My grandparents just knew. When all was falling apart around and in the family, they seemed to always know what to do. When situations arose that were very hard and gut wrenching to everyone else; instead of panic, they knew what to do because of who they were. They loved God with every fiber of their being. Everyone knew it. They had a special kind of wisdom with a faith in God that was unshakable. They lived their lives “expectantly” with hope of seeing Jesus one day. And they did. I am sure that they are rejoicing right now in heaven together with other saints as I write this truth.
“When you know, you know” we say these days when speaking of this special wisdom and knowledge about life. This perfectly describes people who just know and live their lives knowing because of relying on the wisdom of God to guide them. My grandparents lived expectantly because they lived each day guided by the One who saved their souls.
But how did they seem to just know? They took time to “be still and know God” which was detrimental in building their strong faith and complete trust in God. How did they do this, you might be asking? When I visited, which was often, I watched and participated in a nightly ritual after the work day was done. We opened our Bibles and took turns reading a passage verse by verse and commenting on it. Then we literally went from sitting on the couch to kneeling before it to pray to God in Jesus Name in thanksgiving, adoration, requests for help for others, along with repentance. Yes, when you know, you know.
Joseph of Arimathea knew. The women who followed and served Jesus knew. They were the ones left to watch over Jesus’ body when the final “It is finished” was said by their Lord.
Mark 15, The Message
Taken to a Tomb
40-41 There were women watching from a distance, among them Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of the younger James and Joses, and Salome. When Jesus was in Galilee, these women followed and served him, and had come up with him to Jerusalem.
42-45 Late in the afternoon, since it was the Day of Preparation (that is, Sabbath eve), Joseph of Arimathea, a highly respected member of the Jewish Council, came. He was one who lived expectantly,on the lookout for the kingdom of God. Working up his courage, he went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate questioned whether he could be dead that soon and called for the captain to verify that he was really dead. Assured by the captain, he gave Joseph the corpse.
46-47 Having already purchased a linen shroud, Joseph took him down, wrapped him in the shroud, placed him in a tomb that had been cut into the rock, and rolled a large stone across the opening. Mary Magdalene and Mary, mother of Joses, watched the burial.
Lord,
As we read this passage, we know that in three days everything will change. Our hope is in you. I trust you with my life because you are Life. My faith was built on nothing less that your blood shed to set me free from my sins. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you for grandparents and parents who taught me to know…I pray I will continue to praise you, thank you, and help others know you, too.
Jesus did what we could not do for ourselves—redeem us from our sins. Only Jesus, “who knew no sin” could place all our sins upon His shoulders while allowing soldiers to drive the nails signifying our sins into His body as a Roman designed cruel way of punishment for criminals. He chose to lay down his life for our life. He chose to fulfill the scriptures proclaimed by God to His designated prophets centuries earlier with the cruel way this would happen. He chose to obey His Father who sent Him into the world to seek and to save the lost. He chose to die alone because our sins were so great, our Perfect Father in heaven would have to turn and look away from His Son who carried them. Jesus chose to love us beyond our thinking. All of us.
In fact, it was Jesus’ love for us that held him to the cross—not the ropes or nails—but His love—”while we were yet sinners.”
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
They Bound The Hands Of Jesus In The Garden Where He Prayed; They Led Him Thro’ The Streets In Shame. They Spat Upon The Savior So Pure And Free From Sin; They Said, “Crucify Him; He’s To Blame.”
He Could Have Called Ten Thousand Angels To Destroy The World And Set Him Free. He Could Have Called Ten Thousand Angels, But He Died Alone For You And Me.
Mark 15, The Message
The Crucifixion
21 There was a man walking by, coming from work, Simon from Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. They made him carry Jesus’ cross.
22-24 The soldiers brought Jesus to Golgotha, meaning “Skull Hill.” They offered him a mild painkiller (wine mixed with myrrh), but he wouldn’t take it. And they nailed him to the cross. They divided up his clothes and threw dice to see who would get them.
25-30 They nailed him up at nine o’clock in the morning. The charge against him—the king of the jews—was scrawled across a sign. Along with him, they crucified two criminals, one to his right, the other to his left. People passing along the road jeered, shaking their heads in mock lament: “You bragged that you could tear down the Temple and then rebuild it in three days—so show us your stuff! Save yourself! If you’re really God’s Son, come down from that cross!”
31-32 The high priests, along with the religion scholars, were right there mixing it up with the rest of them, having a great time poking fun at him: “He saved others—but he can’t save himself! Messiah, is he? King of Israel? Then let him climb down from that cross. We’ll all become believers then!”Even the men crucified alongside him joined in the mockery.
33-34 At noon the sky became extremely dark. The darkness lasted three hours. At three o’clock, Jesus groaned out of the depths, crying loudly, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which means,“My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
35-36 Some of the bystanders who heard him said, “Listen, he’s calling for Elijah.” Someone ran off, soaked a sponge in sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down.”
37-39 But Jesus, with a loud cry, gave his last breath. At that moment the Temple curtain ripped right down the middle. When the Roman captain standing guard in front of him saw that he had quit breathing, he said, “This has to be the Son of God!”
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
Mark tells us that everyone mocked Jesus as they passed by on their way to the city. That was the “big finish” of the Roman designed punishment. Criminals were nailed to a cross which was then plunked into a hole and hoisted up for all to see as a deterrent for others that think of committing crimes or rebellions against the Roman government. Even the real criminals on crosses on either side of Jesus, began mocking Him!
When you consider all that Jesus had endured since His arrest, it is not surprising that His strength failed. Indeed, he could have called “more than twelve legions of angels” (Matthew 26:53), yet He willingly bore the suffering on our behalf. There was a higher purpose behind this act: The victim carried the cross because he had been found guilty, but our Lord was not guilty. We are the guilty ones. He chose to carry it for us.
Every detail we read in this passage was foretold by the prophets. Crucifixion is one of the most horrible forms of death ever devised by man. For example, read Psalm 22 for a description of some of our Lord’s agonies as He hung on the cross.
Max Lucado, who has a powerful way with words because of his love for Jesus, writes:
“Judas betrayed Jesus, and the religious authorities arrested God’s Son. The disciples scattered, and Peter denied him three times. Jesus, beaten and mocked throughout the night, provided salvation through his death and resurrection.
The hours before Jesus’ crucifixion were extremely painful for him, yet he faced the sacrifice with love, courage, and conviction so great that he willingly gave up his life for us!
He looked around the hill and foresaw a scene. Three figures hung on three crosses. Arms spread. Heads fallen forward. They moaned with the wind.
Men clad in soldiers’ garb sat on the ground near the trio. They played games in the dirt and laughed.
Men clad in religion stood off to one side. They smiled. Arrogant, cocky. They had protected God, they thought, by killing this false one.
Women clad in sorrow huddled at the foot of the hill. Speechless. Faces tear streaked. Eyes downward. One put her arm around another and tried to lead her away. She wouldn’t leave. “I will stay,” she said softly. “I will stay.”
All heaven stood to fight. All nature rose to rescue. All eternity poised to protect. But the Creator gave no command.
“It must be done,” he said, and withdrew.
But as he stepped back in time, he heard the cry that he would someday scream: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” He wrenched at tomorrow’s agony.
The angel spoke again. “It would be less painful . . .”
The Creator interrupted softly. “But it wouldn’t be love.”
(Max Lucado, “Encouraging Word Bible”)
He Could Have Called Ten Thousand Angels To Destroy The World And Set Him Free. He Could Have Called Ten Thousand Angels, But He Died Alone For You And Me.
To The Howling Mob He Yielded; He Did Not For Mercy Cry. The Cross Of Shame He Took Alone. And When He Cried, “It’s Finished.” He Gave Himself To Die; Salvation’s Wondrous Plan Was Done.
Lord, Jesus,
Thank you. Thank you for all you did and still do to save us from sin and selfishness by your lone act of loving sacrifice. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
We can only know who a person truthfully is by what they openly do in front of our hearing and seeing. We can listen to what they say they believe. We can begin to know them by what they do, especially when challenges force them to reveal who they are and what they truly believe. Sometimes we presume we know just by looking at them from a distance. Sometimes we make assumptions based on what others say about them. Even though no information is available with no previous knowledge we judge them. This seems to be human nature.
“First impressions” are important as we judge each other in our world. “You can only make one first impression so make it your best” the world teaches us. Sometimes, I think we are trying so hard to make a good impression on those around us we lose sight of pleasing the One who loves us most. Because of Jesus, a pure, intimate loving relationship with God who created all and is in all is available to all! Now, that’s impressive!
God knows us by name, knows our hearts, knows all there is about us even before we know it. But we still go to great lengths trying to impress others. Why do we do this? This thinking drives us to wonder and ask repeatedly what is politically correct versus what is true and right in God’s eyes. We are more impressed with what will land us that promotion? Who must we treat kindly to get what we want? Who must we get out of our way to gain more power so our positions are secure? How can we get others on board with our thinking? There’s more strength in numbers, so we feel we must gain a crowd who will go our way!
As you read the following, who impresses you most?
Mark 15, The Message
Standing Before Pilate
At dawn’s first light, the high priests, with the religious leaders and scholars, arranged a conference with the entire Jewish Council. After tying Jesus securely, they took him out and presented him to Pilate.
2-3 Pilate asked him, “Are you the ‘King of the Jews’?”
He answered, “If you say so.” The high priests let loose a barrage of accusations.
4-5 Pilate asked again, “Aren’t you going to answer anything? That’s quite a list of accusations.” Still, he said nothing. Pilate was impressed, really impressed.
6-10 It was a custom at the Feast to release a prisoner, anyone the people asked for. There was one prisoner called Barabbas, locked up with the insurrectionists who had committed murder during the uprising against Rome. As the crowd came up and began to present its petition for him to release a prisoner, Pilate anticipated them: “Do you want me to release the King of the Jews to you?” Pilate knew by this time that it was through sheer spite that the high priests had turned Jesus over to him.
11-12 But the high priests by then had worked up the crowd to ask for the release of Barabbas. Pilate came back, “So what do I do with this man you call King of the Jews?”
13 They yelled, “Nail him to a cross!”
14 Pilate objected, “But for what crime?”
But they yelled all the louder, “Nail him to a cross!”
15 Pilate gave the crowd what it wanted, set Barabbas free and turned Jesus over for whipping and crucifixion.
16-20 The soldiers took Jesus into the palace (called Praetorium) and called together the entire brigade. They dressed him up in purple and put a crown plaited from a thornbush on his head. Then they began their mockery: “Bravo, King of the Jews!” They banged on his head with a club, spit on him, and knelt down in mock worship. After they had had their fun, they took off the purple cape and put his own clothes back on him. Then they marched out to nail him to the cross.
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND TODAY?
Who impresses you the most?
Who occupies most of your thinking?
What do I do to impress(please) them?
As I read the following passage this word “impress” leaps off the page. We read the human nature way of the world as we read how the religious leaders scheme to secure their power by impressing the crowd to go their way. I think the crowd is impressed by the religious leaders even talking to them, the lowly people! These same leaders are working overtime to get Jesus out of the way. So, the religious have given Pilate enough information with a plethora of false accusations to interrogate Jesus. And what is Pilate’s response? “Pilate was impressed, really impressed.” But Pilate’s impression of Jesus soon fades as the impressed crowd force his decision to crucify the one without sin. Merely being impressed with Jesus is not enough!
The soldiers are impressed by a Roman leader who throws them a human (Son of Man and Son of God) to mock, torture, and eventually kill for sport. It’s what they do best. (This reminds me somewhat of Daniel being thrown to the lions!) But Jesus has a mission from God to save us and He will complete it.
Jesus, Son of God, whom God is “well pleased”, will go through all the mocking, torture, whips with spikes to tear at his flesh, only stopped by the final blow of being nailed to a cross of rough planks of wood. Jesus will do this willingly—as the Once and for all sacrifice for all our sins because His Father loved the world passionately.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
But there’s more… “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” John 3:17-21
What is your impression of Jesus now?
Who impresses you most?
What or who we think about most affects the way we live, what we do, how we react, and most of all—who we worship.
Who is at the center of our lives? Prayerfully consider. Are we merely impressed with Jesus? Or have we given our lives to Him?
Lord,
Thank you is not enough. May I live a life of gratitude for the rest of my days here as I wait to see you where you are. Gratitude grows us to be more gracious as we relate to others. Your love in our hearts makes our love for others more precious. Jesus, you change everything about us when we really believe what you did for us. I’m not just impressed; I am eternally grateful. I love you with all my heart, mind, and soul.
Cleanse my heart, renew my mind, refresh my soul with your new mercies today, and restore the joy of your salvation work within me. Remove all that does not impress you from me.
As the years go by, I have learned an important lesson: Never say never. “I will never go to that state to live”—and we did. “I will never say that to my children when I’m a mom”—and I have, many times, in fact. “I will never eat broccoli”—and now I love it. “I will never quit teaching”—and God called me to His full time, specific Kingdom work that included what I learned from teaching! We think we know exactly who we are, what we will and will not do, how we will react to certain situations and scenarios that occur without notice in our lives but we really do not. But one thing I do know— “never say never.” The crow of the rooster is ready to warn us and wake us up from our pride.
Peter is a perfect example of “never say never.” Let’s back tract and glance at verses 27-31—
“Jesus told them, “You’re all going to feel that your world is falling apart and that it’s my fault. There’s a Scripture that says,
I will strike the shepherd; The sheep will scatter.
“But after I am raised up, I will go ahead of you, leading the way to Galilee.”
29 Peter blurted out, “Even if everyone else is ashamed of you when things fall to pieces, I won’t be.”
30 Jesus said, “Don’t be so sure. Today, this very night in fact, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”
31 He blustered in protest, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you.” All the others said the same thing.
And there it is.
Mark 14, The Message
The Rooster Crowed
66-67 While all this was going on, Peter was down in the courtyard. One of the Chief Priest’s servant girls came in and, seeing Peter warming himself there, looked hard at him and said, “You were with the Nazarene, Jesus.”
68 He denied it: “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He went out on the porch. A rooster crowed.
69-70 The girl spotted him and began telling the people standing around, “He’s one of them.” He denied it again.
After a little while, the bystanders brought it up again. “You’ve got to be one of them. You’ve got ‘Galilean’ written all over you.”
71-72 Now Peter got really nervous and swore, “I never laid eyes on this man you’re talking about.” Just then the rooster crowed a second time. Peter remembered how Jesus had said, “Before a rooster crows twice, you’ll deny me three times.” He collapsed in tears.
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
“All have sinned (yes even today as in Peter’s days on earth) and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3 23) We are not perfect, so none of us can say we have arrived at perfection (though many behave as if we have, so be watchful)! That will be the exact moment when we fall from our prideful boasts of “never will I” as the wisdom of Proverbs predicts! (Proverbs 16:18)
Because of Jesus, and only because of Jesus work of redemption, we have hope! Peter, the “never say never” guy, will learn from Jesus the reason He had to go the cross to forgive us of the sins we try to avoid but fall into when fear or neglect of God sets in. Peter, full of remorse, collapses into tears, as he remembers immediately what Jesus said would happen—happened. Unlike Judas, who hung himself out of the grief of getting caught, Peter’s heart is broken and contrite. Peter is still connected to the One who will forgive him when the work of redemption on the cross is paid in full. And hallelujah! This payment is made for all of us!
Read 1 and 2 Peter for his great testimony of what Jesus has provided for all of us through redemption of our hearts, minds, and souls! Here is an excerpt of Peter’s letters expressing our “living hope” in Jesus; “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” 1 Peter 1:8-9
Read Acts 2 for what happened in and through Peter after forgiveness from Jesus was humbly received with joy. Peter, by the power of the Holy Spirit now living in him, boldly preaches so others can be saved! Here is an excerpt; “This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”’ Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Jesus’ forgiveness changes everything. We cannot save ourselves, if we could we would fall to pridefully boasting about it! Pride offends God. Jesus’s forgiveness in Peter and the other disciples (who also ran away) launched them as compelling and committed Truth tellers of who Jesus was and what He did to save us! It all began, as Jesus said, first in Galilee then spread like a wildfire to the rest of the world!
A man named Saul, a devout religious Jew caught up in this wildfire, had a passionate goal to kill all the new believers in Jesus. Could Saul, full of hate of evil within him have said, “I will never believe in this Jesus of Nazareth”? Mm, just a thought. We learn that on the road to Damacus with a “few good men” with the goal to rid the world of new believers, Jesus changes his mind with an awakening vision, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” Read Acts 9 for the exciting account of the amazing work of the redemption work Jesus did in and through Paul. Paul changed from being pride-filled protestor to a compassionate preacher of the Good News of Jesus Christ!
Paul will write to churches he helped to establish with Jesus as the Cornerstone of their faith. The compassionate preacher replaced is pride with humbled adoration for the One who forgave and saved his soul. He also realized that even though he gave his heart to Jesus, he was not perfect—only perfectly forgiven. This alone is a great lesson for all of us who believe and “fall short” when our pride gets in the way of our relationship with Jesus. Here is an excerpt to entice a full reading;
“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing ChristJesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:7-14
Press on, dear brothers and sisters, press on…we’re not there yet, but fully forgiven!
When we hear the first “crow of the rooster” who warns us and signals the sin of pride in our lives, we must fall to our knees, repent and turn back to One who loves us most.
Lord,
Cleanse our hearts, renew our minds, refresh our souls with y our new mercies this morning, and restore the joy and peace of your salvation work so powerfully at work within all who believe and call on Your Name.
Are you hurting and broken within? Overwhelmed by the weight of your sin? Jesus is calling Have you come to the end of yourself? Do you thirst for a drink from the well? Jesus is calling
O come to the altar The Father’s arms are open wide Forgiveness was bought with The precious blood of Jesus Christ
Leave behind your regrets and mistakes Come today, there’s no reason to wait Jesus is calling Bring your sorrows and trade them for joy From the ashes, a new life is born Jesus is calling
O come to the altar The Father’s arms are open wide Forgiveness was bought with The precious blood of Jesus Christ Forgiveness was bought with The precious blood…
Jesus knows exactly what we feel when we are mocked, bullied, accused of something we did not do, pushed around, ignored, disregarded in value, and openly attacked. He went through all of that and more in His final days on earth as Son of Man. Jesus felt every spike of the whip as it tore through his physical, human body. His heart was broken at every slander and lie against God, His Father.
As the Son of God, Jesus could have called the whole thing off, could have called ten thousand angels to turn the tables on his enemies and destroy them—but He did not. His love for each one of us held Him there, silent against his accusers, as Messiah.
We were on His mind as Jesus, who was without sin, became the sacrifice for our sins.
Mark 14, The Message
Condemned to Death
53-54 They led Jesus to the Chief Priest, where the high priests, religious leaders, and scholars had gathered together. Peter followed at a safe distance until they got to the Chief Priest’s courtyard, where he mingled with the servants and warmed himself at the fire.
55-59 The high priests conspiring with the Jewish Council looked high and low for evidence against Jesus by which they could sentence him to death. They found nothing. Plenty of people were willing to bring in false charges, but nothing added up, and they ended up canceling each other out. Then a few of them stood up and lied: “We heard him say, ‘I am going to tear down this Temple, built by hard labor, and in three days build another without lifting a hand.’” But even they couldn’t agree exactly.
60-61 In the middle of this, the Chief Priest stood up and asked Jesus, “What do you have to say to the accusation?” Jesus was silent. He said nothing.
The Chief Priest tried again, this time asking, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed?”
62 Jesus said, “Yes, I am, and you’ll see it yourself:
The Son of Man seated At the right hand of the Mighty One, Arriving on the clouds of heaven.”
63-64 The Chief Priest lost his temper. Ripping his clothes, he yelled, “Did you hear that? After that do we need witnesses? You heard the blasphemy. Are you going to stand for it?”
They condemned him, one and all. The sentence: death.
65 Some of them started spitting at him.They blindfolded his eyes, then hit him, saying, “Who hit you? Prophesy!” The guards, punching and slapping, took him away.
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
Oh, what a Savior Isn’t He wonderful? Sing hallelujah, Christ is risen Bow down before Him For He is Lord of all Sing hallelujah, Christ is risen
What exactly is our response to what Jesus did for us? We believe what is said here in God’s Word by His gospel writers to be the absolute Truth, the Way to God who gives Life everlasting! We shout hallelujahs as we respond in grateful praise for Jesus who willingly suffered, died for our sins, then rose again to prove who He is—Messiah—the One and Only who saves us!
O come to the altar The Father’s arms are open wide Forgiveness was bought with The precious blood of Jesus Christ
O come to the altar The Father’s arms are open wide Forgiveness was bought with The precious blood of Jesus Christ
The Father’s arms are open wide…
If we still think that Jesus couldn’t possible know how we feel today, couldn’t know how awful people have treated us, and couldn’t know what we need most—guess again, reread the passage slowly and prayerfully. Jesus knows and Jesus loves because Jesus suffered all that a human body could before dying for our sins on a cross for all to see as a final humiliation.
His final words, “It is finished,” meant that all the sins of the world, past, present, and future, are paid in full for all who believe in the gift that God gave us. The “finish” proclaimed a new beginning for each one of us who believe and realize the God knows us by name. The Finish signaled a new life with a new way of living. The Finish provided an open door to God with a growing, loving intimacy with God. The Finish gave us His constant Presence as His Spirit lives within our being.
The Finish began new thinking that developed transformed minds to see our relationship with God more clearly. The Finish cleanses hearts with knowing greater perspectives of Kingdom living, along with a complete restoration of all the broken parts mended together as we become whole and holy before God—all because of what Jesus did for us.
My Jesus knows just what I need…
Lord,
Thank you for all you endured mentally and physically, to set us free from the punishment for our sins that we deserve. Thank you for defeating death and rising again to secure our hope of eternal life. There is no one like you. There will never be anyone like you. To you be the glory, honor, and praise forever and ever, Amen
It’s almost laughable, if it weren’t so ridiculously sad as we think and plan the business of our lives so seriously and completely. We want and demand control of all situations that might affect our environments. So, we tenaciously focus on attempting to have a plausible response for every detail that might occur. This thinking is called overkill. We do this in our churches—sometimes without the guidance of God’s Holy Spirit—causing the environment to look and feel like any other organization in the world. Yikes.
Don’t read into what I’m not writing. Proverbs is full of wisdom about wise planning along with Jesus who says “count the cost” before becoming His disciple who desires to learn to be like Him in every way. (See Luke 14 and Proverbs 16) What I have learned through God’s Word so far in my life, is that we miss the mark when what we plan is not God’s Plan. We are prone to diligently plan then pray, “God, bless our plans”. This is backwards to His will and quite frankly, dangerous. Jesus just showed us in yesterday’s passage how to pray… “Not my will, but your will, Father.” “Not what I want but what You want.” (Mark 14:25-26)
Admit it, we jump ahead of God all the time in God’s church because overkill is played out in each of our daily lives! This habit of behavior is subtle, but we do it. And when we do—it leads usually to overkill in the details of life as we worry. We bypass what God intended as His will and execute our plan that seeks self-control of all outcomes as we imagine they ought to be.
I have experienced this very sin recently as a staff member for a few years of a church lead by a business minded pastor who demanded that “all the ducks” not only be in a row but counted precisely more than once as we executed man’s best made plan. Then we prayed, asking God to bless. I knew it was the wrong approach, I tried to advise, but didn’t have the authority to overcome the overkill of this thinking. So, I prayed that God would forgive, teach, and show us His will and plan above all. And God did just that no matter what we did. I smiled afterwards knowing that God was, is, and always will be in control—with authority to overcome man’s plan as we attempt our puny ways of managing what He wants done.
Is that what Judas thought as he planned for the arrest of Jesus with the religious leaders? Was the plan of Judas overkill? Did he plan for every scenario that he thought might happen? Did he think Jesus might resist arrest? Is that why so many soldiers were ready to do battle if necessary? The “kiss,” customarily a sign of affection and recognition, was Judas’s plan to signal the beginning of the suffering Jesus would do to save our souls. But was it his plan? Was Judas really in control?
Mark 14, The Message
A Bunch of Thugs
43-47 No sooner were the words out of his mouth when Judas, the one out of the Twelve, showed up, and with him a bunch of thugs, sent by the high priests, religion scholars, and leaders, brandishing swords and clubs. The betrayer had worked out a signal with them: “The one I kiss, that’s the one—seize him.Make sure he doesn’t get away.” He went straight to Jesus and said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. The others then grabbed him and roughed him up. One of the men standing there unsheathed his sword, swung, and came down on the Chief Priest’s servant, lopping off the man’s ear.
48-50 Jesus said to them, “What is this, coming after me with swords and clubs as if I were a dangerous criminal? Day after day I’ve been sitting in the Temple teaching, and you never so much as lifted a hand against me. What you in fact have done is confirm the prophetic writings.” All the disciples bailed on him.
51-52 A young man was following along. All he had on was a bedsheet. Some of the men grabbed him but he got away, running off naked, leaving them holding the sheet.
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
Jesus knew Judas was going to betray Him before he carried out the plan Judas thought he had so meticulously devised.
Judas’ plan was extreme overkill. “What is this, coming after me with swords and clubs…,” Jesus said.The response of Peter, the one who lopped off the ear of a soldier, according to John’s account, was also overkill for the situation at hand.
See Zechariah 11 for the foretelling of this act of betrayal that even includes the “thirty pieces of silver” in payment!
So, Who is in control? Not man but God!
We read the wisdom of Proverbs—
Proverbs 16:3 – Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.
Proverbs 16:9 – The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
Proverbs 15:22 – Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers, they succeed.
But the best example is Jesus who prayed God’s will even as God’s Plan unfolded—
“Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me.Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Mark 14:36
Jesus advises His disciples (and us today)—
“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Mark 14:38, NIV
Jesus teaches us to consistently seek God’s will—
“Once more he went away and prayed the same thing.” Mark 14:39, NIV
If overkill is our mantra in behavior, then let’s redirect this tendency to overly and above all else seek God’s will firstbefore plans are made—for that is the best thing we can do. Seek the One who loves us most and desires to guide us to His best plan for us.
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”—Jesus telling us that all on earth and in heaven is in God’s hands, Matthew 6:33, NIV
Lord,
I admit and confess overkill! Even when I see your plan at work—I will sometimes jump in to worry and add details that you might have missed—how ridiculous! How unholy!
Cleanse my heart of all that offends you. Renew my mind with transformed thinking. Refresh my soul with your new mercies and confidence in you alone for all outcomes. Restore the joy of your salvation at work continually within me. I have not arrived fully at where you want me to be…draw me closer still.
Hallowed and great are you, Lord. May Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day all that you know we will need to do your will. Forgive us our sins as we forgive others who sin against us. Lead us not into temptations but deliver us from evil. For you hold all power. To you be all glory, honor, and praise forever!
We can prepare ourselves spiritually, emotionally, and physically for what lies ahead as much as humanly possible when we know hard circumstances are looming on the horizon. The surgery that we must have, that bill with the ballooning balance that must be paid on time, that child who leaves for college, or a parent who is reaching a time when they can no longer live alone. These are just a few of the many things in life that we can prepare for to some extent with limitations without knowing the realty of how it will be resolved. Do we pray, not what I want, but what do you want, Lord?
Jesus falls on his knees in the garden that night of nights to talk with His Father, one more time as His Son on earth. Jesus knows the betrayer will soon come. Try to imagine the heaviness that overwhelms Jesus as the Son of God who knows what He is about to endure as Messiah—The One who will saves us. Jesus He goes over the mission three times with His Father, until that “time had come” for Him to fulfill what Scripture foretold centuries earlier. Jesus must face alone what God has sent Him to do.
Isaiah one of the prophets, inspired by God, describes what Jesus will do to pay our sin-debt. A once and for all sacrifice must be made in payment for our sins so that all who believe in God, repent in Jesus Name, can be reconciled, (reconnected), to God in a holy, intimate, loving relationship with God. God loved. God provided a plan. Jesus was the Plan. Jesus loved us. Jesus carried out the Plan.
“Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray,each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished.
He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer… Isaiah 53:1-10
Jesus knew what was about to happen. It wasn’t the darkness of night. It wasn’t fear of the Judas bringing a legion of soldiers. The “suffocating darkness” was caused by all the sins of the world being laid, one by one, upon His Body until they become such an overwhelming burden that it brings Jesus slumping to His knees. The weight of our sins must be carried to the cross and be nailed there through Jesus body. Is Jesus beginning to feel the death that sin causes looming within Him? Or is it what God must do while our sins are being carried by Jesus?
Jesus cries out, “Take this cup away from me.” But in the same breath, “But please, not what I want—what do you want?” Jesus, Son of God, knew the answer, but had to ask as Son of Man.
As the sins of the world are placed upon Jesus, God must turn his face away from Him until “it is finished,” the most devasting pain of all to God’s Son; all because God cannot be where sin resides.
Jesus is now ready to pay the price. Alone.
Mark 14, The Message
Gethsemane
32-34 They came to an area called Gethsemane. Jesus told his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James, and John with him. He sank into a pit of suffocating darkness. He told them, “I feel bad enough right now to die. Stay here and keep vigil with me.”
35-36 Going a little ahead, he fell to the ground and prayed for a way out: “Papa, Father, you can—can’t you?—get me out of this. Take this cup away from me. But please, not what I want—what do you want?”
37-38 He came back and found them sound asleep. He said to Peter, “Simon, you went to sleep on me? Can’t you stick it out with me a single hour? Stay alert, be in prayer, so you don’t enter the danger zone without even knowing it. Don’t be naive. Part of you is eager, ready for anything in God; but another part is as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire.”
39-40 He then went back and prayed the same prayer. Returning, he again found them sound asleep. They simply couldn’t keep their eyes open, and they didn’t have a plausible excuse.
41-42 He came back a third time and said, “Are you going to sleep all night? No—you’ve slept long enough. Time’s up. The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up. Let’s get going. My betrayer has arrived.”
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
Believe, repent of all sins, and be saved for eternity.
God’s gift of salvation is free for the asking. Jesus has truly paid it all.
There is no sin too great that cannot be forgiven once and for all eternity.
What are we waiting, longing, and preparing for in life right now? Are we praying, “God what do YOU want?” He will answer.
Lord,
Thank you for these thoughts that create an even greater sense of gratitude for all you have done for me and everyone else who asks for your gift of salvation! Nothing on earth is greater than your forgiveness. No one compares to your compassion, love, mercy and grace. Thank you, thank you, thank you for taking my sins to the cross. You did what we cannot do for ourselves. You, dear Jesus, made a way for us to talk with God with nothing standing between us. What a Savior! What a love you have for us!
When we gather with our loved ones over a meal, we tell stories of our past, shared experiences together. We laugh over circumstances that caused us great concern in the moment, but now is just a memory of a lesson learned. “Remember that time when…” begins most sentences as we go back over our lives lived among family and friends.
Jesus’ family of followers, The Twelve, are eating their last meal together, but they don’t fully realize that it is the last—for a little while. They don’t know that this time together leads to the climax of why Jesus came to earth. But Jesus knows. So, Jesus speaks to them in very personal terms with a love that is unfathomable to each one of them—and to us. There is little time left. The cross is in view. But right now, Jesus’ love is expressed to those who left everything behind to follow their Master for three years.
Mark 14, The Message
“This Is My Body”
22 In the course of their meal, having taken and blessed the bread, he broke it and gave it to them. Then he said,
Take, this is my body.
23-24 Taking the chalice, he gave it to them, thanking God, and they all drank from it. He said,
This is my blood, God’s new covenant, Poured out for many people.
25 “I’ll not be drinking wine again until the new day when I drink it in the kingdom of God.”
26 They sang a hymn and then went directly to Mount Olives.
* * *
27-28 Jesus told them, “You’re all going to feel that your world is falling apart and that it’s my fault. There’s a Scripture that says,
I will strike the shepherd; The sheep will scatter.
“But after I am raised up, I will go ahead of you, leading the way to Galilee.”
29 Peter blurted out, “Even if everyone else is ashamed of you when things fall to pieces, I won’t be.”
30 Jesus said, “Don’t be so sure. Today, this very night in fact, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”
31 He blustered in protest, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you.” Allthe others said the same thing.
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
Do we really believe what God says about who He really real—and personal?
When Truth(Jesus) is slandered, blatantly mocked, and arrogantly beaten down in our world, do we deny, hide, or dig in and uphold our belief in Jesus? Does our behavior match our belief? Jesus needs no defense. Truth is truth whether He is believed or not. But can we tell the Truth, live the Truth, and uphold the Truth in us?
Even Peter denied ever knowing Jesus in the moments of fear as He watched Jesus be beaten beyond recognition. In the world in which we live, unbelieving people are getting bolder about tearing down our faith in Jesus. I experienced this last week! The meanness, harsh words, and unbelief broke my heart. Then I remember, many are mentally and physically beaten in some parts of the world who believe but refuse to deny Jesus. In our workplaces, schools, and among our family and friend gatherings the enemy is slinking into every facet of our lives, every conversation, as he masquerades what is socially acceptable deemed as “good” for all, while getting as close to the truth without being truth which fools most people. When behaviors arise that offend God, (and us), why are we surprised?
Notice what Mark writes about how Jesus promises to go ahead of his followers who believe in Truth. He also promises to always be with us who believe as we stand firm as the Body of Christ telling others about Him. Jesus knows what we will need when we need it most.
FACT: When it seems like the world is falling apart all around us as we watch our once trusted leaders in God’s church fall to the temptations of sin, exposed as living a lie, Jesus is still Truth. Jesus will always be Truth for He was the same then as He walked the earth, the same today, and will be the same Truth we can rely on forever. (See Hebrews 13:8)
So, trust Jesus, wholly lean on Jesus’ Name, rely on His wisdom, lay down personal control for His perfect guidance because what He says is True! Jesus also promised and delivered a Helper for us. He gave us the power of His Holy Spirit to challenge us in difficult circumstances, to help us discern Truth from lies, and to be our strength when endurance is needed to stand for Truth!
God’s love for us is personal. God’s top priority is growing a personal, intimate, loving relationship with us. His love never ends, never gives up on us, consistently pursues us, and is relentlessly focused on us. Who on earth can love us like He does? (No one!) Jesus later tells his followers, “Love each other like I love you.” Yes, that’s a tall order but it is the perfect standard by which God’s love is measured in us. Do we love each other the way Jesus loves us?
“This is My Body. This is My Blood”—Jesus Believe and be saved by the Blood shed for our sins.
We are the Body of Christ.
Lord,
There are many thoughts here that come to mind, but one conclusion. No matter what, when all around us seems to fall apart, nothing can separate us from your love. And that’s the Truth. Thank you for loving us the way you do! Thank you for drawing us close to you when we seek you. I was lost but now I am found.
“There’s a Judas among us!” In Hebrew Baby Names the meaning of the name Judas is: Praise.The praised one. However, this name became synonymous with traitor, as the apostle (disciple) Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus Christ for thirty pieces of silver. When Judas delivered the “kiss of death” to Jesus that night in the Garden of Gethsemane, his name no longer meant “the praised one” but “one who betrays under the guise of friendship.”
In Greek Baby Names the meaning of the name Judas is: The apostle, Judas Iscariot, betrayed Jesus Christ for thirty pieces of silver. As a result, the name Judas is used as a synonym for ‘traitor’ and is not often used as a first name.
Jesus knew what was in the heart of Judas. Jesus knew what Judas was thinking that night when he would betray Jesus. Jesus is the Son of God as well as the Son of Man who knew the troubled man behind the pretentious mask of feigned love and friendship that revealed a lost soul. The act of betrayal didn’t happen overnight. The evil who resided in one of The Twelve had been plotting all along to use Judas in an attempt to bring down his rival—Jesus! But Jesus has no rival!
You have no rival, You have no equal Now and forever, God, You reign Yours is the Kingdom, Yours is the Glory Yours is the Name above all names
What a powerful Name it is, what a powerful Name it is The Name of Jesus Christ my King What a powerful Name it is, nothing can stand against What a powerful Name it is, the Name of Jesus
Judas was no match for Jesus! Jesus loved him and came to earth to save him along with everyone else in the world of all our sins. But Judas declined to return Jesus’ love to him.
Mark 14, The Message
Traitor to the Son of Man
12 On the first of the Days of Unleavened Bread, the day they prepare the Passover sacrifice, his disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and make preparations so you can eat the Passover meal?”
13-15 He directed two of his disciples, “Go into the city. A man carrying a water jug will meet you. Follow him. Ask the owner of whichever house he enters, ‘The Teacher wants to know, Where is my guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?’ He will show you a spacious second-story room, swept and ready. Prepare for us there.”
16 The disciples left, came to the city, found everything just as he had told them, and prepared the Passover meal.
17-18 After sunset he came with the Twelve. As they were at the supper table eating, Jesus said, “I have something hard but important to say to you: One of you is going to hand me over to the conspirators, one who at this moment is eating with me.”
19 Stunned, they started asking, one after another, “It isn’t me, is it?”
20-21 He said, “It’s one of the Twelve,one who eats with me out of the same bowl. In one sense, it turns out that the Son of Man is entering into a way of treachery well-marked by the Scriptures—no surprises here. In another sense, the man who turns him in, turns traitor to the Son of Man—better never to have been born than do this!”
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
Don’t be a Judas is my first thought! Betrayal doesn’t end well.
But, friends, we cannot grasp the full meaning of what is happening until we read all the details of what occurred that night. John supplies us with even more meaning through His more detailed recollection. As we read John 13, we come to realize that Judas was treated with the same love that Jesus extended to all His disciples. This kind of love goes beyond our thinking. If we knew a betrayer was in our home, how would be treat him or her? Would we even serve them?
According to John, Jesus added an element of surprise to the Passover Meal when he stepped away from the Head Seat of the Passover Table, laid aside His robe, and then wrapped a towel around his waist. Jesus then picked up a basin of water, meant for the lowliest of the household to wash the feet of those who enter as a sign of hospitality. Washing the sandaled feet of those who daily walked dry, dusty roads was a custom that none of the other disciples thought to carry out that night. But Jesus, King of kings and Lord of lords, the Son of God, did. In this act of service, Jesus showed them the full extent of His love for each one of them—even Judas! Read on…
“Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end.It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.
When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”
“No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!”
Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.”
Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!”
Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.” For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.
Then Jesus Predicts His Betrayal
“I am not saying these things to all of you; I know the ones I have chosen. But this fulfills the Scripture that says, ‘The one who eats my food has turned against me.’I tell you this beforehand, so that when it happens you will believe that I am the Messiah.I tell you the truth, anyone who welcomes my messenger is welcoming me, and anyone who welcomes me is welcoming the Father who sent me.”
Now Jesus was deeply troubled, and he exclaimed, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me!”
The disciples looked at each other, wondering whom he could mean. The disciple Jesus loved was sitting next to Jesus at the table.Simon Peter motioned to him to ask, “Who’s he talking about?” So that disciple leaned over to Jesus and asked, “Lord, who is it?”
Jesus responded, “It is the one to whom I give the bread I dip in the bowl.” And when he had dipped it, he gave it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot. When Judas had eaten the bread, Satan entered into him. Then Jesus told him, “Hurry and do what you’re going to do.” None of the others at the table knew what Jesus meant. Since Judas was their treasurer, some thought Jesus was telling him to go and pay for the food or to give some money to the poor. So Judas left at once, going out into the night.” John 13:1-30, NIV
Jesus taught AND demonstrated the love of God for His disciples to hear and see. Jesus not only taught us to love those who love us back but to love even our enemies. Now, in the last meal with The Twelve, Jesus bends down to show them the FULL EXTENT of this love God has for each one of His created and washes ALL those dirty, dusty feet—even the feet of Judas, his betrayer.
“Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.” –Jesus
You were the Word at the beginning One with God the Lord Most High Your hidden glory in creation Now, revealed in You our Christ
What a beautiful Name it is, what a beautiful Name it is The Name of Jesus Christ my King What a beautiful Name it is, nothing compares to this What a beautiful Name it is, the Name of Jesus
You didn’t want heaven without us So Jesus, You brought heaven down My sin was great, Your love was greater What could separate us now?
What a wonderful Name it is, what a wonderful Name it is The Name of Jesus Christ my King What a wonderful Name it is, nothing compares to this…
Judas had a choice. He chose to betray His Teacher who would become the Savior of the world. Judas was later full of regret that night, but not enough to ask for forgiveness. Instead, he hung himself. The “kiss” Judas gave to Jesus for the soldiers to see as a sign indicating “this is the one” was delivered the same night Jesus washed his feet and served him the Passover meal. (Mind blown, right?) This kiss became Judas’ own “kiss of death” forever.
Jesus, “deeply troubled,” knew what Judas would choose.
Jesus continued the mission God sent Him to complete until the sacrifice was finished on earth for the sins of the world. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 But as we know, this was only the beginning…
Death could not hold You, the veil tore before You You silenced the boast of sin and grave The Heavens are roaring the praise of Your glory For You are raised to life again
You have no rival, You have no equal Now and forever, God, You reign Yours is the Kingdom, Yours is the Glory Yours is the Name above all names
What a powerful Name it is, what a powerful Name it is The Name of Jesus Christ my King What a powerful Name it is, nothing can stand against What a powerful Name it is, the Name of Jesus
(Songwriters: Ben Fielding / Brooke Ligertwood, “What A Beautiful Name”)
Lord,
Thank you for your love that cannot be measured in human terms but yet you relentlessly love us still. Thank you for this love that leads to forgiveness of all our sins. Thank you for dying in my place for the punishment I deserve. And most of all thank you for demonstrating the full of extent of your love so that we could have an example to follow that is above all other loves. May we take this passage to heart as you fill us with your love today. Then, by your power within us, may we demonstrate your love to others.
In Jesus Name, Amen
“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”—Jesus
In moment of eating with friends, you are taken back in emotion over a surprising act of devotion, love, and respect. But then, after dinner, one of your friends, who you loved and trusted, betrays you secretly without mercy. It happens. We live in an imperfect, broken world.
But be encouraged, Jesus knows the world we live in that is full of fickle, unpredictable people. Some believe. Some do not. Lost people follow the “influencers” of the day and judge harshly those who do not. Because of their lostness and indecisiveness, their souls have been sold to evil one who is the father of lies and manipulator of the trouble in this world. Satan uses people to perpetuate his lies. We are all caught in the crossfire! Sometimes we even shoot our own!
Mark 14, The Message
Anointing His Head
1-2 In only two days the eight-day Festival of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread would begin. The high priests and religion scholars were looking for a way they could seize Jesus by stealth and kill him. They agreed that it should not be done during Passover Week. “We don’t want the crowds up in arms,” they said.
3-5 Jesus was at Bethany, a guest of Simon the Leper.While he was eating dinner, a woman came up carrying a bottle of very expensive perfume. Opening the bottle, she poured it on his head. Some of the guests became furious among themselves. “That’s criminal! A sheer waste! This perfume could have been sold for well over a year’s wages and handed out to the poor.” They swelled up in anger, nearly bursting with indignation over her.
6-9 But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why are you giving her a hard time? She has just done something wonderfully significant for me. You will have the poor with you every day for the rest of your lives. Whenever you feel like it, you can do something for them. Not so with me. She did what she could when she could—she pre-anointed my body for burial. And you can be sure that wherever in the whole world the Message is preached, what she just did is going to be talked about admiringly.”
10-11 Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the cabal of high priests, determined to betray him. They couldn’t believe their ears, and promised to pay him well. He started looking for just the right moment to hand him over.
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
The woman honors Jesus with expensive perfume. Judas betrays Jesus after dinner. All in a day’s work for Jesus who came to earth to seek and to save the lost.
In this world, we will have troubles along with the precious times when all goes well. Through it all, Jesus, our Savior and Lord, makes it well with our souls!
Jesus knows the world in which we are navigating today. He knows that there are good times along with the difficult moments in our lives that challenge our faith and trust in Him. But “take heart,”says Jesus! Jesus has overcome this world and is preparing a place for us in God’s forever Kingdom. Jesus has already won the war with the prince of darkness who still causes trouble and tries to distract and block our view of God. We need to remember that we can and will endure temporary skirmishes with evil by calling on the Name of Jesus because it is Jesus who has already won the war!
And that’s not all! Don’t forget the promise of a Helper, God’s Holy Spirit, who comes in power to live in all who believe. As we go and tell the Good News of salvation through Jesus, He also promises to be with us always! All day long and through the night—He is with us. There is power to obey in Jesus Name!
The woman showed her devotion by giving up her savings of expensive perfume meant for burial embalming. She gave it up from a deep sense of love for the One who loved her first.
Judas showed the true colors of his heart in his betrayal of Jesus, the One who loved him first.
So, which response to Jesus who loves us, most resembles our lives’ actions? Yes, I know I’m getting personal as we get right to the heart of the matter. But it is good to evaluate our lives and ask for help with cleansing from God to remove from us what offends Him.
Take heart, Jesus has overcome the world in which we live, too.
Lord,
The thoughts you have led me to this morning are seriously personal and cause me to fall to my knees in humbled gratitude for who you are. Cleanse my heart, renew my mind, refresh my soul with your new mercies along with your wisdom and discernment, and restore the joy of your salvation at work within me by your power—all because of your amazing love for me. Thank you! I love you, Lord with all that is within me.
Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus) 