O COME, ALL YE FAITHFUL

O COME, ALL YE FAITHFUL

Latin hymn, 18th century

English translation by Frederick Oakeley, 1802–1880
  When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about!” … (Luke 2:15, 20)
The songs of the Christmas season comprise some of the finest music known to man, and this hymn is certainly one of our universal favorites. It was used in Catholic churches before it became known to Protestants. Today it is sung by church groups around the world sin
ce it has been translated from its original Latin into more than 100 other languages. The vivid imagery of the carol seems to have meaning and appeal for all ages in every culture.
The original Latin text consisted of four stanzas. The first calls us to visualize anew the infant Jesus in Bethlehem’s stable. The second stanza is usually omitted in most hymnals, but it reminds us that the Christ-child is very God Himself:
  God of God and Light of Light begotten, Lo, He abhors not the Virgin’s womb; Very God, begotten, not created—O come, let us adore Him.
The next stanza pictures for us the exalted song of the angelic choir heard by the lowly shepherds. Then the final verse offers praise and adoration to the Word, our Lord, who was with the Father from the beginning of time.
For many years this hymn was known as an anonymous Latin hymn. Recent research, however, has revealed manuscripts that indicate that it was written in 1744 by an English layman named John Wade and set to music by him in much the same style as used today. The hymn first appeared in his collection, Cantus Diversi, published in England in 1751. One hundred years later the carol was translated into its present English form by an Anglican minister, Frederick Oakeley, who desired to use it for his congregation. The tune name, “Adeste Fideles,” is taken from the first words of the original Latin text, and translated literally means “be present or near, ye faithful.”
  O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant; come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem; come and
behold Him, born the King of angels:
  Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation; sing all ye bright hosts of heav’n above; glory to God, all glory in the highest:
  Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning; Jesus, to Thee be all glory giv’n; Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing:
  Refrain: O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord.


Osbeck, K. W. (1996). Amazing grace: 366 inspiring hymn stories for daily devotions (p. 367). Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications.

We Three Kings of Orient Are

WE THREE KINGS OF ORIENT ARE
Words and Music by John H. Hopkins, 1820–1891

As I prepare my messages for the Christmas season this year. I focus on the Kings and this song, We Three Kings of Orient Are, keeps flowing through my mind and heart. SO I wanted to share a little extra. Lets not forget that the 3 Wise men or 3 kings would not of found Jesus until he was about 3 years old.
  And when they were come into the house, they [the wise men] saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshiped Him; and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:11)
Each of the participants involved with Christ’s birth—Mary and Joseph, the inn keeper, the angels, shepherds, and wise men—has much to teach us.
Although there is no scriptural basis for stating dogmatically that there were three wise men, the fact that three distinct gifts are mentioned has given rise to this traditional idea. Master artists throughout the centuries have depicted three wise men on camels as one of their favorite nativity themes.
The number of wise men is not important, but the fact that they persisted in following the light that was given them until they found the object of their search, that they responded in worship, and that they returned home to share their experience with others—all has much to tell us. Also, the gifts presented to the Christ-child were both significant and appropriate: gold, symbolic of His kingly reign; frankincense, symbolic of His priestly ministry; myrrh, symbolic of our redemption through His death. How important it is that our gifts of love and devotion be offered to Christ after we have first found Him and then have bowed in true adoration before Him.
The author and composer of this well-known Christmas hymn was an Episcopalian minister from Pennsylvania. John Hopkins has been credited with contributing much to the development of music in his denomination during the 19th century, writing a number of fine hymns and hymn tunes. One of his publications, Carols, Hymns and Songs, enjoyed four editions.
  We three kings of Orient are, bearing gifts we traverse afar, field and fountain, moor and mountain, following yonder star.
  Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain, gold I bring to crown Him again, King forever, ceasing never over us all to reign.
  Frankincense to offer have I; incense owns a Deity nigh; prayer and praising, all men raising, worship Him, God on high.
  Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume breathes a life of gathering gloom: Sorr’wing, sighing, bleeding, dying, sealed in the stone-cold tomb.
  Glorious now behold Him arise, King and God and Sacrifice; alleluia, alleluia! Earth to heav’n replies.

   


Osbeck, K. W. (1996). Amazing grace: 366 inspiring hymn stories for daily devotions (p. 380). Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications.

Praise Him Praise Him!!!

Praise Him Praise Him is one of the great hymns that we cant forget. As I talk to others I hear people share with me that they miss the old hymns. I ask myself the question why? Well part of the reason is they are songs that have been tested and tried. They have some much theology running through their veins. I also think that a great song hymn or praise that honors God are ones that we come back to when we need those timeless promises.


Fanny J. Crosby, 1820–1915
  I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. (Psalm 146:2)

  Christianity is not a theory or speculation, but a life; not a philosophy of life, but a living presence. This realization can turn any gloom into a song.       —S. T. Coleridge

Praise is our Lord’s most righteous due. It is not an option whether we will offer praise—it is one of God’s commands. Scriptures clearly teach that we are to offer a sacrifice of praise to God continually (Hebrews 13:15, 16). Our daily sacrifice of praise should include joyful songs for who Christ is—“our blessed redeemer.” Then we need to praise God for all of His daily blessings, which are beyond number. We should offer praise even for the trials of life for they are often blessings in disguise. Finally, our sacrifice should include praise for His leading in ways yet to be experienced.
This is another of the many favorite gospel hymns written by Fanny Crosby, blind American poetess. In all she wrote between 8,000 and 9,000 gospel hymn texts and supplied our hymnals with more beloved hymns that are still sung today than any other writer.

“Praise Him! Praise Him!” first appeared in a Sunday school hymnal, Bright Jewels, which was published in 1869. The song was originally titled “Praise, Give Thanks.” And still today, these words evoke praise from each believing heart—
  Praise Him! praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer! Sing, O earth, His wonderful love proclaim! Hail Him! hail Him! highest archangels in glory; strength and honor give to His holy name! Like a shepherd Jesus will guard His children. In His arms He carries them all day long:
  Praise Him! praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer! For our sins He suffered, and bled and died; He, our Rock, our hope of eternal salvation, Hail Him! hail Him! Jesus the Crucified. Sound His praises! Jesus who bore our sorrows; love unbounded, wonderful, deep and strong:
  Praise Him! praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer! Heavenly portals loud with hosannas ring. Jesus, Savior, reigneth forever and ever; Crown Him! crown Him! Prophet and Priest and King! Christ is coming! over the world victorious, pow’r and glory unto the Lord belong:
  Refrain: Praise Him! praise Him! tell of His excellent greatness; praise Him! praise Him! ever in joyful song!


Osbeck, K. W. (1996). Amazing grace: 366 inspiring hymn stories for daily devotions (p. 337). Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications.

Post Thanksgiving Devotional

A devotional that each of us need WISDOM. Wisdom after Thanksgiving is so needed after this crazy year and as we enter into the Christmas season we need WISDOM.

Wisdom is defined as the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise.

Wisdom really isn’t all that difficult to find. We think of this attribute as hidden or fleeting, but the book of Proverbs portrays Wisdom calling out to us: “Does not wisdom call, and understanding raise its voice? Atop the heights beside the road, at the crossroads she stands. Beside gates, before towns, at the entrance of doors” (Prov 8:1–3). When we seek Wisdom, she shows up. She’s everywhere. She’s waiting—not to be found, but to be embraced.
The intelligence of Wisdom, the prudence she teaches, is at our fingertips. In Proverbs 8:3–5, Wisdom cries out, “To you, O people, I call, and my cry is to the children of humankind. Learn prudence, O simple ones; fools, learn intelligence.” Maybe the real problem is that few of us are wise enough to be what Wisdom requires us to be. The folly of humankind may not be in a lack of seeking, but a lack of doing. If we really want something, we work for it. Wisdom requires sacrificing what we want for what she desires.
And the key to knowing what Wisdom desires—identifying the wise decision—is right in front of us as well. As Wisdom says in Proverbs, “My mouth will utter truth, and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All sayings of my mouth are in righteousness; none of them are twisted and crooked” (Prov 8:7–8). The wise decision is the opposite of what’s “twisted” and “crooked.” If it feels wrong, it is wrong. If our conscience is aligned with God’s, we will know what’s right. The rest will seem like an “abomination.” If we want Wisdom, she’s ours for the having—ours for the living (Jas 1:5–8).

For what decision do you need wisdom? How should you be seeking it?


Barry, J. D., & Kruyswijk, R. (2012).

Saturday Song 4 the Soul - Room at the Cross for YOU

Saturday Song 4 the Soul - Room at the Cross for YOU

ROOM AT THE CROSS FOR YOU
No one can hear the message of God’s great love as displayed at Calvary and remain unmoved. Resolve to invite some needy sinner to come to the cross. Share this musical truth with that person—

Words and Music by Ira R. Stanphill, 1914–1994
  But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

Out of the varied experiences of a fruitful life have come the many moving hymns of Ira F. Stanphill. As a child he traveled by covered wagon from Arkansas to New Mexico, then later moved to Oklahoma and Kansas. Converted at age 12, Stanphill began preaching at 22 in revival meetings and later served pastorates in Florida, Pennsylvania, and Texas. At 17 he wrote his first gospel song and traveled for several years with evangelists, playing the piano, organ, ukulele and accordion.
Mr. Stanphill began to write his own gospel hymns, and he employed the unusual practice of creating a text from titles suggested from the congregation during a service. He would explain:
  “The basic reason I have written songs is that I love God and Christ has loved me. Most of my songs are the outgrowth of real experiences with Christ. I think they appeal to people because I have had trials, heartaches, and sorrow in my own life, and I know what I write about.”

“Room at the Cross” was a title suggested to Ira in 1946 at one of his meetings. He wrote it on a scrap of paper, which he found in his pocket after returning home. Impressed with the title, he quickly wrote both words and music as they appear today. Since then the song has been recorded by numerous Christian artists, translated into Spanish, German, and Italian, and was used as the closing theme of the national broadcast Revival Time for many years. Only eternity will reveal the number who have been directed to Christ through this one gospel hymn that reminds us that there is always room at the cross for one more sinner.

  The cross upon which Jesus died is a shelter in which we can hide; and its grace so free is sufficient for me, and deep is its fountain—as wide as the sea.

  Tho millions have found Him a friend and have turned from the sins they have sinned, the Savior still waits to open the gates and welcome a sinner before it’s too late.

  The hand of my Savior is strong, and the love of my Savior is long; through sunshine or rain, through loss or in gain, the blood flows from Calv’ry to cleanse every stain.

  Chorus: There’s room at the cross for you; tho millions have come, there’s still room for one—Yes, there’s room at the cross for you.

Reference
Osbeck, K. W. (1996). Amazing grace

Saturday Song 4 the Soul - THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER

Saturday Song 4 the Soul - THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER

After you read this blog I want to encourage you to spend some time and write a letter of commendation to a public official for some worthy contribution he has made to the moral and spiritual betterment of our country. May this musical question from our national anthem be a continuing challenge and concern.

Francis Scott Key, 1779–1843

  Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: Whether it be to the king, as supreme, or to governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. (1 Peter 2:13, 14)

During the War of 1812, while on the deck of a truce ship, Francis Key paced nervously as a fierce battle raged nearby during the British attack on the harbor of Baltimore. As District Attorney of Georgetown and a spiritual lay leader of his church, Key had been sent by President James Madison to negotiate with the British for a physician who had been taken prisoner. All night Key and his party were detained as the heavy bombardment continued. When the firing suddenly stopped just before morning, Key was fearful of the outcome; but as he looked hesitantly across the water, he saw the
American flag still triumphantly flying with the assurance of our nation’s freedom!

With joyful relief, Key wrote his poem hastily on the back of an envelope and put finishing touches on it after being released later that evening. One month later the song was published, accompanied by an old hunting tune, “Anacron in Heaven,” attributed to John Stafford Smith of England. Although enthusiastically received by the people, the song was not officially adopted by Congress as our national anthem until March 3, 1931.

  O say, can you see, by the dawn’s early light, what so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming, whose broad stripes and bright stars, thru the perilous fight, o’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming? And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof thru the night that our flag was still there. O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

  O thus be it ever, when free men shall stand between their loved homes and the war’s desolation! Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the heav’n-rescued land praise the Pow’r that hath made and preserved us a nation! Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just; and this be our motto: “In God is our trust!” And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

     

References
Osbeck, K. W. (1996). Amazing grace

Saturday Song 4 the Soul - In Times Like These

Saturday Song 4 the Soul - IN TIMES LIKE THESE

Sometimes I hear that the old hymn are out dated. Well I think this hymn the words speak louder today than when they was written.

 Whatever difficulties might surround you just now, be certain that you can sing with conviction this musical testimony—

 Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (John 6:68)

Wars, earthquakes, famines, violence, drugs, child abuse, humanism, the occult, New Age …

When world events and ideologies like these seem ominous and unsettling to us or when personal sorrows or tragedies confront us, where can we go but to the Lord? How comforting it is to know that we can always flee to Him and rest securely on our “Solid Rock.” During the fearful days at the height of World War II, when the stress and strain of daily living seemed almost overwhelming, the comforting hymn “In Times Like These” was written. In the midst of a busy day as a housewife, Ruth Caye Jones felt a direct inspiration from the Holy Spirit. She stopped her work to quickly put down both words and music just as they were given to her by God.

Since that day the hymn has been a blessing to countless Christians at special times of need. It has brought comfort during illness, has been used widely at funerals, has encouraged and challenged Christian workers, and has drawn many to salvation. Mrs. Jones experienced for herself the consolation the words of the song could bring as she spent time recovering form serious surgery a few years after it was written.

The Scriptures warn that world conditions will continue to get worse as we approach the end of this age and the return of Christ. In addition, we must prepare ourselves for the difficult times that come to everyone as life progresses. We can only remain firm when we know with conviction that our God is in control and that all things are working out for our ultimate good. In the meantime, we simply grip the “Solid Rock!”
 
In times likes these you need a Savior; in times like these you need an anchor; be very sure, be very sure your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!
  In times like these you need the Bible; in times like these O be not idle; be very sure, be very sure your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!
  In times like these I have a Savior; in times like these I have an anchor; I’m very sure, I’m very sure my anchor hold and grips the Solid Rock!
  Refrain: This Rock is Jesus, yes, He’s the One; this Rock is Jesus, the only One! Be very sure, be very sure your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

     

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3jK3x3iMOM

References
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
Osbeck, K. W. (1996). Amazing grace
IN TIMES LIKE THESE Words and Music by Ruth Caye Jones, 1902–1972

Saturday Song 4 the Soul - Just as I am

After escaping from the Egyptians and crossing the Red Sea, the people of Israel sang a song to the Lord (Exodus 15) Singing was part of Israel's formal worship in both Tabernacle and temple  (1 Chron 6:31-32, 16:42)  Music and song still continue to play a critical role in the life of God's people today. I wish I could sing that as good as the king of rock, Elvis Presley. But I must remember Im singing to THE KING - God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. Songs can express what is happening in the heart. The worship hymn of  "Just as I am" hits a chord in our soul.

  Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never drive away.” (John 6:35, 37)

Often we feel that if only we were in different circumstances or had some special talent, we could be a better witness for God and serve Him more effectively. Today’s hymn was written by a bed-ridden invalid who felt useless to do anything except express her feelings of devotion to God. Yet Charlotte Elliott’s simply worded text has influenced more people for Christ than any hymn ever written or perhaps any sermon ever preached.

As a young person in Brighton, England, Miss Elliott was known as “carefree Charlotte.” She was a popular portrait artist and a writer of humorous verse. At the age of 30, however, a serious ailment made her an invalid for life. She became listless and depressed until a well-known Swiss evangelist, Dr. Caesar Malan, visited her. Sensing her spiritual distress, he exclaimed, “Charlotte, you must come just as you are—a sinner—to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” Immediately placing her complete trust in Christ’s redemptive sacrifice for her, Charlotte experienced inner peace and joy in spite of her physical affliction until her death at the age of 82.

Charlotte Elliott wrote approximately 150 hymns throughout her lifetime; today she is considered to be one of the finest of all English hymnwriters. “God sees, God guards, God guides me,” she said.

“His grace surrounds me and His voice continually bids me to be happy and holy in His service—just where I am!”
  Just as I am, without one plea but that Thy blood was shed for me, and that Thou bidd’st me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come! I come!
  Just as I am, tho tossed about with many a conflict, many a doubt, fightings and fears within, without, O Lamb of God, I come! I come!
  Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind—Sight, riches, healing of the mind, yea, all I need in Thee to find—O Lamb of God, I come! I come!
  Just as I am, Thou wilt receive, wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve; because Thy promise I believe, O Lamb of God, I come! I come!

     
Give God thanks for His acceptance of us just as we are. As we respond in simple faith to Him, we will find “all that we need,” not only for our personal salvation but also for the particular place of service that He has for us.

References:
Osbeck, K. W. (1996).
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

How Jesus Died for You

HOW JESUS DIED FOR YOU

Read 55 Amazing Facts on Jesus Death

This use to be on the internet the place I found it - no longer has it up. So I wanted to make sure that you have the honor of knowing what Jesus went through for your sins

Below are facts on How Jesus Died For You. I do not think that we really understand how much Jesus did for us.

Crucifixion was invented by the Persians in 300 BC, and perfected by the Romans in 100 BC.

1. It is the most painful death ever invented by man and is where we get our term "excruciating."

2. It was reserved primarily for the most vicious of male criminals.

3. Jesus was stripped naked and His clothing divided by the Roman guards. This was in fulfillment of Psalm 22:18, "They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots."

4. The Crucifixion of Jesus guaranteed a horrific, slow, painful death.

5. Jesus' knees were flexed at about 45 degrees, and He was forced to bear His

weight with the muscles of His thigh, which is not an anatomical position which is possible to maintain for more than a few minutes without severe cramp in the muscles of the thigh and calf.

6. Jesus' weight was borne on His feet, with nails driven through them. As the strength of the muscles of Jesus' lower limbs tired, the weight of His body had to be transferred to His wrists, His arms, and His shoulders.

7. Within a few minutes of being placed on the Cross, Jesus' shoulders were dislocated. Minutes later Jesus' elbows and wrists became dislocated.

8. The result of these upper limb dislocations is that His arms were 9 inches longer than normal, as clearly shown on the Shroud.

9. In addition prophecy was fulfilled in Psalm 22:14, "I am poured out like water, and all My bones are out of joint."

10. After Jesus' wrists, elbows, and shoulders were dislocated, the weight of His body on his upper limbs caused traction forces on the Pectoralis Major muscles of His chest wall.

11. These traction forces caused His rib cage to be pulled upwards and outwards, in a most unnatural state. His chest wall was permanently in a position of maximal respiratory inspiration. In order to exhale, Jesus was physiologically required to force His body.

12. In order to breathe out, Jesus had to push down on the nails in His feet to raise His body, and allow His rib cage to move downwards and inwards to expire air from His lungs.

13. His lungs were in a resting position of constant maximum inspiration. Crucifixion is a medical catastrophe.

14. The problem was that Jesus could not easily push down on the nails in His feet because the muscles of His legs, bent at 45 degrees, were extremely fatigued, in severe cramp, and in an anatomically compromised position.

15. Unlike all Hollywood movies about the Crucifixion, the victim was extremely active. The crucified victim was physiologically forced to move up and down the cross, a distance of about 12 inches, in order to breathe.

16. The process of respiration caused excruciating pain, mixed with the absolute terror of asphyxiation.

17. As the six hours of the Crucifixion wore on, Jesus was less and less able to bear His weight on His legs, as His thigh and calf muscles became increasingly exhausted. There was increasing dislocation of His wrists, elbows and shoulders, and further elevation of His chest wall, making His breathing more and more difficult. Within minutes of crucifixion Jesus became severely dyspnoeic (short of breath).

18. His movements up and down the Cross to breathe caused excruciating pain in His wrist, His feet, and His dislocated elbows and shoulders.

19. The movements became less frequent as Jesus became increasingly exhausted, but the terror of imminent death by asphyxiation forced Him to continue in His efforts to breathe.

20. Jesus' lower limb muscles developed excruciating cramp from the effort of pushing down on His legs, to raise His body, so that He could breathe out, in their anatomically compromised position.

21. The pain from His two shattered median nerves in His wrists exploded with every movement.

22. Jesus was covered in blood and sweat.

23. The blood was a result of the Scourging that nearly killed Him, and the sweat as a result of His violent involuntary attempts to effort to expire air from His lungs. Throughout all this He was completely naked, and the leaders of the Jews, the crowds, and the thieves on both sides of Him were jeering, swearing and laughing at Him. In addition, Jesus' own mother was watching.

24. Physiologically, Jesus' body was undergoing a series of catastrophic and terminal events.

25. Because Jesus could not maintain adequate ventilation of His lungs, He was now in a state of hypo-ventilation (inadequate ventilation).

26. His blood oxygen level began to fall, and He developed Hypoxia (low blood oxygen). In addition, because of His restricted respiratory movements, His blood carbon dioxide (CO2) level began to rise, a condition known as Hypercritical.

27. This rising CO2 level stimulated His heart to beat faster in order to increase the delivery of oxygen, and the removal of CO2.

28. The Respiratory Center in Jesus' brain sent urgent messages to his lungs to breathe faster, and Jesus began to pant.

29. Jesus' physiological reflexes demanded that He took deeper breaths, and He involuntarily moved up and down the Cross much faster, despite the excruciating pain. The agonizing movements spontaneously started several times a minute, to the delight of the crowd who jeered Him, the Roman soldiers, and the Sanhedrin.

30. However, due to the nailing of Jesus to the Cross and His increasing exhaustion, He was unable to provide more oxygen to His oxygen starved body.

31. The twin forces of Hypoxia (too little oxygen) and Hypercapnia (too much CO2) caused His heart to beat faster and faster, and Jesus developed Tachycardia.

32. Jesus' heart beat faster and faster, and His pulse rate was probably about 220 beats/minute, the maximum normally sustainable.

33. Jesus had drunk nothing for 15 hours, since 6 pm the previous evening. Jesus had endured a scourging which nearly killed Him.

34. He was bleeding from all over His body following the Scourging, the crown of thorns, the nails in His wrists and feet, and the lacerations following His beatings and falls.

35. Jesus was already very dehydrated, and His blood pressure fell alarmingly.

36. His blood pressure was probably about 80/50.

37. He was in First Degree Shock, with Hypovolaemia (low blood volume), Tachycardia (excessively fast Heart Rate), Tachypnoea (excessively fast Respiratory Rate), and Hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating).

38. By about noon Jesus' heart probably began to fail.

39. Jesus' lungs probably began to fill up with Pulmonary Oedema.

40. This only served to exacerbate His breathing, which was already severely compromised.

41. Jesus was in Heart Failure and Respiratory Failure.

42. Jesus said, "I thirst" because His body was crying out for fluids.

43. Jesus was in desperate need of an intravenous infusion of blood and plasma to save His life

44. Jesus could not breathe properly and was slowly suffocating to death.

45. At this stage Jesus probably developed a Haemopericardium.

46. Plasma and blood gathered in the space around His heart, called the Pericardium.

47. This fluid around His heart caused Cardiac Tamponade (fluid around His heart, which prevented Jesus' heart from beating properly).

48. Because of the increasing physiological demands on Jesus' heart, and the advanced state of Haemopericardium, Jesus probably eventually sustained Cardiac Rupture. His heart literally burst. This was probably the cause of His death.

49. To slow the process of death the soldiers put a small wooden seat on the Cross, which would allow Jesus the "privilege" of bearing His weight on his sacrum.

50. The effect of this was that it could take up to nine days to die on a Cross.

51. When the Romans wanted to expedite death they would simply break the legs of the victim, causing the victim to suffocate in a matter of minutes. This was called Crucifragrum.

52. At three o'clock in the afternoon Jesus said, "Tetelastai," meaning, "It is finished." At that moment, He gave up His Spirit, and He died.

53. When the soldiers came to Jesus to break His legs, He was already dead. Not a bone of His body was broken, in fulfillment of prophecy (above).

54. Jesus died after six hours of the most excruciating and terrifying torture ever invented.

55. Jesus died so that ordinary people like you and me could have redemption/forgivness of sins.

All He Asks You is to Love Him, Your Lord, Your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind!! Can't you even do this for Him?

The First Palm Sunday

The first Palm Sunday

In the week before he died Jesus came to Jerusalem with his retinue of disciples. It was a dangerous move and would prove fatal, but he believed it was his destiny.

He approached the city from the east, from the Mount of Olives, where the Jewish people expected the Messiah to appear - and where the sun rises. 

At Bethphage (the house of figs) he and his friends made a halt. It was just a small village, probably on the east side of the hill, not in a direct sight-line with Jerusalem. To put it in modern context, it was like an outer suburb of a large city. Nearby was Bethany, where Jesus often stayed with his friends Martha, Mary and Lazarus. He had been in the area recently when he resurrected Lazarus from the dead, and was well-known, a celebrity and an object of curiosity. 

Getting the colt

By the time Jesus reached Jerusalem he was travelling with quite a large group of people. He chose two of them and told them to go to Bethphage, and once there to look for a young donkey that had never been ridden. They were to bring it back to him. If anyone objected, they were say that Jesus of Nazareth needed it and would send it back immediately. No doubt that promise was later honoured.

On a surface reading this seems rather a high-handed thing to do, but Jesus probably had a previous arrangement with friends in the village, disciples whose names we will never know. He often stayed in Bethany, which was close to Bethphage, and may well have met people from this neighbouring village. Certainly they would have heard about him, and been impressed and curious.

See blue text in What the Gospels Say, at end of page

The significance of the colt

For this part of the story, see the green text in the Gospel at the bottom of this page.

Once mounted on the colt, Jesus joined the throng of pilgrims walking and riding into Jerusalem. Down the hill, then up again through the city gates and up the winding streets to the Temple.

A donkey usually carried a wooden frame that could be used either as a saddle or a base for a load. In this gospel story the donkey is a colt, unused to the framework or to a rider. So the disciples threw their cloaks over its back to make a kind of informal saddle for Jesus.

Why did Jesus stage this event so carefully? Why not just walk beside his friends as he had been doing for years?

There was a prophecy that a king would come to Jerusalem, humble and riding a young donkey. Jesus wanted to signal to people that the words of the prophecy were actually coming true.

There was also a Roman tradition of a triumphal military procession - with horses, chariots, and soldiers. Everyone knew this. In stark contrast, Jesus deliberately entered Jerusalem on a peaceful, useful, humble little animal. The message was clear: though the Romans glorified war, Jesus stood for peace. 

It seems a laudable idea, but in fact it was very dangerous. People who criticized thestatus quo, even if it was justified (perhaps especially so) seemed like rebels to the authorities, rather than prophets. They incited the people to change, which to the authorities meant destabilization and possible rebellion.  No wonder the Pharisees were nervous when they saw what Jesus was doing.

Note: there is some confusion about the number of donkeys Jesus used. He is described as 'mounted on an ass, and on a colt, the foal of an ass':  Obviously he could not have been riding two animals. The answer lies in the fact that Hebrew poetry often makes the second line repeat the first, but in different words - poetic  repetition. John, using information from the other evangelists, takes it a step further by saying that Jesus had an ass and a colt.

See green text in What the Gospels Say, at end of page

And the crowd went wild...  

As Jesus rode down the hill, the crowd swelled in numbers. Jesus' disciples had cushioned the seat on the donkey with their cloaks, a thick padding of fabric, but the people went a step further. They lay their cloaks down on the ground so that the donkey walked over them, and spread branches of trees beneath the animal's hooves. The practice of waving palms and branches held high in a procession was an act of honour for a revered leader, a way of welcoming him and signalling to the people around that something important was happening. Many people in the crowd may have expected that Jesus was about to lead some sort of political coup.

See red text in What the Gospels Say, at end of page

Welcome/entry into Jerusalem

The season of Passover attracted large crowds from all over the ancient world - as Mecca does today. On this particular day just before Passover, the road into Jerusalem was packed with pilgrims. Some of them knew about Jesus, some had never heard of him. But there was a holiday atmosphere. Hundreds of people? Thousands? Impossible to say. Most walked, but a number of them rode donkeys. It was a scene of organized confusion.

As they walked, the people chanted or sang a number of prayers, among them Psalm 118:25. It was traditionally sung by pilgrims as they walked the final leg of their journey up the hill towards Jerusalem, and contained the words 'Hosanna to the son of David. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord'. Luke says they sang 'Peace in heaven', perhaps because he was writing for Gentile readers who might not understand what 'Hosanna' meant.

They also shouted that Jesus was 'King of Israel', a very dangerous thing to say, especially in the context of a crowded, combustible Jerusalem.

See black text in What the Gospels Say, at end of page

Why was this event important?

There is far more to this event than meets the eye. 

Previously, the centre of worship had been the Temple there in Jerusalem. It was the central sacred place for the Jewish people. But in 1st century Palestine this supremacy was being challenged. Synagogues were springing up all over Israel - there was even a synagogue in unfashionable little Nazareth. These autonomous centres of worship were run by local men - educated and respected to be sure, but not of the official priestly class. So power had already started shifting away from Jerusalem, away from the blood sacrifice offered in the Temple.

John the Baptist and people like the Essenes were part of this process. They challenged the authority of Temple worship, moving the axis of power away from Jerusalem.

Jesus, and later the early Christians took it a step further. They developed the idea of a sacred person, a divine man. The focus of the sacred was no longer cantered on a fixed location, Jerusalem. The synagogues, and then Jesus, offered a powerful alternative to traditional Temple worship, and in so doing threatened the status quo.

The Temple priesthood were acutely aware of what was happening, and took steps to maintain their traditional power and authority. They would not let a peasant from rural Galilee upset centuries of religious tradition.

What the Gospels say

1 Getting the colt: Read the blue text

2 Significance of the colt: Read the green text 

3 Garments/palms/branches: Read the red text 

4 Welcome/entry into Jerusalem: Read the black text

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Mark 11:1-11  1And when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples,2 and said to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat; untie it and bring it.3 If any one says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.'"4 And they went away, and found a colt tied at the door out in the open street; and they untied it.5 And those who stood there said to them, "What are you doing, untying the colt?"6 And they told them what Jesus had said; and they let them go.7 And they brought the colt to Jesus, and threw their garments on it; and he sat upon it.8 And many spread their garments on the road, and others spread leafy branches which they had cut from the fields.9 And those who went before and those who followed cried out, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!10 Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is coming! Hosanna in the highest!"11 And he entered Jerusalem, and went into the temple; and when he had looked round at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

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Matthew 21:1-11  1 And when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,2 saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find an ass tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me.3 If any one says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of them,' and he will send them immediately."4 This took place to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet, saying,5 "Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on an ass, and on a colt, the foal of an ass."6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them;7 they brought the ass and the colt, and put their garments on them, and he sat thereon.8 Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"10 And when he entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, "Who is this?"11 And the crowds said, "This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee." 

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Luke 19:28-38  28 And when he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples,30 saying, "Go into the village opposite, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat; untie it and bring it here.31 If any one asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' you shall say this, 'The Lord has need of it.'"32 So those who were sent went away and found it as he had told them.33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, "Why are you untying the colt?"34 And they said, "The Lord has need of it."35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their garments on the colt they set Jesus upon it.36 And as he rode along, they spread their garments on the road.37 As he was now drawing near, at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen,38 saying, "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

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John 19:12-18  12 The next day a great crowd who had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!"14 And Jesus found a young ass and sat upon it; as it is written,15 "Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on an ass's colt!"16 His disciples did not understand this at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that this had been written of him and had been done to him.17 The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead bore witness.18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign