The Future of this Resource…

hi everyone!

thank you to everyone who had journeyed this far with this devotional resource!  it’s been a wonderful time to go through the Scriptures together with you, and such a blessing to read your insights.  i wish i could publish the nearly 2000 comments you contributed because they were just so incredible…but as promised, i won’t!

at this point, i am contemplating the future of this resource.  it has been a great blessing to me, but at the same time, the accountability/emailing reminders portion has been very dry.  and with the church plant coming up soon, i don’t know if i will have the time to really dedicate to this as i had in the past.  so my decision is this:

i will continue with this devotional blog if it becomes more of a community effort, with other people regularly contributing their thoughts and reflections.  this not only would help me bear the burden of creating three devotionals a week, but would be a great development as it would open other perspectives and insights into the Word that i cannot always provide!

and so, please contact me if you are interested in contributing to this devotional blog.  if i can find a few people who really would like to help, i think we can continue providing a place to journey through Scripture.  if not, i may have to change the frequency of postings, or maybe even eliminate them altogether =(

but no matter the result, it was such a pleasure and blessing to do this for you all over the last 9 months!

p.peter

4.24.09, Philippians 2:12-18

Shining as Stars

 ¹²Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. ¹⁴Do everything without complaining or arguing, ¹⁵so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe ¹⁶as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. ¹⁷But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. ¹⁸So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

Stars In The Night

Paul exhorts the church, and us, to “shine like stars in the universe”.  I think most of us know that stars are actually always shining, even during the day.  It is just the light of the sun is too bright to make out the light given off by very different stars.  It is only during the night, after the sun sets, that we can make out the light of the stars…only when it is very, very dark.

It is only natural for us to be drawn to things that are whole and healthy.  We choose the areas in which we lived based on that it’s safe, there are nice competitive schools there, there are lots of choices for church, and lots of Christians to fill those many churches.  And by the same token, we find ourselves repulsed by and apprehensive of people and places that are deeply wounded and do not function well.  This is only natural.

But however natural this mentality may be, it was not Christ’s mentality while on earth.  While he walked and did ministry, he was drawn to people and cultures that were broken and alienated because he knew he alone possessed the answer to their brokenness – himself.  He explained to his disciples in no uncertain terms that it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

As Christians, we have to resist the world’s lifestyle, and instead imitate this model of Christ.  Instead of insulating ourselves against broken people, cultures and institutions, we want to instead actively engage with these things because we know we are living testimonies of God’s power to mend the broken.  Part of our identity, and part of our calling, is not just to be able to discern between things that are broken and things that are whole…but to participate in God’s kingdom work of redeeming those broken things to their intended whole.

Because it’s in the darkness that our light shines all the brighter…

Questions

1. In what ways have you been isolating yourself from broken things?

2. What is one area of brokenness that God is calling you to engage with and try to mend?

3. What are ways that you practically stop isolating yourself from people and cultures that need your help?

4.22.09, Philippians 2:1-11

 

Imitating Christ’s Humility

 ¹If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ²then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. ³Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. ⁴Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

 ⁵Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 
 ⁶Who, being in very nature God, 
      did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 
 ⁷but made himself nothing, 
      taking the very nature of a servant, 
      being made in human likeness. 
 ⁸And being found in appearance as a man, 
      he humbled himself 
      and became obedient to death— 
         even death on a cross! 
 ⁹Therefore God exalted him to the highest place 
      and gave him the name that is above every name, 
 ¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, 
      in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 
 ¹¹and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, 
      to the glory of God the Father.

“If He Can Do It..”

I think the most encouraging thing you can know about a difficult or daunting situation is that someone has done it before.  Maybe you are at the end of a diving board in your swimsuit, and looking into the water below makes your head spin.  You back away until you see a little kid go screaming off the end and do a cannonball – and the realization breaks, that “HEY!  If that kid can do it…I probably can do it as well!”  The impossible has been made possible.

And that is what this passage reveals to us as well.  Humility can kind of be like that diving board, a difficult course to follow, and very unnatural for us.  Taking the high road of humility can seem so hard and…humbling.  But then we realize that Jesus did it, and he was God himself.  And if Jesus, Son of God, can humble himself in tough situations, then you probably can do it as well!

Additionally, it helps to remember why Jesus humbled himself, even to death on a cross – so he could earn a great victory; so he could be exalted and lifted up; so he could win our salvation from the Enemy.  So yes, we can humble ourselves because Jesus has gone before us and shown that it is possible, but additionally, we do so because we know that God will lift us up in the process – it will be worth it in the end!

Questions

1. Is there a situation in your life which requires you to be humble, perhaps more humble than you would like to be?

2. Did Jesus ever have to humble himself in the same way you would have to, i.e. to someone who didn’t deserve it?  If so, is there a way you can imitate Christ’s actions?

3. What benefit could there be from humbling yourself in this situation?

4.20.09, Philippians 1:18-30

Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, ¹⁹for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. ²⁰I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. ²¹For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. ²²If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! ²³I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; ²⁴but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.²⁵Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, ²⁶so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.

 ²⁷Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel ²⁸without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. ²⁹For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, ³⁰since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

What Runs Beneath Our Surface

I’m not sure many people can honestly relate to the Apostle Paul.  When you read from him or about him, his behavior is so extreme and different, it’s hard to understand where he’s coming from, or what motivates him to live so counter-culturally.  His behavior is unfathomable, and difficult to try to imitate.  But this passage gives us a huge clue in this regard:

“For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

Paul’s lifestyle is so different because his mentality was so different, a mentality that valued Christ above all things.  First, the presence of Christ, and second, the work of Christ.  Because these are priorities #1 and #2 for Paul, he lived a life unlike any other.  It is simply not possible to imitate the life of Paul, without imitating the vision and values of Paul – putting Christ first above all things.

If you are disappointed with what your life looks like, your actions, your behaviors…take a moment to look at your mentalities, the things that run under the surface.  Where are your priorities?  What do you value?  What is most important to you?  Unless you can identify these things, and begin to shift them, behaviors will always stubbornly remain the same…

Questions

1. How honestly can you share Paul’s sentiment, “For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain”?  

2. What behavior would you most like to change in your life?  What is the root mentality behind that behavior?

3. What are practical ways in which we can shift our mentalities to be closer to where we want them to be?

4.17.09, Philippians 1:12-18

Paul’s Chains Advance the Gospel

 ¹²Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. ¹³As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. ¹⁴Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly. ¹⁵It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. ¹⁶The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. ¹⁷The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. ¹⁸But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.

A Powerful Gospel

Hopefully to some of us, this passage is vaguely familiar.  Remember in Mark, Jesus prophesies that the disciples will face incredible persecution, but that this persecution would allow them to pronounce the gospel to those in worldly authority.  I’m sure at that moment, the apostles were pretty skeptical that something as horrid as persecution could have such a vital significance, but what do we find here – Paul testifying to the entire Roman palace guard because he is imprisoned.  I think it’s pretty clear that Jesus doesn’t front – he knows what he’s talking about.

The second paragraph is difficult for many of us, myself included.  The thought of someone preaching the gospel for selfish or fallen intentions is so distateful, and we suppose that it would be distateful to Paul as well.  But it’s not…strangely enough, he kind of shrugs his shoulders about this issue?  Why?

I think this points to two important idea – first, every messenger is fallen.  There are no perfect pastors, no perfect worship leaders, no perfect missionaries… including myself, first and foremost.  But despite this scary thought, we have to keep in mind that even though the messengers are fallen…the message is perfect.  And it’s not the messenger that is the focus, but the message that they bear.  This is what Paul is talking about in 2 Corinthians 4, that we are all simple jars of clay that hold a precious treasure inside…

But additionally, we should realize that the gospel is intrinsically powerful.  The gospel doesn’t really need us to shine it up and make it gleam.  We don’t have to dress it up.  All we need to do is present it to others.  And even if a person does so for the wrong reasons and the wrong words, the gospel will still accomplish its incredible work, it’s just that amazing.  This is what is so beautifully captured in the words of Isaiah 55:11

…so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

So don’t be afraid to evangelize because you are not trained, or because you’re not eloquent, or mature enough – the gospel has more than enough power on its own.

Questions

1. Have you ever been disappointed in a spiritual authority figure you looked up to?  What negative effect did that person have on your life?

2. Based on what we read above, that the message is more important than the messenger, did you learn anything positive from that figure?

3. What are your main reasons for not sharing the gospel with people around you?  How does the passage above affect those reasons?

4. Have you ever had an experience where the gospel seemed to have a power of its own, where you didn’t put much effort into sharing or teaching it, but it was very effective nonetheless?

4.15.09, Philippians 1:1-11

Philippians 1

 ¹Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, 
      To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:

 ²Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

 ³I thank my God every time I remember you. ⁴In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy ⁵because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, ⁶being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. ⁷It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. ⁸God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

 ⁹And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, ¹⁰so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, ¹¹filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

“In My Heart”

We’re going to take a quick jaunt through the book of Philippians!  From beginning to end, the book of Philippians is filled with incredible encouragements and insights, especially addressing the idea of unity within the church body.  Over and over, we will come across verses that have shaped the life of the church for centuries, as well as many of our own individual lives.  And these wonderful insights are the result of love.

What I mean is this – Philippians  stands in contrast to other epistles like 1 Corinthians, which because of some of the terrible perversions the Corinthian church had taken with the gospel, is filled with warnings and rebukes, and even sarcasm.  The book of Philippians is instead filled with genuine warmth, as evidenced by this opening greeting and prayer – this passage is just so personal, isn’t it?  Paul really appreciates and loves this church, and this affection will eventually manifest itself into a powerfully encouraging and masterful epistle.  It is Paul’s love for the Philippian church that causes him to lavish encouragements and insights upon them.  

Love just has this way of bringing the best out of us.

The question is, “Do you love anyone like this?”  Is there someone whom you pray for with joy?  Someone whom you have in your heart?  Someone you long for with the affection of Christ?  Someone whom it is so easy to serve and encourage, as it was for Paul and the Philippians?  It is important to be able to identify such people in our lives, because they have a way of bringing the best out of us.  And also, to realize that the affection that we have for this person or people isn’t ours, but was given to us by God.

Questions

1. When you read how Paul feels about the Philippian church, is there any person or group who comes to mind in your life?

2. Why do you feel this way about this person or group?

3. What have you done for this person or people that you usually don’t find yourself doing?

4. Why do you think God has given you such a great heart and affection for this person or people?

4.13.09, Mark 16:

Mark 16

The Resurrection

 ¹When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. ²Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb ³and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” ⁴But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. ⁵As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

 ⁶“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. ⁷But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’ “

 ⁸Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

A Sudden Stop

This is the end of the book of Mark.  There may be a few more verses in your bible, but they haven’t been historically verified.  In the Greek, this last sentence isn’t even complete!  It just abruptly ends right here, with the confusion of these women at the missing body of Jesus.  It is one of the few unique characteristics of this gospel, as all the other gospel accounts include fuller narratives of Jesus’ actions after the resurrection.

But in a way, this ending is one that many of us can relate to.  We often go through incredible experiences, maybe an awesome retreat or Sunday service, maybe you’ve been on a missions trip that changed your life.  And when it’s over, we don’t know what to do – we are left confused and bewildered, not knowing how to process the enormous things we have seen and experienced.  Sometimes that confusion can be so deep that it is almost depressing.

But we have to remember what the “young man” just said…that Jesus is risen!  He’s alive!  He’s actually nearby, and waiting to meet with them!  If you look at the corresponding passage from the book of Luke, the disciples are actually walking right next to him, and they have no idea!  And in light of this fact, that “confusion” is really not all that negative – instead, it is more accurately a sense of expectation and excitement.  

And I think this is a good mentality for us to hold as well, in those moments where we are not sure where God is leading us next in our lives.  It may feel confusing and a little overwhelming, but remember that Jesus is alive, and is closer than you think.  And in that way, you are not heading into your future alone at all, but with the risen and victorious Christ.

Questions

1. What impressions do you take away after reading through the book of Mark?  Do any particular passages or themes stick out for you?

2. Is there a situation where you feel uncertainty and confusion in your life?  What do these feelings stem from?

3. Does the fact that Jesus is alive and present in that situation change how you perceive it in any way?

4.9.09, Mark 15:1-41

Mark 15

Jesus Before Pilate

 ¹Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, reached a decision. They bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate. ²“Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate. 
      ”Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied.

 ³The chief priests accused him of many things. ⁴So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.”

 ⁵But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.

 ⁶Now it was the custom at the Feast to release a prisoner whom the people requested. ⁷A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. ⁸The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.

 ⁹“Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate, ¹⁰knowing it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. ¹¹But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.

 ¹²“What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked them.

 ¹³“Crucify him!” they shouted.

 ¹⁴“Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. 
      But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

 ¹⁵Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

 ¹⁶The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. ¹⁷They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. ¹⁸And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” ¹⁹Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. ²⁰And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

The Crucifixion

 ²¹A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.²²They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). ²³Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.²⁴And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get. ²⁵It was the third hour when they crucified him. ²⁶The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS. ²⁷They crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left.  ²⁹Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, ³⁰come down from the cross and save yourself!”

 ³¹In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! ³²Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

The Death of Jesus

 ³³At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. ³⁴And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” ³⁵When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”

 ³⁶One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said.

 ³⁷With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

 ³⁸The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. ³⁹And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”

 ⁴⁰Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. ⁴¹In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.

Questions

There are no questions for this devotional.  Just spend time reflecting on this moment, and the sacrifice.  Below you’ll find a remarkable sermon given by S.M. Lockridge that reminds us exactly who hung upon that cross so long ago.  Have a blessed Good Friday.

4.8.09, Mark 14:66-72

Peter Disowns Jesus

 ⁶⁶While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by. ⁶⁷When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him. 
      ”You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus,” she said. ⁶⁸But he denied it. “I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about,” he said, and went out into the entryway.

 ⁶⁹When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, “This fellow is one of them.” ⁷⁰Again he denied it. 
      After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.”

 ⁷¹He began to call down curses on himself, and he swore to them, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about.”

 ⁷²Immediately the rooster crowed the second time.  Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times.” And he broke down and wept.

A Full Restoration

Many of us have read this passage before, and are familiar with Peter’s rejection of Jesus.  But the gospel of Mark actually omits a wonderful part of this story, which is the restoration of Peter.  That section of the story is only included in the gospel of John, and is as follows:

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” 
      ”Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” 
      Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” ¹⁶Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” 
      He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” 
      Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

 ¹⁷ The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” 
      Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

    Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. 

Now, a strange similarity jumps out at us when we look at Peter’s rejection of Jesus, and his reinstatement by Jesus: Peter rejects ever knowing Christ three times, and three times, Jesus asks Peter if he truly loves him.  This is no accident, and I’m sure that Peter was fully aware of the similarities – it must have stung him deeply to be reminded of his failure by Jesus himself.

Why does Jesus do this?  Why couldn’t he just let it go, and not mention that whole, “You rejected me three times” thing?  Why, instead, make it a point to reinstate Peter in the same way he failed?

I think this highlights a very important aspect of how God works in our lives – forgiveness is not the same as forgetfulness.  Often we think that we have forgiven or have been forgiven when we just forget it ever happened, and it doesn’t hurt like before.  As long as no one mentions this again, as long as I just forget it ever happened, that’s all we want.  But this is not the kind of healing that God wants in our lives, the narcotic of forgetfulness.  Instead, just like with Peter, he restores us through our pain and brokenness, sometimes in a way that forces us to journey through the things we have done wrong, through confession.

This is of course more personal and difficult than forgetfulness, but the difference is freedom.  True forgiveness releases you from guilt and condemnation and allows you not just to move on with your life, but transforms those difficult moments into your greatest strengths – you are freed from your past.  Forgetfulness can do nothing of the sort, as our past lingers in the back of our minds for years and years.

Rather than settling for forgetfulness, let us all strive for true forgiveness, and at the same time…true freedom.

Questions

1. Has there ever been a time where you mistook the feeling of forgetfulness for forgiveness – how did you come to realize this?

2. How does one pursue true forgiveness, rather than forgetfulness?

3. Is there a part of your life in which you need forgiveness and freedom?  How can you begin this process, as exemplified above?

4.6.09, Mark 14:32-42

Gethsemane

 ³²They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” ³³He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. ³⁴“My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” ³⁵Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him.  ³⁶“Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

 ³⁷Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? ³⁸Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

 ³⁹Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. ⁴⁰When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.

 ⁴¹Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴²Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

Doing the Right Thing

Sometimes doing the right thing is just so difficult.  It may be asking someone for forgiveness because we have wronged them, or paying the consequences when we have done something wrong.  It can be refusing to lash out at others who insult you or gossip about you.  But whatever it is, it seems nearly impossible for us to do the right thing at that moment.  Sure, Jesus went through with the cross, but it was easy for him because he was God, right?

No, not really.  We’ve journeyed with Jesus through the gospel of Mark, and up to this point, have we read anything close to what we have read here?:

“He began to be deeply distressed and troubled.”

“My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death”

“He fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him.”

“Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me.”

Does this sound like it was easy for Christ to follow his path to the cross, that his identity as God made it impossible for him to feel fear or pain?  No, Christ felt every second, every emotion of those dark moments, and yet, despite his full awareness of the terrible events to follow…he carries it through.

I hope we can take some encouragement from this, if or when we find ourselves in our own Gethsemanes of life, we can know that even Jesus felt terrified and heavy-hearted, that it’s okay and natural to feel this way at times. But nonetheless, he summoned up the courage and faith to do the right thing in order to attain a much better thing.  And if Jesus could do this when faced with the cross, surely we can do the same when faced with the situations of our lives.

Questions

1. Have you ever had a moment like this, where you were faced with a situation or decision that made you sick to your stomach?  What did you find yourself thinking about in that moment?

2. How does the fact that Jesus felt the terror of those moments change or expand your understanding of the crucifixion?

3. What part of the Good Friday narrative so far sticks out most for you?