²⁵ It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. ²⁶ The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the jews.  ²⁷ They crucified two rebels with him, one on his right and one on his left. ^[28]  29 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, ³⁰ come down from the cross and save yourself!” ³¹ In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! ³² Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.  ³³ At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. ³⁴ And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). ³⁵ When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.” ³⁶ Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.  ³⁷ With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.  ³⁸ The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.  (Mark 15:25-38, New International Version)

Theme:  Rejoicing and Thanksgiving

Context

What a blessing it has been to reflect on lessons from Jesus during Passion Week.  The comments have certainly made the experience richer.  Thank you!

Today, we turn to the pivotal lessons from Good Friday.  There are events in human history that exceed our ability to communicate or fully comprehend.  What transpired on Good Friday is certainly one of those events.   God, in His grace though, reveals enough to us in His word. Consider, for example, the following inspired words of God:

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18)

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (Galatians 6:14)

“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:4)

 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Good Friday is a foundation of Christian rejoicing and thanksgiving.  Jesus endured ridicule, abuse, pain, and death for us.  As we remember His sacrifice we shout, “Hallelujah!”

Bible Passage

Please prayerfully meditate on the passage above and consider the question below.

Question

What are your personal reflections on what God did for you on Good Friday? 

Please leave a comment.  We would love to hear from you.

³² They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” ³³ He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. ³⁴ “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”  ³⁵ Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. ³⁶ “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”  ³⁷ Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? ³⁸ Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” ³⁹ Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. ⁴⁰ When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him. ⁴¹ Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. ⁴² Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!” (Mark 14:32-42, New International Version)

Theme:  Rejoicing and Thanksgiving

Context

Thanks for your thoughtful comments again yesterday!

The Thursday of Passion Week is called Maundy Thursday because of the commands Jesus issued during The Last Supper.  However, instead of focusing on the Last Supper, we will be extracting our lesson from another activity on Maundy Thursday – Jesus at Gethsemane.  The lesson relates to vigilant praying.

We sometimes pray with our eyes closed to avoid distractions.  However, keeping our eyes “open” in terms of being vigilant is a wise thing to do when we pray.  That certainly was the case when Jesus told Peter, James, and John to watch and pray and modelled the behavior. The admonition is still very relevant to us today, especially as we engage in spiritual warfare daily.    

Bible Passage

Please study the passage above.  Consider Jesus’ command to His disciples, the challenge faced by the disciples, and the consequences of not watching and praying that Jesus predicts. 

Question

What personal lessons about watching and praying do you take from today’s passage? 

Please leave a comment.  We would love to hear from you.

¹Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. ² “But not during the festival,” they said, “or the people may riot.”  ³ While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.  ⁴ Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? ⁵ It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.  ⁶ “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. ⁷ The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. ⁸ She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. ⁹ Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” (Mark 14:1-9, New International Version)

Theme:  Rejoicing and Thanksgiving

Context

Thanks again to all who shared their personal lessons yesterday!  We now turn to lessons from Wednesday of Passion Week.  In the story of the woman who poured perfume on Jesus’ head, there are many lessons including lessons about worship.  However, we are going to focus on service.  The key words for our consideration today are, “She did what she could.” This is the commendation Jesus gave the brave woman. 

First, the woman was in tune with Jesus’ mission.  Second, she figured out how she could sacrificially be a part of this mission.  Third, she acted, even in the face of rebuke.  Consider the immense impact of one person doing what they can for the cause of Christ! The fact that we are also called to serve in the kingdom of God is a source of rejoicing and thanksgiving.

Bible Passage

Please study the passage above and compare the behavior of the woman with the behavior of her detractors.    

Question

What personal lessons do you take from Jesus’ commendation of the woman’s service? 

Please leave a comment.  We would love to hear from you.

²⁰ In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. ²¹ Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!” ²² “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. ²³ “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. ²⁴ Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. (Mark 11:20-24, New International Version)

Theme:  Rejoicing and Thanksgiving

Context

Thanks for the very thoughtful comments about purpose yesterday!  Today, the lesson from Tuesday of Passion Week relates to faith.  Jesus uses the cursed fig tree as an object lesson about believing in God when we pray.  Unfortunately, this passage has often been misinterpreted, leading to despair when supplicants don’t get what they believe they will receive. 

Make no mistake, Jesus is making an emphatic statement about the importance of faith.  However, He is not saying His Father is like a genie in a bottle.  This may appear contradictory but consider the fact that Jesus taught us to pray, “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”   Prayer for Jesus is always within the context of His Father’s will.

It is mysterious and humbling to know that God has elected to perform elements of his will in concert with praying, believing Christians.  It is also a source of rejoicing and thanksgiving.    

Bible Passage

Please study the passage above.  If you have the time, you can reflect on the importance of faith by reading Hebrews chapter 11. 

Question

What personal lessons do you take from Jesus’ teaching on faith in God when we pray? 

Please leave a comment.  We would love to hear from you.

¹² The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. ¹³ Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. ¹⁴ Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.  ¹⁵ On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, ¹⁶ and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. ¹⁷ And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”  ¹⁸ The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.  ¹⁹ When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city. (Mark 11:12-19, New International Version)

Theme:  Rejoicing and Thanksgiving

Context

This final week of our journey has been a special time over the years as we meditate on the activities of Jesus during the week of his death and resurrection.  A source of rejoicing and thanksgiving is the wisdom in Jesus’ words and actions.  When we consider the vital lessons Jesus teaches, we can’t help but say, “hallelujah, what a savior!”  So, this year we will focus on selected lessons Jesus taught from Monday through Friday of Passion Week.

Monday’s lesson is taken from Jesus’ encounter with the money changers in the temple, and relates to purpose.  Based on the passages Jesus references in his rebuke of the money changers, it appears that He was highlighting the negative impact the money changers were having on Gentile worshippers.  The money changers were, in essence, working against God’s purpose.  It is evident that Jesus was very upset about this. 

It is easy to be critical of the money changers, but we should be self-critical to ensure that we do not oppose or distort God’s purpose in order to satisfy commercial, political, or other interests.  Jesus teaches us not to make this mistake.

Bible Passage

Please study the passage above.  If you have the time, consider reviewing the two passages Jesus references when he mentions “a house of prayers for all nations,” and “a den of robbers”:  Isaiah 56:6-7 and Jeremiah 7:9-11.  Please note how Jesus used Scripture to establish what God’s purpose was in the matter of worship at the temple. 

Question

What personal lessons do you take from Jesus’ defense of His father’s purpose?

Please leave a comment.  We would love to hear from you.