The play is more than a simple church play–it is a major production that hundreds in our church work on for months. They did a fantastic job and if you are in the Blairsville area today (Palm Sunday), I encourage you to catch one of the performances at either 3pm or 7pm. Admission is free.
Each year there is at least one thing that really reaches into my heart and touches me in a unique way. This year it came to me from the scene in the upper room where Jesus and His disciples were partaking of the Last Supper. They are greeting one another around the table just before the meal begins and at one point, Jesus reaches out and takes Judas by the hand, shakes his hand briefly and then moves on to greet the other men in like manner. There was nothing different about this greeting of Judas than that of any of the other men, yet it fell on me in a fresh way.
Jesus knew the full measure of what Judas would do in just a matter of hours. He knew that Judas would betray Him and turn Him over to the Pharisees to be crucified on a Roman cross. He knew that Judas would be given 30 pieces of silver in exchange for his betrayal. He knew that Judas would betray Him with the kiss of a friend. Jesus knew that Judas was doomed to eternal destruction. Jesus knew all this, yet He never treated Judas differently than any of the other disciples. He loved Judas unconditionally and gave him the same opportunities that the other eleven disciples had to accept Jesus and Savior. Judas simply chose not to believe.
It struck me full force that Jesus knows each of us perfectly and intimately. He knew us before we were created in our mother’s wombs. He knew the choices we would make in this life and the consequences we would endure because of those choices. He knew the times we would deny Him and turn our back on Him, yet, He loved us enough to die for us!! How often we are offended when a friend betrays us or treats us badly, yet how much we take for granted the blood of Jesus which covers over our every offense.
That is the message of Easter–unconditional love and acceptance from God the Father and Jesus Christ, the Son. Have you chosen to make Jesus your Lord and Savior? He reaches out to you and longs for you to ask Him into your heart! Do it today!
