Devotionals

King of the Jews

ReRead:  John 19:19-22

Tuesday 3/31/15   Day 36 

Ponder:  Pilate identifies Jesus with a  sign nailed to the cross.  Written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek the sign reads, “The King of the Jews.”  The chief priests of the Jews wanted it changed to “This man said, I am King of the Jews.”  These leaders see Jesus as claiming to be someone he is not.  Pilate refused to change the sign.  In a week’s time Jesus was celebrated by the crowds as the arriving King, hated by the religious leaders who had authority, betrayed by friends, denied by his followers, and suffered death. God is the Interruptor this time.  God sent his Son to announce the Kingdom.  God’s Kingdom is for those who celebrate Him, as well as for those who reject Him.  God loves His creation and offers His Son to be Lord of all.  Is Jesus your Lord?

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King of the Jews

Read: John 19:16-22

Monday 3/30/15   Day 35

Ponder: Pilate plays the political game and hands Jesus over to be crucified.  Jesus carries his cross to The Place of the Skull (Golgotha).  He is crucified between two thieves.  Jesus’ followers are filled with sorrow.  They know he is Messiah; he is the eternal Savior sent from God.  How could this happen?

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Jesus Enters the City

ReRead:   Luke 19:38-40

Saturday 3/28/15   Day 34

Ponder:  Passion for God is building in Jerusalem so the flesh must attack.  The Pharisees seek to correct Jesus for stirring the people’s faith and hope.  “Teacher, order your disciples to stop.”  Jesus teaches about the supreme power of God over nature when he tells the religious Pharisees, “If the disciples are silent the stones will shout out!”  Why?

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Jesus Enters the City

ReRead:   Luke 19:35-37

Friday 3/27/15   Day 33

Ponder:   The disciples did what Jesus asked and brought the colt back with them.  Little did they know this animal would be with them as they entered Jerusalem.  Jesus sits on the colt and begins his ride.  People with palm branches start waving and greeting Jesus as he passes by. They shout praises to God.  Passover is a celebration to praise God for delivering His people, Israel, from bondage, and the hope of God’s ultimate salvation through Messiah.   People have heard about Jesus and his many interruptions in the region.  Now, he interrupts everything with his arrival into Jerusalem. Pause. If you are quiet, you can almost hear them asking each other, “Could Jesus be the Messiah?”

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Jesus Enters the City

Read:   Luke 19:28-40

Thursday 3/26/15   Day 32

Ponder: Jesus is approaching the Mount of Olives; he is on his way to Jerusalem.  He will “be” the sacrificial Lamb for the Passover.  We can see from scripture Jesus knows all things and is administering everything in detail to fulfill his mission from God.  Jesus interrupts two of the disciples by giving them an odd task to follow.  These two do not question the directions given by Jesus.  If Jesus says there is going to be a colt tied up for them to take, someone to inquire about them taking it, and a need for them to say, “The Lord needs it,” that is what will happen.  Are you that sure (full of trust) when following Jesus’ direction in your life?

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Be An Interrupter

ReRead:  John 12:3

Wednesday 3/25/15   Day 31  

Ponder:  When we want to express our love for people, we may buy flowers, gifts, or we may seek to serve them in some specific way.  Those are expressions of love but not really a descriptive of love. Mary does not really know how to “tell” Jesus she loves him.  She cannot articulate the overwhelming feeling she has rising up within her.  So, she acts.  With every stroke of her hair on the feet of Messiah, she is telling him she loves him.  Since God conveyed his love for us by sending His Son to die on a cross, can we look at the cross as a symbol of love?

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Be An Interrupter

ReRead:  John 12:9-11

Tuesday 3/24/15   Day 30  

Ponder:  Influencial people are interrupters.  They cause a “stir” people notice.  Raising Lazarus brought influence to not only Jesus but also Lazarus.  Lazarus cannot keep his mouth shut; he has to tell others about what Jesus did for him.  He has to tell others Jesus is his Messiah…THE MESSIAH.  Lazarus was dead, and now he is alive.  Humanity, apart from the work of Messiah, is dead in sin.  We need a resurrection to be spiritually alive to God; believe in the work that Jesus did to make us right with God.  If Messiah has raised you out of spiritual death into eternal life, like Lazarus are you able to keep your mouth shut?  

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Be An Interrupter

ReRead: John 12:7-8

Monday 3/23/15   Day 29

Ponder: Mary’s extravagant exaltation and worship of Jesus caused such an interruption it made human flesh scramble to feel equal with God. Judas, nudged by Satan, diverts the attention off from Jesus and onto humanity. The holiness and omnipotence of God is minimizing to sinful human flesh, and we don’t like how it makes us feel, do we?

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Be An Interrupter

ReRead:   John 12:4-6

Saturday 3/21/15   Day 28

Ponder:  Have you ever found yourself close to God, enjoying a time of worship, and your expression of praise and worship upset someone else around you? Religion loves conformity doesn’t it?  Seems like there’s always a Judas around trying to hijack our authentic and unique worship. Mary is seeking to bring glory to God in a simple way; the only way she knows how in a moment.  This woman is not a prominant person in the community, she is a simple woman who loves Jesus and demonstrates it in extravagant ways.  Judas, the betrayer of Christ, throws his opinions out on the worship floor hoping to sound more spiritual and wiser.  He says, “Why was this perfurme not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?”  He is wise as a serpent, because all he wants is to take care of his needs and image; he cares nothing about exalting the Messiah or loving the poor.  He’s a thief.

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Be An Interrupter

ReRead:   John 12:3

Friday 3/20/15   Day 27

Ponder:   Certain scents can attract us or repel us.  I really enjoy the soft and subtle scent of certain perfumes.  It’s pleasant for me.   Jesus is enjoying his friends, but getting ready to make his final journey to Jerusalem where he will be crucified.  Mary is worshiping at the feet of Jesus; it is her favorite place when Christ is with them.  She values Jesus and his teaching and spares no cost to communicate it to him.  Mary interrupts Jesus and the evening festivities by taking a pound of costly perfume (used to anoint for burial), extravagantly pours it on Jesus, and wipes his feet with her hair.  Jesus, Mary, and the home smell like perfume.

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