Make Preparations for Freedom // Prayers of Passion Week

Springtime is a time for cleaning. Spring cleaning is almost ritualistic for some of us and… for others of us, it’s a time to correct our habits of clutter. Clear out the winter junk and make room for the summer’s gifts. There’s something exciting about pushing out the clutter and having room to breathe. Every part of our lives needs that … our minds, our bodies and even our spirit’s. The clutter in our guts slows us down, damages our bodies and keeps us from enjoying the goodness in the world. The clutter in our minds makes us stagnant and keeps us from focusing on the things that are most important. And the clutter in our spirit’s keeps us from understanding the truth about God and ourselves.
 
It’s interesting how much the idea of spring cleaning aligns with what Jesus and his friends looked for on what’s called Maundy Thursday or the fifth day of the Passion Week. As they walked through Jerusalem during the time of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, they all knew, as Jews that they would need to make room to celebrate the Passover meal. The big idea was that Passover celebrated cleansing and freedom. The Jews spent many weeks cleansing everything in their lives, homes and bodies, of anything and everything that could be a corrupting influence on God bringing freedom to them.

Just as the Jews made preparations for the Lord to bless them and give them liberation, we have the opportunity today to make preparations. Each time they prepared the home and the table they did it in the spirit of their ancestors who celebrated the Passover meal BEFORE they were given their freedom. They had the promise and the celebration before the touchdown. (That'll preach). Now, as we know, the Passover lamb has been slain and Jesus has given us freedom from sin, but the process of preparation is not at its end. Our full freedom will come as Christ returns to complete the work of salvation and never die again but live forever. And the ones who are clean and pure will live with him. By grace, we no longer have to throw out every Dorito and donut in our pantry’s (although this may not be a bad idea) but we are cleansed by the blood of the lamb and the word of His testimony (Rev. 12:11). Make preparations as you are in faith comes by meditating on the truth of your salvation; repentance of all unclean things and a believing that God has already secured freedom for you in Christ’s death.

Today, we should pray prayers of preparation; repenting of our sins, believing purely and anticipating the coming of Christ once more.