“are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? 38?Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.?The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 39?Once more he went away and prayed the same thing.?40?When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him. 41?Returning the third time, he said to them,?“Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour?has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners.?42?Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”6) The correct answer is?Psalms.“My God, my God,?why have you forsaken me?” is the opening line of Psalm 22 (NRSV). This “psalm of David” expresses feelings of abandonment and distance from God, but closes singing God’s praise and looking forward to a day when everyone will worship God.The idea that Jesus expresses the pain of abandonment is a difficult one. Interestingly, this passage would have been recognizable to witnesses of the crucifixion as part of the Hebrew Bible, a psalm that ends in praise. And, Christ’s anguish is a reminder that Jesus was a human being and suffered as we all do.2 Corinthians 5:21?says, "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." It is possible that at some moment on the cross when Jesus became sin on our behalf, that God the Father--in a sense--turned His back upon the Son. It says that in?Habakkuk 1:13?that God is too pure to look upon evil. Therefore, it is possible that when Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross (1 Peter 2:24), that the Father, spiritually, turned away. At that time, the Son may have cried out.One thing is for sure. We have no capacity to appreciate the utterly horrific experience of having the sins of the world put upon the Lord Jesus as He hung in excruciating pain from that cross. The physical pain was immense. The spiritual one must have been even greater.That shows us clearly how much God loves us. 22 (NIV) 1?My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?1 Why are you so far?from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?2?My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night,?but I find no rest. 3?Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises. 4?In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them.5?To you they cried out?and were saved; in you they trusted?and were not put to shame. 6?But I am a worm?and not a man, scorned by everyone,?despised?by the people. 7?All who see me mock me; they hurl insults,?shaking their heads. 8?“He trusts in the?Lord,” they say, “let the?Lord?rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights?in him.” 9?Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust?in you, even at my mother’s breast. 10?From birth?I was cast on you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God. 11?Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. 12?Many bulls?surround me; strong bulls of Bashan?encircle me. 13?Roaring lions?that tear their prey open their mouths wide?against me. 14?I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted?within me. 15?My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust?of death. 16?Dogs?surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet. 17?All my bones are on display; people stare?and gloat over me. 18?They divide my clothes among them and cast lots?for my garment. 19?But you,?Lord, do not be far from me. You are my strength;?come quickly?to help me. 20?Deliver me from the sword, my precious life?from the power of the dogs.21?Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen.22?I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly?I will praise you.23?You who fear the?Lord, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him,?all you descendants of Israel!24?For he has not despised?or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one;he has not hidden his face?from him but has listened to his cry for help.25?From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you?I will fulfill my vows.26?The poor will eat?and be satisfied; those who seek the?Lord?will praise him—may your hearts live forever!27?All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the?Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him,28?for dominion belongs to the?Lord and he rules over the nations.29?All the rich?of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust?will kneel before him—those who cannot keep themselves alive.30?Posterity?will serve him; future generations?will be told about the Lord.31?They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn:????He has done it!7) The correct answer is?Passover.According to Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus and his disciples are celebrating Passover when Jesus takes the bread and cup, blesses them, and shares them.Passover commemorates the Exodus of the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt. During their meal together, Jesus and his disciples would have retold the story how the people of Israel were saved through the sacrifice of a lamb. In the days that followed Jesus would be arrested and crucified, becoming “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29 CEB)Passover?or?Pesach is an important,?biblically?derived?Jewish festival. The?Jewish people?celebrate Passover as a commemoration of their liberation by?God?from slavery in?Egypt?and their freedom as a nation under the leadership of?Moses. It commemorates the story of?the Exodus?as described in the?Hebrew Bible?especially in the?Book of Exodus, in which the?Israelites?were freed from slavery in Egypt. According to standard?biblical chronology, this event would have taken place at about 1300 BCE (AM?2450). Passover is a spring festival which during the existence of the?Jerusalem Temple?was connected to the offering of the "first-fruits of the barley", barley being the first grain to ripen and to be harvested in the?Land of Israel. In the narrative of?the Exodus, the Bible tells that?God?helped the?Children of Israel?escape from their slavery in Egypt by inflicting?ten plagues?upon the ancient Egyptians before the Pharaoh would release his Israelite slaves; the tenth and worst of the plagues was the?death of the Egyptian first-born.The Israelites were instructed to mark the doorposts of their homes with the blood of a slaughtered spring lamb and, upon seeing this, the spirit of the Lord knew to?pass over?the first-born in these homes, hence the English name of the holiday. When the Pharaoh freed the Israelites, it is said that they left in such a hurry that they could not wait for bread dough to rise (leaven). In commemoration, for the duration of Passover no?leavened bread?is eaten, for which reason Passover was called the feast of unleavened bread in the Torah or Old Testament.?Thus?Matzo?(flat unleavened bread) is eaten during Passover and it is a tradition of the holiday. 12:17-30 (NIV) 17?“Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come.?18?In the first month?you are to eat bread made without yeast, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day.?19?For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And anyone, whether foreigner or native-born, who eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off?from the community of Israel.?20?Eat nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live,?you must eat unleavened bread.”21?Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb.22?Take a bunch of hyssop,?dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood?on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. None of you shall go out of the door of your house until morning.?23?When the Lord goes through the land to strike?down the Egyptians, he will see the blood?on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over?that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer?to enter your houses and strike you down.24?“Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance?for you and your descendants.?25?When you enter the land?that the?Lord?will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony.?26?And when your children?ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’?27?then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the?Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’”?Then the people bowed down and worshiped.?28?The Israelites did just what the Lord commanded?Moses and Aaron. 29?At midnight?the?Lord?struck down all the firstborn?in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock?as well. 30?Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night, and there was loud wailing?in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead.8) The correct answer is?Passion Sunday.The sixth or last Sunday in Lent is now often referred to as Palm/Passion Sunday reflecting the decision to put the Passion narrative (the Gospel description of the death of Jesus, associated with Good Friday) into the Palm Sunday service. The word passion comes from the Late Latin ‘passio’ which means ‘suffering, enduring.’“Holy Week is a time of more intense fasting, reading, and prayers in which we pay particular attention to the final days, suffering, and execution of Jesus.” --from “Why Palm/Passion Sunday and not just plain Palm Sunday?”A blog article at?Christian Century?("Against Passion Sunday") has prompted a variety of responses to the current practice of celebrating the last Sunday in Lent as Palm/Passion Sunday.Many remember that these two events were not always part of the same day. Their memories are correct. Prior to Vatican II, it was typical practice to read a passion narrative on the Sunday prior, then celebrate Palm Sunday as a day in itself to kick off Holy Week. But beginning with the publication of the three-year Roman Catholic lectionary in 1969, followed by the ecumenical three-year lectionary and calendar projects that culminated in the Common Lectionary (1983) and the Revised Common Lectionary (1992), that changed.Somehow, folks have gotten the notion that the primary reason this changed was a concern that people may not be likely to come to services on Good Friday where they would hear the entire Passion narrative. Low turnout, it is thought, prompted "the lectionary people," for convenience sake, to put the Passion narrative into Palm Sunday as well so that more people would have a chance to hear it.What was really at stake was a recovery of ancient Christian practice, not only of this Sunday, but of Lent itself, a recovery that was part and parcel of many findings of liturgical scholarship and ecumenical work beginning in the late nineteenth century. The recovery of Lent was not simply about re-syncing our current calendars with more ancient ones. Instead,?it was primarily about recovering the church's mission of discipling people in the way of Jesus, and realigning our worship practices to support that mission.From the article: Why Palm/Passion Sunday and Not Just Palm Sunday?By Taylor Burton-EdwardsLuke 22:39-23:49 (NIV)39?Jesus went out as usual?to the Mount of Olives,?and his disciples followed him.?40?On reaching the place, he said to them,?“Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”?41?He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed,?42?“Father, if you are willing, take this cup?from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”?43?An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.?44?And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. 45?When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow.?46?“Why are you sleeping?”?he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”47?While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him,48?but Jesus asked him,?“Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” 49?When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?”?50?And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. 51?But Jesus answered,?“No more of this!”?And he touched the man’s ear and healed him. 52?Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard,?and the elders, who had come for him,?“Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs??53?Every day I was with you in the temple courts,?and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour—when darkness reigns.”54?Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest.?Peter followed at a distance.?55?And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them.?56?A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.” 57?But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said. 58?A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” “Man, I am not!” Peter replied. 59?About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.” 60?Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed.?61?The Lord?turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him:?“Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.”?62?And he went outside and wept bitterly. 63?The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him.?64?They blindfolded him and demanded, “Prophesy! Who hit you?”?65?And they said many other insulting things to him. 66?At daybreak the council?of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and the teachers of the law, met together,?and Jesus was led before them.?67?“If you are the Messiah,” they said, “tell us.”Jesus answered,?“If I tell you, you will not believe me,?68?and if I asked you, you would not answer.?69?But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.”70?They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?”He replied,?“You say that I am.”71?Then they said, “Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips.”23?Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate.?2?And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation.?He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar?and claims to be Messiah, a king.”3?So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”“You have said so,”?Jesus replied.4?Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”5?But they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee?and has come all the way here.”6?On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean.?7?When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod,?who was also in Jerusalem at that time.8?When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him.?From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort.?9?He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10?The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him.?11?Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe,?they sent him back to Pilate.?12?That day Herod and Pilate became friends—before this they had been enemies.13?Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people,?14?and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him.?15?Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death.?16?Therefore, I will punish him?and then release him.”?[17]18?But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!”19?(Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.) 20?Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again.?21?But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”22?For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.”23?But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed.?24?So Pilate decided to grant their demand.?25?He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.26?As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene,?who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.?27?A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed?for him.?28?Jesus turned and said to them,?“Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.29?For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’?30?Then “‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!”’ 31?For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?” 32?Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed.33?When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left.?34?Jesus said,?“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”?And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.35?The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him.?They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”36?The soldiers also came up and mocked him.?They offered him wine vinegar37?and said, “If you are the king of the Jews,?save yourself.”38?There was a written notice above him, which read:?this is the king of the jews.39?One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”40?But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence??41?We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”42?Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”43?Jesus answered him,?“Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”44?It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon,?45?for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple?was torn in two.?46?Jesus called out with a loud voice,?“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”?When he had said this, he breathed his last.47?The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God?and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.”?48?When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts?and went away.?49?But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance,?watching these things.9) The correct answer is?they were a symbol of victory in Roman Empire.John 12:13 and Matthew 21:8 refer to palm branches being laid on the path as Jesus rode into Jerusalem before his trial and execution which can now be seen as symbolic of his victory over death.“Let these branches be for us signs of his victory; and grant that we who bear them may always acclaim Jesus Messiah by walking the way of his suffering and cross…” – from an ‘Order of Worship for Palm Sunday,’ GBODThe?palm branch?is a symbol of victory, triumph, peace and eternal life originating in the ancient?Near East?and?Mediterranean world. The palm?(Phoenix)?was sacred in Mesopotamian religions, and in?ancient Egypt?represented immortality. In?Judaism, a closed?frond?of the?date palm?is part of the?festival?of?Sukkot. A palm branch was awarded to victorious athletes in?ancient Greece, and a palm frond or the tree itself is one of the most common attributes of?Victory personified?in?ancient Rome.In?Christianity, the palm branch is associated particularly with?Palm Sunday, when according to Christian tradition palm branches were waved at the?triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. It was adopted into?Christian iconography?to represent the victory of?martyrs, or the victory of the spirit over the flesh.Since a victory signals an end to a conflict or competition, the palm developed into a symbol of peace, a meaning it can have in?Islam,?where it is often associated with Paradise. (symbol)The palm-branch, which the seer of the Apocalypse puts into the hands of the elect, is the sign of victory in heaven in Christ's presence."After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.?They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands." (Revelation 7:9) were palms incorporated into Christian iconography? After the death and resurrection of Jesus, later Christian leaders took the palm as a symbol of the victory that martyrs won over their oppressors and of the victory of the spirit over the desires of the flesh. Both of these meanings earned the palm a place on several flags and seals representing countries in later history. 12:12-13 (NIV) 12?The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.?13?They took palm branches?and went out to meet him, shouting,“Hosanna!”“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!”Matthew 21:8 (NIV) 8?A very large crowd spread their cloaks?on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.?9?The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,“Hosanna?to the Son of David!”“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna?in the highest heaven!”1 Corinthians 15:12-14 (NIV) "But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith." Romans 6:8-11 (NIV) "Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus." 10) The correct answer is?all of the above.The gospels of Matthew and John mention finding a donkey for Jesus to ride upon as prophesied in Zechariah 9:9.Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion. Sing aloud, Daughter Jerusalem. Look, your king will come to you. He is righteous and victorious. He is humble and riding on an ass, on a colt, the offspring of a donkey. (CEB)Many images of Jesus’ entry into the city of Jerusalem feature him riding a donkey. The donkey is a strong contrast to a king’s entourage or warrior’s steed. It is symbolic of humility and “commonness.”Jesus fulfills this prophecy of Zechariah. The worldwide peace proclaimed by this humble King will be a fulfillment of the angels’ song in?Luke 2:14: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (NKJV). Significantly, Jacob’s blessing on his son Judah includes a reference to a donkey and a donkey’s foal (Genesis 49:11). Jesus is from the?tribe of Judah.Zechariah 9:9?was fulfilled by the?triumphal entry?as Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the first?Palm Sunday (Matthew 21:1-11;?Mark 11:1-11;?Luke 19:28-44;?John 12:12-19). Verses 10 and following refer to a future time when the Messiah will reign after defeating His enemies at the?second coming.Why would a king ride a donkey instead of a warhorse?Many have wondered why the king mentioned in?Zechariah 9:9-10?would ride a donkey into Jerusalem rather than a warhorse. It seems an odd choice for royalty. Kings ride chargers, don’t they??In the ancient Middle Eastern world, leaders rode horses if they rode to war, but donkeys if they came in peace.?1 Kings 1:33?mentions Solomon riding a donkey on the day he was recognized as the new king of Israel. Other instances of leaders riding donkeys are?Judges 5:10;?10:4;?12:14; and?2 Samuel 16:2. Genesis 49:10-11 (NIV) 10?The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs?shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his. 11?He will tether his donkey?to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.Zechariah 9:9-10 (NIV)?9Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout,?Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10?I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the warhorses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace?to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River?to the ends of the earth.1 Kings 1:32-35 (NIV) 32?King David said, “Call in Zadok?the priest, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” When they came before the king,?33?he said to them: “Take your lord’s servants with you and have Solomon my son mount my own mule and take him down to Gihon.?34?There have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint?him king over Israel. Blow the trumpet?and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’?35?Then you are to go up with him, and he is to come and sit on my throne and reign in my place. I have appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah.”Judges 5:10-11 (NIV) 10?“You who ride on white donkeys, sitting on your saddle blankets, and you who walk along the road, consider?11?the voice of the singers?at the watering places. They recite the victories?of the?Lord, the victories of his villagers in Israel.”Judges 10:3-5 (NIV) 3?He was followed by Jair?of Gilead, who led Israel twenty-two years.?4?He had thirty sons, who rode thirty donkeys.?They controlled thirty towns in Gilead, which to this day are called Havvoth Jair.?5?When Jair?died, he was buried in Kamon.Judges 12:13-14 (NIV) 13?After him, Abdon son of Hillel, from Pirathon,?led Israel.?14?He had forty sons and thirty grandsons,?who rode on seventy donkeys.?He led Israel eight years.2 Samuel 16:2 (NIV) 2?The king asked Ziba, “Why have you brought these?”Ziba answered, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and fruit are for the men to eat, and the wine is to refresh?those who become exhausted in the wilderness.”11) The correct answer is?moments in Jesus’ journey from his trial to the tomb.The fourteen traditional Stations of the Cross, also called?Way of the Cross, is a modern adaptation of a Christian tradition dating to the fifth century. Fourteen stations depict events of Jesus’ trial, execution and death, from praying alone the night before to speaking to his mother and John from the cross to his burial.Walking the “Way of the Cross” can be used as a devotion at any time for reflection on Christ’s suffering and sacrifice but is most often observed on Good Friday.The Stations of the Cross (Way of the Cross, Via Crucis, Via Dolorosa, Way of Sorrows) is a traditional way to consider the last hours of Jesus' life. The devotional practice is said to have begun with St. Francis of Assisi and extended throughout the Roman Catholic Church during the medieval period. It is also sometimes observed in Anglican and Lutheran churches.The (Bethel) Way of the Cross: A Lenten Devotion for Good Friday is printed at the end of this Lenten Prayer and Study Guide.10795329565000Jesus Christ?made seven final statements during his?last hours?on the cross. These phrases are held dear by followers of Christ because they offer a glimpse into the?depth of his suffering?to accomplish redemption. Recorded in?the Gospels?between the time of his crucifixion?and his death, they reveal his divinity as well as his humanity. As much as possible, given the approximate sequence of events as portrayed in the Gospels, these seven last words of Jesus are presented here in chronological order.1) Jesus Speaks to the Father - Luke 23:34Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."?(NIV) In the midst of his excruciating suffering, the heart of Jesus was focused on others rather than himself. Here we see the nature of his love —unconditional and divine.2) Jesus Speaks to the Criminal on the Cross - Luke 23:43"I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."(NIV) One of the criminals who was crucified with Christ, had recognized who Jesus was and expressed faith in him as Savior. Here we see grace poured out through faith, as Jesus assured the dying man of his forgiveness and eternal salvation.3) Jesus Speaks to Mary and John - John 19:26-27 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," and to the disciple, "Here is your mother."?(NIV) Jesus, looking down from the cross, was still filled with the concerns of a son for the earthly needs of his mother. None of his brothers were there to care for her, so he gave this task to the?Apostle John. Here we clearly see Christ's humanity.4) Jesus Cries Out to the Father - Matthew 27:46 (also Mark 15:34)And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”?(NKJV) In?the darkest hours?of his suffering, Jesus cried out the opening words of Psalm 22. And although much has been suggested regarding the meaning of this phrase, it was quite apparent the agony Christ felt as he expressed separation from God. Here we see the Father turning away from the Son as Jesus bore the full weight of our sin.5) Jesus is Thirsty - John 19:28Jesus knew that everything was now finished, and to fulfill the Scriptures he said, "I am thirsty."?(NLT) Jesus refused the initial drink of vinegar, gall and?myrrh?(Matthew 27:34 and Mark 15:23) offered to alleviate his suffering. But here, several hours later, we see Jesus fulfilling the?messianic prophecy?found in Psalm 69:21.6) It is Finished - John 19:30... he said, "It is finished!"?(NLT) Jesus knew he was suffering the crucifixion for a purpose. Earlier he had said in John 10:18 of his life, "No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father." (NIV) These three words were packed with meaning, for what was finished here was not only Christ's earthly life, not only his suffering and dying, not only the payment for sin and the?redemption?of the world—but the very reason and purpose he came to earth was finished. His final act of obedience was complete. The Scriptures had been fulfilled.7) Jesus' Last Words - Luke 23:46Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last.?(NIV) Here Jesus closes with the words of Psalm 31:5, speaking to the Father. We see his complete trust in the Father. Jesus entered death in the same way he lived each day of his life, offering up his life as the perfect sacrifice and placing himself in God's hands.12) The correct answer is?Roman citizens.Crucifixion was a punishment reserved for foreigners, slaves, and those of the lower classes. Roman citizens were typically exempt from this form of punishment. Crucifixion was not only an effective means of execution; it also served to publicly humiliate offenders and their families. It was supposed to deter others from committing similar crimes. Jesus, who was not a Roman citizen and from a poor family, was a candidate for crucifixion.Remarkably, after his resurrection Jesus’ followers talked freely about his crucifixion. That which was intended to quash a movement, became the symbol for Christians everywhere.Why Jesus Had to Specifically Go Through a CrucifixionThe big argument that liberals are using to try and downplay the importance of the crucifixion is that they simply cannot believe that God the Father could possibly send down His one and only begotten Son to die in such a horrible and brutal fashion.They cannot believe that if God is all-loving and all-merciful, that there is any way that He could have allowed this to happen, especially to His one and only Son.At first glance, this does appear to be a very logical argument. However, what they are missing is the deeper truth as to why all of this had to happen as it did.There was a second way that some criminals were crucified back in those days, and that was being crucified by having ropes tied around their arms. Nails were not used.Why did it have to be by the worse form of physical death that the Romans were using back at that time to kill criminals – crucifixion by using nails?Most Christians know that the physical death of Jesus on the cross is what gives us eternal salvation, but many Christians do not know exactly why it had to be a crucifixion by using nails.When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, what did they really lose? Maximum life! They lost their physical and spiritual connection to God the Father, and they lost their perfect paradise by being cast out of the Garden of Eden. They literally lost everything as a result of their one disobedient act! Jesus therefore had to die a maximum kind of death. This was the price tag that God had to pay to get us back to Himself.?That is why it could not have been a crucifixion by just using plain ropes.That is why Jesus could not die in any other fashion. It had to be by the worst form of physical death that was being used back in those days – and being crucified by nails was the worst form of capital punishment that anyone could undergo. Excerpt from ? 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Copyright ? 2005-2015 by Michael Bradley and Chris BradleyEphesians 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,?not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Galatians 2:16 “… knowing that a man is?not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ?… for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.” Romans 3:20,23 “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin … for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been?justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.” 13) The correct answer is?all of the above.In addition to their white color, spring blooming, and Jesus mentioning them (Luke 12:27), there are several?legends about Jesus’ connection to lilies.In the?lectionary readings for this the 5th Sunday in Lent, Jesus uses a seed to talk about his life, death, and resurrection. He says, “unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it can only be a single seed. But if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24 CEB). The flower decorating so many of our sanctuaries on Easter Sunday is a beautiful symbol of new life.Examining the religious perspective, the Easter Lily and its inspiring trumpet-shaped blossoms joyfully announce the Resurrection of Jesus Christ in the Christian world. The pure and white flowers symbolize the hope of eternal life and peace as does the Spring season.The Easter Lily is commonly referred to as the “White-Robed Apostles of Christ.” Christian lore associates the emergence and growth of lilies where the sweat of Christ met the ground in the Garden of Gethsemane after the Agony.Additionally, the regal white lily has been associated with womanhood. Early religious paintings depict the Angel Gabriel extending pure white lilies to the Virgin Mary, announcing her to be the mother of the Christ Child. Other paintings show saints offering vases full of white lilies to Mary and the Baby Jesus.The spiritual quintessence of Easter is beautifully exemplified in the following poem by Louise Lewin Matthews:Easter morn with lilies fairFills the church with perfumes rare,As their clouds of incense rise,Sweetest offerings to the skies.Stately lilies pure and whiteFlooding darkness with their light,Bloom and sorrow drifts away,On this holy hallow’d day.Easter Lilies bending lowin the golden afterglow, Bear a message from the sodTo the heavenly towers of God. 12:27-28 (NKJV) 27?Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.?28?If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more?will He clothe?you, O?you?of little faith?Song of Solomon 2:1-2 (NKJV) 1I?am?the rose of Sharon,?And?the?lily?of the valleys. 2Like a lily?among thorns, so is my love among the daughters. Like an apple tree among the trees of the woods, so?is?my beloved among the sons.Hosea 14:4-6 (NKJV) 4?“I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, For My anger has turned away from him. 5?I will be like the dew to Israel;He shall grow like the lily, And lengthen his roots like Lebanon. 6?His branches shall spread; His beauty shall be like an olive tree, And his fragrance like Lebanon.1 Kings 7:22 (CEB) 22After putting the?lily?shapes on top of the columns, he was finished with the columns.2 Chronicles 4:5 (CEB) 5?The Sea was as thick as the width of a hand. Its rim was shaped like a cup or an open lily blossom. It could hold three thousand baths.14) The correct answer is?Peter.When Jesus approaches him with the basin and towel, Peter initially reacts. Foot washing was a servant’s job, and it would have been wrong for someone of higher social status to perform such an act of humility and servitude upon him.When Jesus finishes washing the feet of the disciples, including Judas, he tells them to wash one another’s feet. By extension Jesus calls his followers today not to expect to be served, but to serve others (John 13:1-20).In Bible times, the dusty and dirty conditions of the region and the wearing of sandals necessitated foot washing. Although the disciples most likely would have been happy to wash Jesus' feet, they could not conceive of washing each other's feet. This was because in the society of the time, foot-washing was reserved for the lowliest of menial servants. Peers did not wash one another's feet, except very rarely and as a mark of great love. Luke points out (22:24) that the disciples were arguing about who was the greatest among them, an attitude that precludes a willingness to stoop to wash feet. When Jesus moved to wash their feet (see also John 13:1-16), they were shocked. His actions serve also as symbolic of spiritual cleansing and a model of Christian humility. By washing His disciples’ feet, Jesus taught the lesson of selfless service that was supremely exemplified by His death on the cross. His act of humility actually cleansed their hearts of selfish ambition, killed their pride, and taught them the lesson of love.Humility is something that is gained and practiced as we grow in wisdom and?grace. Easton’s 1897 Bible Dictionary defines “humility” as:?a prominent Christian grace. It is a state of mind well pleasing to God; it preserves the soul in tranquility and makes us?patient?under?trials?Biblically speaking, humility is the opposite of?pride. And according to one thesaurus source, some other antonyms for humility are: arrogance, assertiveness, egoism, pretentiousness, and self-importance. 13:5-11 (NIV) 5?After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet,?drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6?He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”7?Jesus replied,?“You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”8?“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”Jesus answered,?“Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”9?“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”10?Jesus answered,?“Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean,?though not every one of you.”11?For he knew who was going to betray him,?and that was why he said not everyone was clean.1?Samuel 25:39b-42 (NIV) 39b Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife.?40?His servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail, “David has sent us to you to take you to become his wife.” 41?She bowed down with her face to the ground and said, “I am your servant and am ready to serve you and wash the feet of my lord’s servants.” 42?Abigail quickly got on a donkey and, attended by her five female servants, went with David’s messengers and became his wife.1 Timothy 5:10 (ESV) 10?and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work.John 12:26 (NIV) 26?Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be.?My Father will honor the one who serves me.Deuteronomy 8:2-3?2 And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you?these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you,?testing you?to know what was in your heart,?whether you would keep his commandments or not.?3 He humbled you and?let you hunger and?fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that?man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word?that comes from the mouth of the LORD.15) The correct answer is?reclining.While we are used to seeing the Last Supper the way Leonardo Da Vinci painted it, the gospel writers report that Jesus and his disciples “reclined” at the table (Mark 14:18 (NIV) 18?While they were reclining at the table eating, he said,?“Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.”). This is much more historically accurate.In first century Roman culture, people ate at a?table called a?triclinium?– a low, U-shaped table where guests would have dined while laying on their left side. This helps to explain how Jesus could have easily moved around the table to wash each of the disciples’ feet.The guests would lay on their left side facing the inside, leaving their right hand free to eat the meal. This would mean that each guest could lean on the bosom of the person to their left. Their legs would be towards the outside, allowing a servant to wash their feet as they ate the feast, similar to when Jesus’ feet were washed by the penitent woman in Luke chapter seven.The host of the feast would not sit in the middle, as is often depicted in artwork of the Last Supper, but instead second to the left, with the guest of honor on his left, and a trusted friend to his right. The seating then continued around the triclinium, the most important guests seated on the left, then going around the table, with the least important sitting on the far right. The servant, if seated at the table, would occupy the last position, closest to the door, so they could go and obtain more food as the evening progressed.If this seating arrangement was followed by Jesus, and from the scriptures it seems to be the case, Jesus then was seated not in the center, but second from the left.?John 13:23?(23?Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.) indicates that John the beloved was seated to Jesus’ right, as John had to lean on the bosom of Christ to ask of the identity of the betrayer.?Matthew 26:23 NIV?(23?He answered and said,?“He who dipped?his?hand with Me in the dish will betray Me.) indicates that Judas was seated to the left of Christ, in the seat of honor, as both Jesus and Judas were able to eat from the same bowl.?John 13:24 NIV?(24?Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke.) indicates that Peter was across from John, on the right side, as he had to signal to John to ask Jesus who would betray him. This would mean that Jesus had placed the youngest apostle John on the side of eminence, while placing Peter, the chief apostle, in the seat of the servant. This would make sense, for according to?Luke 22:26-27 NIV, there was strife among the disciples as to whom was the greatest. Always the teacher, Jesus said: “26?But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest,?and the one who rules like the one who serves.?27?For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.”To further teach Peter, and the others, of the importance of servant-leadership, Jesus then washed the feet of the twelve disciples, including the feet of Judas. Peter, who Jesus had placed in the seat of the servant, was most likely responsible for washing the feet of the guests, yet Jesus, the host, and the greatest of them all, now acted as servant and washed their feet. This would explain the protest of Peter when he says: “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 8?“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” (John 13:6, 8) Then Jesus teaches Simon Peter: “14?If I then,?your?Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.?15?For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.?16?Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.” (John 13:14-16 NIV)This seating arrangement would also mean that Jesus placed Judas, who would betray him, in the seat of honor. It seems that to the very end Jesus loved Judas, and desired to teach him of his love by placing him in this most important seat. It was as if Jesus was trying to give Judas one less reason to betray him. Jesus, at some point, gives Judas a “sop,” a piece of bread dipped in broth, yet another sign of honor. However, Judas had already made up his mind. “27?Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him,?“’What you do, do quickly.’” (John 13:27 NIV)) The correct answer is?“Christ Beside Me.”Hymn #2166 in The Faith We Sing is adapted from the words on the breastplate of the famous early evangelist.Verse one reads: “Christ beside me, Christ before me, Christ behind me King of my heart; Christ within me, Christ below me, Christ above me never to part.”The saint Americans celebrate each March 17 was not born in Ireland, and his birth name might not even have been Patrick.While many of the details of his life are shrouded in legend, on this scholars agree: The patron saint of Ireland left a legacy far more vibrant and lasting than the green food and beverages served on his feast day.St. Patrick's commitment to the gospel led him at great personal risk to spread Christianity across Ireland. After his death, Irish missionaries used his methods to re-evangelize Western Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire. When people talk about how the Irish saved civilization, Patrick had a large hand in that.And his life and ministry offer lessons for United Methodists today.Patrick demonstrated that "we as Christians have something worth sharing, even at great hardship," said Jim L. Papandrea, assistant professor of church history at?Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, a United Methodist institution outside Chicago."While we live in a world where we value religious tolerance, we should not let our aversion to unethical forms of proselytizing force us to go to the other extreme and completely abandon evangelism," Papandrea said.Patrick's ministry, the professor added, is a reminder that Christ's commission to make disciples of all nations "is a form of loving our neighbor."Patrick led a life that was plenty exciting. His early years read like something out of a Robert Louis Stevenson novel.The son of a Roman imperial official in Britain, the saint who would be Patrick was born around A.D. 387, just a few years after Christianity became the official state religion of the Roman Empire. His birth name was Magonus Sucatus, according to some sources.At about 16, he was kidnapped by Irish pirates who sold him into slavery in their native land. That was his first encounter with the island he would later transform.Prayer, Patrick later recounted, was his main comfort during a lonely captivity tending his master's flocks. After six years, he managed to escape.Called by God to become a priest, he eventually made his way to Gaul (modern-day France), where he studied at the monastery founded by St. Martin of Tours. The future saint eventually became known as Patricius, the Latin version of Patrick.Patrick no doubt drew inspiration from his time at the monastery, said the Rev. George Hunter III, distinguished professor of evangelism and church growth at?Asbury Theological Seminary?in Wilmore, Ky.In a dream, he heard the Irish people calling out for him to return to the land of his captivity. His bishop shared Patrick's vision with other bishops. Eventually, the pope appointed the former slave to be the first bishop of Ireland."As far as we know nobody in history had ever escaped from slavery and voluntarily returned to those who still owned him at great personal risk, loving them and telling them of the high God whom they had only dimly known," said Hunter. "He loved them, he cared for them and he redeemed them." 28:16-20 (NIV) 16?Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.?17?When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.?18?Then Jesus came to them and said,?“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.?19?Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20?and teaching?them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you?always, to the very end of the age.”17) The correct answer is?pretzels.The twisted pretzel is said to have its roots in Lent. According to legend, a 7th century monk made bread from flour, water, and salt—no eggs or milk because they were avoided during Lent. He then formed it into the shape of a common prayer pose of the day, hands on opposite shoulders. You have to turn the pretzel upside down to see it.The rapid pace of life today fits in well with the ancient practice of breath prayers. As life rushes toward you at full speed, you can relieve the stress of it through breath prayers.Choose a brief phrase that expresses what you want to say to God.?Find in scripture some simple expressions that reflect how you’d like to express yourself to God in prayer, or simply reflect on some of your current prayer concerns and how you can express them succinctly.Say the first part of your prayer while inhaling.?Divide your phrase up into two parts that you can naturally say while breathing in and breathing out. As you say the first part of your chosen phrase, imagine God’s Spirit blowing into your soul like a wind. Invite God’s Spirit to renew your mind as he blows in, clearing out all?thoughts?that don’t reflect the truth and bringing fresh inspiration to your mind. Imagine God pouring out his peace into the air for you to breathe into your soul and absorb.Say the second part of your prayer while exhaling.?As you say the second part of your breath prayer, imagine all that’s unhealthy blowing out of your soul. Imagine the stress you feel disappearing in an explosion of power from God’s Spirit at work transforming you. Imagine sin loosening its grip on you as you mentally turn away from it and toward God, who gives you true peace. Feel the relief of letting go of your worries, knowing that you can trust God to help with each of them. Rest assured that God hears your prayer and will answer it. (from )1) "Lord, have mercy." The Desert Fathers, monastic Christians in Egypt in the third and fourth centuries, often prayed the prayer many know as the “Kyrie Eleison” (Greek for “Lord, have mercy”). It is rooted in Psalm 123:3, Luke 18:13, and Luke 18:38.2) “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” Based on the words of the boy Samuel (1 Samuel 3:9) pray these words to quiet your soul and express your desire to hear from God.3) "My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth." Pray this prayer of affirmation and dependence, from Psalm 121:2, in times of need and desperation as a reminder that our help does not come from our own strength or the support of others, but from God.4) "Here I am." This is a prayer of presence, and availability, based on the cry of the prophet in Isaiah 6:8.5) "Show your power." Pray this short prayer (based on Psalm 68:28, and others) to intercede for others, particularly when the need is great and the situation dire.6) "When I am afraid, I will trust you." Children can memorize this verse (Psalm 56:3) as young as four or five. It can help not only them but also you to remain calm and trustful when tempted by worry and fear.7) "Not my will, but yours." This prayer, of course, echoes Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:42). It helps to pray this “breath prayer” when you are anxious or impatient. It places the praying heart in a position of surrender, where great answers are likely to come.8) "Bring your kingdom." Based on the prayer Jesus taught his earliest followers (Luke 11:2), breathe this prayer when overwhelmed by the sadness and horrors of the latest news or a devastating diagnosis. It expresses a heartfelt desire for the day when “the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God” (Revelation 12:10) will be fully realized and the Evil One will be defeated.9) "Say the word." When a Roman centurion sent word to Jesus asking him to heal a sick servant, he simply requested, “Say the word, and my servant will be healed” (Luke 7:7). Jesus commended the centurion’s faith, for his request showed that he knew Jesus could heal with a word. Pray for someone’s healing – from sickness, addiction, emotional pain, depression, etc. – with this breath prayer.10) "Come, Lord Jesus." Breathe this prayer, the last prayer recorded in the Bible (Revelation 22:20), not only as a prayer for Christ’s return but also as a prayer for him to come repeatedly, constantly, into your situation and struggles.[The previous ten “Breath Prayers” are from A Thousand Ways to Pray, 10 'Breath Prayers' by?Bob Hostetler?|?Guideposts, Mar 17, 2015]18) The correct answer is?All of the above.The sunrise service is ripe with symbolism, and calls us to identify with the women who went to the tomb early on that first Easter Sunday morning. There are a variety of stories about who held the first Easter Sunrise Service.The lectionary reading for this the 4th Sunday in Lent reminds us that Jesus is light and “those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God” (John 3:21).Every Easter morning multitudes of Christians gather at dawn to await the rising of the sun. For Christians this commemorates that day almost 2000 years ago when Jesus was raised from the dead. Christians have gathered this way for hundreds of years, but how many hundreds of years? And who began the practice? For the answers we have to meet Count Zinzendorf and a group of Christians who once lived in present-day Czech Republic.Count Kikolaus Ludwig Graf von Zinzendorf (1700-1760) owned a large tract of land in what today is eastern Germany. His land was just north of Bohemia and northwest of Moravia, today known as the Czech Republic. Living in Germany, he followed in the footsteps of Martin Luther and was a Protestant. He even studied law at the University of Wittenberg from 1716 to 1719, at the village where Luther had lived. Yet, like Luther, his great desire was not law but spiritual matters.Across the border in Bohemia and Moravia lived a people known as the Unitas Fratrum (Latin, "society of brothers"), or also as the Bohemian Brethren. Although also Protestant, they were few in number and, following the Thirty Years War (1618-1648; a series of religious and political wars which, among other things, decimated Bohemia), were increasingly alienated. Because of this, they sought out a safe haven.Zinzendorf agreed to allow these Christian immigrants to move to his land; they built a village there and named it Herrnhut. Herrnhut became a magnet for others who were oppressed due to differing Protestant ideas. Strife soon arose among the different groups. Yet amongst this bickering, a communion service held on August 13, 1727 was accompanied with such spiritual power that it produced the miraculous feat of bringing the community together.Due to Zinzendorf’s influence, they immediately began to send out missionaries. Thus this group, now known as the Moravians, was mission-minded from its inception. Within two decades missionaries had been sent to places as far away as Greenland, South Africa, Georgia (to work with Indians), and the West Indies (to work with black slaves). Herrnhut became such a widely recognized center of Christian missions that even John Wesley visited in 1738.Five years after this communion service, part of the community gathered early in the morning in 1732 at the town’s cemetery (known as God’s Acre). They gathered to watch the sun rise and celebrate the rising of Jesus from the dead. And so the Easter Sunrise Service was born. The early Moravians continued this celebration. Later they added the practice of meeting at 2 AM (I have not figured out why specifically 2 AM) and gathering in bands of joyous music throughout the village in anticipation of the sun. Once again they would go the God’s Acre for a worship service while the sun rose and, afterwards, gather for a community breakfast.Those who had gone out as missionaries continued this practice. The groups in the West Indies and Georgia eventually traveled to Pennsylvania, founding the city of Bethlehem. And the Moravians in newly-established Bethlehem celebrated Easter in 1741with the first Easter Sunrise Service in America. This celebration currently occurs yearly at Old Salem in Winston-Salem. ( ?2004 Mark Nickens)Matthew 28:1-7 (NIV)?After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary?went to look at the tomb.2?There was a violent earthquake,?for an angel?of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone?and sat on it.?3?His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.?4?The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.5?The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid,?for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.?6?He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.?Come and see the place where he lay.?7?Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”19) The correct answer is?Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews.John 19:19-22 (NIV) describes the sign put above Jesus’ head on the cross: “19?Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read:?Jesus of Nazareth,?the King of the Jews.?20?Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city,?and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek.?21?The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.” 22?Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”There are many crucifixes that bear the initials INRI above the head of Christ. INRI was not the actual inscription, but is an acronym. The sign was known as a?titilum, or title, and was used to describe the crime of the accused. Latin for "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews" is?"Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Iudaeorvm"?and the acronym for this title is INRI. Latin uses the letter "I" instead of the English "J", and "V" instead of "U" (i.e.,?Jesus Nazarenus Rex Judaeorum). The English translation is then "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews."Pilate was loathe to crucify Jesus without some strong justification. The one he used was the standing Roman treaty with the Jews which allowed them self-government. When it was complained that Jesus was interfering with that self-rule by holding himself to possess authority that He lacked, Pilate challenged him to deny that he was called "King of Jews." Jesus did not deny the accusation.?Some believe that the justification for his crucifixion was that he claimed an illegitimate title. However John 19:21-22 states that Pilate rejected the charge that Jesus was crucified because he falsely claimed to be king and instead stated that the reason Jesus was crucified was because he was the King of the Jews. Thus, Pilate personally was convinced that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah. This is further corroborated by the Eastern Orthodox Feast of Saint Pontius Pilate on June 25 since early church histories state that after converting to Christianity, Pilate himself was martyred by double crucifixion. 72:1, 8-9 (NIV) 1?Endow the king with your justice,?O God, the royal son with your righteousness. 8?May he rule from sea to sea and from the River?to the ends of the earth. 9?May the desert tribes bow before him and his enemies lick the dust.Matthew 2:1-6 (NIV) 1?After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea,?during the time of King Herod, Magi?from the east came to Jerusalem ?2?and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews??We saw his star?when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3?When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4?When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.?5?“In Bethlehem?in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6?“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”Micah 5:2, 4 (NIV) 2?“But you, Bethlehem?Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans?of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler?over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” 4?He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the?Lord, in the majesty of the name of the?Lord?his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.20) The correct answer is?True.In Luke 18:31-33 (CEB), we learn how Jesus told his disciples what to expect about his Passion, Death and Resurrection. “Jesus took the Twelve aside and said, ‘Look, we’re going up to Jerusalem, and everything written about the Human One by the prophets will be accomplished. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. He will be ridiculed, mistreated, and spit on. After torturing him, they will kill him. On the third day, he will rise up.’ But the Twelve understood none of these words. The meaning of this message was hidden from them and they didn’t grasp what he was saying.”Isaiah 53 (NIV) 1Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm?of the?Lord?been revealed? 2?He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root?out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance?that we should desire him. 3?He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering,?and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide?their faces he was despised,?and we held him in low esteem. 4?Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 5?But he was pierced?for our transgressions, he was crushed?for our iniquities; the punishment?that brought us peace?was on him, and by his wounds?we are healed. 6?We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the?Lord?has laid on him the iniquity?of us all. 7?He was oppressed?and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb?to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 8?By oppression and judgment?he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression?of my people he was punished. 9?He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich?in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. 10?Yet it was the?Lord’s will?to crush?him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes?his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring?and prolong his days, and the will of the?Lord?will prosper?in his hand. 11?After he has suffered, he will see the light?of life?and be satisfied; by his knowledge?my righteous servant?will justify?many, and he will bear their iniquities. 12?Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils?with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore?the sin of many, and made intercession?for the transgressors.Mark 8:34-38 NIV 34?Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said:?“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.?35?For whoever wants to save their life?will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.?36?What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul??37?Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul??38?If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man?will be ashamed of them when he comes?in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”Mark 10:32-34 NIV 32?They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve?aside and told them what was going to happen to him.?33?“We are going up to Jerusalem,”?he said,?“and the Son of Man?will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law.?They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles,?34?who will mock him and spit on him, flog him?and kill him.?Three days later?he will rise.”John 12:20-33 NIV 20?Now there were some Greeks?among those who went up to worship at the festival.?21?They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida?in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.”?22?Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.23?Jesus replied,?“The hour?has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24?Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies,?it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25?Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.?26?Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be.?My Father will honor the one who serves me. 27?“Now my soul is troubled,?and what shall I say? ‘Father,?save me from this hour’??No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28?Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven,?“I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.”29?The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. 30?Jesus said,?“This voice was for your benefit,?not mine.?31?Now is the time for judgment on this world;?now the prince of this world?will be driven out. 32?And I, when I am lifted up?from the earth,?will draw all people to myself.”?33?He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.21) The correct answer is?if you seek to respond to Christ’s love.The Sacrament of Holy Communion is based on the scriptural Last Supper, or final meal that Jesus shared with his disciples before his crucifixion. In The United Methodist Church,?the communion table is “open”?meaning that anyone who truly seeks Christ’s love and to ‘live a new life of peace and love,’ as the invitation to the table says, is welcome to receive.Why do United Methodists call this sharing of bread and cup by different names, such as Lord’s Supper, Holy Communion, and Eucharist?Each of these names is taken from the New Testament and highlights certain facets of this sacrament’s many meanings. Calling it the Lord’s Supper reminds us that it is a meal instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ and hosted by him at his table whenever it takes place. Calling it Holy Communion reminds us that it is an act of the most holy and intimate sharing, making us one with Jesus Christ and part of his body, the church. Calling it the Eucharist, a term taken from the New Testament Greek word meaning thanksgiving, reminds us that giving thanks to God for all that God has done is an essential part of the meal. By using different names we acknowledge that no single name can contain the rich wealth of meanings in this sacred act.?What do United Methodists mean when they call this act a sacrament?Our Confession of Faith states: “We believe the sacraments, ordained by Christ, are symbols and pledges of the Christian’s profession and of God’s love toward us. They are means of grace by which God works invisibly in us, quickening [bringing to life], strengthening and confirming our faith in him. Two Sacraments are ordained by Christ our Lord, namely Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.” The term is taken from the Latin sacramentum, which was a Roman soldier’s pledge of allegiance. A sacrament is God‘s pledge of allegiance [love and faithfulness] to us, and our answering pledge of allegiance to God.Do United Methodists believe that the bread and wine physically or chemically change into Christ’s flesh and blood in this sacrament?No, we believe that the change is spiritual. They signify the body and blood of Christ for us, helping us to be Christ’s body in the world today, redeemed by Christ’s blood. We pray over the bread and the cup that they may make us one with Christ, “one with each other, and one in service to all the world.”I am a Christian, but not a United Methodist. Am I invited to receive Communion in a United Methodist church?Yes indeed. It is the Lord’s Supper, not ours, and it is Christ who invites you. As our ritual puts it: “Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him, who earnestly repent of their sin and seek to live in peace with one another.” We do not refuse any who present themselves desiring to receive. Whether you should receive Communion with us is between you and God.I do not wish to receive Communion because doing so would be disloyal to my religion or my denomination. May I attend a United Methodist Communion service and not receive Communion?Yes indeed. We do not want anyone to feel unwelcome because, for whatever reason, they do not choose to receive Communion. Simply remain seated when others go forward, or pass the bread and cup along if they are passed to you, and no one will question what you do.Should I receive Communion if I feel unworthy?Two thousand years ago Jesus ate with sinners and those whom others scorned. He still does. None of us is worthy, except by God’s grace. Thank God we don’t have to earn worth in God’s eyes by our goodness or our faith. Your sacred worth, and ours, is God’s free gift. No matter what you have done or what your present condition, if you want Christ in your life you are welcome at his table. Communion provides the opportunity for you to confess your sins, to receive forgiveness, and to indicate your intention to lead a new life. 14:22-25 22?While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it?and gave it to his disciples, saying,?“Take it; this is my body.” 23?Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24?“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,”?he said to them.?25?“Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”22) The correct answer is?Mary Magdalene.Three of the Gospels, John, Matthew and Mark, say Jesus first appeared or spoke to?Mary Magdalene?(some mentioning the other women as well). It is an interesting and wonderful part of the story that Jesus came first to the women who so grieved His loss.Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she replied, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him and I will get him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabbouni” (which means Teacher). - John 20:15-16 (CEB)Mary Magdalene: Apostle or harlot? The Bible shows Mary Magdalene as an important disciple of Jesus - the one witness to the Crucifixion and Resurrection identified in all four canonical Gospels. In three Gospels, she encounters the risen Christ. In the Gospel of John, she is the first person to testify to the good news that Christ has conquered death. Rev. Sanford "Sandy" Brown, senior pastor of?First United Methodist Church in Seattle, said it's significant that the four Gospels agree that women remained with Jesus during the Crucifixion and that women - particularly Mary Magdalene - discovered the empty tomb. Given women's often debased place in first-century society, Brown said, these accounts tell Christians something important about Jesus' ministry. The women "went to the tomb in love and service to Jesus' remains and memory," he said. "The one who serves is the one who receives the greatest joy. The humble is the one who is exalted." The New Testament offers few clues as to Mary Magdalene's background before she followed Jesus. Many scholars speculate that her last name refers to Magdala, a fishing village in Galilee where she might have grown up. (? A UMNS Feature by Heather Hahn)Mary Magdalene travelled with Jesus as one of his followers. She is said to have witnessed Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection.?Within the four Gospels she is named at least 12 times,?more than most of the apostles. During the Middle Ages she developed a reputation in Western Christianity as being a repentant prostitute or loose woman. This is not supported by the canonical gospels.Luke 8:2?says seven demons had gone out of her,?and the?longer ending of Mark 16 says Jesus had cast seven demons out of her.?She is most prominent in the narrative of the?crucifixion of Jesus, at which she was present. She was also present two days later, immediately following the Sabbath,?when, according to all four canonical Gospels,?she was either alone or as a member of a group of women the first to testify to the?resurrection of Jesus.?John 20?and?Mark 16:9?specifically name her as the first person to see Jesus after his resurrection.Mary Magdalene was present from the "beginning of a movement that was going to transform the West".?She was the "Apostle to the Apostles", an honorific that the 3rd century theologian?Hippolytus of Rome?gave her?in his commentary on the Song of Songs. Ideas that go beyond the gospel presentation of Mary Magdalene as a prominent representative of the women who followed Jesus have been put forward over the centuries. Some have considered her as fulfilling a role similar to that of Simon Peter?among the male disciples. 16:9-11 (NIV)?1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices?so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body.?2?Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb?3?and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”4?But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.?5?As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe?sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.6?“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene,?who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.7?But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him,?just as he told you.’”8?Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.9?When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene,?out of whom he had driven seven demons.?10?She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping.?11?When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.23) The correct answer is?at the conclusion of Maundy Thursday worship.In Lent, the Lord’s Table is decorated normally, using purple altar cloths—during Holy Week?they may change to red. To conclude worship on?Maundy Thursday?some congregations remove everything from the Lord’s Table, and leave it bare until Easter Sunday.The starkness of the empty Table reminds us of Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion. Similarly, the Gospel Reading for the third Sunday of Lent, the story of Jesus driving the moneychangers from the Temple, calls us to contemplate what matters most in worship.Why Strip the Altar?Stripping of the altar (removing all ornaments, linens, and paraments) is an ancient custom of the Church done on Maundy Thursday. It is symbolic of the humiliation of Jesus at the hands of the soldiers.After the Last Supper, less than 24 hours remained in the earthly life of our Lord. Events moved rapidly: prayer in Gethsemane, betrayal by Judas, arrest, mock trial, painful beating, the trudge to Golgotha and execution.As His life was stripped from Him, so we strip our altar of the signs of life to symbolize His purposeful, redemptive suffering and death for us. Plants are new life springing forth. In the passion and suffering of Christ, human life ebbs from Him. In recognition of this we remove the palms from our altar.Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness.” The events of Golgotha snuffed out the human life of Jesus, the Light of the world. As even creation was dark when He suffered, so we extinguish our candles and remove them.Our offerings represent one way of serving God and others. They reflect Gods greatest offering to the world and to us in sending His Son, Jesus, in human form. As the offered body of Jesus was removed from sight in burial, so we remove our offerings.The missal stand holds our worship books that guide our worship life together as we sing praises to God. As Jesus suffers, joyous songs are not heard. As these sounds of joy are removed from our lips, we remove the missal stand.Jesus’ offered Body and His shed Blood have been given to us in, with, and under the form of bread and wine in this Holy Mystery. As He was removed from us in the grave, so we remove the elements and vessels of this Sacrament.Our altar is in the form of a table. It is here where our Lord Jesus serves us as both host and meal at His banquet feast. The coverings and paraments are made of fine linen; material appropriate for feasting with our King. As our King’s body was stripped in crucifixion, so our altar is stripped of its coverings.The Paschal Candle is carried from the baptismal font to the rear of the sanctuary where it is extinguished. There is no benediction or postlude at the end of this service, which indicates that the service has not concluded. [Our worship continues on Good Friday.] 13:3-5, 12-17 (NIV) 3?Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power,?and that he had come from God?and was returning to God;?4?so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.?5?After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet,?drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 12?When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place.?“Do you understand what I have done for you?”?he asked them.13?“You call me ‘Teacher’?and ‘Lord,’?and rightly so, for that is what I am.?14?Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.?15?I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.?16?Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master,?nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.?17?Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.John 15:20 (NIV) 20?Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’?If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.?If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.24) The correct answer is?all of the above.Lilies, which have a bulb that is buried in the earth and emerge as beautiful flowers in Spring, as well as delicate butterflies which emerge from a hard cocoon, are examples of new life after being “entombed” or underground. Eggs, which also have a hard shell, are “life-giving” and are great teaching tools for children to explain Christ’s Resurrection. The lamb is mentioned in the Bible (John 1:29, Revelation 5:6-14) as representing Jesus and his sacrifice as well as Jesus as a shepherd caring for His flocks.In Christianity, the?butterfly?has long been a symbol of the resurrection of Christ as well as the resurrection of believers. The caterpillar disappears into a cocoon, which is like the tomb Christ lay in after the crucifixion, appearing dead. Later, it emerges from "death," having transformed into something more beautiful and powerful than it was.The butterfly symbol is seen especially around Easter, the Christian holiday that celebrates the resurrection of Christ. But the butterfly is also a symbol of every Christian's hope of resurrection from the dead, so it is sometimes displayed at the memorials and funerals of believers as well.“butterfly.”?.?10 Nov. 2015. Web. Accessed 28 Jan. 2016. <butterfly>1 Corinthians 15:42-44 (NIV) 42?So will it be?with the resurrection of the dead.?The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable;?43?it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory;?it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;?44?it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.As a source of new life, the egg was a symbol of creation, spring, and fertility in many cultures and religions, long before the advent of Christianity. The ancient Persians exchanged eggs at the spring equinox, Romans gave red-painted eggs as gifts at the new year, and to this day an egg is one of the symbolic foods on the plate at the Passover Seder which celebrates the new life of the people of Israel when they were redeemed from slavery in Egypt. Christianity inherited this rich natural symbolic tradition. However, thegreat spring festival of Easter, the Christian Passover, added a new meaningto the symbolism of the egg, for just as the hard shell of the egg is brokenopen so that new life can emerge, so was the rock-hewn tomb of Jesus broken open when he rose from the dead on the third day. Ancient cultures saw the egg as a symbol of the rebirth of nature, but Christians came to see it as a symbol of the rebirth of mankind. 28:1-2 (NIV) 1?After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary?went to look at the tomb.2?There was a violent earthquake,?for an angel?of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone?and sat on it.?Lamb of God is a title for?Jesus?that appears in the?Gospel of John. It appears at?John 1:29, where?John the Baptist?sees Jesus and exclaims, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." John 1:29-31 (NIV) 29?The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God,?who takes away the sin of the world!?30?This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’?31?I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”Although "Lamb of God" refers in Christian teachings to?Jesus Christ?in his role of the perfect?sacrificial offering, Christian doctrine holds that Jesus chose to suffer at Calvary?as a sign of his full obedience to the will of his Father, as an "agent and servant of God". A lion-like lamb that rises to deliver victory after being slain appears several times in the?Book of Revelation.?It is also referred to in Pauline writings.?1 Corinthians 5:7 suggests that Saint Paul?intends to refer to the death of Jesus, who is the Paschal Lamb. Corinthians 5:7 (NIV) 7?Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.?Revelation 5:6 (NIV) 6?Then I saw a Lamb,?looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders.?The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes,?which are the seven spirits?of God sent out into all the earth.25) The correct answer is?twice a week.John Wesley fasted from all food beginning after the evening meal through mid-afternoon the next day. He thought the practice an important form of penitence which allowed more time for prayer and believed it was more meaningful combined with giving to the poor.Jesus went into the wilderness to fast for 40 days and nights. Fasting during Lent is a way of tuning in to the Christian idea of sacrifice. The United Methodist Church does not have?official guidelines for the practice of fasting. Individuals are encouraged to make the best choice based on their personal situation.Beyond fasting: 10 tips for a more meaningful Lent Lent is a time for?self-reflection?and deepening one’s relationship with God in Jesus Christ. For many this season leading up to Easter will be weeks of?giving up something they enjoy?as a sign of contrition for mistakes they have made. Others will spend?extra time in devotions and prayer, while a few more will carry a cross or nail in their pocket as a reminder of the sacrifice Jesus made for them and the whole world. If those practices work for you, wonderful! Others may want to find different?ways of observing this holy season. Consider adopting one or more of the following creative uses of the days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday.1. Apologize to someone – Lent is a season of repentance. Most often we think of asking God for forgiveness from our sin, but that is only half of the story. Most sins include hurting others, which mattered to Jesus. He taught that if during worship if you “remember that your brother or sister has something against you... First?make things right with your brother or sister and then come back and offer your gift.” (Matthew 5:23-24 CEB). Lent is a great time to seek forgiveness from those we have harmed.?2. Perform random acts of kindness – Express your love for?Jesus by loving others.?Pay for the order of the person behind you in the drive-through. Give an extravagant tip. Carry gift cards to give away. Ask others how they are doing, then stop and listen to their responses. Share the love of Jesus in any way you can think of each day during Lent.3. Delve into a book of the Bible – Enhance your devotions by getting to know a book of the Bible well. Read it?repeatedly, at least once in a single sitting. Find articles about it. Meditate on it with a commentary. Memorize portions of it. Pray through it. Google sermons about it. Find?hymns based upon it. In the six weeks of Lent, you could develop a deep understanding of a book of the Bible about which you have always been curious.4. Serve people in need – Identify an organization with which you would like to participate. Sign up and get trained. Then volunteer to serve throughout the season of Lent. When Jesus washed?his disciples’ feet at the Last Supper, he taught that?we are called not to be served, but to serve (John 13:1-17).5. Visit the lonely – Jesus also taught his disciples to treat others as we would treat him. This?included visiting those who are sick and in prison (Matthew 25:31-36). Talk to a local nursing home about washing wheelchairs, or a children’s hospital about visiting with parents of patients. Volunteer with a?prison ministry, senior center, or any other place where people need some human contact. Play?games, tell stories, look at photo albums, and enjoy those about whom Jesus said, “when you have done it for [them], you have done it for me.”6. Read Wesley’s sermons about?the Sermon on the Mount – These 13 sermons (available online)?are central to the message of John Wesley. They make up?a little more than one-quarter of the fifty “Standard Sermons” he gave to his Methodist lay preachers to teach them “the essentials of true religion" (“The Sermons of John Wesley – An Introduction”). Reading these sermons will have you focused on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) and give you a sense of what it means to be a United Methodist in the tradition of John Wesley.7. Tell others you love them – Some of us struggle to say those three little words. Maybe we assume others already know how we feel. Maybe we think we?show?our love and don’t need to say it. Or maybe we are concerned it won’t be reciprocated. Fight the fear and say "I love you"?to?friends, family members, and everyone else you love at least once during the season.8. Throw a party for everyone – Jesus often used the image of a party to describe the Kingdom of God. He talked about wedding receptions and banquet feasts, and participated in several large group celebrations. Host your own Kingdom party by cooking for the neighborhood, or buying lunch for the entire office or your church. Feed everyone you can and give people an opportunity to be together.9. Serve in worship – Your church needs you. Sing in the choir, usher, serve as a reader, work with the tech team, help a young family with their baby, or find some other way to serve your church. Don’t wait for someone to ask you to use your God-given gifts. Offer yourself in service to your church for the season.10. Say “thank you” – Parents, family members, mentors, coaches, teachers, authors, pastors, Sunday school teachers, and others have shaped you?into the person you are. Each week during Lent, send a note of gratitude to one of them. Tell them?how much they meant to you and how they inspired you.?Consider including a small gift.?Even if you do not know that author or speaker personally, draft an email of thanks.? – A Feature by Joe IovinoRomans 12:5-7 (NIV) 5?so in Christ we, though many, form one body,?and each member belongs to all the others.?6?We have different gifts,?according to the grace given to each of us.26) The correct answer is?alleluia.Some United Methodist churches refrain from singing “Alleluia” and/or “Gloria” during Lent. This practice, sometimes called “Burying the Alleluia,” is a way of recognizing the solemnity of the season and anticipating the glorious praise we will get to sing as we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection on Easter Sunday!Burying the “Alleluia” During Lent?Should our praise and prayer be the same during Lent and on the Sundays of Lent as they are in the rest of the year? Well, yes and no. Lent is not a season where we?pretend?that Jesus is crucified and dead so we make our worship funereal. The Sundays in Lent are not counted in the forty days of Easter; rather, they are "Little Easters." Yet there is a sense in which – as with Christmas decorations – we need to give things a rest. After Christmas, we put the lights, crèche, and star away. We know where they are; we anticipate putting them up again (at the right time); but we would not want them up all year! When we retire something familiar for a season, recovering its use has a way of making it "new" for us. It has a way of giving emphasis to what precedes and follows it. Taking a rest from something gives shape and rhythm to life, to worship, to relationships – even to our relationship with God.Some churches, in keeping with this principle, bury or "hide" the Alleluia during Lent. Our United Methodist worship resources do not call for this and do not offer directions for doing so. However, there is a long tradition for suspending the use of?Alleluia?from either the Last Sunday after Epiphany or Shrove Tuesday (the day before Ash Wednesday) until the first service of Easter. 4941570481965000 by Daniel BenedictAlleluia is a word heard throughout the Christian world regardless of language. Alleluia is the Greek and Latin form of the Hebrew word Hallelujah, a word meaning praise the Lord. In the Western world, Alleluia came to be associated with the celebration of the most important season of the Church year, Easter. The association of Alleluia with Easter led to the custom of intentionally omitting it from liturgy during Lent.? It’s a kind of verbal fast, not with the intention of depressing the mood of our worship services, but instead to create a sense of anticipation and greater joy when the familiar praise word returns on Easter morning.Burying the Alleluia is a Christian custom that dates back to medieval times. It is rooted in the practices of liturgical churches that refrain from reciting their usual “Alleluia!” after the Gospel reading during the season of Lent. The intention of this practice is not to be archaic or dismal, but rather to be a practice that enriches our spiritual lives as we anticipate Easter.? Lent is a season of preparation in which we prepare for Jesus’ resurrection on Easter Sunday. Alleluia is a special word used to jubilantly proclaim Jesus is risen! The practice of burying the Alleluia invites us to refrain from using this word during Lent so we can save it for the special celebration on Easter. ?The intention is to let the word rest so that when it reappears on Easter we might hear it anew and experience the joy of Christ’s resurrection in renewed and meaningful ways.Burying the Alleluia is not about abstaining from praising and expressing our love and devotion to God. Both secular and religious traditions have customs that if celebrated every day would no longer be special (Singing of Happy Birthday, Christmas Tree, etc.). Saving the singing of “Happy Birthday” for birthdays and decorating a Christmas tree for Christmas helps us to know those are special times of celebration. The same can be true for burying the Alleluia. 1:68 (NIV) Praise?be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed?them. Ephesians 1:3 (NIV) Praise?be to the?God and Father of our?Lord?Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in?the?heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.27) The correct answer is?extinguishing of candles.Tenebrae?is a Latin word meaning?darkness?or shadows.?During a Tenebrae service, usually held on Good Friday, worshippers hear readings describing Jesus’ final hours from his arrest through his crucifixion, death, and placement in the tomb. After each reading, a candle is extinguished, darkening the room just a little. Before the final reading the Christ candle is extinguished or removed, leaving the room completely dark. On Easter Sunday the candle is returned, a symbol of Jesus’ resurrection.Tenebrae: A Service of ShadowsThe service of Tenebrae, meaning “darkness” or “shadows,” has been practiced by the church since medieval times. Once a service for the monastic community, Tenebrae later became an important part of the worship of the common folk during Holy Week. We join Christians of many generations throughout the world in using the liturgy of Tenebrae.Tenebrae is a prolonged meditation on Christ’s suffering. Readings trace the story of Christ’s passion, music portrays his pathos, and the power of silence and darkness suggests the drama of this momentous day. As lights are extinguished, we ponder the depth of Christ’s suffering and death; we remember the cataclysmic nature of his sacrifice as we hear the overwhelming sound of the “strepitus” (din, crash, uproar); and through the return of the small but persistent flame of the Christ candle at the conclusion of the service, we anticipate the joy of ultimate victory.The Shadow of Betrayal - Matthew 26:20-2520?When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21?And while they were eating, he said,?“Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” 22?They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?” 23?Jesus replied,?“The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me.?24?The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him.?But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” 25?Then Judas, the one who would betray him,?said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?” Jesus answered,?“You have said so.”The Shadow of the Agony of Spirit and Arrest - Matthew 26:36-5036?Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them,?“Sit here while I go over there and pray.”?37?He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee?along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled.38?Then he said to them,?“My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow?to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” 39?Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed,?“My Father, if it is possible, may this cup?be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”40?Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping.?“Couldn’t you men keep watch with me?for one hour?”?he asked Peter.?41?“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.?The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42?He went away a second time and prayed,?“My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” 43?When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy.?44?So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. 45?Then he returned to the disciples and said to them,?“Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour?has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners.?46?Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!” 47?While he was still speaking, Judas,?one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people.?48?Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.”?49?Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!”?and kissed him. 50?Jesus replied,?“Do what you came for, friend.” Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him.The Shadow of Denial - Matthew 26:69-7569?Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said. 70?But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. 71?Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72?He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!” 73?After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.” 74?Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!” Immediately a rooster crowed.?75?Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken:?“Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”?And he went outside and wept bitterly.The Shadow of Accusation - Matthew 27:11-14, 20-2911?Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “You have said so,”?Jesus replied. 12?When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer.13?Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?”?14?But Jesus made no reply,?not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor. 20?But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed. 21?“Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor. “Barabbas,” they answered.22?“What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”?Pilate asked.They all answered, “Crucify him!” 23?“Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!” 24?When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar?was starting, he took water and washed his hands?in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,”?he said. “It is your responsibility!” 25?All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!” 26?Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged,?and handed him over to be crucified. 27?Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium?and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him.?28?They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him,?29?and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said.The Shadow of Crucifixion and Humiliation - Matthew 27:31-4331?After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. 32?As they were going out,?they met a man from Cyrene,?named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.?33?They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”).?34?There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall;?but after tasting it, he refused to drink it.?35?When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.?36?And sitting down, they kept watch?over him there.?37?Above his head they placed the written charge against him:?This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.38?Two rebels were crucified with him,?one on his right and one on his left.39?Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads?40?and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself!?Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!”?41?In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him.42?“He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel!?Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe?in him.?43?He trusts in God. Let God rescue him?now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”The Shadow of Death - Matthew 27:45-5445?From noon until three in the afternoon darkness?came over all the land. 46?About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice,?“Eli, Eli, lemasabachthani?”?(which means?“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). 47?When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.” 48?Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink.?49?The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.” 50?And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. 51?At that moment the curtain of the temple?was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split?52?and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.?53?They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and?went into the holy city?and appeared to many people. 54?When the centurion and those with him who were guarding?Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”The Shadow of Burial - Matthew 27:57-6057?As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph who had himself become a disciple of Jesus.?58?Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him.?59?Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,?60?and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.) The correct answer is?Peter.In Mark 8 we read of Jesus asking his disciples who they say he is. Jesus praises Peter’s answer, “You are the Christ,” saying God must have revealed that to him. Jesus then tells the disciples that soon he will be rejected, put to death, and then resurrected. Peter then scolded Jesus for saying such things. Jesus responded, “Get behind me, Satan. You are not thinking God’s thoughts but human thoughts” (Mark 8:27-33 CEB).We see a new theme being introduced by Jesus (vv. 31-38). He begins to predict His death for the first time (v. 31). This new teaching would not be meaningful until He had been accepted as the Messiah. Even the disciples shared the idea that the Messiah had come to deliver the Jews from Roman rule. Peter is an example and Jesus rebukes him (vv. 32-33). This kind of belief would never bring spiritual revival, but instead it encouraged political revolution. The idea of a suffering Messiah was an idea completely foreign to Jewish thinking. Jesus tried to warn His disciples that He was going up to Jerusalem to die and not to become a political ruler, but they failed to understand what he was talking about (vv. 34-38). This is why Peter so forcefully protested. Jesus saw in this protest the same?temptations?that Satan had presented to Him early in His ministry (Matthew 4:1-11), that being to choose the easy way and avoid suffering. It is a strange thing, and sometimes a terrible thing, that the tempter sometimes speaks to us in the voice of a well-meaning friend. This is why Jesus so sternly rebuked Peter and said, “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”, 33 In this moment, Peter was not considering God’s purposes, but only his own natural human desires and feelings. Peter wanted Christ to be king, but not the suffering servant prophesied in Isaiah 53. He was ready to receive the glory of following the Messiah, but not the persecution. The Christian life is not a paved road to wealth and ease. It often involves hard work, persecution, deprivation, and deep suffering. Peter saw only part of the picture. Don’t repeat his mistake, Instead, focus on the good that God can bring out of apparent evil, and the resurrection that follows crucifixion. 8:33 Peter was often the spokesman for all the disciples. In singling him out, Jesus may have been addressing all of them indirectly. Unknowingly, the disciples were trying to prevent Jesus from going to the cross and thus fulfilling his mission on earth. Satan also tempted Jesus to avoid the way of the cross (Matthew 4). Whereas Satan’s motives were evil, the disciples were motivated by love and admiration for Jesus. Nevertheless, the disciples’ job was not to guide and protect Jesus, but to follow him. Only after Jesus’ death and resurrection would they fully understand why he had to die.from NIV Life Application Study Bible, Zondervan, 2011Matthew 4:1-11 (NIV) 1?Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted?by the devil.?2?After fasting forty days and forty nights,?he was hungry.?3?The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God,?tell these stones to become bread.”4?Jesus answered,?“It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”5?Then the devil took him to the holy city?and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.?6?“If you are the Son of God,”?he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:“‘He will command his angels concerning you,????and they will lift you up in their hands,????so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”7?Jesus answered him,?“It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”8?Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.?9?“All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”10?Jesus said to him,?“Away from me, Satan!?For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”11?Then the devil left him,?and angels came and attended him.29) The correct answer is?all of the above.Many people give something up for Lent like chocolate, social media, shopping, or a bad habit. These are modern-day adaptations of the spiritual discipline of?fasting or abstinence.John Wesley encouraged early Methodists to regularly practice abstinence or fasting as an act of piety, like praying or reading the Bible. He also taught that fasting was best when coupled with acts of mercy such as giving to the poor. Rather than giving something up?this Lent, you might choose to add a practice during Lent to achieve one or more of the same goals. If you weren’t raised in a Christian liturgical denomination, the idea of “giving up something” for the 40 day season of Lent may seem like a strange practice – and it may seem even stranger to your children, if it’s a new concept for them as well.?If you’re wondering why some of us take part in this season, I’d like to explain it a little further. We believe that Jesus’ sacrifice is perfect. There is nothing we can do to earn our salvation…it is ours as a gift through the saving grace of Christ. Praise God! My goal is to lovingly explain how the principals of Lent are, indeed, Biblical: fasting, prayer, service, etc. The idea behind giving up something for Lent is based on Luke 9:23 “Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.’”?So, essentially it’s about self-denial, carrying our cross and following Jesus.?It is something that’s done in a prayerful way, so that we can wholly renew ourselves in Christ. That’s an important part of the process for you as an individual, but also as a family. If your family or your children choose to participate in a Lenten fast, make sure that praying together and reading the Bible is part of the experience. As a kid, I think the most widely used Lenten promise was to give up candy.?Yes, it was self-denial, but come Easter morning– watch out little solid chocolate bunny! So, yeah, there may have been a small disconnect in my complete understanding of Lent as a child.?The Lenten promise or “giving up” is about turning our lives over to Jesus, and giving up or turning away from sin. A sin, or anything material that takes our focus off of Jesus, is a good thing to step away from – even for just 40 days. In prayer, we can hope to grow in this time of conversion and be blessed with the realization that through Christ– NOT the fulfillment of the flesh–all things are possible. Lent also serves as a wonderful opportunity to set an example for your children, who may or may not be giving something up themselves. Many people make a Lenten promise to add something to their lives during this season. This can be done in conjunction with or in place of giving something up – and is another great way to worship as a family during the season. Maybe it’s reading the Bible daily with your children, doing a Lenten devotional, or choosing to do something within the community as a family for the poor, ill or elderly. By Buck Denver - There is no love without sacrifice!God gave up something for us 2000 years ago and it changed the world forever. “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.” He didn’t do it because he?had?to but because he?wanted?to.?Yes, he really loved us that much! He chose to do something for us that would leave no doubt in our hearts; something that would leave us with no other alternative than to conclude that?He?must love us precisely because he was willing to undergo such great suffering?on our behalf.??The truth is love and suffering are two sides of the same coin. In fact, the choice to love anyone requires a heart willing to suffer. A mother?cannot love her child and not feel pain when her little girl is suffering from an asthma attack. A man cannot?love his wife and?not feel pain while she lay dying of cancer in the hospital.?A teacher?cannot?love her children and?not?feel pain when one of them is in tears because she just found out that her favorite aunt just died.??If you choose to love then you will suffer ~ and if you are smart you know that it is worth it ~ especially when compared to the alternative: Loving no one at all. 4:16 (NIV) 16?“Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast?for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”30) The correct answer is?none of the above.The correct answer is None of the above. The United Methodist Church does not have official guidelines on?how individuals should observe Lent. Some choose to give up a certain food or restrict activities such as television watching, shopping or social networking. Some choose to give away clothing or possessions, or volunteer more, or increase time spent in prayer.Pastors Debate Value of Lenten Sacrifices - By Heather HahnRenewing a centuries-old debate, Arkansas pastors took?to the Internet to discuss the spiritual value of making personal sacrifices such as giving up chocolate or television for Lent.The conversation happened in 2010?when the Facebook page of Lakewood United Methodist Church in North Little Rock posed the question of whether anyone was planning to give up social networking for Lent. ?The same sort of discussion continues today.?"Seriously?" wrote the Rev. Danyelle Trexler Ditmer, then pastor of Atkins First and Bells Chapel United Methodist churches in Arkansas. "I have to say that is a very poor view of the Lenten discipline of sacrifice. It's like giving up chocolate. In what way will that help you grow closer to God? Instead, let us all endeavor to follow a Holy Lent whereby we honor sacrifice by taking on disciplines that will enrich our life with Christ and help us more fully appreciate the suffering and death of our Lord and the glory of resurrection on Easter morning."The Rev. Russell "Skeeter" Hull, then pastor of Nashville First and Bingen United Methodist churches, had his own take. "I don't argue anything that you say," he replied, "but I think that to say giving up chocolate or social networking would be random or of little value is going a bit far. The idea of the Lenten sacrifice is to make time for us to do exactly what you are talking about in your previous post. If it is social networking, TV, telephone, breakfast — WHATEVER it is — it's about creating a time to be in prayer or the Word."The pastors were engaging in a debate that was part of the Protestant Reformation. In 1522, followers of Swiss reformer Ulrich Zwingli publicly rejected Rome's prohibition against eating meat during Lent by eating sausages not long before Easter (and were arrested for their trouble).Harvard University historian Steven Ozment has said for 16th century church authorities, the Lenten menu was tantamount to burning a flag today. The act of defiance is often cited as the start of the Swiss Reformation.There is a strong biblical base for fasting, particularly during the 40 days of Lent leading to the celebration of Easter. Jesus, as part of his spiritual preparation, went into the wilderness and fasted 40 days and 40 nights, according to the Gospels.However Christians come down on the question of fasting, Lawrence suggests that the 40-day season involve some spiritual devotion on the mystery of Christ's sacrifice. "Which is better: to give something up for Lent or do something new for Lent?" Lawrence said. "The answer would be both."Methodism founder John Wesley wasn't content to limit fasting only to Lent. He fasted twice a week - on Wednesday and Friday - said the Rev. John Farthing. "His fast did not involve abstinence from food altogether, but allowed for limited consumption of food and drink," Farthing said. Wesley also advised moderation because he didn't want Christians to fast so severely that they damaged their health.The Rev. Clayton Bulice, then senior pastor of Primrose United Methodist Church in Little Rock, suggested that fasting should be more about doing something good than doing without. He cited Isaiah 58:6: "Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke?" Others find going without helps their spiritual journey.Bishop Charles Crutchfield and his wife, Karen, usually fast one day a week. "For me, fasting is a way of focusing on God," Karen Crutchfield said. "It is an addendum to prayer and helps me recognize my human limitations. It helps get 'me' out of the way so I can listen to God. Fasting is an act of repentance, discernment and humility. My focus during fasting is intentionally not on myself and my needs, but on God. Any hunger pains or discomfort become a reminder to pray." She added that it doesn't matter what a person gives up as long as God is the focus."It is certainly not an achievement," she said. "To be able to fast is another gift from God." 58 (NIV) 1“Shout it aloud,?do not hold back.????Raise your voice like a trumpet.Declare to my people their rebellion????and to the descendants of Jacob their sins.2?For day after day they seek?me out;????they seem eager to know my ways,as if they were a nation that does what is right????and has not forsaken?the commands of its God.They ask me for just decisions????and seem eager for God to come near?them.3?‘Why have we fasted,’?they say,????‘and you have not seen it?Why have we humbled?ourselves,????and you have not noticed?’“Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please????and exploit all your workers.4?Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,????and in striking each other with wicked fists.You cannot fast as you do today????and expect your voice to be heard?on high.5?Is this the kind of fast?I have chosen,????only a day for people to humble?themselves?Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed????and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?Is that what you call a fast,????a day acceptable to the?Lord?6?“Is not this the kind of fasting?I have chosen:to loose the chains of injustice????and untie the cords of the yoke,to set the oppressed?free????and break every yoke?7?Is it not to share your food with the hungry????and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe?them,????and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?8?Then your light will break forth like the dawn,????and your healing?will quickly appear; then your righteousness?will go before you,????and the glory of the?Lord?will be your rear guard.9?Then you will call,?and the?Lord?will answer;????you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,????with the pointing finger?and malicious talk, 10?and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry????and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light?will rise in the darkness,????and your night will become like the noonday.11?The?Lord?will guide?you always;????he will satisfy your needs?in a sun-scorched land????and will strengthen?your frame.You will be like a well-watered garden,????like a spring?whose waters never fail.12?Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins????and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,????Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.13?“If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath????and from doing as you please on my holy day,if you call the Sabbath a delight????and the?Lord’s holy day honorable,and if you honor it by not going your own way????and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,14?then you will find your joy?in the?Lord,????and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights?of the land????and to feast on the inheritance?of your father Jacob.”For the mouth of the?Lord?has spoken.31) The correct answer is?all of the above.The egg became associated with Easter somewhere near the 400s and was often a food that was given up at Lent. According to Norton, “In some of the early church traditions, people brought their eggs to the church to be blessed before they ate them, as the first joyful food of Easter.”The Easter Egg Easter eggs are specially decorated eggs given out to celebrate the Easter holiday or springtime.? It is the influence of the?traditional?spring rites that made Easter so egg-special. And myths coming down to us from an incredibly distant past have shown man's relationship with the egg to be very deep seated one. This is caught in old Latin proverb: "Omne vivum ex ovo". This means "all life comes from an egg." Not just the Latin saying, eggs are just laid well over all corners of the world. From ancient India to Polynesia, from Iran, Greece, and Phonecia to Latvia, Estonia, and Finland, from Central America to the west coast of South America, there are reports of myths of the whole universe created out of an egg. Thus, it is not unusual that in almost all ancient cultures eggs had been held as an emblem of life. The concept of all living beings born from an egg is also a foundational concept of modern biology.?But how did eggs come to be associated with Easter? Despite claims being made that Easter Eggs were originally pagan symbols, there is no solid evidence for this. It was not until the 18th Century that Jakob Grimm theorized a putative pagan connection to Easter Eggs with a goddess of his own whom he named Ostara, a?suggested?German version of Eostre. At the Passover Seder, a hard-boiled egg dipped in salt water symbolizes both new life and the Passover sacrifice offered at the Temple in Jerusalem. The ancient Persians painted eggs for Nowrooz, their New Year celebration falling on the Spring Equinox. This tradition has continued every year on Nowrooz since ancient times. In Christian times, the egg was a symbol of new life just as a chick might hatch from the egg. The?Easter egg?tradition may have celebrated the end of the privations of Lent. In Medieval Europe, eggs were forbidden during Lent as well as other?traditional?fast days. During the strict Lenten fast of forty days no eggs were eaten. It was?traditional?to use up all of the household's eggs before Lent began, which established the tradition of Pancake Day. This was because, in Christian times, the egg was a symbol of new life just as a chick might hatch from the egg. Eggs were viewed as symbols of new life and fertility through the ages. It is believed that for this reason many ancient cultures, including the Ancient Egyptians, Persians, and Romans, used eggs during their spring festivals. In Eastern Christianity, both meat and dairy are still prohibited during the fast, and eggs are seen as "dairy" (a foodstuff that could be taken from an animal without shedding its blood). That is the reason why eggs laid during that time were often boiled or otherwise preserved.? It was during Easter that the consumption of eggs resumed after the strict Lenten fast. Eggs were thus a mainstay of Easter meals, and a prized Easter gift for children and servants. And this is probably the reason why eggs came to be associated with Easter. The?coloring?of eggs is an established art, and eggs are often dyed, painted, and otherwise decorated. Eggs were also used in various holiday?games: parents would hide eggs for children to find, and children would?roll?eggs down hills. These practices live on in?Easter egg?hunts and egg rolls. The most famous egg?roll?takes place on the White House lawn every year. The oldest tradition is to use dyed and painted chicken eggs, but a modern custom is to substitute chocolate eggs, or plastic eggs filled with confectionery such as jellybeans. Candy Easter eggs can be any form of confectionery such as hollow chocolate eggs wrapped in brightly-colored foil. Some are delicately constructed of spun sugar and pastry decoration techniques. The ubiquitous jelly egg or jellybean is made from sugar-coated pectin candy. These are often hidden, supposedly by the Easter Bunny, for children to find on Easter morning.Isaiah 10:13 (NIV) 14?As one reaches into a nest, so my hand reached for the wealth?of the nations; as people gather abandoned eggs, so I gathered all the countries; not one flapped a wing, or opened its mouth to chirp.32) The correct answer is?True.Sundays in Lent are not counted in the forty days?because each Sunday represents a "mini-Easter" and the reverent spirit of Lent is tempered with joyful anticipation of the Resurrection.Is Lent really 40 days?long? Lent is 46 days long as a season, but it’s only a 40-day fast.?How is this possible??Because Sundays don’t count. The Christian year is divided into a repeating pattern of seasons: Advent?leads to Christmas?leads to?Epiphany?(leads to?Pre-Lent?in some traditions) leads to?Lent?leads to Easter?(leads to?Ascension) leads to?Pentecost?leads to?Trinity?and the season beyond leads back to Advent. Each of these seasons has a different focus theologically, scripturally, and liturgically. Lent fits into the picture by focusing on our sanctification, our battle against sin, the temptation and suffering of Christ, our sharing in the sufferings of Christ, the death of Christ, and our sharing in the death of Christ. It’s characterized by toning down (and in certain ways, eliminating) some of the usual praise-oriented worship and ratcheting up the penitential parts of our worship to bring our attentions more fully on our sinfulness and the continual need to repent and live and work for Christ. Therefore, Lent as an overall season is characterized by stricter spiritual disciplines and a more somber & sober awareness of our sinfulness before a holy God, and that impacts every day in the season including Sundays. At the same time, the Church’s calendar is peppered with Holy Days. Something often overlooked is that?every Sunday is a holiday. Specifically, every Sunday is a feast day. Feast days are celebrations, the opposite of a fast. And, as the names imply, it is traditionally appropriate to have a special meal (a feast) on feast days, and to have fewer meals (a fast) on fast days. Many different holidays pepper the calendar commemorating various events and people, especially ones in the Gospel books.?But every Sunday is a feast day in honor of the resurrection of Jesus.?In a sense, you could say that every Sunday is a mini-Easter.?Therefore it is?never?appropriate to fast on a Sunday no matter what the season is. So what happens when the Sunday and the Season collide??First of all, the celebratory nature of the Sunday always is most important: Christ is risen, and that’s that. But if every Sunday was explicitly and solely focused on the death and resurrection of Jesus, we’d never hear about the rest of his life, let alone the rest of the vast wealth of Scriptures! That’s where the seasons come in to add flavor and variety.?As the seasons walk us through different aspects of Christ’s identity, life, and ministry, each Sunday ends up bring out a different focus about Christ and the Christian life. With Lent being the main season that deals with human sin and sanctification, the Sundays therein are marked with a heavier sense of repentance than in other seasons.?We still celebrate the joy of the resurrection every Sunday during Lent, but we also spend more time than usual reflecting on the cost of that victory along the way. As a season of heightened penitential worship and self-reflection, Lent is 46 days long.?As a fast, however, Lent is only 40 days long, broken up by each Sunday along the way. If you’ve endeavored to fast or abstain from something during Lent, then according to the spirit of the holidays you don’t have to fast or abstain from those things on Sundays.? In that sense, Sundays are like a break from those exercises. On the other hand, if your Lenten discipline is something that’s focused on more forming (or eliminating) habits, then skipping Sundays may cause you to lose your momentum each week. In that case, in the spirit of the Lenten season, it makes sense to include Sundays, thus having a 46-day stretch of time to focus on fighting that certain sin, or working on that virtue you need, or whatever. Just remember, at the end of the day, that you don’t want to turn into a legalist.?In the grand scheme of things there isn’t much difference between 40 days and 46 days, and if you’re worrying too much about splitting hairs here, there’s a good chance you’re getting caught up in legalistic concerns and missing the overall spirit of Lent:?sanctification through intentionally sharing in the sufferings of Christ. 5:4-6 (NRSV) 4?You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to?be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.?5?For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.?6?For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.33) The correct answer is?all of the above.In addition to being a time to remember the mercy and forgiveness of Jesus, the early church used Lent to prepare converts for baptism, and to offer opportunities for those who had been separated from the church to be reconciled. Today Lent remains an ideal time to remember our baptism and to reconcile relationships with those we may have harmed. All of this signifies to us our sinfulness and the sacrifice of Jesus which makes our forgiveness possible.Ancient Traditions Still Influence Easter Christians journeying through Holy Week may be surprised to learn how some Easter traditions have evolved over the centuries. How did Easter get its name? Why are baptisms often included in services that day? What is the significance of wearing new clothes on Easter Sunday?It was not until the eighth century A.D. that Christians started using the word "Easter" to describe a day set aside to celebrate Jesus' Resurrection. The name originally had been used in reference to a festival honoring Eastre, the Teutonic goddess of light and spring whose symbol, by the way, was an egg. "In the early period, and even still today, it could be argued that Easter was the most important day on the church calendar," said the Rev. Taylor Burton-Edwards, director of worship resources at the United Methodist Board of Discipleship. Like modern times, Easter wasn't just another day."There was the celebration of the Resurrection, beginning with an all-night Great Vigil," Burton-Edwards said. The vigil continued until the early-morning baptisms and culminated with a celebration of communion, with those newly baptized receiving first. Baptisms have been a part of Easter since at least the second century, he noted. Even today, Easter is the primary day for baptisms in the Christian year. At some point, it may have been the only day for them. "What we know from this early period," Burton-Edwards said, "is that in some places, persons would have been baptized early in the morning, naked, and then clothed in a white robe - a parallel to the white-robed martyrs who appear in Revelation, and a sign of both purity and resurrection." White is the color most associated with the Resurrection of Christ and the Sundays of Easter through Pentecost, he added. "The association (of Easter) with baptism is ancient," Burton-Edwards said, "and is deeply connected with the development of Lent as a full 40 days by the fourth century as a final period of special and more intense preparation of candidates for baptism. "Their overall candidacy period (called the 'catechumenate') would have typically lasted at least three years. Lent was the 'homestretch' of this time," he continued. The Rev. Safiyah Fosua, who directs transformational preaching ministries at the Board of Discipleship, said the idea of wearing new clothes on Easter is an old practice that has lost its meaning. New converts wore their white baptismal robes around town for a week to symbolize their new life in Christ. "In subsequent years, those converts would not put the white robe back on but would wear new clothes to symbolize their participation in new life in Christ." "Easter is still a huge feast day for the church worldwide," he said. However, he doesn't believe that "not having a thing to wear" keeps people out of church on Easter or any other Sunday. "They'll come (or not) because they want to or are invited to come. It seems to me that the business of feeling like one has to have special clothes or new clothes for the occasion or else not come may be more an artifact of certain regions or social groups." And, Burton-Edwards contends, welcoming people is most important. "I see almost no value in thinking that by dressing down or dressing as if Easter were just another Sunday, we're doing much of anything in the way of either welcome or evangelism," he said. "Welcome is far more about how we treat people than what we or they wear." Fosua echoes that perspective. "Today, it might be more meaningful for a congregation to engage in some form of ministry that would demonstrate new life than to symbolize new life in clothing." She suggests ministries of mercy on Easter Sunday "distributing food or clothing to communities in need, or Easter celebrations in public places with the homeless or with those distant from the stained glass." 1:3-5 (NKJV) 3?“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’” 4?John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 5?Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.34) The correct answer is?spring.Lent comes?from the Anglo Saxon word?lencten, which means “spring.”?The root words mean “long days,” and this combination probably refers to the increasing daylight at this time of year. Lent’s 40 days represent Jesus’ time in the wilderness, enduring temptation and preparing to begin his ministry.The Beginning of Lent – by Ted Olsen?Lent is one of the oldest observations on the Christian calendar. Like all Christian holy days and holidays, it has changed over the years, but its purpose has always been the same: self-examination and penitence, demonstrated by self-denial, in preparation for Easter. Early church father Irenaus of Lyons (c.130-c.200) wrote of such a season in the earliest days of the church, but back then it lasted only two or three days, not the 40 observed today.In 325, the Council of Nicea discussed a 40-day Lenten season of fasting. It's unclear whether its original intent was just for new Christians preparing for Baptism, but it soon encompassed the whole Church.Until the 600s, Lent began on Quadragesima (Fortieth) Sunday, but Gregory the Great (c.540-604) moved it to a Wednesday, now called Ash Wednesday, to secure the exact number of 40 days in Lent—not counting Sundays, which were feast days. Gregory, who is regarded as the father of the medieval papacy, is also credited with the ceremony that gives the day its name. As Christians came to the church for forgiveness, Gregory marked their foreheads with ashes reminding them of the biblical symbol of repentance (sackcloth and ashes) and mortality: "You are dust, and to dust you will return" (Gen 3:19).By the 800s, some Lenten practices were already becoming more relaxed. First, Christians were allowed to eat after 3 p.m. By the 1400s, it was noon. Eventually, various foods (like fish) were allowed, and in 1966 the Roman Catholic church only restricted fast days to Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. It should be noted, however, that practices in Eastern Orthodox churches are still quite strict. 34:27-28 (NKJV) 27?Then the?Lord?said to Moses, “Write these words, for according to the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.”?28?So he was there with the?Lord?forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.1 Kings 19:1-8 (NKJV) 1?And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword.?2?Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do?to me,?and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.”?3?And when he saw?that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which?belongs?to Judah, and left his servant there.4?But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now,?Lord, take my life, for I?am?no better than my fathers!”5?Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel?touched him, and said to him, “Arise?and?eat.”?6?Then he looked, and there by his head was?a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again.?7?And the angel?of the?Lord?came back the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise?and?eat, because the journey?is?too great for you.”?8?So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God.Matthew 4:1-4 (NKJV) 1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.?2?And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.?3?Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”4?But He answered and said,?“It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”35) The correct answer is?1992.This practice became part of our official worship resources in 1992 when General Conference adopted?The United Methodist Book of Worship. It is optional to use it.Why ashes? Connecting to Who We Are and Who We Can Be One Wednesday a year, sometime in February or March, you notice someone at work, school, or elsewhere with a smudge on her forehead. It looks as if she missed a spot when washing. Then you see another who looks as though he needs to glance in the mirror. By the time you see the third, you realize it is?Ash Wednesday?and these passersby must have received the imposition of ashes. This practice we use to mark?the first day of Lent?may seem odd. People go to church mid-week to have a cleric place dirt on their foreheads.In the early days of the church, it was even more dramatic. Pastors did not dip their thumbs into the ashes to draw the shape of a cross on your forehead. Instead, they poured or sprinkled ashes over your head.Under any other circumstances, most would run from ashes. We avoid cleaning fireplaces for fear of the filth from them, yet we participate in this practice that is growing in popularity. In fact, the receiving of ashes seems to connect with all sorts of people.Remember that you are dust… Ashes were an ancient symbol of our humanity. In Genesis, we read that God formed human beings out of the dust of the earth (Genesis 2:7). The Hebrew word translated?dust, is occasionally translated?ashes?elsewhere. When Abraham felt the need to acknowledge the difference between him, a human being, and the infinite God, he referred to himself as dust and ashes. “Let me take it upon myself to speak to the Lord,” he said, “I who am but dust and ashes” (Genesis 18:27).…and to dust you shall return Our humanity also calls to mind our mortality. After expulsion from the Garden of Eden, the first human beings are told by God, “you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19 NRSV). We know the day is coming for each of us when we will return to dust. We wear black as a sign of mourning. Ancient people wore ashes. For example, Mordecai puts on sackcloth and ashes to grieve the many deaths he sees coming from an order King Ahasuerus gives to kill all Jewish people (Esther 4:1-3). The prophet Jeremiah later calls the people of God to “roll in ashes” as a way of mourning the coming devastation from an opposing army (Jeremiah 6:26). Receiving the imposition of ashes is a powerful way to confront our humanity and mortality. They remind us that we are not God, but God’s good creation. In them we recognize that our bodies will not last forever, and come face-to-face with the reality of our eventual death.Repent… Ashes also signify our sorrow for the mistakes we have made. People in ancient times wore sackcloth and ashes as a way of expressing their repentance of their sins. When Jonah reluctantly preached to the people of Nineveh after the giant fish spit him up on the beach, the King and his people put on sackcloth and sat in ashes. God saw this act of repentance and spared the people (Jonah 3:1-10). When we participate in the service of ashes, we confront our sin. We recognize our inability to live up to all God has created us to be, and our need to be forgiven. No matter how often we go to church, how far we have come in our spiritual journeys, how accomplished we may feel, each of us has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The palms waved the previous Palm Sunday to welcome Jesus as our King, have been burned to form the ashes. In some sense, they serve as a reminder of how far we fall short of living up to the glory of Christ. On the first day of Lent, we come before God recognizing our humanity and repenting of our sin.…and believe the gospel While this may sound fatalistic, it is not the end of the story. Lent leads to Easter, the day we celebrate that though our bodies are temporary and our lives are flawed, a day of resurrection will come when we will live in the presence of God forever. One Wednesday every year we go to church remembering who we are, and hopeful of who we can be.?– A Feature by Joe Iovino ................
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