Lamb of God
He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart…Isaiah 40:11
Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.
Isaiah 1:18
Washed in the Blood of the Lamb
One of the most remarkable things (and there are many) about the last days of Jesus was his humble acts of service.
Jesus, the King of Kings, knelt down to wash the filthy, dirty, and scarred feet of His disciples. What an impression that must have made to His followers – that the Son of God would fall on his knees to wash their feet and make them clean.
Jesus was sharing a valuable lesson about humility in that while He was the Messiah, He was sent to serve and not be served. If foreshadows the ultimate sacrifice He would make for all of us on the cross.
This week should remind us that we are washed in the blood of the Lamb. While we are sinners, we are made new and spotless in Christ. What a loving act of grace. What a Savior.
O Come Let Us Adore Him
I love the late medieval and Renaissance paintings depicting the life of Christ. But my favorites are always the paintings that show the Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus in her arms.
These depictions are the Christmas cards that I save and frame or hang on my inspiration board. The way Mary holds her precious child and relishes the moment is forever captured by an artist who is inspired to depict this significant time in history.
In the original church, art was used to teach people about Jesus who were unable to read. In essence, art was like a history book that shared Christ’s life on earth. What a moving and lovely way to learn about Jesus. Paintings draw us into the subject matter and allow us, for a moment, to think about Jesus in a way that words cannot accomplish. The paintings reach to the very core of a person who studies the painter’s canvas. Some works of art are too beautiful for words.
I know this may seem an odd post for the Saturday before Palm Sunday but these lovely cards that I look at daily remind me of a happy time. Even knowing the end at the beginning we can appreciate the precious moments of celebration and glory. And so it goes with Palm Sunday.
We sing each Christmas “O Come Let Us Adore Him” and that is what happened that special Palm Sunday as people came to herald the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem. Almost thirty-three years after His birth, we get one more happy moment of His earthly life to celebrate the Son of God.
O come all ye faithful, come let us adore him…
“O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore him
O come let us adore Him
Christ the Lord”
We Shall Come Rejoicing 