April 17-Palm Sunday

Read Mark 11:1-10

As a mom I love being able to watch the joy on my children’s faces Christmas morning. I love it when my son opens “the toy” (that I searched for in five stores before paying shipping costs to order it online). He opens it and his little face just screams with joy and excitement. He will play with this one toy everyday for a month after Christmas. Eventually this same toy will end up broken, left on the bottom of the toy box, or it will be outgrown.

The Jews who celebrated Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday remind me of children and their toys.  They played nicely with Jesus for a while, but then they played rough.  When they finally broke him, they threw him away.  They had outgrown him anyway.  We may not see ourselves treating Jesus so roughly or carelessly.  But like a child with a toy we may well lose interest in Jesus for a while.

May the joy and excitement of knowing Jesus never become something we think we can outgrow.

Prayer: Father, I come to you this day in a spirit of thanksgiving for the mercy you showed me by sending your Son to die for my sins.  Help me examine the obstacles I put up that keep me from my quiet time with you.  Help me to be disciplined to spend time every day with you in your word and in prayer.  I pray that my joy will be sustained by spending time glorifying you.  Amen. 

April 18-Monday of Holy Week

Read Matthew 26:36-46

                Unfortunately none of us are immune to suffering. Sadness, sickness, loss, and grief are the most recognized forms of suffering, but do we give as much thought toward spiritual suffering? We commonly think of the scourging at the pillar, crowning of thorns, carrying his own cross to Golgotha. When we think of the cross, we tend to think of the physical sufferings, which were excruciating. But the physical sufferings paled in comparison to the spiritual torture of the cross.  God the Father would turn His face from His Son.  At the height of his sufferings, Jesus cried “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34).  We can imagine the agony of the physical suffering, but we have trouble understanding just how intense the spiritual pain was that Jesus bore for us.

                My church often receives requests for prayer. Most of the requests were for healing of sickness, physical ailments, upcoming surgeries, etc. Don’t get me wrong, those are all things that need prayer. But no one, including myself, was willing to ask prayers for spiritual sufferings. In the midst of Jesus’ spiritual sufferings he asked the disciples to pray with him.  I wonder how the Body of Christ would be different if we shared our spiritual sufferings corporately?  While in the middle of my own spiritual sufferings, I decided to step out and ask a small group of Christian women for their prayers. My joy was restored immediately.  Their prayers led me back in to the scriptures where God revealed powerful words to me that revived and refreshed my spirit. I had been suffering alone for over a year, yet when I asked for prayer and I personally spent time in the word I was renewed.

                If you are suffering spiritually, I would encourage you to pray for the strength and courage to share that with others. You don’t have to suffer alone. Today remember Jesus’ physical and spiritual sufferings.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Grant me the courage to seek help in all my spiritual sufferings. Put people in my life that will be prayer warriors for me, and I for them. Surround me with encouraging people and allow us to lift one another up in prayer to you. Help me make the choice to glorify your name in the good, the bad, and the ugly. Help me remember your Son’s sufferings and how he sought your strength through prayer. Amen.

April 19-Tuesday of Holy Week

Read Luke 23:39-43

                Around Easter time I love to listen to the song by the Christian band Third Day entitled, “Thief.” It beautifully illustrates the story of the criminal on the cross with Jesus. A few verses read “Who is this man, this man beside me, that they call the King of the Jews. They don’t believe that he’s the Messiah. But somehow I know that it’s true…My time has come, I’m slowly fading, but I deserve what I receive. Jesus when you, in your kingdom. Could you please, please remember me. He looks at me still holding on, the tears fall from his eyes. He says ‘I tell the truth Today you will be with me in paradise.”

                This song moves me to tears nearly every time I hear it. This criminal rebuked Jesus in the beginning, but in the end received salvation. It was only the grace of God that transformed this sinner’s heart to an attitude of saving faith and confession. He began to see the justice of his own punishment (v. 41), the fact that Jesus was sinless (v. 41), and he recognized Jesus’ kingdom beyond the cross (v.42). This is such a hopeful story to us as Christians because it reminds us that no matter what we do on this earth, so long as we repent, believe in Jesus Christ, and seek forgiveness through his name we too can be with him in paradise.

                There have been many instances in my life when I felt there was no coming back to God. God would never forgive me for what I’ve done. If you feel the same, you should know that there is forgiveness through the cross of Christ. A criminal inherited the kingdom of Heaven. Paul, himself a former persecutor of the faith, became its greatest defender (Acts 9:1-31). Today seek forgiveness for yourself. Ask forgiveness for your “unthinkable” sin.  God is there with grace and mercy. Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Ephesians 1:7 “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.”

Prayer: God please forgive me for_________. I know it was wrong and I seek the forgiveness as promised in your scriptures to believers of Christ. I love you and I’m sorry for my offenses. Thank you for showing your mercy on me and giving me the grace of salvation in Christ Jesus. Amen.

April 20-Wednesday of Holy Week

Read Luke 22:47-53

                All of us have felt betrayed at one point or another. Someone you loved cheated on you.  A family member did not take “your side” in an argument.   A seemingly happy spouse leaves after 30 years of marriage, etc. Everyone knows how it feels. The defining factor comes in how you handled the betrayal. Did you act out, spend weeks depressed, participate in destructive behavior, end a friendship, or become estranged from family? These are the typical reactions to betrayal, but what about immediate forgiveness. Did you say a prayer for your betrayer, or use the occasion to grow closer to God and spend time in scripture?

                Jesus set the ultimate example of how to emit forgiveness in the midst of suffering when he uttered one of the most well known phrases of the crucifixion, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”( Luke 23:34).

When the guards came to arrest Jesus as a result of Judas’ betrayal, the disciples responded in ways that many of us would. They fought. Peter struck the ear of a guard with a sword (John 18:10-11). Isn’t this our natural reaction? When someone you love is wrongly accused, your first instinct is to fight. We are human as the disciples were. Peter exhibited his humanity on several occasions this night; the striking of the guard and his three denials. But Jesus, the Son of God, had a different response. Luke 22:51 says that Jesus healed the guard. Jesus healed the very people who arrested him.

                When we feel betrayed, our human reaction is to talk negatively about them.  It’s easier to hate than to forgive.  But refusing to forgive a trespasser can have detrimental effects on your spiritual life. We are denying future blessings from God when we choose not to forgive.  If you have denied forgiveness to someone, pray that today will be the day you grant forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Father, I remember the example your son gave for forgiveness. You call me to forgive others in the prayer you taught me and you forgive me of my sins through the death and resurrection of your son. I pray for ______ (insert name). Help me to forgive them for______ (insert transgression). Give me your strength, so that I may glorify your name in obedience to you. Amen.

April 21-Thursday of Holy Week

Read John 16:16-33

                As a woman and a mother I have had the privilege to give birth to my three beautiful children. With each pregnancy the anticipation of labor made me anxious and afraid.  I labored for 20 hours with my first child, 17 hours with my second, and about 13 hours with my third.  I endured all three deliveries without pain killers, so I know full well the pains associated with labor. More importantly I know the joys that come from holding those babies in my arms immediately following delivery.   So when Jesus uses a woman in the midst of child birth to describe his death, and resurrection to his disciples, he gets my attention. It helps me to think of the events of Holy Week in the language of pregnancy, labor, and delivery. Palm Sunday reminds me of the excitement of becoming pregnant. You feel joy because soon you will welcome a baby into the world.  Good Friday reminds me of labor.  It is intense and miserable. But when the child is born, all the pain you suffered previously is gone because you are united with your child, whose coming you have been anticipating.   

Jesus compares his hour—his suffering to the hour of a woman who is going through the pain of giving birth to her child. Here’s what Jesus is saying—I’m like a woman in labor when her hour has come.  And I’m like a woman who, in spite of the pain, is filled with joy at the sight of the child.  When Jesus endured the pain and suffering and indignities on the cross he did it so that you could be born again. 

Prayer:  Lord, thank you for the suffering you endured, the suffering you compared to a woman in labor.  Thank you for enduring this for us so that  we could be born again.  We ask that all this be done for the glory of your kingdom. Amen.

April 22-Good Friday

Read Matthew 27:15-26

                One Palm Sunday I attended a Catholic mass with a friend of mine. Although I am Protestant in my theology, I did experience a wonderful service that prepared me for Easter. During the mass readings, the entire congregation read in unison, the events leading up to the crucifixion.  The readings included the scene in front of Pilate, when the crowd was given the option between having Barabbas or Jesus released. The priest assumed the part of the “narrator.”  A deacon was “Pilate,” and the remaining parishioners were the “crowd.” The deacon spoke and the congregation responded in unison, “Crucify Him, Crucify Him.” Saying those words out loud, I was overcome with emotion. At that moment I remembered that it was for my sin, that Jesus had to die.

                Have your family read aloud Matthew 27:15-26. When you come upon verse 22 try to put yourself back in time and imagine that you are standing before Jesus and shouting “Let him be crucified!” It is very powerful imagery.  Let us never forget that we are undeserving of God’s grace and mercy. We called for his crucifixion, yet we will inherit the kingdom of heaven.

One day my husband and I were talking about what we hoped heaven was like and what we hoped to see. I said that when I get to Heaven I hope that when I see Jesus I can hold the hands and kiss the feet that took the nails in my place. We are wicked, imperfect, wretched people, but our hope of salvation is the empty grave. Today read the passage from Matthew out loud with your family remembering that we crucified him, so we can inherit God’s kingdom.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank you for being a merciful and gracious God, that loved me so much you sent your one and only son, that whosoever believes in him, shall not perish, but have eternal life. Thank you for that gift of hope. I wait anxiously for the day I can hold the hands and kiss the feet that took my nails on the cross. Amen.

April 23-Saturday of Holy Week

Read Matthew 27:45-56, 28:1-10

                What if someone invented a time machine? Suppose you would be able to use this time machine for the low cost of $1 million per use. You would be able to choose any time period you wanted to go back to, so long as you had the money. Now imagine that your church has offered to fund that trip, as long as you go back to the time of the crucifixion. Would you still want to go?  Would you want to go and personally witness the suffering of Christ?   Worse yet, would you want to risk the chance of being a member of the crowd calling for his crucifixion?

                I do not imagine anyone will be creating a time machine anytime soon, but we do have an opportunity to witness a re-enactment of the crucifixion through the movie The Passion of the Christ. You can see and hear James Caviezel, portraying Jesus, say in Aramaic, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? To not be brought to tears at any point throughout this movie is a real test.

I remember when the movie first came out my immediate and extended family all sat together and watched it during an Easter gathering.  One particular family member asked why we would want to watch the movie, because it was so violent.  She asked as if we were choosing to sit down and watch a fictional action movie like The Bourne Identity or some movie like that. I don’t remember my response, but obviously she was overruled because we watched the movie.

                To my family member, watching this movie was a reminder to her of that she didn’t have a relationship with God.  She was not prepared to use the movie as a tool for reflection. To her this was just a movie, which had unnecessary scenes of violence. I feel many people viewed The Passion of the Christ as a great story, with great visuals, but an unnecessary use of violence. If that is how you viewed this movie originally, I would encourage you to watch it again with a renewed spirit. Find a copy of The Passion of the Christ. Watch the movie as a tool for reflection rather than entertainment. Watch it with your family and discuss the movie together when it is finished. Talk about how it made you feel, what emotions emerged, how did it affect your faith?

The movie does show graphic depictions of Christ’s suffering, which may be too intense for young viewers to understand. For families with young children use a children’s Bible or Christian Easter storybook to discuss Christ’s death on the cross.

Prayer: Father God, thank you for allowing us to live in an age where we can view the crucifixion as best we can through visual interpretations in movies.  Let that never be a replacement, however; for the reading of your scriptures. It is only in spending time in your word that we can truly come to understand your sacrifice, your love, your compassion, your mercy, and your grace.  Amen.

April 24-Easter Sunday

Read Mark 16:15-18 (Early manuscripts do not include 16:9-20. See Lk. 24:46-48, Jn. 17:18; 20:21, Acts 1:8 for further study)

                Jesus has risen! The End. Unfortunately, I believe some Christians read the Bible this way. If this is all there is then where is the hope for sinners like us to receive salvation? Where is the hope for other nations, peoples, your neighbors, friends, or family to receive salvation? Nowhere in the Bible does it say Jesus has risen now keep this to yourself and tell no one. That’s ludicrous! After the resurrection Jesus came back with a message to his disciples, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation…” (Mark 16: 15).

                I stay home with my children, so my regular adult interaction is with my husband (a Christian), and my friends at church (Christians). Rarely do I step out of my box and talk about Jesus with the person behind me in the checkout line at Wal-mart. I don’t stand on the sidewalk and hand out tracts with messages of salvation to a lost world.  But those are not the only ways to evangelize.  Opportunities for evangelism are closer than you think.

                Parents you have a great audience for evangelism—your children.  Children are very receptive to the gospel.  They haven’t accumulated all of the resistance mechanisms that adults have.   How do you break through those resistance mechanisms?  There are actually some creative ways you can do this. You might ask that a prayer be said for Thanksgiving dinner, even when you are the only believing Christian in the room.  

The Gospel is the sort of news that needs to be taken to all people with the conviction that this is something everyone needs to know, a message everyone needs to hear.  Use your actions, words, appearance, character, etc. to proclaim the gospel message of Christ’s death and resurrection for forgiveness of our sins.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we live in a world that denies your sovereignty. Your word tells us that there is only one path to salvation and that is through your son Jesus Christ (John 14:6). Grant me the enthusiasm to evangelize to those I surround myself with. Use my words, actions, and appearance to evangelize to others I come in contact with. I pray that the seeds of salvation planted in those I speak with will be fruitful and used to glorify the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen.