Deepest Valley, Highest Mountain
Prayer: Begin with prayer, opening your heart to His Word and Spirit.
INTRODUCTION:
Having predicted his arrest, beating, death, and resurrection at least 3 times, Jesus has arrived in Jerusalem to fulfill what he predicted. Many of us go from celebrating the triumph of Jesus entering the city on a donkey (Palm Sunday) to the victory of the resurrection (Easter Sunday) with barely any thought of what happened in between. Let’s walk with Jesus through the events that brought and bought our salvation.
Scripture Reference. Mark 11:1-11
11 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’”
4 They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, 5 some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. 7 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,
“Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
10 “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” 11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
Reflect
Jesus then had predicted his arrest, beating, death and resurrection, Jesus and now, arriving in Jerusalem, fulfillment of this prediction lay ahead of him. Imagine the excitement of the disciples and the sorrow of Jesus as they stood looking out over Jerusalem. There were throngs of people in the city preparing for Passover. Every person welcoming Jesus to Jerusalem was filled with celebration and hope. This week we will celebrate the triumph of Jesus entering the city on a donkey (Palm Sunday) to the victory of the resurrection (Easter Sunday).
Have you ever been at an event where the whole crowd starts chanting something over and over, as loud as they can? What words have you heard chanted? What was the purpose of the words?
Every person welcoming Jesus to Jerusalem was filled with celebration and hope. Jesus is worthy of all of this and more, but his way to eternal glory would first lead Him into the valley of death - death that we deserved, but he carried for us on the cross—taking away the sins of the whole world.
Closing Prayer
Jesus, we praise you for never wavering from your journey to the cross. Thank you for your obedience to the Father in all things. You lived a perfectly righteous life, obeying Your Father in all things. We are so thankful that You took on our sins and so died in our place. And we are thankful for the gift of Your righteousness, which allows us to enter into eternal life. Amen.
Jesus enters the temple courts
Prayer: Begin with prayer, opening your heart to His Word and Spirit.
Scripture Reference -Mark 11:15-18
15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’[a]? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’[b]”
18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.
Reflect
Jesus and his disciples arrive back in Jerusalem, having had a look around the temple the day before. What He observes enraged Him. This place of meeting with God had been turned into a place for personal profit. Those who were to be a light to the nations were drawing them into the darkness. Jesus’ actions are swift and explosive. The response of the chief priests and teachers of the law, out of fear, was to find a way to kill Him. Jesus knew that they would not take his life; He would freely give his life for the salvation of the world.
Closing Prayer
Jesus, we praise your name and give you glory. Teach us to talk with You and worship You with love and respect. Keep our faith and our commitment to live our lives for you ever vigilant. Amen.
Jesus Shares a Meal With His Friends
Scripture Reference - Mark 14:16-26
16 The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. 17 When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. 18 While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.”19 They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, “Surely you don’t mean me?” 20 “It is one of the Twelve,” he replied, “one who dips bread into the bowl with me. 21 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” 22 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.”
23 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 “This is my blood of the[a] covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them. 25 “Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” 26 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Reflect:
The Passover feast for Jesus and the disciples would be a meal that would usher in a new way of understanding sacrifice and deliverance. The disciples may have been puzzled or shocked at Jesus’ reference to ‘my body and my blood’. In this most intimate of settings of the Passover Meal, and as they all sat around this table, their faith would have been sorely tested by Jesus' words. However, the fresh light these words brought by Jesus to this annual feast, meant their lives would never be the same. Similarly, it is also in repentance and faith in Christ that we, too, find ourselves seated around this same table.
During his last special meal with his disciples, Jesus compared his body to the bread that they were eating. He described himself as being “the bread of heaven”, so linking the gift of himself to humanity with God's gift of the life giving manna given to the Israelites of old as they followed Moses for 40 years in wilderness places. To explore more about why Jesus calls himself “the bread of life,” read…..
Read John 6:28-40, 47-51.
28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” 29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” 30 So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ 32 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”
35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
47 Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
Prayer
Dear God, Jesus’ prayers at his last supper remind us to give You thanks for our food each time we eat, and to give thanks for the even greater gift
of life with You through Jesus. Father, we give you thanks for the body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ. We commit our lives afresh to you.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Jesus Prays In The Garden of Gethsemane.
Scripture Reference-Mark 14:32-36, 43-46
32 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34 “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”
35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36 “Abba,[a] Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
Jesus Arrested
43 Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders.
44 Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.” 45 Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. 46 The men seized Jesus and arrested him.
Reflection
Even Jesus felt troubled sometimes and prayed to God for help when he was overwhelmed. But no matter what Jesus might have wanted for himself as he faced the awful events ahead of him, he nonetheless prayed, “God, Not My Will but Your will be done.”
When we pray, we can ask God for things to go the way we want or hope for them to, but when we do this, it must always be in the knowledge that God may have a greater plan for us than we can ever imagine. The challenge is for us to be willing to say to God, “Your will be done.”
PRAY
Dear God, help us to learn to pray from Jesus. We know that everything is possible for You and that You have the power to take away our troubles. We also know that You have a perfect plan for our lives, so we pray that Your will be done. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Blessings
Colin