March 16, 2024
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in our Lenten readings from “The Life of Jesus”? Here’s today’s reading:
Day 27 in the Book: “The Life of Jesus“
The Week Jesus Dies
Read Sections 5.27 through 5.30 (pages 159-161)
This book is an account of Jesus’ life and teachings told through in chronological order from the four Gospels to create one continuous story.
*If you do not have a copy of the book please contact the church at (401)667-0775 and we can get you a copy.
The Life of Jesus 5.27-5.30 & Jonah chapter 1 (independent reading)
“‘I give you a new command: Love each other. You must love each other just as I loved you. All people will know that you are my followers if you love each other.'”
Jesus commands us to love others here. He says that all people will know that they are His followers because they will see their love for each other. Are people seeing your love for others? It is always good to monitor your actions and to constantly be asking yourself, “What would Jesus do?”.
“When Judas was gone, Jesus said, ‘Now is the time for the Son of Man to receive his glory. And God will receive glory through him.'”
Jesus’ and The Father’s glorification is tied to Jesus’ death on the cross as He says here – Isaiah 49:3
“This wine represents the new agreement from God to His people. It will begin when my blood is poured out for you.”
God sets up a new agreement. I know the new covenant and New Testament, but the translation “agreement” struck me.
It made me think of Romans 9. Where many understand it to be saying that God chooses whoever He wants and we cannot argue. True, but that is not the argument, the argument is that God can change the terms of the agreement.
The agreement now is through Jesus’ blood and faith in Him, rather than through the works of the law or through Jewish lineage.
What a great time of prayer we had this morning. Monthly prayer breakfast. Powerful!! So awesome to have Times during the week to study Gods word together and other times to just pray!! Feel so blessed to be part of a church that stands on the promises and the word of God. Reading today the new covenant. Nothing better. Ever!! The blood of animals could not take away the sins of man. Only God can. And God came and wiped our sins away. To think we could have anything to do with our salvation. That somehow we could fill the gap between God and us. Only the cross of Calvary could fill that separation. To think Jesus is heading to Golgotha. And the apostles are arguing between themselves. He washed their feet and they’re arguing who’s the greatest. Stepped right back into the world! Comforting that Peter is quoted often. Looking in a mirror!
5.27 The New Agreement With God (Matthew 26:26, Luke 22:19-20, Matthew 26:27, Luke 22:20, Matthew 26:28-29)
5.28 Who Is The Most Important? (Luke 22:24-30) Hard to believe this conversation is happening…but not really all that hard to believe. Maybe it was so in order that Jesus might give us His words on humility and service.
5.29 Jesus Gives a New Command (John 13:31-35) My Bible notes had an interesting commentary here…”Jesus’ command regarding love presented a distinctly new standard for two reasons: (1) it was sacrificial love modeled after His love (‘as I have loved you’;), and (2) it is produced through the new covenant by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit (Jeremiah 31:29-34, Ezekiel 36:24-26, Galatians 5:22)
5.30 Jesus Says Peter Will Deny Him (Matthew 26:31-32, Luke 22:31-32, Mark 14:29-31, Luke 22:35-38) Another incredible lesson for us from Peter. Jesus tells him explicitly that he will fail, despite Jesus Himself praying specifically for his faith to not fail. I believe this example is given to illustrate to us all that we have a part to play in obedience. We must choose to have faith that Jesus has equipped us through making us a new creation in Him and in giving us His Holy Spirit…we must decide that we are able to obey…and not only able, but that we want to obey more than we want to sin. We have to make that decision. Will we demonstrate to Jesus that we love Him through our active obedience to His Word? Or will we lack faith or desire in that moment, choosing instead to serve ourselves? Christ is our Lord, and He has equipped us…He has given us all we need. (1 Cor 10:12-13). May God help us in our temptations, help us to surrender to His will, and trust Him…trust that His ways are best for us. May we work to build our Fortress of Freedom…that which protects our Freedom to obey Christ, and within its high walls…the Meadow of Obedience. The peace of God, which passes all understanding, is found there, and it protects our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Come unto Him, all who are heavy laden, and He will give us rest.
Jesus when He says: [ Take this bread and eat it. It is my body that I am giving for you. Eat this to remember me.} And the other statement about the blood when He says: { Each one of you drink some of it.} These statements are not His literal body and blood as some teach but are only a sign to remember what He did on the cross. Besides; Jesus was still alive when He said these things and hadn`t actually shed His body and blood on the cross yet. We do this in our church once a month as Communion to remember what Christ has done for us and to come before Him in humility searching our own hearts. This is for believers. Then after all this that Jesus was talking about His death; the disciples begin to argue amongst themselves about who is the most important. Didn`t Jesus just teach about washing each other`s feet and being a servant and putting others first before oneself. And didn`t Jesus earlier address this very thing when James and John [ Sons of Thunder} and their mom ask Jesus for special privilege that one would sit at Jesus right hand and the other on the left? Matthew 20: 20-28. Then He reminds them again about servanthood. In this however is a look into their position in Heaven that they will sit on thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel. Then He goes back into the teaching that they are to love each other. This is a new command. It is interesting how many times Jesus kept teaching His followers the same lessons because they were so slow to learn and apply His teachings to their lives. But lets not judge them to harshly for aren`t we the same? How many times we thought we finally get it only to need to be taught again. Such is our old nature and all it`s problems. This is why God allows things to happen to us so that we will look to and rely on Jesus. It is assuring to know that these followers did grow in the Lord. Such as John the Apostle who was at first called sons of thunder along with his brother, James. John latter became known as the Apostle of love. Look at Peter`s maturity as he wrote 1 and 2 Peter. For that matter just look at our own lives as the Lord has brought us through many trials since we were saved. Aren`t we more spiritually mature? At least we should be if we are yielding to Christ. Then Jesus tells the disciples that they all will deny Him that night. Of course Peter is the most vocal and says that he will never do that. Jesus says he will deny Him three times before the rooster crows two times. But the others also said they wouldn`t. They all did. May we always be willing to tell others about Jesus and not hide the light that He has given us. God bless us as we follow Him.
Lenten day 27
Communion is when we take the bread and wine and remeber the sacrifice Jesus made but here as the apostles sit and have this last supper they are instead preparing for what is to come. Then he shares, “Love each other just as I have loved you” and how great that love is for us that He would lay down His life for ours!
Isn’t it amazing that as Jesus is sharing this intimate moment talking about the new covenant established in His blood and that His body will be broken for them, the disciples argue about who is greatest? There is no greater sacrifice that has ever been made than the death that Jesus died to make us all who believe right with God. It is a fitting thing to remember and be inspired by, and so we can be grateful that Jesus established this ritual to remember His sacrifice. And yet Jesus uses the disciples conversation to talk about the nature of servanthood that Jesus both modeled and calls them and us to. We know exactly how the world thinks of leadership and thinks the greatest one is the one with all the accolades. And yet Jesus makes clear that the greatest one is the one who serves. And what greater service at times we give others is to love them…and quite possibly Jesus reminds them to love one another because of the conversation they just had. And whenever I read Jesus telling Peter about his denying Jesus and his assurance he will remain faithful, I wonder if the thought crossed Peter’s mind that Jesus has never been wrong and so He probably knows what he is talking about…and so maybe Peter could be more prepared. May we take to heart the warnings and truth that Jesus shares with us so we can be prepared too.