Today’s daily reading for Holy Week: Matthew 28

Johnna’s reflection on today’s Scripture:

Matthew 28 has only 20 verses but it reveals so much!

Christ is risen! Christ is risen, indeed!

After what appears to be a devastating loss to the disciples in the death of Jesus, imagine their surprise to find out that everything Jesus foretold would be realized! Chapter 28 is filled with life and worship! It also sets the stage for the birth of the church and the mission to follow.

Before dawn on Sunday, an amazing scene unfolds at the tomb. Accompanied by an earthquake, a mighty angel of the Lord descends from heaven right before the guards. He looks like lightening dressed in white. He breaks the seal on the tomb, rolls back the large stone, and sits on it. The guards shake in fear and then faint! (1-4)

Two women, both named Mary, have made their somber walk to the tomb that morning. It had been three days since they witnessed the death of their friend and they arrive on the scene around sunrise to find the angel present and the guards apparently unconscious on the ground.
The angel says, “Do not be afraid.” He then shows them Jesus’ empty tomb and tells them Jesus is risen, just as he said. He gives them a specific message to take back to the disciples.

The women quickly leave to do as instructed, but they are stopped along the way by Jesus Himself! They fall to the ground and take hold of His feet. They recognize that He is the Son of God, risen from the dead, and they worship Him. As the angel did, Jesus tells them not to be afraid and to go and tell His brothers to go to Galilee, where they will see Him. (9-10)

Matthew skips over appearances made by Jesus as described by the other gospel writers. He jumps straight to Jesus’ meeting with the eleven remaining disciples on a mountain in Galilee. Jesus tells them that He is using His authority, given to Him by God the Father, to send them out on their lifelong mission. In this “Great commission,” Jesus commands His disciples to make more disciples of Him.(18-20)

I can only imagine the roller coaster of emotions felt by the two Mary’s and the disciples over the course of these three days.

Speaking of roller coasters, in December, I embarked on a roller coaster ride at Universal Studios called the VelociCoaster.
While waiting in line to board the ride, fear began to set in. It continued to increase at the sound of its screaming passengers and even more as I placed by phone and glasses in a locker, before being locked into my seat on the ride.
The roller coaster ride was terrifying! After surviving it and disembarking. I was both relieved and exhilarated at the same time. Still shaking several minutes later from the adrenaline, I retold the tale to anyone who would listen!

Do you think the Mary’s and the disciples had a similar experience with the death, burial, and the resurrection of Jesus? Do you think they told others of how Jesus conquered death with that much exhilaration?

As Christians, we are a part of this “Great commission”, tasked with making Disciples of Christ. How are you sharing the good news with others?

Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed!

Today’s daily reading for Holy Week: Matthew 27:55-66

Pastor Helen’s reflection on today’s Scripture:

In this time of waiting between the death and resurrection, there’s a character who is too often overlooked.  Yes, Joseph of Arimathea was the one who offered up his family’s tomb for Jesus, but he’s also much more.

Think about it: he was granted an audience with Pilate after normal business hours.  Does Pilate strike you as the kind of guy who would lovingly accept walk-ins at any hour? Not so much.  Yet, here the two were, talking burial logistics long after it would have been considered appropriate to do so in the day.  No. Pilate wouldn’t meet just anyone.  He also wouldn’t grant requests of just anyone, especially in cases of treason (which would have been the case of Jesus claiming to be who he was). Moreover, the use of linen and the family tomb indicate an honorable burial of prestige, which was also not commonplace for crucified criminals.

Across the board, Joseph was defying norms…and getting away with it! Joseph must have been a man of great affluence and influence. The latter means he would have also had a lot to lose by advocating on behalf of such a notorious “deceiver.”  Could you imagine? This wasn’t some guy.  This was a guy with enough means for a proper burial and influential enough to make it happen all outside of Pilate’s work day.  A man like that has a lot to lose, and yet he proceeded anyway.

Did he wonder if Pilate would refuse his request? If he would be admonished in some way for making it? Would there be other repercussions for being associated with Jesus? I don’t know if he worried about these things or not; but I do know it doesn’t seem as though he cared. Joseph put it all on the line for the one who put His life on it.

For those of us who know Jesus, we are usually content enough to share what He has done in our lives with others…so long as we know it will be accepted.  We will pray at meals when we are with others who also pray at meals. We let Jesus into our conversations when we are with others who are like ourselves…but what about when we aren’t sure how someone will receive that we are “associated” with Jesus and believers?  Do we boldly go forth and maintain our truth? Or do we not say anything at all for not wanting to offend anyone?

Let’s not underemphasize that Jesus died. He did so even so those who admonished Him could come to believe if they chose to respond to His great love. He didn’t just die for people who were already Team Jesus, and he certainly didn’t teach in such a way as to keep the peace at all times.  As such, Jesus, and, in turn, Joseph, become unflinching models of remaining in Truth even when it becomes inconvenient or unpopular.  How can we be more like them today? Tomorrow? On a regular day during a regular week?

Today’s daily reading for Holy Week: Matthew 26:36- Matthew 27:54

Cissie’s reflection on today’s Scripture:

Our journey today begins in Gethsemane. Jesus is in agony as He prepares for what’s to come. He wrestles deeply in the Garden of Gethsemane. It actually says in Luke 22:44, that Jesus was in such agony that he sweats drops of blood. This is an actual medical condition called “hemathohidrosis” where you sweat blood from being under great stress and duress. As we continue on in our journey we watch as Jesus runs to the Father and asks for the passing of this cup, but chooses to submit to the will of the Father (26:39 & 42).

We watch Him be betrayed by his closest friends and put on trial by his own people. Jesus was stripped, mocked, beaten, and ridiculed then nailed to a cross. On the cross at Golgotha, Jesus hung between two criminals (27:33-38). People passing by “hurling abuse at Him” (27:39). Jesus aches deeply from all He is enduring. If this was not difficult enough Jesus endured another painfilled suffering for us that we will never have to if we chose to respond to Him. Jesus endures the separation from the Father. He cries out to God “Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani?” which means “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (27:46).

As I think about the pain I have endured in my life. It pales in comparison. I’ve been deeply betrayed by someone close to me. I’ve been mocked and ridiculed for my faith. I’ve even had someone very close to me say they hate me to my face. I’ve been abused. I’ve cried in agony to God. What I have never had to endure was separation from God. He has walked intimately with me. Never once leaving or forsaking me as I ran to Him. Which is the key. We have a response to this gift. Acts 2:38 says, “Peter said to them, Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Repent means “to change one’s mind for the better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one’s past sins”. To abhor something is to have disgust for it. Repentance is an action word that propels us forward away from the life we once lived. In authentic repentance, we see life change as we surrender our lives to Jesus’ lordship knowing confidently that He loves us and wants what is best for us. We move forward to live as Jesus calls us to, taking those steps of obedience like baptism. As we do, we enter into this beautiful love relationship as we trust and increase our faith in Him. We receive the gift of the Holy Spirit as we are given the ability to have victory and to walk in the fruits the Holy Spirit provides. (Galatians 5:22-33) It all comes down to a choice. We can ignore these gifts. We can actually even grieve the Spirit (Ephesians 4:17-32). That is our choice.

So, I ask, what choice will you make in light of this?

Do you want to receive the gift Jesus gives us? Do you want to walk intimately, but don’t know where to start? Find a close friend who has a relationship with Jesus or reach out to me. You can email me (Cissie) at moreandbetter83@gmail.com. I would love to talk with you.

Today’s daily reading for Holy Week: Matthew 24-25

Johnna’s reflection on today’s Scripture:

People rarely just ‘stop by’ to visit any more, at least, not without making plans with you to do so. My house is usually ready for visitors anytime; however, depending on when you stopped by, you would see different versions of readiness.

If you were to visit on Friday, my house is in order and clean. If you were to stop by on Sunday, you would likely find my house is in shambles! You see, I probably had my three granddaughters all day Saturday and I am too tired to clean and put my house back in order until Sunday.

An unexpected guest after a day of mayhem, would find we had made quite a mess of things. I would be unprepared.

This reminds me of the parable regarding the unprepared bridesmaids in the book of Matthew 24:1-13.

The parable opens with a familiar phrase, “The kingdom of heaven will be like this.”

[Mind you, this is not in reference to my upside down house, (ha-ha) but rather how it will be for those who are unprepared for the return of Jesus!]

In this story, it is expected that the bridesmaids would await the arrival of the bridegroom and greet him with a procession of light in the darkness. All the maids are waiting with their lamps in eager expectation of the groom’s appearance.
The bridegroom is delayed.

Half of the maids brought extra oil for their lamps, anticipating a delay could occur. But the other half, to their horror, discovered that they would not have enough oil to keep their lamps burning. While the unprepared maids were away making arrangements that should have been made already, the groom arrived.

When they returned, they knocked on the door of the house, but their entrance to the wedding banquet was denied by the groom. The maids’ plea (25:11) recalls Jesus’ warning that not everyone who cries “Lord, Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven (7:21-23).

The parable is summed up in saying the, bridegroom’s arrival was certain. The uncertainty of the timing illustrates the need for constant vigilance. Had the foolish maids not left, and just offered what they had, they would have been there to welcome their Lord.

Is my house always going to be ready for visitors, nope! But, if Jesus were to show up at my door amid the mess of Saturday evening, He would also find a home that is filled with love for Him and joyfully be welcomed into the mess of it! Having a house fit for the King is not the issue, just as running out of oil is not the problem.

When the King comes, just be ready to open the door. Give what you have. Let the King have a seat in your humble home; let the feasting begin, ready or not.

Is there something that you could do today to make ready for the return of Jesus?

Today’s daily reading for Holy Week: Matthew 22-23

Pastor Helen’s reflection on today’s Scripture:

Grandmas are great storytellers. There’s just a way about them. The details they remember after all these years.  The way in which everything just seems like water under the bridge.  I can remember my grandma telling a childhood story about when she was totally distraught over not having an Easter dress.  It was the night before and had nothing special to wear on Sunday.

As the story goes, her mother scurried about their apartment and pieced together an ensemble from a fur coat, an old dress, and tassels from a lampshade! Extra fabric was fashioned to craft a bonnet. My great-grandma wasn’t a seamstress, but she did the best she could with what she had.

Now, let’s add in some context: this was Easter in 1930 during the Great Depression. Also, an Easter outfit complete with petticoat, gloves, and shiny shoes would have been a staple for Catholic families in the Bronx at that time, Depression or otherwise.

Understanding the times and the norms make all the difference in knowing why a dress was so important to my grandma at that age (just think about how our own kids want to keep up with trends).  Context also sheds light on the dire circumstances which would have led her mother to resort to home décor as a viable clothing accessory. In some ways, previously eccentric choices become normalized, and perhaps even admirable.

It’s this very kind of understanding history, norms, and culture that we should strive toward when reading Scripture. How can we fully grasp the parable of the wedding invitations unless we also understand how weddings fit into fabric of society? How can we grasp some of Jesus’ wittiest responses to those who questioned him if we don’t also know the Old Testament laws those very people were steadfast followers of.

The Holy Spirit will absolutely guide us in our understanding of scripture and will reveal whatever we need to learn and apply from a text.  That’s what He does!  That said, learning about the culture of 1st-centruy Palestine or Old Testament Hebrew law can go a long way in helping us make sense of what may originally seem a bit curious.

Nonetheless, just as one can glean that my great-grandmother must have loved my grandma very much, even without knowing the particulars of time and place, so it is with the passages we find here today.  We can see that the motive behind God and Jesus is love.  So, even if some details trip you up, as you read these two chapters, where can you find evidence of God’s love?How are those realizations magnified knowing what we will celebrate later this week?

Also, whenever Jesus shares a parable, as is the case today, He is telling us something about the Kingdom of God.  What can you learn about the Kingdom by applying that framework to the text?

God is love. He invites many to the feast.  His son’s sacrifice on Calvary makes that possible, but will you accept the invitation? If you have accepted, will you allow the reality of the resurrection to transform your life?

In what ways will people know that He is both your Lord and Savior? Will people just be able to know by knowing you, or will they only find out after peeling back layers of information?  Those layers can be rich with context: our testimonies, how God has provided for us, how we know we can trust Him, etc. But, like scriptural context, they should just enhance what is already plainly evident: that we love Jesus above all else.

Today’s daily reading for Holy Week: Matthew 21:18-46

Cissie’s reflection on today’s Scripture:

Just after Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, Jesus gets right to work. As we saw yesterday, Jesus drove those buying and selling in the temple out. He cleanses the temple. Today we take a look at 3 parables as Jesus works on teaching truth to the Pharisees “the cleansing of the people”.

In Verses 18-22, Jesus teaches the parable of the Fig Tree. We see the destruction of the fig who bears leaves but no fruit. Teaching us that we can look alive, but without fruit we are dead.

In verses 23-27, Jesus answers the Jewish leaders. The religious leaders raised the question of Jesus’ authority, and He answered by raising the question of their competence to judge such an issue.

In verses 28-32, Jesus teaches the parable of the 2 sons. The point of this parable is that what matters is living for God, not eloquent speech. The religious leaders were good at talking the talk, but their stubborn unrepentant hearts showed a lack of walking the walk. Jesus was teaching them that repentant sinners would become sons and daughters before they would.

In verses 33-41, Jesus teaches the parable of the wicked servant. It was obvious to the Pharisees that they were the wicked servant. Jesus is telling them of things to come: His death and the shifting of spiritual authority from the Pharisees to the apostles.

In verses 42-46, Jesus warns the religious leaders of the result of their rejection that if they continued to reject God and His Messiah: Jesus, that God would pass the leadership of His work to others.

Ultimately, the choice before the religious leaders is the choice before each of us. We can be broken in humble surrender before God or be completely broken in judgment. In Isaiah 45:23, I love the way the NASB translation says it:

“I have sworn by Myself, the word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back, That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.”

Whether we declare Jesus as Lord of our life this side of eternity or not we can guarantee one day we will all declare allegiance to Jesus.

It’s amazing how easy it is mix up our priorities and where our allegiance lays. We pledge allegiance to our flag and our countries. We even give our lives to our careers or school. We do in marriage or having a best friend. Even to our parents and kids, yet we neglect the most important allegiance; a relationship with God.

In a world filled with distractions by things or people buying for our allegiance. We need to remember to cultivate a heart surrendered to God first. Ready to move when He says move because He cares the most for us.

By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

I John 4:9-10

What is one way you can shift your priorities to make God first in your daily life today?

I’ve partnered again with my home church, Wallenpaupack Church, to create another daily devotional, and we can’t wait to reveal what we have in store! Four writers over the eight days will help guide us through a Journey to the Resurrection as we read, contemplate and remark over Jesus’ final days…

Today’s daily reading for Holy Week: Matthew 21:1-17

Pastor Ken’s reflection on today’s Scripture:

I’ve always wanted to do it.  Imagine, a perfectly arranged game board of monopoly with houses and hotels lined up perfectly, the chance and community chest stacked neatly in their respective places.  Then as my last dollar is paid in rent and my last property is mortgaged I flip the boat over.  Everything happens is slow motion as pieces and paper fly.

My reason for flipping the table is because I am a sore loser.

Jesus was not a sore loser, he is a just victor.

The Palm Sunday story in Matthew plays out in two parts.  The first is the triumphal entry of King Jesus.  Where the people shout shout “Hosanna!” -which literally translated means, “Save us we pray!”

Then Jesus dismounts his donkey and walks into the temple courts.  The account from John tells us that Jesus “made a whip” which tells us this next move was premeditated (John 2:15).  He then proceeds to wreak havoc upon the people changing money and selling animals.

It was a festival where people were required to make sacrifices.  Pilgrims who had come from far away had to exchange their money and pay and exchange fee, or they had to borrow money at interest. Then they would take their local currency and buy animal sacrifices that were marked up.  All of this was sanctioned by the religious leaders because they received a cut of the profits.

Remember, Jesus is a just victor.

He walks into the temple, drives out the oppressors and thieves, then cares for the blind, sick, and lame.

This is what just victors do.  They liberate then they elevate.  Jesus does not only save us from our sins and go sit on a throne someplace.  He saves us, then cares for us.  He heals us and attends to our wounds inflicted by our oppressor.  Rebuilds the broken places and redeems the lost hearts.

You’ve got money changers living in your life.  The sin and the shame, identity crises, addiction, and the list goes on.  These thieves come only to steal kill and destroy, but the just victor comes so you will have life and have it to the full. (John 10:10)

Next Step: What/who are the “money changers” in your life that prevent you or slow your progress toward a relationship with God?

Confess Jesus as victor and let him turn over the tables in your life.