Readings

Acts 10:44-48

Psalm 98

1 John 5:1-6

John 15:9-17

Devotion

Peace be with you!

To date, I have 464 friends on Facebook. Yet off the top of my head I can name thirty friends who I consider my close friends – the ones I can call out of the blue to just to talk or in a sheer panic when I go through hard times. I probably send out seventy Christmas cards to friends and family. What a contrast to my 464 friends on Facebook! Maybe Facebook should use the word “connections” instead of “friends.” A large majority of my friends on Facebook are individuals I met at conferences or through other friends. They are people with whom I want to keep in touch, but only occasionally. Sure, some of these friends have become close friends, but the number is a single digit.

Before Facebook, the word “friends” meant those individuals we knew personally. We knew our friends in real life, whether we saw or talked with them daily or only caught up every few months or years. These days, a friend is anyone we are connected with on Facebook, even if we have never met them. It is interesting how the definition of a friend has changed over the past few years.

Friendships form out of our need to share common ground, values, and interests with other people. We make friends who support us in our endeavors and our physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. Although a real friendship always includes give-and-take between friends, we have a tendency to sometimes be self-focused in our friendships, rather than focused on serving and loving them.

Our tendency to be self-focused instead of others-focused is what makes Jesus’ example as a friend stand out so boldly to us. Jesus’ friendship with you is not about him and his needs; Jesus is all about you and your need for salvation and redemption. He cares so much about you that he laid down his own life through his crucifixion and death so that you could be forgiven of your sins and be in a relationship with God the Father. Jesus offers his friendship to you for your needs as an individual. Not only does he offer his friendship, but he gives you the gift of his friendship freely. It is a gift; Jesus chooses you as his friend.

Jesus’ friendship with you stems from his love for you. Each of us as Christians has been brought into the family of God through the power of his love. As we wonder at the marvel of being made his friends, we are transformed from self-centered people to people with transformed hearts, who cannot wait to share his love for us with others. We long to respond to God’s friendship by obeying the commandments and loving others. Our faith in the Triune God leads us to keep the commandments not out of duty, but because we love God. By extending Jesus’ love to others, we express our devotion to the Triune God.

The more I think about it, Facebook and Twitter invite us, as Christians, to share God’s love with others. We are connected with so many people on Facebook and Twitter who would be unknown to us without these applications. Social media gives us some great opportunities both to be better friends to others and to share the Good News with them. Maybe Facebook does not so much redefine the terms of friends and friendships as it expands the scope of our friends and allows us to connect with more individuals. After all, God’s love is for all people.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for Jesus laying down his life for us so that we might become friends of God. Help us to lay down our lives for others and to love one another. Remind us of your love and your gift of friendship.  Thank you for Jesus’ friendship with us. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. What does it mean to you that you have been made a friend of God?

2. In what way is God calling you to show His love to others this week?

Readings

Acts 8:26-40

Psalm 22:25-31

1 John 4:7-21

John 15:1-8

Devotion

Peace be with you!

It is funny how you can start talking to a random person on the street, only to find out you both know some of the same people and go to some of the same places. For me, this happened when someone who was a stranger to me showed up on my doorstep thirteen years ago with a friend of mine. This stranger just happened to be the son of the speech therapist I had in preschool. What a small world! Amazingly, that random person is one of my closest friends today, though he now lives in Japan. (Rumor has it he and his wife are moving back to the States soon.)

Another time, I randomly met someone at a Lutheran conference a few years ago, but forgot to get his email address. I was so happy to renew the connection when he randomly showed up years later while I was touring Luther Seminary as a prospective student with my parents.

A few years ago I went skiing in Utah with my friend, Amber – a fellow Luther Seminary alum – and my volunteer (who was helping the ski instructor put me onto the ski lift) heard us talking about classes. We found out that he was also a Luther Seminary alum and knew a few of the professors we were talking about.

Today’s Gospel reading has Jesus comparing God to a vine grower, himself to a vine, and us to branches. As a vine, Jesus is the conduit to give us (the branches) the tools, strength, courage, and wisdom to live faithfully as Christians. As branches, we are connected together by a common vine and tangled together. Our community of believers is interlocked together through our relationship with Jesus and our relationships with each other.

When we abide (or remain) in Jesus, we are able to share his good news, forgiveness, grace, love, and compassion with others in order to draw them to the Triune God. Abiding in Jesus means to live out our faith and to continue to spread the good news; it is an active way of living through Jesus. Our relationships are tangled up with one another as we support each other in our faith in Jesus Christ. You never know when the random person next to you needs to hear the good news – whether as a believer needing to hear a simple word of forgiveness or as an individual needing to be introduced to the Triune God. And you never know when the person next to you will be the one to bring you good news.

For example, take our reading from Acts where God sends Philip to Gaza along the wilderness road. On the way, Philip runs into an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace (Queen of the Ethiopians), who is reading a mysterious passage from Isaiah about a lamb being slaughtered (Acts 8:30a, 32-33). When Philip asks the eunuch if he understands what he is reading, he questions how he can without guidance (Acts 8:30b). On cue, Philip shares the good news of Jesus Christ with the eunuch who then stops his chariot to be baptized in water (Acts 8:36-39). Philip had no clue he would be baptizing an important Ethiopian official that day along the wilderness road.

Jesus gives Philip the tools and the place – as unlikely as it is – to share the good news with an unlikely individual. We may not always understand where Jesus is sending us, but when we allow his plan to unfold through us amazing things can happen.

A vine can be a tangled mess. My mom and grandma complain about vines taking over their gardens because they are hard to kill. Relationships in communities can be complicated; strained relationships are the worst since hard feelings are difficult to get over. Sometimes relationships overlap, which can cause confusion. For instance, you may think of employee as a friend until the unfortunate time you have to fire them for stealing. Your friendship with the employee will never be the same. You may have other friends who also know your ex-employee/friend and who may decide to take sides. Or take the structure of the church and all of the people who keep it running. We have all had experiences of conflict with church council members or church hierarchy. Relationships can be messy, especially since not everyone gets along.

Jesus says he will prune and burn those branches that do not bear fruit (John 15:6). It is a harsh threat: Jesus will get rid of those of us that do not share his love and grace with other and stay living in the darkness. Jesus has no use for individuals who do not live out their faith.

Yet I cannot help but wonder if Jesus also prunes us when we seek forgiveness by getting rid of the darkness in our lives. All of us are sinners since Satan lives in the world. Jesus makes us new when we reconcile ourselves with God and ask for forgiveness. By seeking forgiveness, we are asking Jesus to prune us of our faults, so we can grow closer to God the Father and share the good news. As we grow in our faith, we let go of parts of our old selves through Jesus Christ.

Jesus calls us to abide (or remain) in him and his words, and he will answer our prayers (John 15:7). We continue to grow into our faith throughout our lives. Our daily commitment to stay in the light with Jesus keeps us on the vine of life. We actively remain in Jesus by becoming and continuing to be his disciples.

As branches on a vine, Christians are all connected to each other through Jesus Christ. We live in a community as disciples as we grow in our faith through our connections with Jesus and each other. As disciples, we bear the fruit of Jesus for all the world to see.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for pruning us to be Jesus’ disciples. Help us to seek forgiveness in order to live out the good news and to answer your calls for us.  Thank you for connecting us in a community. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. How do you live in community with other disciples? Do you see it as a positive or negative that you are intertwined with other believers? Why?

2. How do you bear fruit?

3. Have you ever had a random encounter like Philip with the Ethiopian eunuch? How did God use you to touch someone’s life unexpectedly?

Readings

Acts 3:12-19

Psalm 4

1 John 3:1-7

Luke 24:36b-48

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Right now as I begin to write this devotion I am in sheer panic. I have used MobileMe for two years to store all of my documents, including all my website work for God the Healer. I made the switch to iCloud thinking I could transfer all of my documents from MobileMe to the new service. Well, if I had taken a few moments to do some research, I would have realized that the documents would not transfer to iCloud. To make matters worse, my iMac cannot use Lion operating system because Intellikeys, my special keyboard, is not compatible with Lion yet. For those of you not fimiliar Mac world, you get an username with iCloud and any Apple signed in with that username syncs with other Apple products using the same one. I am desperate to get all my documents back. And so here I sit, on hold with Apple, feeling a bit lost.

Before we can jump into the gospel reading for today, we must do a quick review of John 9: the healing of the blind man. Jesus heals the blind man and leaves him to be interrogated by the Pharisees. After the interrogation, the Pharisees cast the previously blind man out of the Jewish community. The blind man becomes lost without his community, the one he grew up in. However, the blind man is not without a community for very long. Jesus goes out and finds the blind man, and he welcomes him into the new community of discipleship. This new community gives the blind man a new identity as a follower of Jesus Christ.

In John 10:11-18, Jesus explains the significance of the healing of the blind man. As the good shepherd, Jesus is creating a new community to bring people back into a relationship with God. The good shepherd knows his sheep and calls them by name. When a sheep is missing, the good shepherd goes out and finds it. No sheep is left behind with the good shepherd tending to the flock.

Jesus compares the good shepherd to a hired hand who does not care about the single lost sheep. To the hired hand, one lost sheep is not worth the trouble to find and tend to since little money would be lost. Plus, it is not his herd, so he feels no loyalty to the sheep. He will be paid the same no matter what. But to the good shepherd, one sheep is worth just as much as the rest of the herd.

Jesus is the good shepherd who goes out and finds the lost to bring them back into a relationship with God. Jesus goes out and searches for individuals who have strayed away and lost their way. He ate dinner with sinners – tax collectors, prostitutes, the rich, etc – to show God’s love in for all people. The hired hand would be as impersonal and capricious as cancer, robbing others of good health and life. The hired hand has power over other individuals’ lives and decides their quality of life before knowing them personally.

However, the good shepherd is hospitable to all those in need – physical, psychosocial, or spiritual. The good shepherd meets people with hope in the midst of despair and gives them life. When communities cast you out, the good shepherd will find you, transform you, and welcome you into his community of disciples and followers.

Not only does the good shepherd find us, but he knows us intimately. The good shepherd knows where we hide and who or what we are running from and takes us in as who we are as individuals. He does not care about our scars from our past. The good shepherd welcomes us into a new community, which God intends to include all people, even those individuals that do not belong or care to be included. Jesus welcomes all to be in a relationship with God the Father and will go to the extreme to find us, even if it means dying on the cross.

After ten minutes of asking the tech guy how to recover my files off of iDisk and having him claim MobileMe was before his time, I figured it out myself by clicking on previous iDisk and hoping it would work. Thankfully I have recovered all of my files, which are now on my desktop until I purchase a second external hard drive or find another solution.

It is a blessing that I found my files, and my work is restored. Losing many files in the past has made their value clear to me.  How much more important to God is one of His little “sheep”!The good shepherd keeps us in a relationship with God the Father by bringing us into a community with one another. The good shepherd gives us life where the hired hand will take it if given the choice. Like all of the social networks, the good shepherd builds bridges between time and space and connects us all together in a big community with God the Father.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for having the good shepherd go out and find us in the darkness. Help us to become a part of your community. Allow us to open up by sharing our gifts with the community and by being constantly in conversation with you. Welcome us into your community and lead us to be your disciples.  Thank you for knowing and finding us. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. What does it mean to be found by Jesus?

2. What does it mean to be known by Jesus?

Readings

Acts 3:12-19

Psalm 4

1 John 3:1-7

Luke 24:36b-48

Devotion

Peace be with you!

This week I challenged you to fillin “I __; nevertheless, I am forgiven through Jesus Christ.” Not many of you answered the call to action. A few expressed fear of writing out sins and sharing publicly. Here are the quotes I got:

I forgot about him for 8 years; nevertheless I am forgiven by God through Jesus Christ.
I cussed, nevertheless I am forgiven by God through Jesus Christ.
I lied; nevertheless I am forgiven.

These things that we did are what separate us from God the Father. We are constantly going through the renewing cycle: repenting from and dying to our sins, seeking Jesus’ resurrection and forgiveness, and renewing our relationship with the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

We know the Ten Commandments. We know we should live by them completely. We know living by the Ten Commandments allows us to be in a relationship with God the Father. If we know these things, then why don’t we just live out God’s commands? Simple answer: the Devil lives in the world and tempts us on a daily basis. In addition, we battle our own sinful nature constantly The question then becomes: how can we ever be in a relationship with God the Father?

The ascension story from Luke is similar to the one we read last week from John. The disciples are frightened by the ghost-like figure claiming to be Jesus Christ. What makes this story in Luke different from the one in John is that Luke gives us the part of the story where Jesus explains his death and resurrection to the disciples. The figure the disciples see is the same Jesus Christ but the risen Jesus. As one of the three Persons of the Godhead, Jesus offers us forgiveness through his crucifixion, death, and resurrection. God the Holy Spirit is also in us and offers us an identity with his imprint. God has an identity for us without sin, like Jesus Christ. However, God understands an identity without sin would be impossible for us to live out since both our sinful nature and Satan tempt us to break the Ten Commandments on a daily basis. Because of our human frailty and tendency to sin, Jesus came in order to offer us forgiveness. We are able to be in a relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ, his Son, who rose from the dead. We are forgiven, because Jesus died on the cross and on the third day rose from the dead.

In Acts 3:12-19, Peter is jumping up and down as he explains God’s love to the people who are running to them in amazement after they healed a crippled beggar (Acts 3:1-11). The people did not understand how Peter could heal the beggar when Jesus was the only who could heal anyone.

Peter takes the opportunity to share the good news of forgiveness: We rejected Jesus; nevertheless, we are forgiven. We had Jesus crucified; nevertheless, we are forgiven. We did not give God any respect when we handed Jesus over to be killed, and yet God forgives us through Jesus Christ. There is nothing we can do that Jesus will not forgive us for doing. Jesus Christ will always offer forgiveness to us for our shortfalls and invite us back into a relationship with God the Father.

The individual who forgot about God for eight years is forgiven. The individual who cussed is forgiven. The individual who lied is forgiven. The individual who did [whatever “it” is] is forgiven. That is the Peter’s point in his sermon. [Whatever “it” is] you did is forgiven through Jesus Christ, God’s only Son.

Peter calls us to repent, so we can be forgiven and have our sins wiped out. When this happens, we can renew our relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ. Forgiveness gets the final say when we seek to be in a relationship with the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for offering us forgiveness through your son, Jesus. Help us to repent from our sins and turn to you in order to experience forgiveness and renewal of our relationship with you.  Thank you for continually renewing our relationship with you through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. Fill-in the blank: “I __; nevertheless I am forgiven through Jesus Christ.”

2. How do you experience the repenting, seeking forgiveness, and renewing cycle?

Readings

Acts 4:32-34

Psalm 133

1 John 1:1-2:2

John 20:19-31

Devotion

Peace be with you!

In a world full of false promises, it is difficult to believe Jesus died and in three days he would rise again. You know the false promises I am talking about: Take this diet pill and lose ten pounds in a week! Give money to this church or charity and be guaranteed healing from your ailment! Use this cream and have no age winkles!

When the disciples tell Thomas they have seen Jesus alive again after his death by crucifixion, he has a hard time believing them and asks for proof (John 20:25). Sure, Thomas had seen Jesus raise Lazarus from his grave. Sure, Jesus said he would rise again after three days (which Thomas may or may not remember). But can it be true? Can Jesus really have died and risen from the dead? Is it even possible?

In the past, we have disdainfully called Thomas the Doubter. But put yourself in Thomas’ position. Can you honestly say you would not ask for proof? Think of the last time you were challenged like Thomas. As a young child, the doctors thought I would never be able to sit up, talk, or walk. So imagine my mom’s amazement when my physical therapist told her I sat up for a minute by myself. Imagine my dad’s reaction when my mom went home and told him the news. I had to sit up independently in front of both of my parents before they would believe. They needed proof.

We all have asked for proof that God is real. “If you give me a sign, I will do ____.” We have all prayed that prayer. I have shared with you before my anxiety as I waited for my acceptance letter from Luther Seminary. I remember praying, “If I get accepted, I will answer your call.” I was accepted, so here I am writing these weekly devotions in answer to God’s call. But I find myself still looking for more proof. Now I am waiting for a bigger audience and more individuals commenting on my posts in order to affirm my calling. I am a bit like Thomas, because I am always looking for a way to confirm God is calling me. Am I touching on the right topics? Am I challenging myself enough? Am I reaching my audience?

Trying to figure out where you fit into God’s plan can be challenging. Imagine how Thomas felt when he heard that Jesus had appeared to the other disciples when he was gone. Thomas must have thought, “Why would Jesus appear to them and not to me? I followed Jesus just as faithfully than the others. In fact, I was willing to follow Jesus to the death. Yet Jesus appears to everyone but me.”

Thomas is asking for proof. He is seeking understanding of what God’s plan is and where he fits in. A week later Jesus appears to the disciples again, including Thomas this time. He greets them with, “Peace be with you” (John 20:26). The risen Lord gives the disciples peace in knowing he will always be with them. No matter where their ministry leads them, the risen Jesus goes with them. Jesus also shows Thomas his wounds – his pierced hands and his stabbed side – to prove he is Jesus who was crucified. Once Thomas sees, he believes and says, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28).

Jesus asks us to come to believe, like Thomas and the other disciples. Jesus says, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe” (John 20:29b). He is addressing his future disciples – the ones who will not physically see or touch his physical body. We are given sufficient proof in order to believe (the writings in the Gospels, the continued work of God in the Church). Ultimately, however, our faith comes primarily through the power of God at work within us.

And as faith is at work in us, that faith helps fuel belief in other people as well. As we believers, we walk in the light with Jesus in order to be in fellowship with him and with other disciples. We gather as a community of Christians who believe the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us of all our sins (1 John 1:7). We shine the light, so others can come to believe and the truth can be known to all. When we confess our sins, Jesus forgives us and makes us righteous with the Lord by cleansing us of all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). As disciples of Jesus Christ, we cannot just talk the talk; we must walk the walk. When we do this, we shine his light, so others can see it and follow by our example.

Acts 4:32-35 gives us an ideal example of how Jesus’ followers should live in community and be a blessing to others. The apostles gave testimonies about the risen Lord, and all those who heard came to believe and sold their homes and land to give the proceeds to them. Then the apostles split the proceeds with those who needed it. As a result, Acts says, “There was not a needy person among them” (Acts 4:34). Faith in Jesus had completely transformed the lives of the believers so that they cared no longer only for themselves but for their whole community as well.

This is the ideal situation, but we can help those in need in other ways. Jerry and I have been going through all of our stuff and packing what we do not need any more – clothes, lamps, books, car stuff, decorations, etc. We have filled a whole minivan with stuff that no longer fits our needs, wanting to share with someone who could still put it to use. One day Jerry plans to take our unwanted stuff to where he knows individuals who are poor live and letting them take whatever they need or want for free.

As Christians, we are called to spread the good news by helping those who are less fortunate. Maybe you have nothing to give away. Maybe you are called to offer free babysitting to a single mom who works late at night. Maybe you could offer free tutoring to a poor student who is struggling with his/her studies. Maybe you could share your leftovers with an elderly couple. There are a million different ways to live out Jesus’ message . When you give yourself to the community, you give life to the good news.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving Thomas proof and giving him the courage to give the good news of life. Help us to believe in your message as we walk in the light and share your gifts with others. Give us the wisdom to give your message life. Thank you for blessing us with your good news and giving us ways to shine your light upon others. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. How do you ask for proof, like Thomas did?

2. How do you live out Jesus’ message?

Readings

Acts 10:34-43

Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Mark 16:1-8

Devotion

Peace be with you!

It will be twenty-two years in May when my mom jumped on a plane with my newborn brother to care for our family friend, Ed, who was waiting for a new heart. Back then heart transplants were fairly new. In fact, Ed was the eighty-third heart transplant done in Tampa. Ed and Kathy, his wife, still remember my mom driving ninety down the interstate May 18, 1990 when he got the call that they had a new heart for him. Ed still is mystified why someone who died gave him new life. This is the kind of mystery Mary Magdalene, Mary, and Salome face that early morning when they go to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body according to the Jewish tradition. On their way, the women wonder how they will roll away the stone Joseph had used to cover the opening to the tomb. It is an everyday conversation Mary Magdalene, Mary, and Salome are having on their way to the tomb: “how can we do it?”

But when the three of them get to the tomb, the stone is already rolled away AND Jesus’ body is missing! Who would be strong enough to roll away the stone? Who would want Jesus’ body? Where did they take his body? Nowhere in their panic is there any memory of Jesus attempting to explain that he would rise in three days. In their minds, someone has taken Jesus’ body.

Then a man in white appears to Mary Magdalene, Mary, and Salome. They are frightened. But the angel says, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you” (Mark 16:6-7 NRSV). The man tells the women not to be afraid, but rather to go tell the disciples that Jesus has gone ahead of them to Galilee (Mark 16:7). Despite this encouragement, the women run from the tomb as fast as they can and, in their fear, tell no one  (Mark 16:8).

Mark 16:8b says Mary Magdalene, Mary, and Salome told no one what the man in white told them. Can you imagine if they had? People would lock those three up in some mental hospital. And who is this man in white? Mary Magdalene, Mary, and Salome may have thought they had seen a ghost. Or perhaps they wondered if they had gone mad. What would they even say? “Jesus’ body was not in the tomb, but some man in white was there and said Jesus would meet us in Galilee just like he said.” Who would believe them? We believe Mary Magdalene, Mary, and Salome because we understand how the story comes together.

The individuals who walked on earth with Jesus may have missed the fact that Jesus had risen from the dead. They missed the fact that Jesus has overcome death and given us life.  But we have not gone to the empty tomb clueless. We have heard the story over and over again. We understand Jesus had to die to save us from our sins and to overcome death so we could enjoy eternal life. God’s light is still in the world; all we have to do in believe in Jesus’ crucifixion, death, and resurrection. It is a mystery, of course. We may not totally understand how or why God would sacrifice his Son for us, except that he did it out of love to give us eternal life.

Jesus has appeared to Cephas, the twelve, five hundred brothers and sisters, James, all the apostles, and the Apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 15:5-8). And now Jesus appears to you and me today. Jesus meets us wherever we are in life. Jesus meets us where we live. Jesus meets us morning, noon, and night – whatever time we call out his name. Jesus wants to meet with us to bring us into a relationship with God the Father. That is God’s whole plan of him sending Jesus to walk on earth with us: to bring us into a relationship with him. What a glorious gift!

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:16-17 NRSV).

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for dying on the cross through Jesus Christ to redeem us from our sins. Help us to understand the mystery of Jesus’ crucifixion, death, and resurrection. Come to us in our daily lives, so we can meet with Jesus and be in relationship with you. Keep us in the light, so we may know your love. Thank you for meeting with us in both ordinary and extraordinary ways. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. How does Jesus continue to redeem you of your sins?

2. Where does Jesus Christ meet with you? How does he appear to you?

Readings

Mark 15:42-47

Devotion

Peace be with you!

To bury Jesus, the Son of God, is to admit he is really dead. Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the Sanhedrin, goes to Pilate and asks if he can have Jesus’ body. Now Joseph is also eagerly waiting for the Kingdom of God (Mark 15:43) and was probably not a part of Jesus’ trial, according to Robert H. Stein. Matthew 27:57 calls Joseph a disciple of Jesus, and Luke 23:50 calls him a “good and righteous man.” Joseph is follower of Jesus Christ who was motivated to “protect Israel from violating God’s command in Deuteronomy 21:22-23,” which states a man who is hung should be buried the same day so that the land God gives Israel by inheritance is not cursed (Stein 2008).

When Joseph asks for Jesus’ body, Pilate is surprised he is already dead since it usually took individuals a day or two to die on the cross (Stein 2008). Pilate sends a messenger to the centurion who was present at Jesus’ crucifixion to make sure he was really dead. When the messenger comes back confirming he is really dead, Pilate grants Joseph Jesus’ body to be buried. Pilate shows respect for Jesus Christ by allowing Joseph to give him a proper burial before the Sabbath.

Jesus dies around three in the afternoon giving Joseph just a few hours before the start of the Sabbath at sundown to get all the preparations done. Preparing for burial included seeking Pilate’s permission to take custody of the body, obtaining a linen cloth, getting Jesus off the cross, cleaning his body, and wrapping him in the cloth before placing him in the tomb. Despite the rushed time frame, it is important to Joseph to give Jesus a proper burial in order to show him respect and honor according to the Jewish tradition.

The fact that Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses see Joseph bury Jesus adds to the veracity of the story. There are witnesses to Jesus’ death and burial. No one can argue Jesus is still alive, because Mary Magdalene and Mary can testify he is dead.

This is the darkest moment of all; Jesus’ burial seems to be the final “nail in the coffin” to any hope for Israel’s deliverance. Yes, this is a dark moment. Yet, even in the darkest hour we can see glimmers of light on the horizon. And it is because of that light that we are waiting for Easter morning. And Easter, my friends, is coming tomorrow!

Continue to follow the light. The story is still unfolding. Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for Joseph’s quick thinking and willingness to give Jesus a proper burial. Help us to bury our old selves in the tomb with Jesus as we wait for Easter morning. Thank you for giving us the light, even as we bury Jesus in the tomb. Amen.

Works Cited

Stein, Robert H. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: Mark. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2008.

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. What are you placing the tomb today? Why?

2. What does it mean to you that Jesus died?

Readings

Mark 15:16-41

Devotion

Peace be with you!

At first glance, there seems to be nothing good about Good Friday. After Pilate sentences Jesus to be crucified, the soldiers take him into the courtyard of the governor’s headquarters, and dress him in a purple cloak (the color of royalty) and a crown of thorns. Then the soldiers mock him by yelling, “Hail, King of the Jews” (Mark 15:18 NRSV). The soldiers make sport of Jesus’ claim to be King. Instead of saying, “Hail, Caesar!” the soldiers say, “Hail, King of the Jews,” equating Jesus to Caesar in jest. Their mockery is a result of their lack of belief and understanding. Instead of coming to understanding and faith, they humiliate Jesus and seek to show him who is in charge. No one can just claim to be a king, except Caesar. Who does Jesus think he is?

As they continue to mock Jesus, the soldiers strike his head with a reed. Imagine the pain of being struck on the head with a crown of thorns already digging into your head. I can only imagine it was far worse than my worst three day headache. A few weeks ago I head a sinus headache for three days. I could hardly bare to be in electric wheelchair longer than two hours. I basically slept for three days.

After mocking Jesus, the soldiers strip him of the purple cloak and dress him in his ordinary clothes. This is degradation at its worst. The soldiers seek to strip Jesus of any respect he has, of any personhood or worth. Yet unknowingly the soldiers are fulfilling the scriptures and God’s plan. Isaiah 50:6-7 states:

I offered my back to those who attacked, 

my jaws to those who tore out my beard;

I did not hide my face

from insults and spitting.

But the sovereign Lord helps me,

so I am not humiliated.

For that reason I am steadfastly resolved;

I know I will not be put to shame (NET Bible).

Jesus understands he has to suffer according to God’s plan and so he allows the soldiers to inflict this abuse on him without fighting back. The soldiers proclaim Jesus’ kingship unknowingly through their mocking.

Then the soldiers force Simon of Cyrene to carry Jesus’ cross as they lead him to Golgotha (“the place of the skull”), where they nail Jesus to the cross.  The inscription above Jesus’ head reads, “The King of the Jews” (Mark 15:21-22, 24a, 26). The soldiers cast lots for Jesus’ clothes (Mark 15:24), fulfilling Psalm 22:18: “They are dividing up my clothes among themselves; they are rolling dicefor my garments.” The inscription above his head – “The King of the Jews” – was just another way for the Roman soldiers to mock Jesus.

Jesus is crucified with two bandits.  People passing by mock Jesus: “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross” (Mark 15:29-30 NRSV). And the chief priests also mock him, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe” (Mark 15:31-32 NRSV).

Yet despite the mockers’ unbelief, the truth is told. Jesus is the King of the Jews. Jesus does destroy the temple by being crucified. Jesus will rebuild the temple in three days through his resurrection. Jesus is the temple. The world is told the truth through the mocking of the soldiers, the chief priests, and the bandits. People just have to believe.

Jesus calls out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” and he takes his last breath (Mark 15:34, 37). The curtain of the temple torn in two (Mark 15:38), and the crucifixion is finished. Jesus is really dead. It is a frightening fact as we realize the light is no longer in the world, the shepherd is gone, and hope of the Messiah has gone away. Even as we hate this part of the story, it has to take place to carry out God’s plan to save us from the darkness. Yet, even in the darkest hour we can see glimmers of light on the horizon. And it is because of that light that we can call this day Good Friday.

Continue to follow the light. The story is just unfolding. Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for continuing to show us your love on the cross with arms spread wide. Help us to understand why Jesus had to die on the cross. Remind us of your love and forgiveness even as we weep at the cross. Thank you for showing us the cross. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. How does Jesus’ suffering affect you?

2. How do non-believers continue to mock Jesus? How do we?

Readings

Mark 14:43-15:15

Devotion

Peace be with you!

As the week goes on, the story gets all the more challenging, especially when we can relate to the disciples. As we read about Peter’s three denials (Mark 14:66-72), we cannot help but think of times when we have effectively denied knowing Jesus. The servant girl of the high priest is certain that Peter is one of Jesus’ disciples. She inquiries three times if Peter is one of the disciples, and each time he states he does not know or understand what the servant girl is talking about.

How many times do you walk quickly past a preacher on a street corner? I am guilty of this one all the time. Or how many times do you ignore the call to tell someone the good news? We have our excuses: too busy, they wouldn’t understand, not convenient, not the place, not enough energy, etc. When I am tired or not in mood, I just zone out and ignore any call to tell the person next to me the good news.

Then we read about the chief priests and the whole council looking for any testimony against Jesus so they can fulfill their plan to condemn him to death. But the chief priests are grasping for straws; their testimony is false and contradictory. Someone does come up and reports that Jesus said, “I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.” (Mark 14:58 NRSV). This report of Jesus’ words is only partially true in that it misinterprets a statement he once made which actually referred to his body being destroyed and rising again. The high priest tries to provoke Jesus and get him to argue against the testimony. Finally, the high priest asks Jesus if he is the Messiah, the Son of God. Jesus answers, “I am; and ‘you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power,’ and ‘coming with the clouds of heaven’” (Mark 14:62 NRSV). This is enough for the high priest to condemn Jesus to death.  If the Sadducees and Pharisees had been able to understand the majesty of the Trinity, if they had been able to understand that Jesus was not blaspheming against the one true God, but rather proclaiming the truth of his nature (one God in three persons), would they have still sought to crucify Jesus? We know that jealousy of Jesus’ power was also involved. Regardless of the motives of the religious leaders, God’s plan had to be fulfilled. God used even incomplete theological understanding and the jealousy of these men’s hearts to bring about his purposes in the world.

Since only the Roman authorities can execute the death sentence, the Jewish leaders hand Jesus over to Pilate. Pilate asks Jesus if he is the King of the Jews, and he replies, “You say so” (Mark 15:2). Then the chief priests jump in and accuse him of many things, yet Jesus says nothing to defend himself. Jesus understands this needs to happen to carry out God’s plan.

However, Pilate was determined to release Jesus since he found no fault in him. Since it was tradition for him to let the crowd choose one prisoner for him to release during Passover, Pilate brought Barabbas, a murderer, out and gave the crowd the choice between Jesus and Barabbas. Unfortunately, the chief priests were in the crowd and were using their influence to get Barabbas released. When the crowd yelled for Barabbas to be released, Pilate was confused and asked what he should do Jesus, to which they said, “Crucify him!” (Mark 15:7-14). To please the crowd, Pilate hands Jesus over to be beaten and crucified (Mark 15:15).

How many times have you felt helpless like Pilate? You know the right thing to do, and yet [whatever “it” is] stops you. Pilate failed because he did not own up to his responsibility. To know what is right and fail to do it is sin and cowardice.

Yet as human beings we can relate to Pilate’s weakness, just as we could relate to Peter’s. I believe Jesus understands our inadequacy to give the good news every time we get the chance. We continue to fall short of his glory. He understands our battle with the devil and with our own sinful nature. Even as we hate this part of the story, it has to take place to carry out God’s plan to save us from the darkness. Yet, even in the darkest hour we can see glimmers of light on the horizon.

Continue to follow the light. The story is just unfolding. Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for forgiving and loving us even when we deny you and fail to do what is right. Help us to be more faithful to you, for you have given all for us. Thank you for Jesus’ willingness to go through such suffering for us. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. Have you ever effectively denied Jesus through your words or actions?

2. When have you failed to do what was right out of fear?

3. How can Jesus’ love and forgiveness empower you to put the past behind you and move on with the future?

Readings

Mark 14:32-42

Devotion

Peace be with you!

After Jesus has the Passover dinner with his disciples, he goes and prays in Gethsemane. In his human nature, his nerves are beginning to get the best of him. He is distressed and agitated about the coming days for he knows Judas Iscariot is about to arrive with a mob ready to arrest him. Jesus prays, “Abba Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want.” (Mark 14:36). Jesus, in his human nature, would like to avoid the upcoming events, but, in his divine nature, he knows it is God’s will for him to suffer so much pain on our behalf. Jesus loves God the Father with his whole being and so he will do what he is instructed to do. Jesus prepares for the suffering ahead by asking for endurance and strength to go through the crucifixion and dying. Jesus knows God the Father will raise him again, but that will not take away the potent pain of the cross.

When Jesus prays, he tells his disciples to stay awake and keep watch (Mark 14:34). Jesus seems to telling Peter, James, and John, who follow him to Gethsemane, to pray for their own courage and strength so they do not run away in fear. Jesus comes back three times to his three disciples, only to find them asleep. Each time, Jesus tells the three disciples to keep awake and to pray for their own safety in this time of need (Mark 14:38). The third time Jesus returns, he wakes his three disciples up saying it is time for him to be betrayed into the hands of sinners (Mark 14:41).

As sinners, we are the ones who betray Jesus and have him crucified. We are joined to the Jewish people and the Roman people who together nailed him to the cross, united in our guilt because of our sin nature which turns away from God. We are the ones he dies for in the name of forgiveness of sins. We are the ones Jesus came for, the ones he saves on the cross.

Judas comes with the mob sent by the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders and tells them he will kiss Jesus on the cheek. When he does, Jesus is arrested. Jesus questions why the crowd comes armed with swords and clubs since he was accessible—not hidden—in the temple daily. He points out that they didn’t arrest him then when they had easy access (Mark 14:48-49). Yet Jesus knows the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders arrest him now to fulfill the scriptures (Mark 14:49b) in order to carry out God’s plan. We know the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders believe they are punishing a false prophet since they do not believe his claims to be God in human flesh. We also know that they feel threatened by Jesus’ growing popularity and power among the people. Despite both well-meaning and selfish motives, God uses the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders to carry out his plan.

Out of fear, the disciples scatter and desert Jesus just as he predicted (Mark 14:50). We can relate to their fear so well. Surely they feared also being put to death. Running is easier – and safer??? – than sticking around to watch things unfold. Yet their betrayal is hard to stomach. Even as we hate this part of the story, it has to take place to carry out God’s plan to save us from the darkness. Yet, even in the darkest hour we can see glimmers of light on the horizon.

Continue to follow the light. The story is just unfolding. Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for continuing to unfold the Passion Story in front of us, even as we dread that it had to happen. Remind us that the Passion Story happened according to your will to bring us back into a relationship with you. Keep our eyes fixed on the unfolding light to come in the story. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. How can Jesus’ example of prayer in the midst of fear and anxiety guide you in your own struggles? How can you watch and pray?

2. How does Jesus’ willingness to undergo suffering for your sake make you feel? How can knowing his love for you motivate you to follow him?