There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends
(John 15:13; NLT).
1. Welcomed by the crowds,
Who later jeered.
2. Kissed; betrayed;
Arrested, Lord, at night.
3. Deserted by your friends;
Alone; bereft.
4. Spat on, mocked, and whipped;
Accusers lied.
5. Judged unjustly;
Sentenced, and condemned.
6. Burdened by your cross,
As women grieved.
7. Crucified by guards,
Whom you forgave:
8. In agony, and anguish, Lord,
You died.
💛
References
1. The next day, the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel!” (John 12:12-13; NIV).
The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. “Look at you now!” they yelled at him. “You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Well then, if you are the Son of God, save yourself and come down from the cross!” (Matthew 27:40; NLT).
2. The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: “You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss” (Matthew 26:48; NLT).
Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him (Matthew 26:50; NLT).
3. Then all his disciples deserted him and ran away (Mark 14:50; NLT).
4. They spat on him and took the staff and struck him repeatedly on the head (Matthew 27:30; NET).
Then they knelt before him in mockery and taunted, “Hail! King of the Jews!” (Matthew 27:29; NLT).
He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip (Mark 15:15; NLT).
Many false witnesses spoke against him, but they contradicted each other (Mark 14:56; NLT).
5. The leading priests stirred up the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas instead of Jesus. Pilate asked them, “Then what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews?” They shouted back, “Crucify him!” (Mark 15:12-13; NLT).
He […] turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified (Mark 15:15; NLT).
6. Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (John 19:17; NLT).
A large crowd trailed behind, including many grief-stricken women (Luke 23:27; NLT).
7. Then the soldiers nailed him to the cross (Mark 15:24; NLT).
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34; NLT).
8. My life is poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, melting within me. My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth (Psalm 22:14-15; NLT).
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? (Mark 15:34; NLT).
Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last (Mark 15:37; NLT).
1. This little cross
Is soaked in prayer.
I wear it day
And night.
2. Washed with tears,
And kissed with love:
In darkness,
It brings light.
3. Held fast in joy,
In fear, and pain;
With me
In all I say, and do.
4. Just as this cross
Is dear to me,
I, Lord, am dear
To you.
🧡
References
1. Pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17; NIV).
Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23; NLT).
2. She knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet (Luke 7:38; NLT).
The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness (Psalm 18:28; NLT).
3. Hold fast him (Deuteronomy 11:22; NIV).
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me (Psalm 23:4; KJV).
4. The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18; NLT).
“Don’t be afraid,” he said, “for you are very precious to God” (Daniel 10:19; NLT).
1. Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; NIV).
Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all (Mark 9:35; NIV).
He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us (2 Corinthians 1:4, NLT).
Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us (Luke 11:4; NLT).
May the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow (1 Thessalonians 3:12; NLT).
Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them (Romans 12:9; NLT; my emphasis).
2. Perhaps even yet they will turn from their evil ways and ask the Lord’s forgiveness before it is too late (Jeremiah 36:7; NLT).
Then [Jesus] said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23; NLT).
Since we have now been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation (Romans 5:9; NLT).
3. The Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he found one priceless pearl, he went and sold everything he had, and bought it (Matthew 13:45-6; CSB).
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16; NIV).
Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ (1 Corinthians 9:19; NLT).
4. Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23; NLT).
Then Jesus said, “Come to me all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28; NLT).
1. Your cross
Is part of me,
And I am part
Of you.
2. It’s always with me,
Day and night,
In all I think, and say,
And do.
3. It gives me courage,
Comfort, peace,
When I am anxious,
Or in pain –
4. Reminding me
How Jesus lived
And suffered,
Died, and rose again.
🌺🌺🌺
References
1. If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me (Luke 9:23; NLT).
Whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17; NIV).
2. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me (Psalm 23:4; KJV).
3. I am full of the courage that the Lord’s Spirit gives (Micah 3:8; NET).
I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever (John 14:16; KJV).
Peace I leave you; my peace I give you (John 14:27; NIV).
In all their suffering he also suffered, and he personally rescued them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them. He lifted them up and carried them through all the years (Isaiah 63:9; NLT).
4. The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction. But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18; NLT).
“The Son of Man must suffer many terrible things,” he said. “He will be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead” (Luke 9:22; NLT).
1. I remember the stories –
The shepherds, the star;
The stable, the manger,
The kings, from afar.
2. I remember the temple,
The questions, the joy;
My parents; their wrath –
I was only a boy.
3. I remember the wedding
At Cana, the wine
Transformed from fresh water –
My first ever sign.
4. I remember my baptism,
Miracles, feasts;
The preaching, the healing;
The scribes and the priests.
5. I remember the mountain,
The voice, and the light –
My transfiguration:
God clothed me in white.
6. I remember the colt,
The procession, the crowd;
The palms and the cloaks –
People shouting so loud!
7. I remember the supper,
The bread, and the wine;
The friendship, the sharing
With those who were mine.
8. I remember the garden,
The darkness, the fear;
The kiss of betrayal
When Judas drew near.
9. I remember the scourging –
I knew all was lost;
The robe, and the thorns,
And the weight of the cross.
10. Now all that is left
Is the blood, and the pain;
The thirst, and the dying,
As I call your name.
🖤
References
1. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them (Luke 2:6-7; NIV).
2. Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious leaders, listening to them and asking questions (Luke 2:46; NLT).
3. This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory (John 2:11; NLT).
4. One day when the crowds were being baptised, Jesus himself was baptised. As he was praying, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy (Luke 3:22; NLT).
The leading priests and the teachers of religious law saw these wonderful miracles and heard even the children in the Temple shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David.” But the leaders were indignant (Matthew 21:15; NLT).
5. Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them (Mark 9:2-3; NIV).
6. The next day, the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel!” (John 12:12-13; NIV).
7. He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me. In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you” (Luke 22:19-20; NIV).
8. He went on a little further and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine” (Matthew 26:39; NLT).
He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood (Luke 22:44; NLT).
9. Then Pilate had Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip. The soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they put a purple robe on him. “Hail! King of the Jews!” they mocked, as they slapped him across the face (John 19:1-3; NLT).
Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the Place of the Skull…
10. …There they nailed him to the cross (John 19:17; NLT).
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? (Mark 15:34; NLT).
The eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you (Deuteronomy 33:27; NLT).
1. Crossing the desert,
We walk side by side –
Lord, you protect me,
You comfort, and guide.
2. Crossing the mountains,
Deep valleys below –
You climb at my pace, Lord,
Though I am so slow.
3. Crossing the lake,
You reach out for my hand –
I’m sinking, Lord, terrified,
Far from dry land.
4. Crossing the sea,
You take hold of my arm –
No matter what happens,
I’m safe from all harm.
Into your hands I commit my spirit
(Psalm 31:5; NIV).
🤎
References
1. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect me and comfort me (Psalm 23:4; NLT).
He guides me along right paths (Psalm 23:3; NLT).
2. Give glory to the Lord your God before it is too late. Acknowledge him before he brings darkness upon you, causing you to stumble and fall on the darkening mountains (Jeremiah 13:16; NLT).
He gently leads those that have young (Isaiah 40:11; NIV).
3. The disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves (Matthew 14:24; NLT).
Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him (Matthew 29-31; NLT).
4. He led Israel across the sea as if it were a desert (Psalm 106:9; NLT).
I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely (Psalm 63:8; NLT).
