Month: April 2019

Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. John 19:38-42

If we had listened carefully to Jesus, we would have known this was coming. He told us everything, if only we’d paid attention. At supper we heard Peter ask “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.” ( John 13:36), but we were still muttering among ourselves about who was going to betray Him and missed the lesson.

Peter said he’d never betray the Lord, and yet he did; in many ways we all did. We were afraid, we were in shock, we all had good excuses, but none of us spoke, none of us acted. He went in our place, a sacrifice for our sin who had none of His own. Christ paid the price that we might be free.

Gracious God, we share the pain of loss and the hurt of separation. Our guilt is the cause of this, but Jesus was willing to take it all to the cross to wash us clean. May we be thankful for this act that reconciles us to You eternally. Amen.

Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?” “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
John 18:2-6

Jesus wanted no harm to come to those who were with Him, so He willingly went out to the ones who had come to take Him away. This was only the first step of the process. He would be mocked, beaten, spat upon, faced the trials of the religious leaders, King Herod, and Pilate, the Roman governor before being condemned to death by crucifixion.

Jesus was willing to endure all that for us, sinful as we are, in order that we might be saved. We cannot imagine the depth of love and obedience to God’s will that it must have taken for Him to accept such a terrible ordeal, even though He was innocent!

Jesus died for every one of us. Are we willing to accept the call He made on our lives to love one another (John 13:34), to take up our cross and follow Him? Today, remember He gave His life for us. May we give our lives to Him, and if needed, for Him as well.

Merciful God, we weep as we see Jesus crucified, but we turn and scatter in the face of the world’s opposition. Make us strong in Your name that regardless of what challenge we encounter we may be obedient as Christ was, and faithful even unto death. Amen.

For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

As He often did, Jesus took something common and familiar and used it to teach His disciples. They were about to eat the Passover meal when Jesus said the words now so dear and familiar to us, “This bread is my body, this cup is my blood. Do this in remembrance of me.”

I’m sure they were confused, as they had been all evening. Jesus had washed their feet as a servant would, named His betrayer, and predicted that He would be denied by those closest to him (John 13). It was certainly a lot for them to take in, but Jesus knew the urgency of teaching these lessons quickly as His time was short.

Most still didn’t understand as they went to the garden to pray. Jesus took His closest friends for support as He prepared to give Himself up for us. Are we prepared to go with Him, to ask God to forgive our lack of understanding, our denial, our betrayal of Him?

Heavenly Father, forgive us when we don’t understand or when we intentionally turn away. Help our unbelief! May we be faithful as Jesus was, to obey even when we are afraid, knowing that Your love is enough to protect us from all evil. Amen.

And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Hebrews 9:27-28

Jesus came to teach us love, and how we could be saved, then went back to the Father until the time appointed for His return. He also gave us a decision to make – are we eagerly waiting for His return having accepted Him as Lord and Savior, or are we still walking in darkness? He came with open arms, inviting us to accept the free offer of grace, but the choice is ours.

We have been allowed to choose for ourselves since the very beginning, able to think things through before deciding. Unfortunately we often don’t think, acting out of emotion and earthly desires. God calls us to follow His will, but we are not forced to do so, we must consciously respond to His guidance.

Will we be among those who have chosen to follow Christ, waiting in anticipation for His coming? We must decide that for ourselves, no one else can affirm or deny us. Our gift of free will allows us and only us to make the decision. Choose Christ and eternal life with Him!

Loving Lord, we are made in Your image, gifted to chart our own course. May we be faithful to Your call on our lives, willing to choose Your way for us and joyfully return to You when Christ comes for us. Amen.

But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. Hebrews 9:11

Jesus is indeed our high priest. He carries many other titles as well – Wonderful Counselor, King of Kings, Lamb of God – the list goes on and on. However, the Son of God put aside all His titles and glory in order to come to earth to save us and share God’s love. How is it possible that sinful creatures like us could mean so much to Him?

Our failure to be obedient to God’s will is painful to Him, but it’s not the end of the story by any means – God came looking for us to redeem us from our sin and make us part of His kingdom work. Not only have we been saved, we are called into the “family business” to share His grace and goodness with everyone.

What does God have on the agenda for you today? Tell someone about His love and what it means to you. Let everyone see His image in you, living in harmony with one another as Christ taught us.

Heavenly Father, we are so thankful for the gift of Your Son as our high priest, mentor and brother. May we follow the example He set, loving You and each other eternally. Amen.

For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, because a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions under the first covenant. Hebrews 9:15

Paul teaches that Christ’s sacrifice has made us part of a New Covenant that frees us from our sins and leads to eternal life for those who follow Him. Jesus said “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) We are all called to follow Him to be living examples of His love.

As we observe Holy Week, leading to the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday, the Crucifixion on Good Friday and the joy of His Resurrection on Easter, consider what He has done for us. We have learned about denying ourselves that we may better focus on Jesus during Lent; now we must plan how we will live out His love for us by sharing it with others.

Our call is not only to proclaim “Jesus is Lord” but to show that we have been changed by what He has done for the world. We are now part of His saving work, charged with telling His story to all around us so they too may be part of the New Covenant in Christ.

Loving Lord, we are humbled what You are willing to do in order to save us from our sin. Make us worthy and willing servants, ready to live by Your loving example. Amen.

After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’” Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” They replied, “The Lord needs it.” They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” Luke 19:28-40

Today we remember Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem as He came to celebrate the Passover festival. Devout Jews from all over the region were gathered there to observe the holiday at the temple. Many had heard of Jesus and were anxious to see this man that some said was sent from God. As He approached, riding humbly on a colt, people began to line the road with their cloaks, shouting “Hosanna!” (which means “save us”) and “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”

History records that as Jesus and His followers entered the city through one gate, Pilate and the Roman legion marched in from the other side. Tensions were already mounting due to the crowds there for Passover and Rome wanted to make sure things didn’t get out of hand.

We can easily see the contrast between these two groups – Pilate on a white warhorse and his men in armor with swords and spears; Jesus on a colt with His followers waving palm branches. Both came to bring peace to Jerusalem but in very different ways. The Romans stood ready to keep things in order, by force if necessary. Jesus came with an invitation of love, calling all to join in God’s plan for them. As we celebrate today, let our thoughts and actions be those that Jesus taught us, calling “Hosanna! Blessed is He!” and joining the throng that follows the path of real peace.

Wise and wonderful God, You sent Your Son to love us and teach us Your way of peace, reaching out to all with our arms open in welcome. May we continue on the path He has shown us, sharing the Good News with all the world. Amen.

Our scripture reading this week is Luke 19:28-40, telling of Jesus and His followers entering Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. There are shouts acclaiming Jesus as King and blessing His coming. People are happy but there is an undertone of concern.

The religious and political establishment are afraid of things getting out of hand. Marching into a Roman occupied city and proclaiming a new king is a dangerous thing. Both the Roman governor and the Jewish leaders are threatened by Jesus popularity and His teachings. If there is a popular revolt, where will this leave them?

The Pharisees attempt to quiet the crowd, asking Jesus to silence them – knowing that only He can stop the raucous celebration. Jesus says “I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” (Luke 19:40), indicating that creation itself celebrates the coming of our savior.

What about us? Are we celebrating or are we worried about upsetting earthly matters? We are told that the things of this world will pass away when Jesus returns in power and glory. We must be ready to follow Him home!

Gracious God, help us to celebrate the coming of Jesus as we should, with joy and reverence. We are thankful that He is willing to teach us and love us and save us from our sins. Help us to be faithful followers, sharing the Good News of His salvation with all the world. Amen.

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
Luke 19:39-40

Jesus wasn’t into being a big deal or having people notice what miracles He performed. He didn’t call people over to see the wine He created for the wedding. He often told those He had healed not to tell anyone. But when the Pharisees said His followers should “settle down” as He entered Jerusalem, He said the celebration would happen even if the people were silent.

Jesus was telling them that this was appropriate for the occasion. He didn’t advocate disrupting what others were doing, He taught respect and love. He also taught that praising God is part of who we are, and recognizing what God was doing for us is important. The Pharisees were angry because they knew Jesus would change the world and their grasp on power was slipping.

We are invited to celebrate with the crowds as Jesus goes to Jerusalem, praising God for the gift of His Son and giving thanks that we are called to follow Him. May we shout our joy aloud as they did.

Loving Lord, we want to share our joy at the coming of our Savior. Help us to let others know of His sacrifice for us and the love that will not let us go. Amen.

When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Luke 19:37-38

Jesus entered Jerusalem followed by a crowd that proclaimed Him king and shouted loud praises. Some of them were His closest friends, who had been with Him since the beginning of His public ministry. Others had just become aware of Him, some believing and some just caught up in the scene.

This is pretty much our situation as we prepare for Holy Week – some are Jesus’ old friends, some new believers and some along for the ride. There is room for all of us, and Jesus welcomes all of us, calling us all to deepen our commitment and grow in our understanding of His love.

Regardless of where you are on the “belief scale”, Jesus loves you and has things you can accomplish for His kingdom. Don’t let the ways of the world hold you back! Jesus invites everyone to be part of His work, no matter who you are or where you’ve been.

Loving Lord, thank You for calling us all into Your mission in the world. Show us the part we have to play, strengthen us against the opposition we will face, and make us joyful servants of Your kingdom. Amen.