April 18, 2017 (Tuesday)
Churches which follow a Liturgical Calendar celebrate the Easter season for fifty days (after the first day of Passover), culminating in the celebration of Pentecost. This is built upon the Hebrew calendar of feasts. It is known as “Eastertide” in Liturgical terms.
We Baptists usually do not follow a strict religious calendar, but we celebrate Easter every Sunday, fifty-two Sundays each year. And we like for other churches to remind us of their special observances of a liturgical year built upon the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Pentecost, which means, “fiftieth day,” will be celebrated on June 4 this year.
After He died on a cruel cross, His body was taken with loving hands and placed in a tomb that had been prepared for the eventual death of one who loved Him. By Jewish law, it had to be done before sundown, so preparation of the body, hurriedly done, could not be completed until after the holy sabbath. The government sealed the tomb with a great stone. When his friends came to complete the annointing of the body, they found the stone rolled aside, and within the tomb they saw and heard angels declare that Jesus had risen from the dead. Outside the tomb, He appeared to Mary Magdalene, later to his disciples, then to many others for a period of forty days. Finally He ascended to Heaven. During His earthly life He had predicted all this, and had promised us, “Because I live, you shall live also.”
He has not only paid the price to forgive our sins, but He has promised us an eternal home in Heaven. What mercy, what love and what grace!
I am not worthy the least of His favor,
But Jesus left heaven for me;
The Word became flesh and He died as my Savior,
Forsaken on dark Calvary.
Chorus:
I am not worthy this dull tongue repeats it.
I am not worthy this heart gladly beats it.
Jesus left heaven to die in my place;
What mercy, what love and what grace!
I am not worthy the least of His favor,
But “In the beloved” I stand;
Now I’m an heir with my wonderful Savior,
And all things are mine at His hand.
I am not worthy the least of His favor,
But He is preparing a place
Where I shall dwell with my glorified Savior,
Forever to look on His face.
I Am Not Worthy, written by Beatrice Bush Bixler (1916-2013) (Click here to hear this song)