My World in March

This month has been different. Hubby and I enjoyed the warm days we had in February; March has been a different story.  We have enjoyed the days at the end of last week. Last Friday, the temperature got to 75 degrees. (I call that Florida weather.) I got to spend some time on my porch over the weekend.

Because of the downturn of the weather, I have felt sort of listless. I have begun a book proposal for the collection of meditations I have assembled. Figuring out the target audience is going to be interesting. I also am slowly working the competitive title analysis has been daunting.

A group of people at our church have been working to put together a presentation for Good Friday. I have been assisting the director with some of the plans and the staging. But we hit a glitch with one of my ideas. We will work around that speed bump. When I discovered a problem with what we wanted to do, I talked to the director and we decided we could backup and start again.

April looks to be a bit brighter for me with the Good Friday drama, an evaluation meeting, a Sunday school class party, and a possible trip with Hubby. I will find time to do some work on my de-cluttering and my book proposal. And I hope to get in some quality porch time.

Some scenes from our Good Friday drama

Watching Jesus enter Jerusalem

                                                         
                                                 The servant girl and Peter in the courtyard

                                                  A Jewish sign painter and a Roman Soldier

                                                               John comforting Mary

                                                   Tying the scenes together, our narrator,

Jesus’ Prayer for Us

John 17:20-26

            In this passage, Jesus prays for those who will believe in Him in the future, that’s us, you and me. Just think about that for a second. Jesus prayed for you and me.

           

            He asks the Father that we be unified in love for one another. Jesus requests this so that the people we meet in the present day will believe that God sent Him.

             In our world, we have many different groups, each with their own views on the way to worship God. Barclay tells us we should love and respect one another. ¹.

            Our Lord gave those who believe in Him glory, the glory the Father has given Him. Jesus prays that we receive future glory in proportion to our temporal sufferings while we are on earth. Yes, we will suffer for Jesus while we go through life here on earth.

            Our Lord wants us to be with Him and to see His glory. Jesus speaks not of His crucifixion but of His glorification. The Cross would bring Him glory.

            As 21^st Century Christians, we can remain close to Jesus by studying God’s word, spending time in prayer, sharing the scriptures with others, and yielding to Him when we face trials and tribulation. When we practice these ways, we honor Him.

            You may ask, how can we do these things? Have you considered joining a prayer or a Bible study group? Do you have a set time for your personal devotions and prayer time?  

1.      Daily Study Bible, Book of John, Vol.2 © 1975 Westminster Press, Phila, p.271 

Jesus’ Prayers to the Father

Jesus Prays for Himself

Pastor Mark Robinson.com

John 17:1-5

           

            We see here a very intimate time between our Lord and His Father. Barclay states this degree of intimacy can only happen because of Calvary.¹ Also, He describes the Cross as the gateway to everlasting glory.²

            We realize Jesus obeyed His Father by going to Jerusalem. He could have turned back at any time.

            Jesus had spoken to the disciples in what we call straight language as He prepared them for what lay ahead for them all. Here, as He talks with the Father, Jesus speaks of his being glorified and returning to the glory He had before the world was created.

            In our own relationships with God, we have times when we have times of deep prayer about issues looming on our horizons. We look forward to being able to converse with our Father and tell Him what is in our hearts. Personally, those times are the best times of prayer for me.

His Prayer for His Disciples

John 17:6-19

            In this passage. Jesus shares his feelings about His disciples. He tells the Father that He, Jesus, knows that these men were given to Him and they had obeyed the Father’s Word. Jesus prays for them because they belong to God. All things belong to God and to Jesus.

            In our prayer times, we ought to feel we are able to share our deepest thoughts on any subject with God. Maybe these thoughts are not things we dare share with even our closest friend or even our spouse. The hurt might be too deep for anyone but God.

            The Master asks not that they be taken out of the world but that they be protected from the enemy. William Barclay states, “He never prayed that they might find escape; He prayed that they might find victory.” ³

When we pray for someone who finds themselves in a crisis, we do them a disservice if we ask God to take them out of the circumstance. If we asked God to take them out of that situation, God may want that person to learn a lesson that he or she would not otherwise learn. Instead, we should ask God to guide him or her through the problem and give them the strength they need to get through it.

           

            Jesus prays for the disciples’ protection and their unity, “so that they may be one as we are one.”(Verse 11c) We should do likewise.

________________________

        1. Daily Study Bible, Book of John, vol.2, Westminster Press Phila. © 1975pp. 206-207

          2. Ibid. p. 207                                                                                                                        

           3. Op Cit.  p. 215

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Change

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            In a way, this is a slight departure from the topic of Lenten thoughts. Please bear with me.

            The disciples faced a major change in their lives. Their Master told them He was going to leave them. They could not fathom what Jesus said. We have Peter and his misguided declaration of following the Lord to the end.

            The youth at our church are facing a change in their lives. Our youth leaders all graduate from college this spring. All three of them came here from an adjacent state. The main youth leader and his fiancée, also a youth leader, will get married sometime this summer. We believe they will all return to their home state.

            Several of us have been aware that this time was coming. Those in church leadership roles have been discussing this upcoming time and how to transition through this change.

            Word has come to me that one of the comments heard from a youth member is, “I don’t like change.” I understand the thought. At different points in our lives, none of us like change. I believe one reason we don’t care for change is we have a fear of the unknown. We sometimes have seen change whose result caused more problems than were present before.

            When I was a freshman in college, about midway through the first semester, one of the girls in the dorm told some of us she wasn’t coming back for the second semester. Some of us took it hard. Another freshman girl mentioned it to some upper-class girls in her Greek organization. She shared the response with some of us.

            “That’s going to happen the rest of your life.” The response referred to people moving out of our lives. As I have become older and have seen many changes in my life. I know the response given to one of my peers is true.

            The disciples faced and eventually went through losing their Master. All but one of them deserted Jesus as the cross loomed bigger and bigger on the horizon. Our Lord promised to send a helper, the Holy Spirit.

            Because of the arrival of the Holy Spirit, they yielded themselves to Him, returned to Jesus’s teaching, and grew in their faith to aid in enlarging the Kingdom.

            As a young adult, I taught a junior high Sunday school class. Late one winter, the pastor announced he had accepted a call to pastor another church in the southern part of our state. This pastor was departing our church after at least 15 years. (Memory won’t give me the exact number of years.)

            When our class met again, the subject came up. One of the boys told the class that pastor was the only one he had known. I didn’t know what to say. Later, I realized these boys and girls feared the unknown.

            Change will come:

           

            Children grow,

            Young people go to college or start working.

            People get married,

            People move to another neighborhood, community, or state. (I discovered earlier this year that a friend of mine’s stepdaughter moved to London, England.)

            Marriages fail and dissolve

            People pass away

            Neighborhoods change

            Cities change

            Relationships change

            Not all change is bad. When Jesus went to the cross, God sent the Holy Spirit to help us through the difficulties of our lives. We grow because of the work of the Trinity. Without the Holy Spirit, the disciples would have returned to their previous trades and God’s Kingdom would not have been enlarged at that time.

            How do you react to change in your lives? Do you accept things easier as an adult than you did as a child? Do you have any suggestions for the up and coming generations about changes they will see in their lives?

Possible Thoughts of the Disciples

                                                                                                                   

 John 15:18-16:4   

                                         

 John 16:5-16                                                                                   

                                         

         

The Inspirational Wordpress.com.

    

                                           

            “What is the Master saying?”

            “He speaks of our being persecuted because He chose us from those of the world. Why?”

            “They hated Him without reason?” Who would do that?”

            “How can this be for our good that he leaves us?”

            “He will send someone in his place, why? Why can’t He choose to stay with us?”

            “This new person will guide us? He will convict the world?”

            “Why does He not make sense to us?”

            The disciples heard Jesus speak of hatred, persecution, shunning, and killing of those who believe in Him. Questions arose in the disciples’ minds. Jesus’ words pierced their hearts, bringing grief to the forefront.

            We present-day Christians should look closely at His words and ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten and strengthen us.

            What questions would we ask about how our world reacts to Christianity in our world today? Could it be possible that we may have the same questions? Or because we have information the disciples lacked, would we realize that because we belong to Jesus we will experience those same negative actions from the world?

Thoughts on Lent

My Song in the Night

            I worship in a faith community that observes the season of Lent. On March 1, we held Ash Wednesday service. We had, as our guests, congregants from a sister church and their newly-appointed pastor.

            In my Lenten devotional reading, one author reminds me that our practice of observing the season recalls the 40 days our Lord spent in the wilderness. Another writer calls it a time of preparation for Easter. I am interested in the practice of fasting.

Fasting

            The custom of fasting or giving something up during these 40 days reminds us of what Jesus went through both in the wilderness and during the time between His entrance into Jerusalem and His being crucified at Golgotha.

            We might give up whatever we feel we depend upon. One friend said she was giving up caffeine because she realized she felt she needed that latte every day.

            Some people choose to give up chocolate or sweets each year because they have developed a daily habit of indulging, or shall I say overindulging, in those treats.

            One of the devotional guides I read last year, and am reading again for this year, “40 Days of Decrease” takes a different approach to the practice of fasting. The author suggests we fast something different each day.

            Back when I was in college, I tried to give up a long-standing habit I had. However, I was not able to sustain my resolve for the entire 40 days.  I didn’t give it much thought through the intervening years until we had a pastor in our old church who posed the idea that we, as a congregation, observe Lent, including fasting a habit or a treat.

            The pastor of our present church has, in the past, has reminded us to fast a meal or two one day a week through the weeks of our Lenten observance. Some people can’t give up a meal for reasons of health. The current idea is that we give up a certain part of our meals, like that pie, cake, or ice cream, we enjoy afterward. One friend of mine gave up her nook one Lent. I gave up sugar one year and discovered sugar was more than a substance that I put in my tea. 

 

            We can also consider adding something to our daily life that we believe will help us become better people. On one of the social media sites, the husband of a friend of mine posted the suggestion that we might consider de-cluttering our homes as well as our lives during this season. Yes, I have considered this specific practice and have already started *but I haven’t kept up with it.* I plan to get back on it as soon as I finish updating this blog.

Jesus Assumes a Servant’s Role

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          John 13:1-17 

            Jesus, the possessor of all authority of God, washed the disciples’ feet. We wonder why He would do something that servants were expected to do.

            Our Lord knows of the upcoming betrayal and who would do it. He knew the hearts of the eleven others. Jesus modeled love to them. I am sure they were humbled by the Master’s deed. It must have been very personal to all of them.

            What was Jesus doing when He did this?

William Barclay indicates out that the Teacher makes an underlying point beside the visual image of foot washing.

            Our Lord showed them there is greatness by service, the only kind of greatness.He chose the most menial task to illustrate the point.  Anything else is selfishness. What are examples of service?

Volunteering for a task,

Visiting those who are ill,

Praying for others consistently.

Donating to ministries,

Working in ministries.

I look at this list and realize I have times when I  come up short in these areas. I want to do better but I also want to do as God wants me to do.

At the Passover Meal

DaVinci, Art and the Bible 

John 13:18-30

Jesus tells his 12 disciples of his imminent betrayal. He explains his reason for sharing this news, “so that when it happens, you will believe I am He.”(John 13:19)

Were any of the disciples listening?  Simon Peter was curious about who would do something like that. However, he was afraid to inquire about this of the Master. So, he asked John to do it.

John asked and Jesus gave a clue. “He then dipped a piece of bread into a dish and gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.”(John13:26b) The NIV reads that Satan entered into Judas and then told Judas Iscariot to do what he must do quickly.Does this not tell us that Satan was present at that holy event?

Have you ever wondered what you would do if you had been there and heard Jesus’ instruction to Judas? I have. Would I have realized what He meant and tried to have stopped Judas from departing? Or would I try to accompany Judas because of our close relationship in the band of disciples? Or even, would I have reclined there oblivious to the exchange between the two of them? I will never know.

Mary’s Thoughts

Beliefnet

Luke 2:1-20

            Have you considered what Mary thought about when the angel Gabriel comes to her and told her of God’s plan? Or have you ever wondered what Mary thought about during Jesus’ life? Let’s look at each recorded scene in Mary’s life and explore the meaning of what might happen.

At the Angel’s Visit

            Mary, a young girl from a poor family, is pledged to Joseph, a local carpenter. There are three steps to marriage for Hebrew young couples. First, the parents meet and discuss the possibility of a union. Then the couple becomes “pledged”, the only way a pledging could end was through the death of one of the couple or through a divorce. The final step is the marriage ceremony.

            This message the angel brings, if Mary accepts it, will bring pain, ridicule and possible rejection by her peers, she might lose her fiancé.

            However, Mary chooses to obey God. Did you catch that? She CHOOSES to obey God.

In the Stable

            She sits quietly and listens to the shepherds jubilantly tell the story of how they heard of the birth of her son. They tell her of the angel and then the angel host and their message. These lowly workers are thrilled to know that they saw angels from God. Mary sits and listens and records their words in her heart.

Simeon

            Simeon, devoted to God, is at the Temple when Joseph takes Mary and baby Jesus for the purification rite. When Simeon asks to hold the baby, he praises God. In essence, he tells God he is ready to go to heaven in peace. Simeon calls the baby Jesus God’s salvation for His people.

            As Joseph and Mary depart the Temple with Jesus, Simeon gives a blessing to them and says; “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be s a sign that will be spoken against, so the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul, too.”(Luke 2:34, NIV)

            Do you think that Mary revisited these scenes when she stood along the road and watched her son Jesus as he carried His cross to Golgotha?

Jesus In Front Of Pilate

www.the-gift-of-revelation.com

            “They bound him, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate, the governor.

            Meanwhile, Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ ‘Yes, it is as you say’ Jesus replied. When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. The Pilate asked him, ‘Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?’ But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.” Matt. 27:2, 11- 12 (NIV)

            It has always amazed me that Jesus does not respond to the questions of the chief priests or to most of those asked by Pilate. The one He answers is, simply put, that He is the King of the Jews. Can we liken this to captured soldiers of later centuries giving their name rank and serial number? By this I mean all He said gave His identity.

            He is the King of the Jews and those who believe in Him. We don’t know what else Pilate asks Him nor should we try to guess.

            Whenever I had a difficult question about life, I used to say, “I’ll ask Jesus that when I see Him.” Then, almost immediately, the question didn’t seem to matter to me any longer. Could it be that Jesus is telling me that the only thing that matters is that He is King?

            From time to time, we have persons in our lives who feel they have to respond to everything they hear. As we mature in the faith, we who may have had this same character trait learn not to react to the thoughts we hear. We need to ask Jesus to guide us to when we face times of hearing about different issues that affect those around us.

Jesus’ Betrayer

freebibleimages.org

“Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, “What would you give me if I handed him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty silver coins. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.”

Matthew 26:14-16(NIV)

            Judas was the treasurer of the disciples. He held the purse strings, so to speak. We don’t believe he decided to betray Jesus on the spur of the moment. This could have been his plan all along. He might have even thought about dipping his hand into the purse before.

            Further reading in this chapter has the disciples planning the group’s celebration of the Passover. He instructs them to tell a certain man who owns the house where they will gather.

He tells them to say, “The teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’”

            During the celebration, Jesus announces that one on his disciples will betray him. Judas actually tries to deny that he’s the culprit. But Jesus doesn’t let him get away with it.

            Later in the evening, Judas arrives at the garden of Gethsemane, leading a group of misguided men. Judas greets Jesus with a kiss, a prearranged signal for the group to arrest the Lord.

            In the next chapter (Chapter27), Judas is overcome with shame because of what he had done. His words are memorable, Ï have sinned for I have betrayed innocent blood.” The priests chose to have nothing to do with the fact they had paid Judas to do the dirty work of betrayal. Judas became so angry about how the priests reacted that he threw the money ïnto the temple and left,”(Matthew 27:5) He went out and took his own life.

            The priests couldn’t receive the money because it was “blood money.” They bought a field and used it to bury foreigners.

            In these scenes, the only one who acted admirably was Jesus. Judas Iscariot made a series of horrible decisions that he quickly regretted. He felt remorse for his behavior and tried to right the wrong. He chose to end his life because of his anguish. The priests acted shamefully. They wanted Jesus out of their lives, no matter the cost. In their shortsightedness, I believe they didn’t count on Judas’ trying to return the money. I also believe they were not remorseful that Judas met the end he did.

The Master and the Chief Priests

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“When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, ‘As you know, the Passover is in two days—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.” The chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and they plotted against Jesus in some sly way and kill him. “But not during the festival,” they said “or there may be a riot among the people.’”  Matthew 26:1-5 (NIV)

            Jesus has just spoken to his disciples about the end times to come. Here, He reminds them of the upcoming Passover. But that’s not all he shares; He tells them He will be seized and given to the authorities to be crucified.

            What could have gone through the disciple’s minds? What emotions, what thoughts?

            Some of these followers might have felt intense sorrow. “Oh, no! It can’t be.” These men may have felt foolish. They had left their jobs and their families to follow Him. “Will my family accept my returning to them?” Others may have experienced fear. “If they do this to the Master what would they do to us?”

            The chief priests chose to meet in a clandestine meeting to scheme ways to kill Jesus. However, they chose to wait until after the Passover festival, expressing fear of causing a riot among the people.

            The disciples became uneasy about the words they heard the Master speak. The religious authorities chose to plot to kill Him. They were fearful how the people would react to the event.

            Had you and I been one of Christ’s disciples, what would we have thought when we heard these words?  Had you or I been one of the chief priests, what would we have done or said to “remedy the problem at hand?”

            The chief priests waited for a scape- goat to come along and do their dirty work for them. When Judas returned to them and tried to give back the money, they denied any part in the plot that led to Jesus’ crucifixion.

The Triumphal Entry

JesusWalk.com

“The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted. ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest.’ When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, ‘Who is this? The crowds answered, ‘This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” Matt. 21:6-11 (NIV)

            The people came out to see the Master as he rode on two donkeys from Bethpage to Jerusalem. They rejoiced that He chose to come to their town.  

            Have you ever wondered what caused the people to rejoice the first of the week, turn angry, then ugly as the week wore on?  We have been told by Biblical scholars that the people of Israel were looking for a physical king, not a spiritual one. The religious leaders stirred up the people, especially after Jesus cleared the Temple of the money changers.

            Have you ever asked yourself, “What did Jesus think of the way he was received? I believe He would have preferred to come into town with as little fanfare as possible. He traveled a great distance on his journey to Jerusalem.

            Due to Jesus’ humanity, could He have been fatigued? Might the reception He received at Bethpage have stressed Him out?

             Earlier, Jesus had pointed out to a crowd of people they were only interested in receiving food from Him. I wonder what He would have told these people along the road to Jerusalem, had He the chance. What do you think He would say to them?

Mary of Bethany’s Thoughts

Thisischurch.com

This is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. For the next seven weeks, I will bring you a Lenten thought or message.

            My name is Mary; I live in Bethany. The Master brought my brother Lazarus back to life. My sister Martha and I were grateful to Him. My brother decided to give a dinner in Jesus’ honor when He came to our town.

            My sister Martha is a wonderful cook. She fixed food truly fit for a king. I wanted to honor Jesus myself. All I had was a jar of nard I had received from a suitor.

            I opened the container; the scent filled the room. I poured the perfume on His feet with care, not wanting to waste any of it. Then I wiped Jesus’ feet with my hair.

            One of His disciples, also a dinner guest objected to what I had done. He muttered something about that perfume could have been sold and the money used for the poor. 

            Jesus spoke up for me and said something about my saving it to be used on the day of His burial. But you ask, why did I use it at that time? I did it to show my gratitude to Jesus for bringing my brother back to life. In reflecting on that evening, I am thankful that the Master spoke on my behalf.

            Do believe that Jesus was grateful to Mary for her deed? What might the other disciples have felt during this confrontation between Jesus and Judas?