The Road to Easter:
Communion, Disappointment, and Betrayal
(NIV) Luke 22:19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
(NIV) Luke 22:39 “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter.
The time had arrived when Jesus’ earthly ministry would end, and while the disciples may well have believed their gathering was just another Passover celebration, two men at the table knew differently. Jesus and Judas both understood this was not an ordinary dinner.
That Thursday night, Jesus instituted what we now call The Lord’s Supper, or Holy Communion. When we approach the table and we partake of the bread and juice, that solemn moment is transformative.
And Judas, already paid to turn Jesus over to the authorities, was quietly biding his time, believing his treachery had gone unnoticed.
But the night was far from over. The following events transpired before dawn:
• Jesus showed the disciples the meaning of humility by washing their feet.
• Jesus prayed while His disciples slept
• Judas led the soldiers to the garden, betraying Jesus with a kiss
• Jesus was taken before the Sanhedrin for a trial
• Peter denied Christ three times
• Jesus was beaten mercilessly
When faced with their own mortality, the disciples reacted with fear, abandoning their teacher, their Lord, their friend. As our Lenten journey nears an end, may these forty days of reflection result in a renewed awareness of Who Jesus is and who we are in Him.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Road to Easter: The Widow’s Mite
(NIV) Mark 12:41-44
41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.
43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”
After the conflict with the money changers, Jesus returned to Bethany. The next morning, the day we now refer to as Holy Tuesday, Jesus returned to Jerusalem where he told many parables. Following these stories is the account of the Widow’s Mite.
Why is it we fail to understand that the depth of the gospel message can be found in its simplicity? The story, sandwiched between the warning against teachers of the law who do things for show and the prediction of the destruction of Temple, confirms that God is not impressed by outward appearances.
The widow doubtless was unaware she was being observed as she deposited her money, or that her story would become a part of the Holy Scriptures. Yet, we are still moved by one whose faith was greater than her fear.
May our faith today move us beyond our fear as we continue our journey toward the cross and ultimately to the resurrection.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Road to Easter: What Was Jesus Thinking?
(NIV)John 2:13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money.
15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” (Some translations say den of thieves.)
I can remember the first time I heard of this event. I was probably eight or nine and we went with our friends to their Vacation Bible School.
This particular VBS showed a film of Jesus overturning the tables and He was angry! So I went home and told Mama we saw the worst thing ever. The story we just learned could not be true.
Well, Mama assured me that Jesus had, indeed, put an end to men buying and selling in the Temple. At least for that day. But why?
Since people traveled long distances to celebrate Passover in Jerusalem, they did not carry the required sacrifices with them. Instead, they bought them in the outer courts of the temple.
Here is the problem. Those needing to make their purchase used different currencies, so, exchange tables were set up and exorbitant fees were charged for the services.
When Jesus overturned the tables, He did not just upset a few business men. The Pharisees were also angry because Jesus was cutting into their profits. More importantly, Jesus was upending the social order and the Pharisees valued order almost as much as money.
As we meditate on these verses, perhaps we could consider if there are “tables” in our own lives that need to be overturned.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Road to Easter: The Triumphal Entry
(NIV) John 12:12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,
“Hosanna![c]”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”[d]
“Blessed is the King of Israel!” 14Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written,
15″Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion;
see, your king is coming,
seated on a donkey’s colt.”[e]
16At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.
17Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. 18Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him. 19So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”
Have you ever been in the crowd when a dignitary arrived? When I was twelve years old President John F. Kennedy came to Arkansas to dedicate Greers Ferry Dam. He addressed the crowd on October 3, 1963, and later that day spoke at the State Fair and Livestock Show. My aunt checked my sister and me out of school so that we could be in the crowd.
I wonder how many twelve year olds were in the crowd the day Jesus entered triumphantly to the sound of hosannas and the waving of palm branches? Did they realize the import of what was happening? Dud anyone? Did they feel the electricity in the crowd? Did they know how that week would end?
It is important to note that Jesus was fulfilling prophecy from Zechariah as he rode into town. Even, the donkey upon which He was riding was part of the prophecy.
The crowds were already large because Passover was being celebrated, but in addition Jesus had only recently raised Lazarus from the dead. Many of those present in Bethany were in Jerusalem, and as word of Jesus’ miracles spread, and as His popularity grew, the authorities became increasingly concerned.
As we enter into what we refer to as Holy Week, may we fix our eyes upon Jesus and our hearts upon the resurrection.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
The Road to Easter: The Day God’s Glory Shone Through
(NIV) 28 About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. 31 They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.
The Transfiguration, to me, is one of the most compelling accounts from the New Testament. Jesus, along with James, John and Peter climb up a mountain. It is nighttime and the disciples grow sleepy. When awakened by voices, they witness Jesus in all of His glory, speaking with Moses and Elijah.
There are so many things we can take away from this encounter, which occurred on a mountaintop. Could it be that although much of our learning occurs in the valleys, or low points in our lives, we must climb up to the mountain tops to see things clearly?
Jesus had just recently explained, without parables or anything that would obscure His message, that He was going to be killed and rise again. Although the disciples needed to hear this, they were not ready. Jesus allowed these three men to witness this extraordinary moment to strengthen their faith. And it did.
The glory that Jesus had set aside when He took on humanity was now fully present as He spoke with the two men who had their own mountaintop experiences. Moses and Elijah, representing the Law and the Prophets were the heavenly witnesses of Jesus the Christ, just as James, Peter and John were the earthly witnesses.
And then, as if nothing greater could happen, a cloud encompasses them all and God’s voice proclaims “this is my Son—listen to Him. In that very moment, the Old Testament is fulfilled and Jesus becomes the new and living way.
Oh, to see Jesus in all of His glory. It reminds me of the old hymn:
Oh, I want to see Him, look upon His face,
There to sing forever of His saving grace;
On the streets of glory let me lift my voice,
Cares all past, home at last, ever to rejoice.
May we continue to listen to Him as we await His return.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
