Good Friday

Matthew 27:32-60

As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!"

In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.' " In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling Elijah."

Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. The rest said, "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him."

And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!"

Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.

As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.

There were all kinds of reactions, that first Good Friday, to the cross. Simon of Cyrene was forced into service. The Roman soldiers gambled to divide Jesus' clothes. Others hurled insults and accusations at Jesus.

Still, there were those who asked insightful questions, saw the truth of who He was and reached out to minister to Jesus. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. Joseph took the body down from the cross and prepared it for burial after Pilate had Jesus certified as dead.

Why is this day so important? Because of this: Jesus went to the cross and died for you, so God offers you salvation. It's His free gift to you. There are no strings attached, there's no manipulation, there are no gimmicks. All you have to do is humbly receive that gift.

The apostle Paul wrote, "If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. (Romans 10:9-10)

Jesus' crucifixion warrants a response from each one of us. What will your response to Jesus be today?

RDM

Wednesday of Holy Week

John 13:1-20
It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.

The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"

Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."

"No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."

"Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"

Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

"I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture: 'He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.'

"I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He. I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me."

These twelve friends of Jesus knew the meaning of “devotional time with God.”

They didn’t set out fifteen minutes at the beginning or end of each day for a “devo;” they followed the Christ for close to three years: homeless, transient, outcast, and evading arrest.

At the call of Christ, Peter had left everything to follow Him. Surely, he knew what it meant to be devoted to the Christ? Instead, Peter tried to stop Him with a question in v.6 and a retort in v.8 that amount to a very polite way of saying, “Not on my watch, Lord!”

Until now, Peter hadn’t let the Son of God love him and hadn’t allowed himself to be blessed by His love. He hadn’t allowed Jesus to draw him close.

Suddenly, in these verses, his Rabbi and Master approached Peter in the lowest servant’s role dressed to do the least desirable task. Peter recognized that he ought to be the one washing Jesus’ feet.

Jesus modelled selfless servanthood as the greatest devotion that anyone could show. Jesus restored the cultural standard of love to the high watermark of God’s love. And in blessing Peter with a humble love of heavenly portion, Jesus revealed that true devotion is pressing in to intimacy with Him.

If you haven’t let Jesus wash your feet yet, then give in and let God love you.

If you have let Him wash your feet but you have settled there and told Him, with one reason or another, that it was enough, then let God love you with a greater intimacy than you ever thought He could before.

These are the devotional times God is waiting for us to have with Him.

VS

Friday

Psalm 118:10-21

They surrounded me on every side,
but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.
They swarmed around me like bees,
but they died out as quickly as burning thorns;
in the name of the LORD I cut them off.
I was pushed back and about to fall,
but the LORD helped me.
The LORD is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
Shouts of joy and victory
resound in the tents of the righteous:
"The LORD's right hand has done mighty things!
The LORD's right hand is lifted high;
the LORD's right hand has done mighty things!"
I will not die but live,
and will proclaim what the LORD has done.
The LORD has chastened me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.
Open for me the gates of righteousness;
I will enter and give thanks to the LORD.
This is the gate of the LORD
through which the righteous may enter.
I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
you have become my salvation.

I think we have all experienced extreme moments, seemingly hopeless and overpowering situations in which we feel ourselves stretche to our utter limit and about to fall. Perhaps some of us feel that way right now.

Such experiences are frightening, painful and difficult, but they are necessary and useful elements of the Christian journey, providing us with unique opportunities to recognize and appreciate the inadequacy of our own resources and perceptions and to discover (or rediscover) the unimaginably profound dimensions of the life that God, at all times and in all places, is ready to give to us.

Only when we are willing to release control and ownership of our lives back to Him, can His resources and perceptions become a living and life-saving reality in us. The full significance and power of faith can only be realized in the context of genuine challenge, and though He opens the gate for us, it is up to us to walk through. Only then can His strength become our strength, and His song become our song.

Just as an eagle soaring high in the sky does not concern itself with bridges to cross, so too can we shout for joy in a world plagued with misery and fear.

RM

Tuesday

Isaiah 50: 4 - 9

The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue,
to know the word that sustains the weary.
He wakens me morning by morning,
wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.
The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears;
I have not been rebellious,
I have not turned away.
I offered my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;
I did not hide my face
from mocking and spitting.
Because the Sovereign LORD helps me,
I will not be disgraced.
Therefore have I set my face like flint,
and I know I will not be put to shame.
He who vindicates me is near.
Who then will bring charges against me?
Let us face each other!
Who are my accusers?
Let them confront me!
It is the Sovereign LORD who helps me.
Who will condemn me?
They will all wear out like a garment;
the moths will eat them up.


I'd like this passage to be true about me -- but as I read it, I have to admit I don't usually know the word to sustain the weary. I do hide my face from mocking and spitting. I have been rebellious, and I know I've turned away.

Then I read verses 8 and 9: "He who vindicates me is near" and "It is the Sovereign LORD who helps me."

Jesus suffered scorn and death. He was spit upon and despised. His ears were open to His Father's words, and He spoke the words that sustain the weary. and because of this, I am no longer accused. God Himself helps me, and I will not be disgraced.

Wow.