Dear Brethren,

Thank the Lord for His precious Word that we have learned last week in the Good Friday and Easter worship services. We must never forget the greatest love that came to our lives that the Almighty God would not spare His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to come to this sinful world to die on the cruel cross at Calvary to save us.  We must never forget the power of God to raise Jesus from the dead on the 3rd day to show to all of us that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is acceptable and pleasing to the Heavenly Father and hence our salvation is assured and complete.

We are the blessed ones and yet our hearts can so soon forget God’s love and His divine act of grace and mercy to save us. The daily chores of lives and the pleasures of the world can easily dull our hearts to be ungrateful children of God. The warning in Deuteronomy 4:9 is very clear:

“Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons.”

I like to share the summary of the 2 messages that were preached on Good Friday and Easter worship services last week so as to stir us to holy remembrance of God’s Word lest we forget. Let the words of this chorus ring in our ears always…

Lest I forget Gethsemane,
Lest I forget Thine agony;
Lest I forget Thy love for me,
Lead me to Calvary.

Good Friday Worship Service. Topic : Why did God Forsake Christ? Scripture Text : Matthew 27: 45-48

1. The Bible recorded 7 sayings of Jesus Christ on the cross before He died. The most poignant saying must be in Matthew 27: 46 “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”  It was uttered in Hebrew and Aramaic.

2. To be forsaken is a terrible feeling when one is left helpless and hopeless. For God the Father to forsake His only begotten Son in the hour of His suffering and death on the cross is really unthinkable. God the Father has all the power in creating this world and all the power to destroy every enemy. Why would not He come to help His Son?

3. God the Son Jesus Christ equally has all the power to come down from the cross. Why did He choose to remain there? It was not the nails that kept Jesus to the cross but His love for sinners that He chose to remain on the cross to die for us. This was the darkest moment for the Son of God to be nailed to the cross who has done no sin. In fact, God turned the sun away from shinning during this period and there was darkness from 12noon to 3pm.

4. God the Father chose not to help and save His Son on the cross as it was His love that sent Jesus Christ to die and be a Substitute for mankind who are sinners and doom for hell. This forsaking of not helping His Son was for our sake to save us. There was never a time that the relationship between God the Father and God the Son was broken.

5. The Bible tells us the response of the people watching Jesus Christ’s death was one of curiosity, pity and even mocking. The right response ought to be gratefulness and to repent and receive Jesus Christ into our hearts.

Easter Worship Service.  Topic : He is Risen!  Scripture Text : Matthew 28: 1-8

1. The world attacks the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They would not believe the words of Jesus that He said He would rise on the 3rd day.

2. In Matt 28, the response of the unbelieving people was to seal the tomb where Jesus’ body was buried in and also to put soldiers to guard the tomb. They wanted to be so sure that none of the disciples of Jesus Christ would come to steal the body of Jesus and then claimed He has resurrected.

3. On the 3rd day Sunday morning, 2 disciples called Mary came to the tomb of Jesus. God did a tremendous miracle to send an earthquake. The tomb door was rolled open. Both Marys did not see the body of Jesus. The soldiers guarding the tomb were helpless and could not move at all in seeing the power of God. Later they were bribed and told a lie that the disciples of Jesus came to steal His body.

4. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is an act of God. The Heavenly Father is pleased with the sacrifice of Jesus Christ to save sinners that He proves His acceptance by raising Jesus from the dead.

5. There was the witness of the angel speaking to the 2 Marys that they need not be afraid and that Jesus is risen. Angels do not lie and only speak the truth. In fact, the Bible recorded for us 10 appearances of Jesus Christ after His resurrection and all His appearance was to believers.  For unbelievers, when Jesus comes again, it will be judgment time for them.

6. Finally, we have the witness of the 2 Marys who were eye-witnesses of the empty tomb. Jesus is alive. These 2 disciples were filled with reverential fear of God and great joy as they proclaimed the resurrection of Jesus Christ. May we live a holy life for the Lord Jesus in the power of His resurrection.

Elder John Leong