King found guilty. Verdict pronounced - flogging and Crucifixion.

The trial

After a night of waiting in the Temple court, shivering from the night cold a whisper circulates that my King has been tried. A group of soldiers emerge from the Temple. My King is bound and stumbling along between them. They march him straight to a short pole splashed with blood. A foot jams the back of my King's legs and he nosedives to the ground. 

No mercy

Now bound to the stake, I watch in horror as the flagrum is waved in the air and slashes down with force onto my King's back. The lead tips rip off his skin and blood spurts out in all directions as the torturous instrument returns to its owner. Strike one, strike two, strike three, on and on (Matthew 27:26). 

I choose to stand in front of my King and attempt eye contact. I feel sick as I can do nothing to ease the pain. As the whipping continues, open wounds grow and form trenches down my King's back. His hands in fists shaking, eyes tight shut with life draining away. Finally, he collapses and lying in his own blood the torture finishes. The soldiers watching laugh, how little life seems to mean to them. The sense of evil wandering around the courtyard chills my bones.

I try to reach my King's outstretched hand but a soldier stamps on it. I say nothing as the pain is minimal compared to such a shredded back.

The Crown of Thorns

To add insult to injury once my King has raised himself up and is struggling to keep upright, one of the soldiers rams a crown of thorns on his head. Another slings a red robe around his mangled shoulders (Matthew 27:27-31). The material is instantly drenched with blood and I see a grimace on my Saviour's face. 

The final journey begins

Scarcely able to put one foot in front of another, a burly soldier points to a Crossbar and demands that it be carried to Calvery. Two soldiers heave the wood onto his shoulders, the splinters digging into the muscles on his back. With steely determination, wiping the fresh blood out of his face my King slowly drags his decimated body towards his destiny. 

On the road to Calvary

The crowds hustle on either side of the road eager to see what is happening. Running behind the onlookers I jump periodically to keep an eye on the progress of my King. Three times he falls, smashing onto dust and stone, the crown of thorns piercing his head each time. I felt he wouldn't make the journey with such horrific injuries. On the third fall, I see soldiers seize a man from the crowd and command him to help (Matthew 27:32).

The King's final resting place

On the ground ready for the Crossbar lies the upright post. My King places his piece of wood in the groove. Still, the Cross is incomplete, its arms desiring a victim. My King without any force surrenders to the inevitable and collapses onto the wooden surface. I sob, can a man endure anymore? Then three soldiers hammer nails into his hands and feet.

The Cross is now dragged over small rocks bumping my King and creating spasms that surge through his body. The soldiers raise the Cross up and crunch it into the dry stony earth. The jolt wrenches his hands and feet moving them against the iron nails. 

I am not worth

Watching my King die in excruciating pain tears me apart. I see him gasp and I plunge to my knees - I am not worthy, forgive me, Father. His eyes fade and all is gone.

The wind is blowing up a storm and clouds darker than the night roll overhead. The earth is shaking and as I look towards Jerusalem I see the Temple split in two. My King's prophecy has been fulfilled (Matthew 24:2). 

An eerie silence descends, and my world turned upside down - now what? My King is dead....

This week is Holy Week a time to ponder on the events leading up to Christ's death and Resurrection. We too are on a journey not necessarily to the same grotesque end, but nonetheless to a place that requires sacrifice, forgiveness and love to walk there.  

Come and join me each day as I accompany Jesus on His journey.

God bless,

Margaret

https://www.facebook.com/MargaretKazmierczakAuthorBlogger/

www.margaretk.co.uk 

(Note: This is my expression of Holy Week, the order of events may have been a bit different.) 

Crucifixion the only way - Holy Week Day Four

Crucifixion the only way

Jumbled thoughts

My head is a jumble with all the talk last night. As the sun set the King revealed that he will be handed over to be crucified. How does he know this? I can scarcely bring myself to ponder on such a fate. The thought makes me feel sick, my body to tremble, I want to shout "no". I have just found him and my life has new meaning and direction. I can't bear the thought of losing my King so soon. 

A Prayer request on behalf of the King

I waited behind when everyone left the mount and cried. I prayed and pleaded for my King - don't take him away. Shattered from all my beseeching I staggered back to the house the King was staying in. All appeared quiet apart from some gentle snoring. 

Peaceful acceptance

I heard a noise, a shaky door squeaking as it opened. The silhouette of a man outlined by the eery moon stepped out. I leant flat against the wall, my heart pounding like an orchestral drum. But he sensed my presence and signalled me to draw closer. Without saying anything he enwrapped me in his arms and kissed my forehead. Instantly an overwhelming aura gripped me. From the tip of my head to my toes a new and exhilarating force penetrated my body. As my King released me his piercing eyes transfixed me. I saw sorrow and triumph at the same time. In my mind words formed - I love you. I gasped at the intensity and looked at the man in front of me, his demeanour victorious and vulnerable at the same time. Without warning an irresistible urge to sleep took over and peace ensued.

The next day

Awake and rested I search for my King and his disciples, but they have gone. The lady of the house points to Jerusalem.  I know he will be teaching once again in the Temple. Scrambling as fast as I can along the dusty road moving in and out of wagons full of wares and animals, I arrive, dirty and unkempt. 

A ruckus is in full flow. Soldiers and men arguing audibly, pushing and shoving one another. A man lies on the ground arms flailing, struggling to get up trying to avoid feet that tread on him as the fight intensifies. 

Trouble in the Temple

I ask a skinny young lad cowering behind a stall to explain the disturbance. His shaky voice expounds that a man in the Temple is stirring up trouble again. It had to be my King. 

The Temple was packed again, young and old craning to hear (Luke 21:37-38), as my King in full voice stood teaching the crowd.

The midday sun pierces down as my King emerges from the cold Temple.I track him to the Mount of Olives, observing the group chatting and enjoying one another's company. I do not follow further this time but leave them there to their intimate gathering. 






I know the growing discord in Jerusalem will heighten so I decide to stay outside the city walls....

This week is Holy Week a time to ponder on the events leading up to Christ's death and Resurrection. We too are on a journey not necessarily to the same grotesque end, but nonetheless to a place that requires sacrifice, forgiveness and love to walk there.  

Come and join me each day as I accompany Jesus on His journey.

God bless,

Margaret

https://www.facebook.com/MargaretKazmierczakAuthorBlogger/

www.margaretk.co.uk 

    

(Note: This is my expression of Holy Week, the order of events may have been a bit different.)  

Mayhem as King goes mad in Temple court

Eyewitness account

Last night I had the most wonderful sleep, dreams filled my mind of the triumphant entry the King made yesterday into Jerusalem. I had hunkered down close to the house the King stayed in overnight. I wanted to be near him.

The fig tree 

The King left early this morning with his friends, so I followed him at a distance. He must have been hungry, I know I was. On the road to Jerusalem, he stopped and appeared to be talking to a fig tree. His gesticulations implied a frustrated tone, I could hear something about a tree without fruit being useless, then it withered and died (Matthew 21:18-19).

The Temple

Their journey ended at the Temple. I stayed near to the group mingling with the heaving crowd. There were money changers everywhere, emphatically pronouncing their services. Animals bleating, birds screeching, deafening noises that added to the chaos. 

Chaos

Then the King exploded, he upturned tables scattering money in a blaze of anger. Animals frightened, scuttled from the Temple, knocking people over. Indignant traders yelled, trying to stop the mad man, pulling at his robes. But the King was too powerful. His abhorrence so apparent that no one could control him. Sweat poured off his brow, as he toppled the last table. From the depths of the King's stomach, an aggrieved compelling voice rocketed out above the crowd.   

My Father's house

“Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!” (John 2:16)

There were some Jewish leaders nearby and they turned on the King saying, “What are you doing? If God gave you authority to do this, show us a miraculous sign to prove it.”

“All right,” the King replied. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”    (John 2:18-19)

The truth of the barren tree

Wow, this man knew how to stir up a hornet's nest. I began to see the significance of the fig tree. A barren tree that bears no fruit simulates a desolate heart that knows the right words but doesn't know the Truth. 

As I watched the King sit, weary with exertion, his hands covering his tears, I felt an overwhelming love for him. He knew, he just knew what was going to happen and his heart bled. 

This week is Holy Week a time to ponder on the events leading up to Christ's death and Resurrection. We too are on a journey not necessarily to the same grotesque end, but nonetheless to a place that requires sacrifice, forgiveness and love to walk there.  

Come and join me each day as I accompany Jesus on His journey.

God bless

Margaret

https://www.facebook.com/MargaretKazmierczakAuthorBlogger/

www.margaretk.co.uk

When we get it wrong God uses our mistake

Looking back at my life I think it has been an incredible journey. Is that because I chose the exciting route over God’s path or that God chose to make good my mistakes? I suspect it was God’s hand sewing his golden thread through the tapestry of my life. On the right side the picture looks perfect, but underneath there are knots and twists that look worse than a  doll’s matted hair which has been left to the elements.

I love hindsight, because if I look at my life I can see how God brought me back in alignment with his will for my life. Not only that, the experiences of travelling a varied life has allowed me to empathise with those around me, who fall into the same holes that I have done. Without God intervening so many times, disaster would have been the norm. Instead of anger, compassion has become part of my life. And no matter where I walked or often ran, God was there at my side waiting for me to catch hold of his hand. He did not insist that I take His help, instead He quietly whispered in the wind, “I am here.” Did I hear that gentle voice? Sometimes, if I was listening. So often I was in the thrill of the moment. Then other times, down in the depths of a very long and dark tunnel thinking how do I fix this? The more I  tried to untangle that matted hair the worse it got.

I was the fix-it girl. Ever since I was young I would find solutions, often very imaginative ones. Most created through necessity. I relied on me and occasionally God, if I thought about Him.

Now looking back, most of the ‘fix-its’ were actually God correcting my solutions in a very unobtrusive way. Through a  thought or an idea. I was not alone, even if I believed I was. My mistakes were easy to correct for a God who created the universe and indeed they became the starting point for other more important work that God had for me. So He let me think I was in charge! Only a great Manager can do that. Then He guided me to where He wanted me to go. Oh how well my Father knows me.

When you look at your life through God’s eyes an amazing transformation follows. Where you see hopelessness, God sees opportunities for us to grow. Where we see the ‘no exit’ sign, God sees an open road and longs to show us the route to Freedom.

As an exercise write down or think of some of your experiences and see how they concluded. Can you see that golden thread travelling through the matted journey of your life? If so, give God the glory, for it is He that has been sewing His Kingdom into your life.

Advent Day Six

From birth to the grave, God accompanies our journey. He loves our company. Come Lord Jesus come. 

Don't give up

God first, God always - Don't give up.

Yes life throws troubles our way and at times we have to climb out of a deep pit but we must try not to give up. 

Your breakthrough may be just around the corner, it might literally be moments away from your grip. If in that moment you turn your head and walk away the answer will pass you by and your journey will be longer. That is the hardest call you will ever make. To stay just a little while longer in Trust believing that God is sorting out the mess.

'Even though you may feel that you are at the end of your rope, God has the resolution for your pain, a motive for your struggle and a gift for your faithfulness.' (quote from Christian Associates Network)

2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love and of a sound mind. 

It is human to be concerned about things but the fears start to take over when we dwell on the implications of those worries. 

God has not given us a spirit of fear. Fear comes when we feel out of control. That is why we need to take those concerns and hand them over to God. He knows the outcome of our struggles and will gift us for our faithfulness. 

God is the golden thread that winds its way through the material of our life. 

God will never give up on us.

When we struggle it is useful to think or write down the things God has done for us, the things we can be thankful for. Prayer and praise for these gifts will bring greater rewards than listing to the negative depressing areas of our lives. That just reinforces the laughter of the evil one. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7mEZtzWFuA



God is the rewarder of those who seek Him. 

Don't give up. God is the answer.

God's blessings on all of you who are struggling and need encouragement, you are not alone. Stretch out your arms to God and He will embrace you. His shoulders are very large and He will carry all your concerns. He is the greatest Father of all time. What wouldn't a Father do for His children? He cares so much.





God bless

Margaret

(www.margaretk.co.uk)