Letting the Lord Take the Lead

Reading for Fifth Sunday of Easter

Acts 8:26-40

Devotion

Peace be with you!

The Lord leads you to places you would not go otherwise. I went to a conference one year without a personal caregiver or a plan as to who would help me eat each meal. I ended having meals with colleagues I would have never thought to ask for help. Because of this, I ended up having important conversations about faith, major life changes, and language around disabilities. I was glad I had listened to the Lord by going where he was sending me.

Philip must have felt the same kind of anxiety when the Lord instructed him to go to Gaza from Jerusalem along the wilderness road (Acts 8:26). Philip must have questioned what he was doing in such a place, especially when the Lord told him to approach an unknown chariot (Acts 8:29), which could have belonged to anyone. Despite any anxiety, Philip went up to the chariot and heard the passenger, an Ethiopian eunuch who was in charge of the queen’s entire treasury, reading Isaiah (Acts 8:27, 30a). As an Ethiopian court official, the eunuch was an outsider—as a foreigner who choose to be castrated to show his loyalty to the queen—to the Jewish ways and was probably not permitted to enter the temple in Jerusalem.

When Philip approaches the chariot, he hears the eunuch reading Isaiah 53:7:

“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter,

and like a lamb silent before its shearer,

so he does not open his mouth.

In his humiliation justice was denied him.

Who can describe his generation?

For his life is taken away from the earth” (Acts 8:32-33 NRSV, quoting Isaiah 53:7).

Philip asks the eunuch if he understands what he is reading, and the eunuch tells him he needs instruction to know what the text is saying. The eunuch invites Philip to join him in the chariot (Acts 8:30-31). The eunuch asks if the prophet Isaiah is talking about himself or someone else (Acts 8:34). Philip takes this opportunity to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the eunuch (Acts 8:35).

The eunuch is the first recorded African to hear the good news. The Lord commissions Philip to share the good news with a foreigner who is unlike anyone he has encountered before. The physical and psychosocial boundaries of the Jewish traditions no longer apply to the Christian church. The good news is breaking down the boundaries. What prevents the eunuch from fully participating in the Jewish traditions—his heritage— now is not an issue. Everyone (Jews, Catholics, Gentiles, Samaritans, blacks, Caucasians, Indians, Hispanics, and all other people) is able to know God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit through the work of Jesus Christ. In the middle of the wilderness, Philip and the eunuch find water and stop the chariot. Philip baptizes the eunuch. Then Philip disappears, and the eunuch worships the Lord (Acts 8:38-39).

You never know when you are going to get the chance to share the good news with an outsider—someone who does not know the Lord. Introducing someone to the Lord furthers the work of Jesus and spreads the good news across the world. A fifteen minute conversation with a stranger can change the course of their life and the lives of others with whom they then share the good news. When you allow the Lord to work through you, he leads you to amazing places and introduces you to amazing people.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for the person who introduced me to you. Lead me to the individuals who need to hear the good news. Open my heart and mind to your plan for my life. Help me to step out in faith. Thank you for the many ways you use me to further Jesus’s work. 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 behavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

Who introduced you to the Lord? Write them a thank you note.
Where is the Lord leading you?

Christians’ Dirty Little Secret

Reading for Fourth Sunday of Easter

Acts 4:5-12

John 10:11-18

Devotion

Peace be with you!

As Christians, we have to face the cold, hard truth: Jesus had to be crucified, because we would not accept God’s mercy any other way. We join the crowd everyday and yell, “Crucify him, crucify him!” when with turn our backs on God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit—when we lie, steal, spread rumors, cause harm to others, and say yes to Satan. It is the dirty little secret that we, Christians, try to bury under the rug.

We are not proud of our dirty little secret. We do our best to keep the Ten Commandments. We do our best to love God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We do our best to love our neighbors as ourselves. We do our best to follow Jesus’s footsteps. We do our best to care for the poor and the less fortunate. We do our best. However, our best is never going to earn us salvation in kingdom of God, because the wrath of God is never going to allow us in.

But why did Jesus have to die on the cross? God could have given us forgiveness and mercy without sending Jesus to die on the cross. The problem is the wrath of God represents an absent God, and to solve the issue meant sending Jesus into the world to be with us. (1) Jesus comes into the world to show us God’s unconditional love, mercy, and forgiveness by interacting with us in the world of conditions. We get to witness Jesus’s pain, joy, and triumph in the world. God comes into the world to meet us face-to-face through Jesus.

Yet we could not fully understand and appreciate God’s unconditional love, mercy, and forgiveness without Jesus dying on the cross, because we cannot comprehend God freely giving us mercy. The cross becomes the pass we need to be in a relationship with God the Father. We had to see God bear our pain to get a glimpse of God’s view from above.

Our dirty little secret is transformed by God into good news. Through the selfish act of crucifying him, Jesus raises us to new life in his resurrection and ascension to the kingdom of God (Acts 4:10, 12). His resurrection overcomes Satan’s power of the grave and gives us forgiveness, grace, love, and eternal life instead. Through God’s transforming of our greatest sin—crucifying Jesus—we are able to be in a relationship with God the Father.

No one knew what they were putting into action when they were shouting, “Crucify Jesus; crucify him!” God sent Jesus to be crucified as the sacrifice for everyone’s (Jews, Catholics, Gentiles, Samaritans, blacks, Caucasians, Indians, Hispanics, and all other people) sins—past, present, and future sins. Everyone is forgiven through Jesus’s crucifixion, death, and resurrection, because God understands we are broken humans who fall for Satan’s tricks. God understands we cannot earn salvation on our own merits. God understands we need someone to intercede on our behalf. God understands we need Jesus in the world and to die for our sins, so we could begin to understand him as a merciful God.

Therefore, our little dirty secret is the cornerstone of our faith (Acts 4:11). It is what allows Jesus to die for our sins and to offer us eternal life in the kingdom of God. When we repent and give our lives to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, we are welcomed into the kingdom of God. Jesus’s crucifixion, death, and resurrection becomes the way the wrath of God is satisfied. The resurrection shows us how Jesus is the good shepherd who lay down his sheep (John 10:11, 15). He spreads his arms out on the cross and gathers the lost sheep together in a community. Jesus’s work welcomes believers into the kingdom of God, so they are no longer to be under God’s wrath.

Our dirty little secret is not that we crucified Jesus but that we need Jesus Christ to die for sins, so we can be in a relationship with God the Father. The resurrection becomes a sign of God’s promise of eternal life. We may be sinners, but God the Father has made the ultimate sacrifice through Jesus. Therefore, when we repent, we are forgiven and receive grace and love from God.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for sending your Son to die for our sins. Help us to understand why we had to crucify Jesus. Help us to accept your forgiveness as we forgive others who sin against us. Comfort us when we fall and lift us up to everlasting life. Thank you for offering us eternal life through Jesus’s resurrection. Amen.

Reflective Questions

What emotions do you feel knowing you crucified Jesus?
How will you share the good news: God’s act of transforming our dirty little secret into new life?

(1) Forde, Gerhard O. “Caught in the Act: Reflections on the Work of Christ.” Word & World. (1983: 3/1), 22-31.

Photo Credit: Amber Sue Photography, www.ambersuephotography.com

You are Forgiven when you Repent…No matter How Big or Small the Sin

Reading for Third Sunday of Easter

Acts 3:12-19

Devotion

Peace be with you!

People stare at what they do not understand. Last Wednesday during the #CPChatNow Twitter discussion, one young lady who has cerebral palsy shared her experience of spending a week in the hospital with her son who is five years old who had his appendix taken out. The young lady shared how people would stare at her when she walked with the five-year-old and his IV. I could relate her; I know well what it is like to have people stare at me, an individual who has cerebral palsy, when I am in public. Over time you get mostly immune to the staring and pointing, but some days it still gets old and unnerving. Some of us shared that we would like to ask the people who stare at us, “What are you staring at?”

As Christians, nonbelievers and others stare at us when we are publicly doing God’s work. People question why we help the poor, the needy, the homeless, and so on. These individuals do not understand our call to share the good news with anyone who will listen. They do not understand the love of God. People stare at what they do not understand.

In our Bible reading today, we see a lame man being healed by Peter and John. Peter and John meet him when he is begging for alms outside the temple (Acts 3:3). After being healed, he enters the temple with them, jumping up and down and worshipping God (Acts 3:6, 8). The people in the temple are astonished by the man’s ability to walk when he was previously not able to stand (Acts 3:11).

Peter addresses the Israelites’ lack of faith and answers the onlookers’ question: how can this previously lame man now walk? For Peter, it is a question of faith and being witnesses to the good news. As a Jew himself, Peter calls the Israelites out on their mistake: rejecting and condemning the Holy and Righteous One to death (Acts 3:13-15a). The Israelites are responsible for Jesus being crucified on the cross. Pontius Pilate wanted to release Jesus, but the Israelites wanted him to release Barabbas and to crucify Jesus, which he complied with (Acts 3:13). However, it is not only the Israelites who crucified Jesus but also the Romans and Peter himself. Everybody is guilty of crucifying Jesus.

Peter goes on, “Nevertheless, God raised Jesus from the dead, and this is why we believe in the good news and share the good news with others” (Acts 3:15b-16). God fulfilled what he promised through the prophets through sending his Son for you to crucify in order that we may have forgiveness of sins (Acts 3:18), even the jealous, the ignorance, and the rejection of Jesus were used by God for good (Acts 3:17). The events of Holy Week took place according to God’s will as the prophets foretold.

Peter finishes his sermon with, “Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wipe out” (Acts 3:19 NRSV). Jesus’s crucifixion, death, resurrection, and ascension become the way in which we are able to be in a relationship with God the Father. When you repent for all of your bad decisions, you are made new in the eyes of the Lord. It does not matter if you killed someone, stole from your neighbors, lied to your parents, cheated on your exam, or [whatever “it” is] you did in the past. It does not matter that the Israelites had Jesus killed. It does not matter how big or small the sin. As long as you repent, you are forgiven and are made new by God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for sending Jesus to die for our sins. Give us courage to repent of our sins—no matter how bad they are. Clear our minds to understand that we are forgiven for all of our sins. Lead us to share the good news with others. Thank you for your forgiveness, grace, and love. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Describe a time when people stared at you. How did it make you feel? How did you react?
What does it mean to you to be forgiven?

Creating an Interdependent Community

Reading for Second Sunday of Easter

Acts 4:32-35

Devotion

Peace be with you!

How often do you simply put your trust in the Lord? I get anxiety when I have an open shift come up suddenly. An open shift means I have no one to come feed me a meal, to help me with household chores, and/or to take me to my appointments. I really get frantic when this happens, and I start calling friends who will help me in a jam. I also get anxiety when I get low on the essentials, like toilet papers, food, and so on. Because I cannot drive a car and need a personal caregiver to take me shopping, I cannot just run to the store whenever I want.

After Jesus’s ascent into heaven, his first followers engage in a minimalist lifestyle. These first believers become one community where individuals work together for the common goal of spreading the good news of Jesus’s resurrection. No one goes hungry or suffers; the community takes care of everyone’s needs. The apostles live on the generosity of the communities to which they travelled. People sell their land and houses and give proceeds to provide for the apostles’ every need (Acts 4:34-35). The community of believers care for one another.

By living as minimalists, the apostles and the other believers put their trust in the Lord. Unlike Thomas initially did (John 20:19-31), the apostles trust the Lord will present ways to meet their needs without having riches. The apostles are self-giving by sacrificing the luxuries of the world and sharing what they own with others. No one believer claims to own his own anything but shares it with his other brothers in Jesus Christ. Because of their faith in Jesus and their trust he would provide for their every need, the apostles never go without (Acts 4:34).

The apostles and believers experience a new way of life when they give up the things—property and material things—to ensure everyone is blessed in this world. When the apostles and believers give up things they do not need, they become closer to the Lord and grow more aware of where he is working in their lives. The Lord leads the apostles and believers to amazing places where their gifts can be used and to people who need to hear the good news or a word of hope.

Like the apostles, I have had to create a community where I can depend on friends, family members, and personal caregivers. I would not be as successful without my interdependent community. Although I strive to live as a minimalist , I try to only buy what I need. I only stock up on items which I know I will use over time, such as paper towels, toilet paper, juices, Coke, etc. There are just some situations I plan ahead for, such as having corndogs always in my freezer in case of the rare occasion I cannot fill an open shift. In a society where we strive to as independent as possible, the apostles give us a way to create a healthy, interdependent community where people work together to ensure everyone receives the blessings of this world. When we work together, we build healthy relationships and a safe community for all.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving us the example of the apostles. Help us to live as minimalists and trust you will provide for our every need. Lead us to the people and the places where we are needed. Be with those who struggle to let go of the things of the world. Thank you for giving us new life in Jesus Christ. Amen.

Reflective Questions

How do you put your trust in the Lord?
Describe a time when the Lord provided for something.
List only one hundred items that you absolutely need to survive. Remember each collectible counts as one.

Finding the Empty Tomb

Reading for Easter Sunday

Mark 16:1-8

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Twenty-five years ago this May, my mom jumped on a plane with my newborn brother to help care for Ed, a family friend who was waiting for a new heart. Back then heart transplants were fairly new. In fact, Ed was only the eighty-third heart transplant done in Tampa. Ed and his wife, Kathy, remember my mom driving ninety miles per hour down the interstate that day in May when he got the call that they had a new heart for him. Ed still is mystified why someone who died would give him new life.

This is the kind of mystery Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome face that early morning when they go to the tomb to anoint Jesus’s 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.

But when the three of them get to the tomb, the stone is already rolled away AND Jesus’s body is missing! Who would be strong enough to roll away the stone? Who would want Jesus’s 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’s 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). 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? The women may have thought they had seen a ghost. Or perhaps they wondered if they had gone mad. What would they even say? “Jesus’s 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 people who walked on earth with Jesus may have initially 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 later 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 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 Jesus Christ’s death on the cross to redeem us from our sins. Help us to understand the mystery of Jesus’s 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.

Reflective Questions

How does Jesus continue to redeem you of your sins?
Where does Jesus Christ meet with you? How does he appear to you?

Admitting Jesus is Really Dead

Reading for Saturday of Holy Week

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’s body. Joseph is also eagerly waiting for the Kingdom of God (Mark 15:43) and was probably not a part of Jesus’s 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 that 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’s 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’s crucifixion to make sure he is really dead. When the messenger comes back confirming the report of Jesus’s death, Pilate grants Joseph Jesus’s 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’s 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’s 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

What are you placing the tomb today? Why?
What does it mean to you that Jesus died?

Photo Credit: Alan Salt via photopin cc

How God Uses the Mockery

Reading for Good Friday

Mark 15:16-41

Devotion

Peace be with you!

After Pilate sentences Jesus to be crucified, the soldiers take him into the courtyard of the palace, which was the governor’s headquarters, and dress him a purple (the color of royalty) cloak and a crown of thorns. Then the soldiers mock him by yelling, “Hail, King of the Jews” (Mark 15:18 NRSV). The soldiers mock Jesus regarding his claim to be the king of the Jews. The word “hail” comes from the phrase “Hail, Caesar!” and mockingly equates Jesus to Caesar. The soldiers kneel down and pay homage to Jesus as a “fake” king. Their mockery is a result of their lack of belief and understanding. The mockery is the soldiers’ attempt to humiliate Jesus and show him who is in charge. No one but Caesar can just claim to be a king.

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 on. I can only imagine it was far worse than my worst three-day headache.

After mocking Jesus, the soldiers strip Jesus of the purple cloak and dress him in his ordinary clothes. The word strip indicates that the soldiers wanted to strip Jesus of any sense of royalty—except the crown of thorn that continued to cause him pain—and any respect he has. 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. Through their mockery, the soldiers unknowingly proclaim Jesus’s kingship.

Then the soldiers get Simon of Cyrene to carry Jesus’s cross as they lead him to Golgotha, “the place of the skull,” where they crucify Jesus on the cross with an inscription above his head: “The King of the Jews” (Mark 15:21-22, 24a, 26). The soldiers cast lots for Jesus’ clothes (Mark 15:24), which fulfills Psalm 22:18: “They are dividing up my clothes among themselves; they are rolling dice for my garments” (NET Bible).

A passerby mocks Jesus by saying, “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 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).

Yet all of the mocking of the soldiers, the chief priests, and the passersby merely lets the truth be known, even through their disbelief. Jesus is the King of the Jews/Israel. Jesus does destroy the temple by being crucified. Jesus will rebuild the temple in three days through his resurrection, which overcomes death. Jesus is the temple that he was talking about, but the unbelievers misunderstood. The world is told the truth through the mocking of the soldiers, the chief priests, and the passersby. 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 is torn in two (Mark 15:38), and it is finished. Jesus is ready dead. It is a frightening fact as we realize the light in 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.

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

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

Reflective Questions

How does Jesus’s suffering affect you?
How do nonbelievers continue to mock Jesus?
How do believers reject who Jesus really is?

Photo Credit: Amber Sue Photography

The Role of the Chief Priests

Reading for Thursday of Holy Week

Mark 14:43-15:15

Devotion

Peace be with you!

As the week goes on, the story gets all the more challenging, especially since we probably 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’s disciples. She inquires 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? 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. Satan preys on our excuses and uses them to get what he really wants.

The chief priests and the whole council are looking for any testimony against Jesus, so they can fulfill their plan to condemn him to death, even if they are grasping for straws with false and contradictory testimony. Someone does come forward and reports 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’s words is only partially true in that it misinterprets a statement he once made which actually referred to his body being destroyed and coming to life 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). This is enough for the high priest to condemn Jesus as worthy of 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? 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.

Pilate is determined to release Jesus since he finds no fault in him. Since it was traditional for him to let the crowd choose one prisoner for him to release during Passover, Pilate brings Barabbas, a murderer, out and gave the crowd the choice between Jesus and Barabbas. Unfortunately, the chief priests are in the crowd and use their influence to get Barabbas released. When the crowd yells for Barabbas to be released, Pilate is confused and asks what he should do to Jesus, to which they reply, “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’s willingness to go through such suffering for us. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Have you ever effectively denied Jesus through your words or actions?
When have you failed to do what was right out of fear?
How can Jesus’s love and forgiveness empower you to put the past behind you and move on with the future?

Photo Credit: Amber Sue Photography

The Mob Comes for Jesus

Reading for Wednesday of Holy Week

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, plus 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 NRSV). Jesus, in his human nature, would like to avoid the coming suffering, 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 process. 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 be 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 both the Jewish people and the Roman people who together nailed him to the cross, united in our guilt because of our sin nature which takes us away from God. We are the ones he dies for in the name of forgiveness of sins. We are the ones Jesus comes 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 he is 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 acknowledge ways we betray God daily. 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.

Reflective Questions

How can Jesus’s example of prayer in the midst of fear and anxiety guide you in your own struggles? How can you watch and pray?
How does Jesus’s willingness to undergo suffering for your sake make you feel? How can knowing his love for you motivate you to follow him?

Photo Credit: Amber Sue Photography

Jesus Says Goodbye

Reading for Tuesday of Holy Week

Mark 14:17-31

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Saying goodbye to close friends is always difficult. Recently, I found myself walking with a colleague and a friend, Barb, during her final days on earth. Last August she was diagnosed with cancer. Over the next six months, a Facebook group was created to keep friends, family, and colleagues informed of Barb’s progress. Barb’s final two months on earth were focused on reflection and spending time with friends and family. A week or so before Barb died, she gathered with her fellow diaconal ministers and presented them with her “blessing” basin as a community. The basin is the symbol for the diaconal ministers and is used in foot washing. Barb gave the diaconal community the “blessing” bowl to continue her ministry in the world after she passed away.

Jesus knows this Passover dinner with his disciples will be his last meal with them until his resurrection. He has a lot to do before his crucifixion, death, and resurrection, including giving them ways to honor God. Jesus also understands the coming days will be just as hard on his disciples as they are on him. The days will come when his disciples will be facing similar fates due to their belief in and loyalty to the Triune God—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Somehow Jesus needs to give his disciples the strength, courage, and hope to make it through difficult times in order to spread the good news, like Barb did with her fellow diaconal ministers.

During supper, Jesus takes bread, blesses it, breaks it, and gives it to his disciples saying, “Take; this is body” (Mark 14:22 NRSV). Then he takes the cup, gives thanks, and gives it to his disciples to drink saying, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” (Mark 14:24-25 NRSV).

Compared to today’s standards, taking bread and wine seems like such a simple act. But it is what Jesus does with the bread and the wine that makes it special. Jesus blesses the bread and the wine before giving it to his disciples. The bread and the wine become symbols of Jesus’s body and blood and become holy to us as Christians. When Jesus alludes to the fact that his blood will be poured out for many, he is saying his blood will seal a new covenant between God and the people. Jesus will become the sacrifice that will repair their relationship with God the Father.

When Jesus says he will not drink again until he drinks it anew in the kingdom of God, he alluding to his resurrection. Jesus will usher in a new era when he goes to heaven where there will be a grand banquet, and there will be a new covenant between God and the people. We are made new through Jesus’s crucifixion, death, and resurrection. Our relationship with God the Father is made new with the new covenant. The Last Supper is important, because it gave the disciples and gives us as Christians a reason to keep going. In the face of the darkness, we have something to remind of God’s love. We live in a world where the deceptive devil reigns; the Lord’s Supper is a needed point of connection between Christ and his disciples in such a world.

But Jesus does not stop with the bread and the wine. He makes three predictions about his disciples. The first prediction is that one of his disciples will betray him (Mark 14:18b). We already know from yesterday’s reading that Judas is planning on betraying Jesus by leading the chief priests to arrest him. It is hard news for the eleven disciples to hear. How could one of them betray Jesus?

Then Jesus says they will desert him, citing Zechariah the prophet, “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered” (Mark 14:27; Zechariah 13:7). Jesus is our shepherd, and we are his sheep. Jesus endures crucifixion and death on our behalf. We and the disciples run away because we are scared of the unknown, of what people will think, and of the uncertainty life gives us. Running is easier than standing around waiting for the next punch.

Finally, when Peter says he would never desert him, Jesus tells him Peter will deny him three times before midnight (Mark 14:30). Peter argues he would never deny Jesus, even if he had die with him (Mark 14:31). In the perfect world as perfect individuals, we would never deny Jesus, even in the face of death. But let’s face it: dying is a little scarier than we would like to admit. When faced with the decision between life and death, we prefer life.

These predictions are hard to accept, let alone accept that they have to happen. Judas has to betray Jesus so that Jesus will be sentenced and crucified and then rise again and ascend into heaven. This all must happen for the forgiveness of our sins. The disciples have to desert Jesus in accordance with the scriptures. 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. God’s path is not the easiest to accept, but even in the darkest hour we can see the light.

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

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for coming into the world to experience our personal struggling. Help us to accept the parts of your plan that we do not like, so your plan continues to unfold according to your will. Thank you for unfolding your plan through us as your children. 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 blehavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

How has God used you to unfold his plan?
Which prediction of what is to come do you find hard to accept? Why?

Photo Credit: Kieran Lynam via photopin cc