HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2015-04-02, Page 12PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2015.
By Pastor Andrew Versteeg
Brussels Community Bible
Chapel
This issue of The Citizen will be
put out for us, the public, on
Wednesday, April 1. Perhaps you
have picked up your copy today
April 1 or you might receive it on
Thursday, April 2.
If you received this copy of The
Citizen on Wednesday then you will
know that in two days we will
remember Good Friday, the day that
Jesus died on the cross, almost 2,000
years ago. I want us to think about
two verses in the Scriptures that
mention something about what was
going on in Jerusalem two days
before Jesus died on the cross.
Mark 14:1-2 says, “Now the
Passover and Unleavened Bread
were two days away; and the chief
priests and the scribes were seeking
how to seize Him by stealth and kill
Him; for they were saying, ‘not
during the festival, otherwise there
might be a riot of the people.’”
Just to set the stage a little bit,
Jerusalem was packed with people at
this time. This was the annual time
for the Passover to be celebrated and
the Jewish people came from far and
wide to Jerusalem to celebrate. Jesus
and His disciples were there as well
and the religious leaders of the Jews
wanted Him dead. They wanted to
silence Jesus and get rid of Him
because He had publicly accused
them of wrongdoing, and had
exposed them. They were also
jealous of Jesus because many of the
common people had taken a liking to
Him and were following Him. Jesus
had helped many of them, He had
healed them, comforted them,
and in general had compassion for
them.
And so they were looking for an
opportunity to take Jesus secretly
and quietly and be done with Him
once for all. They also thought that
they had better wait until after the
festival when the crowds had
dispersed, for they did not want to
cause a riot. This was their plan, but
God had a different plan. God’s plan
was for Jesus to die on the day of
Passover and, as always, God’s plan
succeeded.
Prior to this time, there had been a
few times when the religious
establishment had tried to take Jesus
with the intent to kill Him; but they
could not lay their hands on Him
because God would not allow it.
John 7:30 says, “they were seeking
to seize Him; and no man laid his
hand on Him, because His hour had
not yet come.” Later in John 10:17-
18 Jesus said, “I lay down my life on
My own initiative. I have authority
to lay it down, and I have authority
to take it up again.”
So the time and the circumstances
of Jesus death were all orchestrated
by Jesus Himself. There was a pre-
appointed day by God on which
Jesus would die and before that day
arrived no one could lay their hand
on Him. That pre-appointed day was
the Passover day and God was
orchestrating the events to make this
happen.
Even though the religious leaders
planned not to kill him on that day,
Jesus would see to it that they did.
Jesus’ death on the cross was
planned by God Himself. It was not
a mistake, coincidence, or the result
of some religious fanatics.
Why the Passover? The Passover
festival was celebrated by the Jews
in remembrance of how God had
rescued them out of their captivity in
Egypt. The plague of death was the
last of 10 judgments that God
brought upon Egypt for their
disobedience to His command to let
His people go free. Our sin and
disobedience against God always
brings His just judgment upon us.
The Israelites were not exempt from
this and neither are we. Though the
Israelites had not sinned in the same
way as their captors, the Egyptians;
still they had many sins of their own.
Unless something was done they
too would fall under the judgment
and punishment of death. So God
told His people that if they killed a
lamb and placed the blood from that
lamb on the doorposts of their house
they would be spared. This signified
that a death had already taken place
for their sin. Something, namely a
lamb, had been sacrificed in their
place. That night when the angel of
death passed through Egypt all the
houses where they had put the blood
on the doorposts were spared. These
houses were ‘passed over’ in the
judgment. In the house where there
was no blood on the doorposts, the
first born in that house was put to
death. Israel ultimately gained their
freedom through that judgment.
Every year since then they
celebrated the Passover to remember
how God had saved them in
THE CATHOLIC PARISHES OF NORTH HURON AND NORTH PERTH
CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO ATTEND HOLY MASS.
OUR SUNDAY LITURGIES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
Brussels:
St. Ambrose
Saturday
6:00 p.m.
17 Flora Street
Wingham:
Sacred Heart
Sunday
9:00 a.m.
220 Carling Terrace
Listowel:
St. Joseph’s
Sunday
11:00 a.m.
1025 Wallace Avenue N.
ESAETR
HE SUFFERED HE DIED HE ROSE
A S I M P L E S T O R Y. A N A M A Z I N G H O P E
Sometimes the simple stories are the best. Like the Easter story: Jesus was an innocent man, wrongfully
accused. He suffered, He died, He rose. But why? Actually, it was for you. The back story of Easter is
about a God who loves and forgives. Huron Chapel in Auburn is very excited to invite you to come and
explore this Easter hope with us this week.
GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE - April 3rd @ 10:30am
EASTER SUNDAY Morning @ 10:30am
HURONCHAPEL.COM
CORNER OF DINSLEY & MILL STREETS
MINISTER
Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M. Div.
All Welcome
MUSIC DIRECTOR
Floyd Herman, BA, M. Ed.OFFICE: 519-523-4224
Friday, April 3 ~ Good Friday 9:30 am Brussels United; 11 am Blyth United
Sunday, April 5 ~ Easter and Child-friendly Communion
Sunday, April 12 ~ Seeding is Believing
Worship Service & Sunday School at 11 a.m.
MUSIC DIRECTOR
Floyd Herman, BA, M. Ed.
Children
Welcome
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, April 5
Brussels Business & Cultural Centre
at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Sunday School for children
4 to 12 years of age at 9:30 a.m.
Childcare provided for infants and
preschoolers during the sermon.
Coffee & cookies after the morning service
For additional details please contact Pastor Andrew Versteeg 519.887.8621
Steve Klumpenhower 519.887.8651 Rick Packer 519.527.0173
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
Rev. Elwin Garland
SUNDAY, APRIL 5
Nursery care available
519-887-9017
Worship & Sunday School - 10 am
Coffee & Snacks - 11 am
We invite you to join our church family in:
No Soup & More on April 3
Sunday, April 5, 8 am - 9:30 am
EASTER BREAKFAST ~ All Welcome
Hwy. 4, Blyth www.blythcrc.ca 519-523-4743
Minister: Pastor Gary van Leeuwen
GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE, APRIL 3
Morning Service 10:00 am
EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 5
Morning Service 10:00 am
No Evening Service
You’re Invited To Join Us In Worship
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
BRUSSELS
WORSHIP SERVICE
AND SUNDAY SCHOOL 10:00 am
All Welcome
United Church
Minister: Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M.Div.
Bulletin notices: 519-523-4224
blythunited@tcc.on.ca
Church bookings: 519-887-6377
Other concerns: 226-963-1175
getlivingwater.org
Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 519-523-4848
Evangelical Missionary
Church
Small Groups weekly
in Blyth & Wingham
Son-rise Service
7:00 am SonRise Service
at A&B Morrison’s
39718 Amberley Rd. (W. of Wingham)
EASTER CELEBRATION
EASTER SUNDAY ~ April 5
Good Friday ~ April 3
FREE COMMUNITY
BREAKFAST
8:30 - 10:30 am
at Blyth Memorial Hall;
Optional short worship after; Jn. 19:17ff
Living Water
Christian
Fellowship
10:30 am at 308 Blyth Rd.
Jn.20:11-18
“FROM
MISSING
TO
MEETING”
From the Minister’s Study
Versteeg looks to Good Friday, two verses
Continued on page 17
Good Friday Service at Trinity at 10:30 am