This past Friday night’s Youth Online & Zoom Group event was a ton of fun. If you missed it or want to watch it again, CLICK HERE.
This week’s message and Scripture readings focus on The Gospel of the Kingdom (from BibleProject.com) and would be a great activity to do as a family!
Sunday, April 5, is Palm Sunday, when we commemorate Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem that kick-starts the series of events leading to his death on the cross and then his resurrection. The sham trial of Jesus and his unjust execution seemed like a tragedy to his friends and family. Yet for Jesus, his death was an expression of the love of God as he entered into our suffering so that he could overcome it. In the story of Jesus, we are invited to see that even the most unwelcome and tragic events cannot thwart God’s plan to restore our world.
WATCH:
Scripture Reading One:
The people expected Jesus to bring peace and rule as king in a way that they could understand. Jesus grieved over this because he knew they would suffer, and because he longed for them to see him as the true King through the suffering. Like Jesus, it’s okay to grieve over shattered expectations and suffering.
- Open your Bible and read Luke 19:28-48 or CLICK HERE
- Key verse: Luke 19:41-42
- Take a moment and express any grief you’re feeling over suffering or shattered expectations.
Scripture Reading Two:
This next passage proclaims that God himself is coming to rescue his people—and this is good news—but it will happen in a surprising way: God’s appointed one, the Messiah, will enter into the suffering and death of our world. There’s a lot of suffering and pain going on in our world right now. God enters into our suffering. He experiences it personally and is present with us and all those who suffer.
- Open your Bible to Isaiah 52:7-:53:12 or CLICK HERE
- Share as a family where you see suffering and pain in the world and your community right now and then share a prayer for those in suffering.
This Isaiah passage was written 700 years before Jesus walked the earth. God declared what he was going to do and then did it at the right time. For Jesus, his suffering was the way God’s power and love should be shown to the world. The cross shows us that God’s ultimate response to human death and suffering was love: to die alongside us and for us, and to overcome death with his resurrection life. This is Jesus’ upside-down Kingdom.
- Jesus calls his followers to do what he does. In what ways specifically can you suffer alongside others, or serve and love others?