Luke 9:20-25: [20] "But
who do you say that I Am?" And Peter answered and said, "The
Christ of GOD." [21]But He warned them & instructed them not to
tell this to anyone, [22] saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many
things & be rejected by the elders & chief priests & scribes, &
be killed & be raised up on the third day.” [23]And He was saying to them
all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, & take up
his cross daily & follow Me. [24]For whoever wishes to save his life will
lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save
it. [25]For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world & loses or
forfeits himself?
Preparing for JESUS
death, burial, & resurrection will involve a public declaration that JESUS
is the Christ . . . the Messiah. This is
true not merely during the Lent season but every moment of every day.
In this fallen &
broken world in which we live, to make such a public declaration will result in
persecution & suffering. Followers
of JESUS around the world are experiencing imprisonment & even death
because of their love for JESUS. If we
are not experiencing some level of persecution perhaps we should look within
our hearts & souls & question the depths of our love for JESUS. JESUS is clear, to truly follow Him requires
denial of self even to the point of death.
This season of Lent
may be an opportunity for such heart & soul searching. How could we possibly ever understand the
significance of the Cross and how could we possibly ever wildly celebrate His
glorious resurrection!
JESUS is Risen . . .
!
Richard Holloman
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