Passion week in the Psalms: I am the Good Shepherd

      "I Am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep" (John 10:11). And that's exactly what He did. The Lord is our Shepherd, giving us all we need (salvation from sin and death). He restores us. He leads us. He is with us. He was forsaken in the valley of the shadow of death that we might never be forsaken. (Psalm 23) Jesus, the perfect and spotless Lamb of God, died for the sheep that had gone astray. What a horrible, yet wonderful day.

  Each of the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion focuses on different details. This is part of the beauty of reading all 4 accounts. These are long sections, but you can spread it apart over the course of the day. Also, there are numerous children's Bibles that have excellent retellings of this amazing story. This is our story. This is our Savior.

• Binding of Jesus and delivery of Him to Pilate
• Judas' regret and return of 30 pieces of silver
• Jesus' trial before Pilate
• Pilot's release of Barabbas in exchange for Jesus

     And then, we continue to read...and we see our Jesus struggling up a hill to die for our sins that we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).

     "But the biggest surprise to everyone was that the Chosen One of God was chosen by God to die. It just didn't seem right that the One destined crush the Serpent would be crushed himself...The worst thing that's ever happened in the world. But it was also the best thing that's ever happened in the world. Just as we would expect from God. And just as God planned it.

We break promises, so God keeps his.

We run from God, so he comes to us.

We suffer for sin, so the Savior suffers for us.

     Our story is the story of God doing what we can't, in order to make up for us doing what we shouldn't. The Christ suffers for our sin, that we might share in his sinlessness." (The Biggest Story 104-107)

Readings

• Friday morning: Psalm 115 / Friday evening: Psalm 116
• Saturday morning: Psalm 117 / Saturday evening: Psalm 118

Resurrection Sunday: Psalm 119

Reading: Matthew 27:1-66; Mark 15:1-47; Luke 22:63-23:56; John 18:28-19:42

The Jesus StoryBook Bible: The Sun Stops Shining (302-309)

The Biggest Story: Chapter 7 (91-98)

The Big Picture Story Bible: Jesus Wears God's Kingly Crown (359-373)

Memory passage: Matthew 28:1-10 - I am going to begin reviewing the Resurrection passage with my children. We learned the story from Matthew, but you could also work any of the other Gospels. 

Songs for meditation: The Power of the Cross

Activity: Make a felt banner like this one. Today, you can add a crown of thorns and a cross. This is a Catholic site (fyi) but for you who might want to do hand prints for each day, these are good. Coloring pages that might be good for your little ones. These are just a few things. There are many wonderful ideas out there! 

Meditation: Isaiah 53; Psalm 22:1-31