Day 10: The Ascension

DAY 10: THE ASCENSION
Scripture Passage: Acts 1:1-11
 
AFTER HOLY WEEK:
FOLLOWING JESUS’ ASCENSION:
• THE DISCIPLES CHOSE MATTHIAS TO REPLACE JUDAS (ACTS 1:12-26).
• THE HOLY SPIRIT CAME ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST (ACTS 2:1-13).
• PETER DELIVERED THE FIRST CHRISTIAN SERMON (ACTS 2:14-41).
• GOD ESTABLISHED HIS CHURCH (ACTS 2:42-47).
• JESUS’ FOLLOWERS SHARED THE GOSPEL IN JERUSALEM (ACTS 2:5-8:3).
• JESUS’ FOLLOWERS SHARED THE GOSPEL THROUGHOUT JUDEA AND SAMARIA (ACTS 8:4-11:18).
• JESUS’ FOLLOWERS SHARED THE GOSPEL TO THE ENDS OF THE KNOWN WORLD (ACTS 11:19-28:31).
 
Lots of people make a big deal about how much time we spend on our phones. Some see it as a big problem, and rightfully so. All of us could probably benefit from putting our phones down a little more from time to time. However, our phones are also essential tools in our lives. They keep us connected like never before. They put essential information at our fingertips whenever we need it. They remind us of important dates and tasks. They wake us up. They entertain us. In light of this, they’re extremely important to us. Even if you don’t yet have a phone, you most likely desperately want one because you see how vitally important they are to so many people around you.
 
That importance has made us extremely reliant upon our phones. That’s what some people see as one of the dangers. After all, what happens if we no longer have them? Most of us can’t fathom the thought of this being a reality in our world, but many of us have experienced some small taste of it before when our phone dies. Because we use them so much, most of us have trouble keeping our phones charged. We’re constantly looking for an outlet or a USB port we can get it plugged into because we know all too well, with everything our phone is capable of doing, it’s not going to be worth anything at all if it doesn’t have the power it needs. In the Christian life, the same thing is true for us.
 
Read Acts 1:1-11. In the minutes before He ascended into Heaven to take His rightful place at the right hand of God the Father, Jesus found Himself, once again, surrounded by His closest followers. Even after all they had seen, they were still questioning Him about what exactly it was He had come to accomplish in our world. They wondered if He was finally going to restore the earthly Kingdom of Israel, not yet fully realizing Jesus had come to inaugurate the Kingdom of God.
 
Jesus told them not to concern themselves with those kinds of things. He made clear that everything that is meant to happen will happen in God’s time. In the meantime, however, He reminded them what they were to do, echoing what He had told them in the Great Commission. He said, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” In other words, “go tell people what you’ve seen and heard from me.” Of course, Jesus desires us to do the same thing, but what does it mean for us to be witnesses in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and the ends of the earth?
 
We need to witness to our people, those people immediately around us, that are like us. That’s what it means to witness in Jerusalem and Judea. We talk about Jesus with people who share our language and culture and other commonalities. In other words, our neighbors. We’re called to love our neighbors, and what’s more loving than witnessing to them of the saving power of Jesus Christ?
 
We also need to witness to those people, not just people who aren’t like us, but people we might not even like. That’s who the Samaritans were for the Jews, people they saw who had abandoned God. They hated Samaritans, and Samaritans hated them. It’s not polite to admit, but we all have “those people” in our lives, people we’d rather we didn’t have to interact with at all. However, we know from Christ that everyone is our neighbor, whether like us or not, and we are called to love everyone with the love of Jesus, freely and willingly sharing that love with them.
 
Lastly, we are called to witness to all people. Jesus used geography to explain the scope of Gospel advancement He expected, but He wasn’t concerned with places. He was concerned with people. He called His followers to witness to all people everywhere. That’s why His mission continues today. Everyone hasn’t heard the Gospel yet, and it’s up to us to tell them.
 
However, none of us will be very effective in trying to do it on our own. Jesus knew this. That’s why He commanded His disciples to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the very presence of God with us and the power of God at work within us. Without the Spirit, we’re just like a dead phone. We have all the potential to change the world, but we won’t be much use without the Holy Spirit’s power.
 
However, the Holy Spirit has come. He is with us now, every follower of Jesus. He empowers each of us to follow wherever Jesus leads us to be His witnesses. So, will you go with Him?
 
THINK ABOUT IT:
Who are some of “those people” in your life that you struggle to be around, much less talk to them about Jesus?
How can you look for ways to be a witness for Christ to people around you today?
How does the Holy Spirit empower us for the work Jesus has called us to?


Day 9: The Great Commission

DAY 9: THE GREAT COMMISSION
Scripture Passage: Matthew 28:16-20
 
AFTER HOLY WEEK:
FOLLOWING EASTER SUNDAY:
• JESUS CONFIRMED HIS RESURRECTION TO THOMAS (JOHN 20:24-29).
• HE APPEARED TO SEVEN OF HIS DISCIPLES AS THEY WERE FISHING (JOHN 21:1-14).
• JESUS FORGAVE AND RESTORED PETER (JOHN 21:15-23).
• HE SPENT TIME FURTHER TEACHING HIS DISCIPLES (ACTS 1:3-8).
• JESUS GAVE HIS DISCIPLES THE GREAT COMMISSION (MATTHEW 28:16-20).
• JESUS ASCENDED TO HEAVEN (ACTS 1:9-11).
 
We’re all fans of something: certain movies, types of music, specific sports teams. When we’re a fan, we’ll often share what we’re a fan of with others. We’ll try to get our friends to watch our favorite movie with us. We’ll create and share a playlist of songs inspired by the musical artists we like the most. We’ll post videos of our reactions whenever our team wins.
 
However, some people take their fandom to a whole other level. They become downright fanatical. They love the object of their affection absolutely and are completely devoted to it. These fans will also share what they’re a fan of with others, but it’s different. They want others to be devoted to it as much as they are. If they’re fans of the Marvel cinematic universe, they don’t want people to just watch the movies. They want them to love the movies, talk about how amazing they are, and stay up to date on the latest news and spoilers about the next phase. This kind of fan not only shares what they love with others, but they also do everything they can to make them as passionate about it as they are.
 
Another word for this kind of fan would be “follower” because they follow every bit of detail about the object of their fandom. They learn, share, and celebrate everything they can. And another word for “follower” is “disciple.”
 
Read Matthew 28:16-20. As Jesus was preparing to leave this earth until His promised return, He gathered together His closest followers, the 11 disciples who were left since Judas had hung himself (27:1-10). He had already appeared to them multiple times following His resurrection. They all, even “doubting” Thomas, had seen Him with their own eyes and listened to Him with their own ears and had their faith confirmed and strengthened. There were still others who had followed Him who had not had the same experiences, and they doubted. However, not these 11 men. While they had all fled and abandoned Him in some way before, they never would again. They would follow His lead wherever it took them and obey His commands, whatever it may cost them.
 
What Jesus said to them on that mountain outside Galilee are the last words Matthew records in His Gospel and some of the last ones Jesus ever spoke. So, they’re worth paying attention to. Jesus began by acknowledging His new authority. He had always been fully God and fully human, yet he had limited His divine power in coming to our world as a man. However, following His resurrection, He fully embraced His authority once again.
 
So, what did Jesus do with His authority? He gave His disciples, and in turn, all of His followers, a mission: make disciples. These men weren’t mere fans of Jesus. They loved Him absolutely and were completely devoted to Him. The purpose of their lives, Jesus revealed, was to invite others to become just like them. And how exactly were they supposed to do that? The same way we are today.
 
First, go. Jesus didn’t just mean for them to go to specific places and peoples in various parts of the world, though there are certainly times we need to be intentional about getting to those who need Christ most. But we also need to be aware of who is around us as we go about our lives every day. We’re surrounded at all times by people who, just like us, need to know the redeeming love of Jesus. Second, we baptize. What this means is that we bring people into the family of God, His Church. We don’t just tell others about Jesus to make them disciples. We then invite them to join us so that we can be disciples together. Third, we teach. This doesn’t mean we have to be experts. It just means we take everything we have learned and are learning about Jesus, and we pass it on to others.
 
For sure, this is a daunting task, but it’s the mission to which Jesus called every one of us. And the best news is, we don’t do it alone. We have each other, of course, but even more than that, we still
have Jesus. He may not walk this earth as a man any longer, but He has still promised to be with each of us “to the end of the age.”
 
THINK ABOUT IT:
Who did God use in your own life to make you a disciple?
How can you take steps in fulfilling Jesus’ mission for your life?
What comfort and encouragement do you receive by knowing Jesus is with you all the time?


Day 8: The Resurrection

DAY 8: THE RESURRECTION
Scripture Passage: Mark 16:1-8
 
HOLY WEEK TIMELINE:
ON EASTER SUNDAY:
• JESUS ROSE FROM THE DEAD (MATTHEW 28:1-8).
• HE APPEARED TO MARY MAGDALENE (JOHN 20:11-18).
• HE JOURNEYED WITH SOME FOLLOWERS ON THE ROAD TO EMMAUS (LUKE 24:13-35).
• HE APPEARED TO HIS DISCIPLES (JOHN 20:19-23)
 
There’s a trend on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram of making prank videos. You’ll find people pulling pranks on their friends, parents, spouses, and even their children. You’ve probably seen some of these. A guy dressed up as a plant out on the street jumps out at people as they walk by. A girl who keeps throwing ping pong balls off her boyfriend’s head, trying to make them bounce into a cup until she finally throws an egg, which breaks all over his face. A dad who shaves off his beard and jumps out at his daughter, who’s never seen him without it before. A husband who fills his house with clowns knowing those are his wife’s greatest fear. The list could go on.
 
While the style of the videos and the pranks themselves are different in each one, there’s one thing they all have in common. That’s the reaction of the person being pranked. Usually, there’s an initial shock, which includes a physical jump as they react in surprise. They often clutch their chest and sometimes even scream. Then they usually devolve into a fit of nervous laughter once they realize there’s no real danger, and everything’s meant to be one big joke.
 
If you’ve ever been the subject of a prank yourself, then you most likely have experienced that same shock and surprise for yourself. Now, imagine you go to visit a loved one at the graveyard only to find them up and walking around as if nothing ever happened.
 
Read Mark 16:1-8. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome had been followers of Jesus for some time. They had come with Him and His disciples when they came to Jerusalem. They were present at the crucifixion. They witnessed Jesus’ death on the cross, and at least two of them, the two Mary’s, saw where Jesus’ body was laid in the tomb and that a stone had been rolled against the entrance.
 
So, on Sunday, the third day after Jesus’ death, they came back to His tomb with spices to anoint His body. This was something that Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus had already done. So, why would they come to do it themselves? Perhaps they were so lost in their grief they didn’t know what else to do. After all, that’s the only reason they had come, to grieve. They weren’t expecting anything else. They certainly weren’t expecting the resurrection.
 
However, when they arrived, they found the stone over the entrance rolled away and soon went inside to find that Jesus’ body was no longer there. Mark wrote that they were “alarmed.” The Greek word used to describe the women’s reaction is used by Mark two other times in his Gospel. The first is when Jesus returned from His transfiguration (Mark 9:15). When the people saw Him following Mark wrote they were “overwhelmed with wonder.” The second time Mark used the word was when Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. Mark described Him as being “deeply distressed and troubled.” These other two instances help give us a better idea of what these women were feeling. There was a sense of wonder and amazement, but also trouble and distress. That’s what it meant for them to be “alarmed.” In other words, they were shocked and surprised.
 
Adding to their alarm, the angel not only told them that Jesus wasn’t there because He had risen, but he also told them to go and tell Peter and the other disciples. Yet when they left, Mark wrote they didn’t say anything to anyone because of how afraid they were.
 
Well, they certainly had reason to be afraid. After all, it was fear that had caused the other disciples to flee or deny Jesus. Just a couple of days before this, the whole city was chanting to crucify Jesus. Who knew what they might want to do to His followers now? But that wasn’t the only reason for their shock and surprise. You see, in the resurrection, they were witnesses to possibly the greatest display of God’s overwhelming power. If we’re not careful, we can miss that. We’ve all heard this story so many times that we unintentionally sanitize the awesome display of God’s complete dominion that is shown in His raising of Jesus from the dead.
 
It was this power, God’s power, that produced the trembling, astonishment, and fear in these women. But they didn’t stay afraid. Eventually, their shock gave way to joy, and we know from the other Gospels that they did go and tell the disciples, and their telling of this good news spread throughout Jesus’ followers. But it didn’t stop there. The good news spread through them throughout the world and on down through the ages to us. And now that good news continues today as we tell of it to others!
 
THINK ABOUT IT:
What is so shocking and surprising about Jesus’ resurrection?
Why do you think it produced fear in both the Mary’s and Salome?
How can we work to stay more aware of God’s power at work in the world around us and our own lives?


Day 7: Jesus’ Burial

DAY 7: JESUS’ BURIAL
Scripture Passage: John 19:38-42
 
HOLY WEEK TIMELINE:
ON SATURDAY:
• PILATE ORDERED GUARDS POSTED AT THE TOMB (MATTHEW 27:62-66).
 
Have you ever lost something so important to you would have done anything just to get it back? The blanket or stuffed animal you carried with you everywhere you went when you were a child? A piece of jewelry someone special gave to you? A family heirloom that might not look like much but means the world to you? Your phone?
 
Remember how desperate you were to find it? Normally whenever we lose something like that, we experience a range of thoughts and feelings. We try to convince ourselves it’s not lost at all as we diligently search for it everywhere
we can think to look. When our searching proves fruitless, we get more and more frustrated, even angry at our lack of success. We try to make deals with anyone around us who might help. We might even try to make a bargain with God if somehow what we’re looking for will all of a sudden reappear. We get sad and upset, and perhaps we cry or sit around moping, not knowing what to do next. At some point, we resign ourselves to the fact that what we seek is lost to us, quite possibly forever, and we’re left wondering just how to move on.
 
All those thoughts and feelings? That’s what we call grief. The more important something is to us, or the more we love it, the deeper we feel grief. That becomes even more true when what we’ve lost is something, or rather someone, we love. A pet. A friend. A family member.
 
Whenever we experience a loss like that, we come to intimately know the feeling that takes up residence deep down in our hearts, a feeling that is both empty and heavy. When we step out our doors, that feeling leaves us dumbstruck that the world around us still spins on its axis, and people can still go about their everyday lives.
 
That’s the same feeling Jesus’ followers woke up with the day after Jesus’ death.
 
Read John 19:38-42. That evening before, Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilate, the Roman governor, and asked if he could bury Jesus’ body. Joseph was part of the group of religious leaders who had brought Jesus to trial, but he was secretly a follower of Christ and didn’t agree with what they were doing to Him. He was joined by Nicodemus, another religious leader who had visited Jesus earlier in His ministry. They packed Jesus’ body with ointments and spices in honor and to fight the indignities of decomposition. They then wrapped the body and placed it in a tomb in a garden where no other body had been laid. They had to do this fairly quickly because the Jewish Sabbath began at sundown on Friday, and burials were forbidden on the Sabbath.
 
Imagine, then, what it was like for them that next day, the Sabbath, a day of rest. It brings to mind everyone staying in their homes, lounging about, perhaps spending some time in quiet prayer. We might picture empty streets and shuttered shops. But that wasn’t the case.
 
Remember, that day was no ordinary Sabbath. It was the one following the Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the city of Jerusalem was bursting at the seams with people in town for the celebration.
 
On that Sabbath day, many of them would have gone to the Temple to worship. There would have been a hustle and bustle about the streets. A constant din of noise would have been heard throughout the city, drowning out any hope for quiet. There would have been songs. There would have been laughter. There would have been children playing. And through this all, Jesus’ followers would have been grieving, wondering how the world could go on when its creator lay in His grave.
 
For any who would have managed to overcome their grief or even seek some relief from it by visiting the Temple for themselves, they would have been greeted by another sound: the bleating of lambs offered for sacrifice. That must have robbed them of any relief since they alone knew that the true Lamb of God had already been sacrificed just hours before, and there was no longer any need for others.
 
On that Saturday, they must not have been able to know any joy during their grief, but that would have been the last Saturday after Good Friday for that to be true. On the very next day, they’d know joy like never before, and it’s the same joy we all can know today.
 
THINK ABOUT IT:
As a follower of Jesus, how do you think you would have felt on the Saturday after Jesus’ death while He lay buried in the tomb?
What does it mean for Jesus to be the perfect sacrifice?
How does our faith in Jesus enable us to have joy at all times, even during deep grief?


Day 6: The Crucifixion

DAY 6: THE CRUCIFIXION
Scripture Passage: Mark 15:6-39
 
HOLY WEEK TIMELINE:
ON GOOD FRIDAY:
• THE SANHEDRIN PUT JESUS ON TRIAL (LUKE 22:66-71).
• PETER DENIED CHRIST (MATTHEW 26:69-75).
• PILATE SENT JESUS TO HEROD (LUKE 23:1-12).
• THE CROWD CHOSE TO FREE BARABBAS (MATTHEW 27:15-23).
• PILATE DELIVERED JESUS TO BE CRUCIFIED (JOHN 19:1-16).
• THE SOLDIERS CRUCIFIED JESUS (LUKE 23:32-38).
• JESUS DIED (MATTHEW 27:45-56).
• JESUS WAS BURIED IN THE TOMB (JOHN 19:38-42).
 
Chances are you have a cross somewhere nearby right now. It might be hanging on the wall or sitting on a bookshelf. Maybe it’s in a picture or painting or a piece of jewelry you’re wearing. If you can see it right now, I want you to look at it for a moment; if you can’t see one, close your eyes and picture a cross.
 
For the vast majority of us, the cross we’re looking at or picturing has one thing in common: Jesus isn’t there. We don’t see Him on the cross. And rightfully so. The cross wasn’t the end of the story. As we like to say, “Sunday’s coming.”
 
But for six hours on the Friday that we call good, Jesus was there, on a very real cross, and what He experienced were agony and anguish. It was suffering. Only, His suffering began before He even got there.
 
Read Mark 15:6-39. After Pontius Pilate gave the people a choice between releasing Jesus and the murderous rebel Barabbas, they chose Barabbas. So, then, Pilate, mister “I wash my hands of this,” decided crucifixion wasn’t going to be enough; he needed to have Jesus scourged first. And this “scourging” wasn’t some slap on the wrist. It wasn’t a spanking. It was a beating with a whip that would often end up killing the person before any other type of punishment could be carried out.
 
But it didn’t stop there for Jesus. Pay attention to what follows. A whole company, about 600 hardened Roman soldiers, stripped Jesus of His clothes and paraded Him around in fake royal garments. They forced a crown of thorns on His head. They mocked Him. They beat Him with a stick. They spit on Him. They ridiculed Him. They forced Him to carry His cross until He physically couldn’t any longer.
 
Only then did they crucify Jesus. They drove nails through His hands and feet and raised Him between two criminals. And after all this, everyone who was there, even some of those dying beside Him, continued to mock, insult, and make fun of Him.
 
Yes, Jesus suffered. But He didn’t just experience physical suffering and emotional suffering. The greatest pain He suffered was spiritual.
 
Throughout all of the abuse Jesus endured, neither Mark nor any of the other Gospel writers recorded one moment of Him screaming in agony or cursing those who tortured Him. But, after He hung there on that cross for six hours, enduring excruciating pain and struggling for every breath, Jesus finally broke His silence.
 
Christ cried out, quoting Psalm 22, “my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” If you read the rest of that psalm, you’ll notice that like the psalmist, Jesus was also surrounded by mocking enemies and facing certain death. Like the psalmist, Jesus was abandoned by His friends, family, and in Jesus’ case, His followers. To make things worse, Jesus was even abandoned by the Father. At that moment, Jesus was completely and utterly alone.
 
But it had to be this way.
 
Jesus alone is God who took on flesh. Jesus alone faced every temptation and trouble in this world, yet knew no sin. Jesus alone could bear our sin, every wrong thing you’ve ever done, every wrong thought I’ve ever conceived, every disobedience and rebellion committed throughout all time. He alone could suffer in our place. He alone could pay the penalty we owed. He alone could die for us.
 
Why in this moment alone did Jesus cry out “my God” instead of “Father”? Because at that moment, God the Son had become the sinner’s sacrifice. In turn, God the Father saw not His Son but the sin of the world – my sin and your sin – and in His holiness, He turned away and left Him to die.
 
Jesus died alone on that cross so you and I might live together with God in fellowship with Him. He suffered so we may be saved. And that’s what makes this Friday so good.
 
THINK ABOUT IT:
Jesus is often referred to as a “man of sorrows” (Isaiah 53:3). How does it affect your understanding of who He is to also see Him as a man of suffering?
 
Read Psalm 22. In what ways do you see Christ reflected in the verses of this psalm?
 
Though perhaps not to the same extent, we also know what it’s like to suffer or feel like we’re surrounded by trouble. How does it help you to face those situations knowing Jesus is intimately familiar with the same things?


Day 5: Jesus’ Trial & Peter’s Denial

DAY 5: JESUS’ TRIAL & PETER’S DENIAL
Scripture Passage: Matthew 26:57-75
 
HOLY WEEK TIMELINE:
ON MAUNDY THURSDAY:
• JESUS CELEBRATED PASSOVER WITH HIS DISCIPLES (LUKE 22:7-16).
– He washed His Disciples’ feet (John 13:1-20).
– He foretold His betrayal (Matthew 26:20-25).
– He promised the Holy Spirit (John 14:15-31).
– Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane at the Mount of Olives (Matthew 26:36-46; Luke 22:39-46; John 17:1-26).
•JUDAS BETRAYED JESUS (LUKE 22:47-48).
•THE CHIEF PRIESTS, SCRIBES, AND ELDERS ARRESTED JESUS (MATTHEW 26:47-56).
•THE DISCIPLES FLED (MARK 14:50)
 
“It wasn’t me.” Those three little words have to be one of the earliest excuses we learn to tell. Almost from the moment we can talk, whenever we’re confronted about something wrong we’ve done, we quickly offer up that lie in an attempt to keep ourselves out of trouble. In Matthew 26, we find Peter, one of Jesus’ closest disciples, offering essentially the same excuse he would have made when he was caught causing trouble as a toddler.
 
Read Matthew 26:57-75. After Jesus’ arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, those who captured Him took Him to Caiaphas, the high priest, to be tried for His supposed crimes. The authorities in this first trial had no real power to carry out any sentencing, but they could determine just what accusations they would be able to bring before those who did.
 
As Jesus was taken away, most of the other disciples scattered to the wind, but not Peter. He went along. Granted, he didn’t stay right by Jesus’ side, but he followed at a distance. At that point, it seems he at least still had some of the guts and grit he showed when he drew his sword in defense of Jesus when they came for Him. Once they arrived at the trial, Peter didn’t go inside even though he wanted to know how things would go. So, he stayed out in the courtyard where he could still hear and observe everything that took place.
 
What happened inside was a joke. The religious leaders, supposed men of God, had done their best to find people to lie about Jesus. Evidently, they found some, but none whose accusations would stick. Two others did come forward with a twisted version of something Jesus had said about rebuilding the temple after three days following its destruction (John 2:19). That was all it took.
 
Throughout it all, Jesus remained silent until directly questioned whether or not He was the Christ, the Son of God. When He confessed that He was, the religious leaders knew they had Him. There was only one conclusion to draw. To claim to be God was to commit blasphemy, an egregious sin, and a curse toward God. The only way He could be innocent would be for Jesus to actually be the Son of God (which, of course, He was even though none of them believed it). So, there was only one possible punishment befitting such a crime: death.
 
Meanwhile, there’s Peter in the courtyard. He’s just heard that very pronouncement for himself. Knowing his Savior was surely to die, it appears some of his bravado left him. We can see this in what happened next. First, a servant girl recognizes Peter as one of Jesus’ followers. Then, another servant girl also accuses him of being someone that was also seen around town with Jesus. Finally, some of the crowd gathered around for the spectacle of the trial heard in Peter’s accent that he was an out-of-towner and came from the same region where Jesus did.
 
Peter gave the same excuse each of the three times, some version of “it wasn’t me.” At first, he simply said he didn’t understand. Then Peter directly denied even knowing Jesus, which he did once again, adding some cursing to boot. At that moment, a rooster crowed, and Peter knew.
 
What did Peter know? He knew he had done what Jesus had warned him he would do. “This very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times” (Matthew 26:34). What could Peter do then except weep over his failure? He’d been caught, and no excuse could make it otherwise.
 
We often like to give Peter a hard time. After all, it seems like throughout the gospel stories, he’s consistently putting his foot in his mouth. However, we need to give Peter a break, not because he was innocent but because he was guilty. He was guilty just as every man, woman, and child that night at that trial were guilty, all but Christ, Himself. They were guilty, just as we all are.
 
The good news is this: though innocent, Jesus’ death made a way for us all to know forgiveness, no matter what we’ve done, no matter how guilty we are.
 
THINK ABOUT IT:
What are ways followers of Jesus continue to deny Him sometimes today?
Why is Jesus’ innocence so significant?
What risk is there for you in confessing your worst sins to Christ and asking for His forgiveness?


Day 4: The High Priestly Prayer

DAY 4: THE HIGH PRIESTLY PRAYER
Scripture Passage: John 17:1-26
 
HOLY WEEK TIMELINE:
ON WEDNESDAY:
• THE CHIEF PRIESTS AND SCRIBES PLOTTED TO KILL JESUS (LUKE 22:1-6).
• JUDAS ISCARIOT AGREED TO BETRAY JESUS FOR THIRTY PIECES OF SILVER (MATTHEW 26:14-16).
 
We don’t always appreciate how amazing prayer really is. On the one hand, it’s quite simple. After all, it’s just having a conversation with God. On the other hand, though, prayer is one of the most astounding things in the world. After all, IT’S HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH GOD. The all-powerful, all-knowing Creator of the universe allows us to talk with Him. Not only that, He actually invites us to talk with Him. He wants to spend that time with us. So, shouldn’t we take advantage of that opportunity and spend as much time in prayer as possible?
 
It’s easy to answer “yes,” because we readily see that we should do that. But in reality, most of us don’t. There are probably several reasons for that, but one is that we don’t realize how essential it is for our lives. One way we know the importance of prayer is that we see it in Jesus’ own life.
 
Throughout His time on Earth, Jesus repeatedly and regularly withdrew from the crowds and took time out of His busy schedule being the Messiah to spend time in prayer. Think about that for a moment. Jesus prayed. He talked with God the Father. Jesus is God the Son. So, when Jesus prayed, it was God talking with God. Did the Son and the Father really need to spend that much time together talking? The answer is obviously yes because Jesus did it so much. It was essential to His life and should be for ours as well.
 
The Gospel writers didn’t record for us much of what Jesus said in these prayers, but that makes sense. Often no one else was there to hear them. But in John 17, right after He finished celebrating the Passover with His disciples, Jesus prayed. This prayer is the longest prayer of His recorded in all of Scripture.
 
Read John 17:1-26. Jesus offered this prayer, knowing full well He was about to face His death. He prayed these words to God the Father in His disciples’ presence so they could hear them. In these words, we’re given a unique insight into what was on Jesus’ mind as He prepared to die, and He intended for us to hear them.
 
First, Jesus asked the Father to use Him for the work He had sent Jesus to do. Jesus knew eternal life was only possible through faith in Him, but that life could also only be granted if He first paid the penalty of death owed for our sin. That was the reason He came. That was the work God the Father had given Him to do, but He would need the Father’s help to follow through with it and see it finished.
 
Second, Jesus prayed for His disciples. He had already done so much in the lives of all those who followed Him. He had taught them and revealed to them all that God the Father had given Him. Now, He was preparing to leave them, and He knew that wouldn’t be easy for them. He knew the world would hate them because it had hated Him. He had guarded them against much of that hatred during His time with them, but since He would be physically leaving Earth, they would have to face that hatred head-on. They would also need the Father’s help and His Word to continue to faithfully follow all that Jesus had taught them and to see their purpose fulfilled in the world.
 
Third, Jesus prayed for you. Yes, you. in John 17:20, He prayed, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word.” If you have put your faith in Jesus Christ, it’s because you heard about it through the witness of Jesus’ disciples who spread His gospel and wrote it down in the Scriptures. That means you’re one of the ones who believed in Him through their word. So, right there, on the night before He died, surrounded by Matthew and Peter and James and John and the rest, Jesus prayed for you. He asked the Father to unite us, you and I, together with them and with Him in the love of God.
 
As Jesus prepared to endure the cross, you were on His mind. Just a little while later, Jesus would be in the Garden of Gethsemane, and He would be praying again. In that prayer, He would ask God if there was any other way to accomplish His work other than dying, but ultimately said, “not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). Jesus’ prayer expressed His willingness to obey God no matter what, even if it meant suffering and dying, because it’s what the Father wanted and what you and I needed.
 
THINK ABOUT IT:
How important is prayer for you?
What are some ways you can increase your commitment to prayer?
What’s currently on your mind you need to discuss with God in prayer?


Day 3: The Last Supper

DAY 3: THE LAST SUPPER
Scripture Passage: Luke 22:14-20
 
HOLY WEEK TIMELINE:
ON TUESDAY:
• JESUS GAVE HIS DISCIPLES THE LESSON OF THE FIG TREE (MARK 11:20-26).
• HE TAUGHT MANY PARABLES (MATTHEW 21:28-22:14, 25:1-46).
• HE CHALLENGED THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES (MATTHEW 23:1-36).
• JESUS LAMENTED OVER JERUSALEM (MATTHEW 23:37-39).
• HE REVEALED THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT (MARK 12:28-34).
• JESUS FORETOLD THE END OF THE WORLD AND HIS RETURN (MARK 13:1-37).
 
There are a lot of special days we celebrate each year. Christmas. Thanksgiving. Valentine’s Day. Independence Day. Memorial Day. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Our birthdays. And, of course, Easter. Every now and then, something so monumental happens on one of these days that it changes every other time we celebrate it in the future.
 
Maybe it’s getting an especially incredible gift for Christmas, or it could be the year you had the most epic party for your birthday. It might be a vacation to Disney World you took one summer for July 4th, or finally getting a date with that special someone for Valentine’s. It could be anything, but whatever it is, it changes how you think about that day from there on out. Each year when that day rolls around again, you’re instantly reminded of what happened that one time before.
 
That has to be what it was like for all of Jesus’ disciples after they celebrated Passover with Him one last time before His death on the cross.
 
You see, for the Jewish people, Passover was like a combination of a lot of our holidays. It was like Christmas because it reminded them that God sent someone to rescue them from their captivity. It was like Easter because it reminded them of the new lease on life God had given them. It was like Independence Day because it commemorated their freedom from slavery. It was like Martin Luther King, Jr. Day because of Moses’s role in leading them to the Promised Land. It was like Memorial Day because they remembered all those who had died because they didn’t have the blood of a lamb on their doorposts. It was like Thanksgiving because of the gratitude God’s people had toward Him for all He had done. And it was like Valentine’s Day because God had done all He did for His people because of His great love for them.
 
So, Passover was a really big deal, and Jesus and His disciples had most likely all been looking forward to celebrating it together, again. However, no other Passover celebration would be the same after this last one because Jesus changed it completely.
 
Read Luke 22:14-20. The special meal that is part of Passover is called a seder, and the seder is full of symbolism meant to help the people remember the Exodus story when God delivered them out of slavery in Egypt. However, Jesus knew that what most plagued not only the Jewish people, but all people, was their slavery to sin. The whole reason He had come to this earth was so that all might have the chance to find freedom in Him. So, He took various elements of the Passover meal to help His disciples see just what it was He was about to do.
 
The bread used in the seder was unleavened, which means it didn’t have any yeast to make it rise. So, rather than being soft and fluffy, this bread was flat and crispy. During the meal, the unleavened bread would be broken and shared among everyone at the table to remind them of God’s provision for His people while they wandered in the wilderness. Jesus took this bread and broke it and shared it with His disciples, but told them, “This is my body, which is given for you.” In doing this, He showed that He was God’s ultimate provision. We have all wandered in the wilderness of our sin, unable to make our way back to God, yet God had not forgotten us. He provided the way to Him through Jesus.
 
Jesus and His disciples would have drunk from four different cups of wine during the seder. After breaking the bread, Jesus would have given them the third cup, which is known as the Cup of Redemption. Redemption means paying off a debt that is owed. When Jesus identified the wine as His blood poured out for them, He was telling His disciples that His death would pay the debt they, and we all, owed for our sin.
 
With His broken body and His shed blood, Jesus took the place of the Passover lamb and provided the way for all who would believe to be saved from certain death as a result of our sin. We all need to remember this, and more than once a year around Easter. That’s why Jesus used His last supper to establish the Lord’s Supper. Even though most of us do not celebrate Passover, we continue to reflect upon all He has done for us when we eat the bread and drink the cup in remembrance of Him.
 
THINK ABOUT IT:
How does the way your church celebrates the Lord’s Supper help you remember what Jesus has done for you?
Why is it so essential to ensure we have times to remember?
In what ways is Jesus like the Passover lamb?


Day 2: Washing The Disciples’ Feet

DAY 2: WASHING THE DISCIPLES’ FEET
Scripture Passage: John 13:1-11
 
HOLY WEEK TIMELINE:
ON MONDAY:
• JESUS CURSED THE FIG TREE (MATTHEW 21:18-22).
• JESUS CLEANSED THE TEMPLE (MARK 11:15-19).
 
Have you ever been so dirty you could feel it? I’m thinking of the kind of dirty you get in the depths of the summer when it’s so hot outside the horizon shimmers. You can’t take a step outside your door without sweat beginning to pour off you. Your clothes cling to you all over. Dirt and dust and grass and everything else sticks to every bit of your skin, and your hair looks like you just got out of the pool. I’m talking about the kind of dirty you can smell on yourself. Ever been that dirty? Of course, you have. We all have.
 
When you’re that dirty, there’s nothing you want more than to get clean, and once you finally do, you realize there’s nothing like it. It’s at times like that you think to yourself that you’ve never felt better in your life than you do right then. It’s only when we fully realize just how filthy we are that we come to appreciate how good it is to be clean.
 
That’s true not only for our bodies but also our souls.
 
Read John 13:1-11. On the night before He died, Jesus gathered together with the twelve disciples, His closest followers, to observe the Feast of the Passover with them. This was a special meal that was part of a larger celebration, during which the Jewish people would remember and reflect upon God’s deliverance of them from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 12). Typically, as people arrived at a house in preparation for the meal, the host would have a servant or the lowest household member wash each guest’s feet. Why? Because they were filthy. Roads weren’t paved. They were dusty and dirty, and since most people walked around in some sort of sandals, that meant their feet were dusty and dirty, too. The Passover meal was celebrated with everyone reclining at the table, and the last thing you’d want is for someone’s nasty feet to be near your food or face.
 
However, Jesus and His disciples were celebrating their Passover meal in a borrowed room, and they certainly didn’t have any servants. It was just the thirteen of them. Clearly, Jesus would serve as the host for the meal, but since the disciples were often more concerned with who was the greatest among them (Luke 9:46), none of them jumped at the chance to fill the servant role.
 
So, Jesus did something shocking. He filled the role Himself.
 
Jesus got up and “laid aside His outer garments.” These garments would have included a prayer shawl called a tallit. For a revered religious teacher like Jesus, this tallit symbolized His authority. In removing it and laying it aside, Jesus demonstrated a giving up of His God-given authority in order to serve His followers better, an act we see echoed in Philippians 2 where the Apostle Paul wrote that Jesus “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant” (Philippians 2:6b-7a).
 
Jesus then washed His disciples’ feet. When it was Peter’s turn, though, he balked. He couldn’t fathom why their Lord was stooping so low. What Peter didn’t realize, of course, was that this foot washing was a symbol, a picture of the cleansing Jesus would provide for them all, a cleansing from their sins.
 
Peter gets lots of the attention here, but it’s important to take note of one other disciple in particular, Judas Iscariot, of whom “the devil had already put it into the heart . . . to betray.”
 
Jesus was well aware of Judas’ impending betrayal (v. 11), yet Jesus washed His feet anyway. He did this so that His disciples, and us, might fully understand afterward what it was He was doing.
 
You see, we’re all like Judas. We’ve betrayed our Lord and our Creator through our rebellion and disobedience. We’re covered in the filth of our sin, yet Jesus set aside His authority as God and came to earth to die that we might also be like Peter, made clean by Christ.
 
THINK ABOUT IT:
Yesterday we saw Jesus as King. What do you understand about Him now that we also see Him as a servant?
What does it mean for Jesus to make you clean?
How can you follow His example and serve others today?


Day 1: The Triumphal Entry

DAY 1: THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY
Scripture Passage: Luke 19:28-40
 
HOLY WEEK TIMELINE:
ON PALM SUNDAY:
• JESUS ENTERED JERUSALEM RIDING A DONKEY (MATTHEW 21:1-11).
• JESUS WEPT FOR JERUSALEM (LUKE 19:41-44).
• HE VISITED THE TEMPLE AND RETURNED TO BETHANY (MARK 11:11).
 
 
We don’t know what it’s like to have a king. After all, we live in a democracy, not a monarchy. We live in a country, not a kingdom. However, we know what it’s like when one of the most powerful leaders in the world comes to town.
 
Even if we don’t live somewhere the President has ever visited in person; we’ve at least seen it online or on the news or in movies. There’s a lot of preparation that goes into that kind of visit. Streets are barricaded and shutdown. His armored car is just one in a vast motorcade escorted by police and secret service. People line the streets on both sides trying to catch a glimpse of him, some of them cheering, others shouting. It creates quite the scene.
Now, compare that scene with the one described in Luke 19. Read Luke 19:28-40. When we pick up the story in verse 28, we find Jesus completing a journey that began ten chapters ago when He determined to go to Jerusalem and fulfill the purpose for which He had come to earth in the first place (Luke 9:51). He knew full well that once He entered the gates of that city, He would set off a chain of events that would ultimately lead to His death. Yet His resolve didn’t waver. He never had the urge to flee, to try to escape. He simply put one foot in front of the other. But there were still some things that needed to be prepared.
 
Jesus sent two of His disciples ahead to secure a young donkey He could ride for the journey’s final leg. He didn’t need to do this because He was tired or His feet hurt. Actually, what He did was to fulfill a prophecy that revealed to everyone around Him just who He was. This prophecy is found in Zechariah 9:9:
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
– Zechariah 9:9
 
When Jesus mounted that colt and rode into the Holy City, He revealed Himself as a king, but not just any king. He demonstrated that He was THE King, the Messiah, the One sent from God the Father to deliver and reign over His people. He was a righteous King, meaning He was perfectly right and good and just, yet along with His rightness and goodness and justness, He also brought with Him salvation for everyone who hadn’t been able to prove themselves righteous (which, if you’re keeping score, is all of us).
 
As Jesus rode into Jerusalem, He drew a crowd. Some were His followers, who fulfilled the first part of Zechariah’s prophecy with their rejoicing, praising Jesus as King, and exalting the peace and glory He alone could bring to all people. Luke wrote that these followers praised God “for all the mighty works they had seen,” works like feeding the five thousand (Matthew 14:13-21), healing the disabled (Luke 5:17-39), casting out demons (Mark 5:1-20), and raising Lazarus from the dead ( John 11:1-44). Of course, if they found all that impressive, in just a week, they were about to be blown away by the power of God in Jesus Christ.
 
This story is often called “The Triumphal Entry,” but no one present that day fully understood the triumph over sin and death Jesus was about to accomplish.
 
Still, it wasn’t all cheering and celebration. Jesus had His haters, too, and some of them confronted Him about what all His followers were saying. These religious leaders thought Jesus should silence His followers. These leaders didn’t see Jesus as their king, much less the Promised King. But Jesus let them know it didn’t matter what they thought. He was who He was. They may not have known it, but all of creation did, and if His followers didn’t give Him the worship He alone deserved, then the rocks would.
 
Jesus was the King promised to bring righteousness and salvation, and He still is.
 
THINK ABOUT IT:
What are some of the opinions about Jesus you hear from people today?
What does it mean for you to know Jesus as King?
How will you praise Him for who He is today?