Meals to Go :: Backpack Dinners

Big Love Reading, 40 Days Leading Up To Easter

Big Love – Day Forty Two

Matt 28.18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Acts 1.4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” 6 So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

I promised I would come back and that we would be together forever.

Until then, enjoy life and be my people. You will not miss me when I come back. I will make myself known. I do know how to draw attention. It will be a celebration. Stay faithful! I love you. Listen to the Holy Spirit, he will guide you.

Big Love Reading, 40 Days Leading Up To Easter

Big Love – Day Forty One

Luke 24.1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ”

The crucifixion was a horrible event that is now over and will never ever happen to me again.

I defeated death! I know the disciples were looking for the Messiah to free them from the control of the Roman government. But my mission was larger than that.

I was tried and sentenced among religious and human governments but my fight was bigger than that. I came to redeem all of creation from the curse of sin.

I was the seed that when planted would reap a huge harvest. The redemption of creation…Salvation of mankind for all who will.

Death was the enemy to be overcome and its hold was temporary. Just like I had promised I was in the belly of the earth for three days and I overcame death!

Oh that you might get a glimpse of what happened through my death on the cross and in my resurrection. The last enemy was defeated. The last enemy was overcome. I am Jesus Christ, the Lord!

Big Love Reading, 40 Days Leading Up To Easter

Big Love – Day Forty

Here are what some of your teachers have labeled my “seven last sayings”. May you meditate on them so you can remember.

“Father forgive them, for they know not what they do”
“Today you will be with me in paradise”
“Behold your son: behold your mother”
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me”
“I thirst”
“It is finished”
“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit”

Traditionally, these seven sayings are called words of:
1. Forgiveness, 2. Salvation, 3. Relationship,
4. Abandonment, 5. Distress, 6. Triumph and 7. Reunion.

Here is how one artist captured what the cross looked like from my view…not bad.



Big Love Reading, 40 Days Leading Up To Easter

Big Love – Day Thirty Eight

Matt 26.59 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. 60 But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward 61 and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’ ” 62 Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” 63 But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” 64 “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” 65 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy!

Matt 27.11 Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied.

John 19. 10 “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” 11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.

It was humiliating to stand before men who were hell-bent on finding something with which to accuse me. I know what it is to be falsely accused. And yet I had to endure their power trip to accomplish the redemption of all that we had created.

Blasphemy they said.

Pilate telling me he had power over me.

When your love is big, you choose to endure silliness. I chose to love.

Big Love Reading, 40 Days Leading Up To Easter

Big Love – Day Thirty Seven

Matthew 26.48 Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.” 49 Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him. 50 Jesus replied, “Friend, do what you came for.” Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. 51 With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. 52 “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. 53 Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” 55 At that time Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. 56 But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.

To my disciples it was unthinkable that I got arrested. The true Messiah couldn’t get arrested. How would I lead the Israelites to freedom if I were behind bars? How would the promises be fulfilled that I would take on the evil ones (translate: Roman government) who oppressed and enslaved us?

A dead Messiah was no Messiah at all.

To them it seemed that the end of the road had come.

So, they ran.

I had to walk this part of the journey without them.

Big Love Reading, 40 Days Leading Up To Easter

Big Love – Day Thirty Six

Mark 14.32 They came to a place named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here until I have prayed.” 33 And He took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled. 34 And He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch.” 35 And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by. 36 And He was saying, “Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.”

We arrived at Gethsemane, appropriately named as it means oil press. We stopped to pray. My heart was distressed and I was feeling the pressure. The next few days would be a test. Hard to put into words that make sense. No one has ever faced this kind of pressure nor will anyone ever feel this kind of pressure again.

I asked the disciples to pray and I walked a few steps further. My heart ached to the point that I fell to the ground and started crying out to my Father.

I talked to my dad. I asked if it were possible to have this hour pass me by, to remove this cup from me.

Some people read the words of my prayer and think I am trying to escape the pain that was coming my way.

That is true, sort of. But it was a different kind of pain that I saw coming.

I knew that sin would separate me from my Father. It would separate me from joy. It would separate me.

And I had never ever known separation from my Father.

That is the pain I saw coming. Sure the suffering would hurt in a very physical way. But that was going to be nothing compared to the pain of separation.

Big Love Reading, 40 Days Leading Up To Easter

Big Love – Day Thirty Five

John 17.1 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.”

Our time together in the upper room was drawing to a close. Before we left we spent some time praying. It felt good to talk to my dad. I poured out my heart.

What you are reading above is a small part. I prayed for the disciples that were with me. I prayed for the disciples that were yet to join me. I prayed that they would be one. I prayed that they would be protected not taken out of the world. I prayed that they would be set apart. I prayed that my disciples would one day see me in my glory

17.22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

“I have given you the glory that was given to me…that you may be one.”

May you read this over slowly and may you be the answer to my prayer!

Big Love Reading, 40 Days Leading Up To Easter

Big Love – Day Thirty Four

John 15.12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

I had been with my disciples for three years. I still remember calling them to follow me: the salt air, the smell of the fish, the smell of the men. And now we were down to the last week.

I told them to love each other as I have loved them. They would learn soon enough what I meant about no greater love exists than to lay down your life for your friends. I saw it coming, they did not.

They started as my servants. They were now my friends. We shared everything. We laughed together. We cried together. They knew my family and I knew theirs. It was fun being around them. It was also serious business at times. The beautiful thing was we trusted the relationship.

It was one of those moments we treasured. Almost wished we would’ve had a picture painted of this last meal together. I had passed on to them everything I had learned from my Father.

I was confident they would continue on. They may have their moments of struggle in the days to come but they would pull through.

That’s what friends do. Lay down their lives one for another and share the important stuff with each other.

Big Love Reading, 40 Days Leading Up To Easter

Big Love – Day Thirty Three

John 14.15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever– 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

I had just the disciples with me in the upper room. My ministry to the masses was not over but it has taken a turn. I needed to spend some time revealing what was going to happen.

I just got through telling them not to be troubled because I was preparing a place for them to be with me forever. And, now I was telling them about the Counselor.

The disciples had heard of the Holy Spirit before this day. But I was going to reveal what would happen when I returned to the Father. I told them the Holy Spirit would be with them and will be in them.

They had experienced me leading them. They had gotten used to me, teaching, correcting, training, and modeling life in the kingdom. But I would be leaving shortly. And the plan was not to leave them as orphans, but to provide a Counselor to guide them in this journey of faith.

This Counselor could be in many different places at once. This Counselor could provide individualized instruction for all who would receive. This Counselor would love them just as I loved them.

My love was too big to leave them alone. Another Counselor would be coming.