Some Verses for Holy Thursday

Just a few passages for you to reflect upon as we get closer to Easter. The first passage reminds us that all of this suffering took place for us:


He is despised and rejected of men;
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief:
and we hid as it were our faces from him;
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he hath borne our griefs,
and carried our sorrows:
yet we did esteem him stricken,
smitten of God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions,
he was bruised for our iniquities:
the chastisement of our peace was upon him;
and with his stripes we are healed.

-- Isaiah 53:3-5


I particularly like this next passage, in which Paul (my favorite Apostle) reminds the Corinthians that Jesus died for everybody, including life's losers. May we remember that even those of us who not "mighty" or "noble" still have a role in God's plan:

For the Jews require a sign,
and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

but we preach Christ crucified,
unto the Jews a stumbling block,
and unto the Greeks foolishness;

but unto them which are called,
both Jews and Greeks,
Christ the power of God,
and the wisdom of God.

Because the foolishness of God
is wiser than men;
and the weakness of God
is stronger than men.

For ye see your calling, brethren,
how that not many wise men after the flesh,
not many mighty,
not many noble,
are called.

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world
to confound the wise;
and God hath chosen the weak things of the world
to confound the things which are mighty;

and base things of the world,
and things which are despised,
hath God chosen, yea,
and things that are not,
to bring to naught things that are:

that no flesh should glory in his presence.

-- I Corinthians 1:23-29