Easter Sonnet

A sonnet based off Easter reflections.

Christ came to earth a child born low and meek

A child born deep within a cattle stall

A child named what an angel's voice did speak

Months ere he came to earth to die for all.

He came to earth a man his own knew not
A prophet from the town which no man praised
A prophet speaking news with glory fraught
But only few believed his sacred name.

He came to earth a Lamb to die for men
A priest who spilled his blood upon the tree
A priest they laid beneath the ground; and then
He rose and conquered death in victory.

Christ died for us and reigns as holy King;
Throughout eternity his praise we'll sing!

To Serve - Easter Reflections pt. 3 - Easter Sunday

We've looked at how Jesus took the role of a servant at the Last Supper and the crucifixion, and now we're wrapping up this series with Part Three of the Easter Reflections series. We've come to the joyful culmination - Jesus's resurrection!

No one expected joy at that time. Jesus, the Master, the Teacher, the Lord, had been taken off the cross and buried in a tomb. A stone was rolled over the entrance to the tomb, and Roman soldiers guarded the entrance, in order to quench the zeal of those who had put their faith in Christ. 

They did not expect what was to come just a few days later. 

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” (Matthew 28:1-10)

He had risen. 

Despite the sickening betrayal, the long hours of agony and humiliation, the final horrific moments on the cross, despite his death -- Jesus rose. 

He came as a servant, to do the will of his Father. He came to conquer death. He came to be the perfect sacrifice, the Lamb without blemish or spot. The only sacrifice that could cover the sins of mankind. He paid for them with his life -- and then rose from the dead victorious. 

This came as a shock to the Pharisees and the soldiers, who had not believed in him. It didn't make sense to them, and they certainly didn't want that news getting out. 

Some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day. (Matthew 28:11-15)

They succeeded in spreading the false account. It's sad that so many people were -- and are -- willing to believe that Jesus did not rise from the dead. That he was simply a good teacher, or the blasphemous heretic the Pharisees called him. The Jews chose to believe instead that the soldiers had slipped up in their guarding duties. That they had fallen asleep, and inadvertently permitted the disciples to come, roll away the stone, and whisk the dead body of their master away -- all without waking the soldiers guarding the tomb. They were satisfied with the weak explanation for why the tomb was empty.

But not everyone took the lie for truth.

Jesus revealed himself to his disciples. All were shocked. Some believed instantly. Some doubted, most notably Thomas.

So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:25-29)

He also gave his disciples a charge -- a command that is for every Christian. 

"Go therefore and teach disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20)

Jesus came to earth a servant. He is our King, yet he chose to live as a servant. The people expected a king who would sweep in and drive out the oppressive Romans. Not a child born in a stable, a man from Nazareth ("Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"), a teacher speaking in miracles and parables. Not he who admitted he "had nowhere to lay his head." No, he came to earth "not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."

He came as a servant, lived as a servant, conquered death as a servant, all according to his Father's will.  

If we believe, truly believe, that Jesus is the Son of God and that he paid for our sins with his death, rose from that death, and stands now at the hand of the Father interceding for us, we have life. Abundant, eternal life through his name.

Because Christ came as a servant, to wash us clean, so that we may serve him. 

Easter is significantly more than a spring celebration with candy bunnies and eggs. Easter is a time to remember and rejoice in the work of our Savior and Redeemer. We have the opportunity, the privilege, the command, to serve him with all that is in us. And what else could we possibly do? We owe him all and everything. 

Now is the time to serve.

May you have a joyous Easter!

Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)


All Scripture quotations from the ESV.

To Serve - Easter Reflections pt. 2 - Good Friday

Yesterday, we saw how Jesus chose to be a servant to his disciples by washing their feet and what that means for us in Part One of the Easter Reflections Series. This Friday, we're moving on to Part Two as we look at the crucifixion. 

After Jesus washed his disciples' feet, the story continued with Jesus and his disciples still at table. Jesus made a startling announcement:

"Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me." (John 13:21)

When quietly asked who, Jesus responded:

"It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread after I have dipped it." So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, "What you are going to do, do quickly." Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. (John 13:26-28)

And Judas left to carry out his treacherous plan. 

Later that night, Jesus went to "a place called Gethsemane" taking with him his disciples. And he went by himself a little farther from them to pray. 

"My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:39)

He knew that Judas had betrayed him. He knew that he faced death. He knew that he was about to die, undeserving of the punishment, for those who deserved death and worse. 

But he was willing to do it.

And this is why Jesus was a servant through his crucifixion. Because a servant doesn't decide what he will do; instead, he waits on his master's will. "Not as I will, but as you will." He chose to obey his Father's will. He chose to sacrifice himself for those least worthy of such an incomprehensibly painful and powerful sacrifice. He chose to be a servant.

Willingly he went with Judas and the men to whom Judas had betrayed his Master. Willingly he endured the mocking cries, the biting lashes of the whip, the stab of the thorns twined in a rude crown around his head. Willingly he allowed men to nail him to a cross, raise him upon it, and step back to watch his death with glee.

And how great was the pain he endured, physical and mental.

And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabacthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34)

He came as a servant, born in a lowly stable, without power or wealth in life, humble in death, and he carried out the Father's will. And through that, we have been washed clean. 

We deserve none of it; yet he gives us the priceless, precious gift of life through faith in him. And now that he has washed us clean, we have the responsibility to do as he did: to serve. To serve God out of our love for him. Now that he has washed us, we can do this, and how great an honor to be able to serve our Creator and Redeemer! We, helpless sinners, once condemned to wrath and punishment, now destined for a glorious eternity.

Jesus wholly served the Father through his crucifixion. 

Now, it's our turn to serve. 

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-8)


All Scripture quotations from the ESV.

To Serve - Easter Reflections pt. 1 - Maundy Thursday

This Easter, I'm reflecting on serving, and what Jesus teaches us about serving through the Last Supper, the crucifixion, and the resurrection. Join me? Here's Part One.

It's the Thursday before Easter, which is traditionally recognized as the day of the Last Supper. A day when Jesus gave his disciples a lesson for them to remember, just before he would be crucified. And how important that final lesson was -- is.

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. (John 13:3-5)

Jesus chose to do what the lowliest of servants would do: He washed their feet. Feet... were not nice things in those times. Walking around on dusty roads does not improve the state of one's feet, much less when one wears only leather sandals! To wash someone's feet was a highly unpleasant task. Yet Jesus washed his disciples' feet. Jesus. The Teacher. The Rabbi. The Son of God. Washing his servants' feet. 

The disciples were surprised as well. 

He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, do you wash my feet?" (John 13:6)

Not surprisingly, Jesus's action startled Peter. Jesus? Washing his feet?

"Jesus answered him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand."  Peter said to him, "You shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no share with me." (John 13:7-8)

And Jesus washed his disciples' feet. 

The first step is cleansing. Jesus showed his disciples this by physically washing their feet. When Peter protested, Jesus told him, "If I do not wash you, you have no share with me." That's the first step. Peter could not reject the cleansing, and neither can we. We must first be washed clean by Jesus's blood; otherwise we "have no share" with him.

"You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Teacher and Lord, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet."  (John 13:13-14)

Jesus, the authority, took the role of a servant. His disciples were to do the same, and not just them, but us as well. Once we have been washed by Jesus, we can fully serve him.

He chose the disciples. He washed their feet. He called them to serve. He took the form of a servant, as Philippians 2:7 says. He washed us clean. He loved us, and we then love him by showing love to others. 

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35)

This Thursday, the Thursday before Easter, this passage about the Last Supper reminds us to show love by serving. Opportunities to serve surround us daily. Maybe you'll even be washing someone's feet! For me, that might be my little siblings after they've been playing outside. If that's you too, grab the towel -- or maybe the baby wipes -- and serve willingly. For by doing so, we serve Jesus, who gave his life to cleanse us. 


For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45)

All Scripture quotations from the ESV version.