Resurrection morning

~ Grace Gifts ~
Freedom and Grace
✞ Our Savior ✞
✞ Our King ✞

Matthew 28:1-10

Resurrection Morning

1. After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to view the tomb. ² Suddenly there was a violent earthquake, because an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and approached the tomb. He rolled back the stone and was sitting on it. 

  ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his robe was as white as snow. ⁴ The guards were so shaken from fear of him that they became like dead men.

⁵ But the angel told the women, “Don’t be afraid, because I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here! For He has been resurrected, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay.

  ⁷ Then go quickly and tell His disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead. In fact, He is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see Him there.’ Listen, I have told you.”
 ⁸ So, departing quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, they ran to tell His disciples the news. 
 ⁹ Just then Jesus met them and said, “Good morning!” They came up, took hold of His feet, and worshiped Him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus told them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see Me there.”

The Soldiers Are Bribed to Lie
¹¹ As they were on their way, some of the guards came into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. ¹² After the priests had assembled with the elders and agreed on a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money ¹³ and told them, “Say this, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole Him while we were sleeping.’ ¹⁴ If this reaches the governor’s ears, we will deal with him and keep you out of trouble.” ¹⁵ So they took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been spread among Jewish people to this day.

The Great Commission

¹⁶ The 11 disciples traveled to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. ¹⁷ When they saw Him, they worshiped, but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

It's Not Over, Yet

Grace Gift
It's not over, yet.

 Matthew 27:57-61

The Burial of Jesus

⁵⁷ When it was evening, a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph came, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. ⁵⁸ He approached Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Then Pilate ordered that it be released. ⁵⁹ So Joseph took the body, wrapped it in clean, fine linen, ⁶⁰ and placed it in his new tomb, which he had cut into the rock. He left after rolling a great stone against the entrance of the tomb. ⁶¹ Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were seated there, facing the tomb.

 

Matthew 27:62-66

The Closely Guarded Tomb

⁶² The next day, which followed the preparation day, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate ⁶³ and said, “Sir, we remember that while this deceiver was still alive He said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ ⁶⁴ Therefore give orders that the tomb be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, His disciples may come, steal Him, and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead.’ Then the last deception will be worse than the first.”
⁶⁵ “You have a guard of soldiers,” Pilate told them. “Go and make it as secure as you know how.” ⁶⁶ Then they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting the guard.

 ✞ The good news is that it’s not over yet. ✞

 ♥ Waiting for Your return, my Lord. ♥

It Wasn't A Pretty Day

Grace Gift
His Death For Our Life

Regardless of the day of the week it fell on, the day was not a pretty one. Many folks believe the day was a Friday....personally, I don't think it was a Friday-how could He have been dead for 3 days and die on a Friday and resurrected  on a Sunday? It's a misconception that needs a deeper look in a future blog entry...but not right now

 Jesus faces the governor. 

Matthew 27:11-14

11 Now Jesus stood before the governor. "Are You the King of the Jews?" the governor asked Him. Jesus answered, "You have said it." 12 And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He didn't answer. 13 Then Pilate said to Him, "Don't You hear how much they are testifying against You?" 14 But He didn't answer him on even one charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.

Jesus or Barabbas?
Matthew 27: 15-36
15 At the festival the governor's custom was to release to the crowd a prisoner they wanted. 16 At that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17 So when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, "Who is it you want me to release for you-Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Messiah?" 18 For he knew they had handed Him over because of envy. 19 While he was sitting on the judge's bench, his wife sent word to him, "Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for today I've suffered terribly in a dream because of Him!" 20 The chief priests and the elders, however, persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to execute Jesus. 21 The governor asked them, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" "Barabbas!" they answered. 22 Pilate asked them, "What should I do then with Jesus, who is called Messiah?" They all answered, "Crucify Him!" 23 Then he said, "Why? What has He done wrong?" But they kept shouting, "Crucify Him!" all the more. 24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that a riot was starting instead, he took some water, washed his hands in front of the crowd, and said, "I am innocent of this man's blood. See to it yourselves!" 25 All the people answered, "His blood be on us and on our children!" 26 Then he released Barabbas to them. But after having Jesus flogged, he handed Him over to be crucified. 

 

Mocked by the military.

Matthew 27:27-30

27 Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into headquarters and gathered the whole company around Him. 28 They stripped Him and dressed Him in a scarlet robe. 29 They twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and placed a reed in His right hand. And they knelt down before Him and mocked Him: "Hail, King of the Jews!" 30 Then they spit at Him, took the reed, and kept hitting Him on the head.

Crucified between two crimanals.
Matthew 27:32-44

The death of Jesus
Matthew 27:45-56
45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over the whole land. 46 At about three in the afternoon Jesus cried out with a loud voice, " Elí, Elí, lemá sabachtháni ?" that is, " My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? " 47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling for Elijah!" 48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, fixed it on a reed, and offered Him a drink. 49 But the rest said, "Let's see if Elijah comes to save Him!" 50 Jesus shouted again with a loud voice and gave up His spirit. 51 Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary was split in two from top to bottom; the earth quaked and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs also were opened and many bodies of the saints who had gone to their rest were raised. 53 And they came out of the tombs after His resurrection, entered the holy city, and appeared to many. 54 When the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they were terrified and said, "This man really was God's Son!" 55 Many women who had followed Jesus from Galilee and ministered to Him were there, looking on from a distance. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.

Dear Lord, I am so sorry; it's the same as if I did all these things to you, myself.
I am so sorry.
Thank You for dying for me, thank You for forgiving me.

A Prayer In The Garden

Grace Gift
His Patience

 Matthew 26:36-45 -

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.” 

 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he

began to be sorrowful and troubled. The

he said to them, “My soul is

overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of

death. Stay here

and keep watch with

me.” 

 Going a little father, 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. 

 Then he returned to his disciples and

found them sleeping. “Could you men not

keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that

you will not fall into temptation. The spirit

it is willing, but the body is weak.” 

 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.” 

 When he came back, he again found them

sleeping, because their eyes were

heavy. So he left them and went away

once more and prayed the third time,

saying the same thing. 

 Then he returned to the disciples and said

to them, “Are you still sleeping and

resting? Look, the hour is near, and the

Son of Man is betrayed into the hands

of sinners. Rise, let us go!

Here comes my betrayer.”

 

 

The First Lord's Supper

Grace Gift
A Savior

Matthew 26:26-30

The First Lord’s Supper 

²⁶ As they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take and eat it; this is My body.” ²⁷ Then He took a cup, and after giving thanks, He gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you. ²⁸ For this is My blood that establishes the covenant; it is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins. ²⁹ But I tell you, from this moment I will not drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it in a new way in My Father’s kingdom with you.” ³⁰ After singing psalms, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

 

The night before Jesus died he had a final meal with His disciples. It was His final meal and yet a 'first' meal. He had never done anything like this before during the Passover meals; this was a first-last supper.
 As He broke some bread and passed it around, and then also some wine, He asked that everyone who follows Him should do the same - as a way of remembering Him. The broken bread is to represent His broken body on the cross. The red wine - as a reminder of His blood spilled our for us.

Our Lord, singing....that's a pretty awesome thought. I always see Him as a Teacher but somehow, forget He loved to sing the psalms- even on the eve of His betrayal.

 

 Oh, Lord, I love You!

And after singing psalms, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Weeds, Weeds, Beautiful Weeds

~ Grace Gifts ~
Beautiful Weeds

Let the wheat and weeds both grow together....Mathew 13:30

Almost everyone I know complains about weeds; they pop up in in places you don't want them to, they hurt if you step on them barefoot and are a general nuisance to gardeners.
I beg to differ with weed haters. I love them. While mowing our yard, I see many pretty close-up views of weeds and wonder to myself, why do folks hate weeds so much? They are so pretty!

I remember picking handsful of these when I was a little girl; how I loved to gather a bunch of these pretty little 'flowers' and give them to my mom and grandma.

Speaking of Nana, my grandma, this funny little picture reminded me of her. Oh, she never wore a bikini whilst gardening but still......she was always battling weeds....and I could never understand why.

A garden of weeds... ah, no worries.

Blow-away dandelions ....why did Nana always tell me not to blow them? Such fun!

Thank You, Lord...even for the dreaded weeds; I think they're beautiful!

Yummy

Grace Gifts
Soup and Cake

1 Corinthians 10:31 

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God

It's just one of those kind of days when you want to turn on the oven and bake something. 
Happy Thursday, friends....♥

 

Ok, I love anything orange so this caught my eye right away.

 

Fresh Orange Cake

Vegetable oil spray
Flour for dusting pan
1 package yellow cake mix with pudding
1 cup fresh orange juice (about 5 oranges or from the carton)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
1 t. vanilla
4 large eggs

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a Bundt pan with spray and dust it with flour. Shake out excess flour.Set aside.
Place the cake mix, orange juice,oil, sugar, vanilla and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low for 1 minute. Stop and scrape down sides, Increase motor speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes more, scraping down sides as you need to. The batter should be thick and well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan and place in oven.

Bake the cake until its golden brown and just starts to pull away from pan. 45 to 47 minutes. Remove pan from oven and let sit for 20 minutes. Run a long sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto a rack to cool..let cool for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare the glaze.
1 cup powdered sugar
3 T. fresh orange juice
1 t. freshly grated orange zest
Combine into a small bowl and stir with a spoon until well blended.

Place the cake on a platter and drizzle the glaze over the top and let it dribble down the sides and into the middle. Let it set for a while before slicing.

Store this with a cover or cover it with plastic wrap at room temperature for up to a week. Or it can be frozen.

Ok, I didn't make any yummy cakes or desserts but I did make a huge crockpot of hamburger soup.Yummy!

Thank You for the world so sweet

thank You for the food we eat

thank You for the birds that sing ♬ ♫

thank You, God for everything

In Jesus Name we pray

amen