The Great Irony

"When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, “As you know, Passover begins in two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”

At that same time the leading priests and elders were meeting at the residence of Caiaphas, the high priest, plotting how to capture Jesus secretly and kill him. “But not during the Passover celebration,” they agreed, “or the people may riot.” - Matthew 26:1-5

Do you notice the irony in these verses? The religious leaders plotting to kill Jesus, but not during the holy festival. The people entrusted with keeping the laws (including, 'You shall not murder') willing to break the same laws for their own benefit. 

Holy Week reminds us of how fickle we are as people. It shines a light onto the church, as much as it does to the world. Jesus is not some kind of 'convenience' that we latch unto when it suits us. His call is for us to surrender all to Him.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Understanding our own hearts

I would never do that!

I am sure many of us proclaim these words loudly when we read through the Passion of Christ. The soldiers, the religious leaders, the crowds - they all seem so vulgar and unmoved by Jesus. How could they mock a man of peace, even if they didn't believe he was the Messiah? Surely, they saw some good in him.

And what a disgrace - to spit on another human being. How low can you go?

Isaiah 50:6 - "I offered my back to those who beat me and my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard. I did not hide my face from mockery and spitting."

Alexander Whyte challenges my thinking with his words, reminding me how close I am to be a soldier, a pharisee and a member of the crowd: 

"You will understand the spitting scene that night when God lets you see your own heart."

I may not physically spit on others, but perhaps my heart has wanted to.

Lord, in your mercy, change my heart.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

The Lamb is presented for inspection.

It was customary for the Passover Lamb to be kept for four days before the actual Passover (see Exodus 12). This allowed the people of Israel the chance to present their lambs to the priest for inspection. Is it not incredibly profound that when Jesus rides into Jerusalem, on what we know as Palm Sunday, that he was symbolically presenting himself to the priests as the Passover Lamb – the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world?!

There are so many remarkable events that happened during Jesus' last week on earth, that I can't see this has been mere co-incidence. God had a plan, and he was fulfilling it through the life and death of Jesus Christ. 

May you encounter Christ during this Holy Week. 

Exodus 12:1-6 - "The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, 2 “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. 3 Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb[a] for his family, one for each household. 4 If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. 5 The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. 6 Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight..."

Living in Grace

D3LM3

A picture that speaks a 1000 words

In the late 1820's many people in Denmark were wrestling with faith and what means to follow Jesus, especially in the light of a broken world. In response to this longing, a sculptor by the name of Bertel Thorvaldsen was commissioned to design some statues to put into the Cathedral in Copenhagen. One of these is the now famous ‘Christus’, which is a statue of Christ (see above). 

Legend has it that when Thorvaldsen first modelled the statue in clay, he designed it so that the arms and hands of Jesus extended higher up – almost towards the heavens. However, during the night, a dense mist rolled in from the sea and soften the clay. When he arrived in the morning, the hands of Jesus had shifted downwards and consequently made the whole attitude of Christ look so much more inviting. Thorvaldsen decided he liked this newer portrayal of Jesus and left the hands as they were. 

As we enter into the final days of Holy Week, let us use this image of Christ as a reminder that God is always inviting us - always drawing us near to himself. 

Matthew 11:28 - Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Turning tables

Our journey through Jesus' last week in Jerusalem conjures up many different emotions. We also note the emotional impact on Jesus himself, reflecting on his passion and purpose. One of the incidents that leaves us a little confused is when he turns over the tables in the Temple. However, the more we read into it the more we comprehend the heart of Christ. When our worship loses its main focus (i.e., God) and becomes bogged down with the peripheral issues, then we miss the whole point. 

Matthew 21:12-13 - "Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!”

If Christ came to you today, what "tables" might he overturn?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Unblock our ears

 
"It is not given to men/women to make God speak. It is only given to them to live and to think in such a way that, if God's thunder should come, they will not have stopped their ears." - A.M. Hunter

Holy week is such a special time for the Christian community, but it is also a time where we pray that the Gospel reaches the hearts and ears of many other people. 

It is my prayer that all of us would be mindful of the things that block the message of God reaching our inner being. God desires to speak to all of us  during this most sacred season. 

Matthew 13:15 - "For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them."

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Silence and stillness

“Something strange is happening – there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep.” - Anonymous

In my experience, Holy Saturday is one of the least celebrated days of Holy week and perhaps it has to do with the fact that we don't fully know what happened on this day. There is a strong belief that this is the day that Jesus descended to the dead (1 Peter 3:18, Ephesians 4:7-10). 

We only know in part what really transpired on Holy Saturday, but what we hold onto is that Sunday is coming. The earth's silence and stillness, after the agony of the Crucifixion, prepare us for the great joy of the Resurrection.

“To be sure, it was not Easter Sunday but Holy Saturday, but, the more I reflect on it, the more this seems to be fitting for the nature of our human life: we are still awaiting Easter; we are not yet standing in the full light but walking toward it full of trust.” - Pope Benedict XVI

What does this day mean for you?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Father, forgive them

 

The last 7 words of Jesus, spoken from the cross, have all been well documented. In many Christian communities Holy Week gives us a chance to go deeper into these special words. It is believed that the first of these Seven Words are recorded in Luke:

"Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34)

As we hold these words close to our hearts, it is imperative that we allow God's Spirit to take us to the core of our being. What did these words mean for the original listeners and what could they possible mean for us today?

Jesus' prayer was more than likely aimed at everyone standing at Calvary that day and then they also echo down through every generation since.

God is invited to forgive the hatred of the Jewish religious leaders
God is invited to forgive the complicity of the Roman soldiers
God is invited to forgive the disciples who abandoned Jesus in his last hours
God is invited to forgive anyone who chooses to ignore the sacrificed given for them
The father is asked to forgive us when we carry on with our lives as if nothing happened on the cross.

As we experience Holy Week this year, may the words of Jesus connect with our innermost being.

"To err is human; to forgive, divine." - Alexander Pope

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Break my resistance

Today marks the beginning of Holy Week, which traditionally allows us to reflect on the last days of Jesus's earthly life. The following poem is extremely helpful in bringing us to a place of remembrance and spiritual stock-taking. I offer it to you and pray that the words would help all of us prepare for the greatest weekend of our Christian experience. 

"Now to the gate of my Jerusalem,
The seething holy city of my heart,
The Saviour comes. But will I welcome him?
Oh crowds of easy feelings make a start;
They raise their hands, get caught up in the singing,
And think the battle won. Too soon they’ll find
The challenge, the reversal he is bringing
Changes their tune. I know what lies behind
The surface flourish that so quickly fades;
Self-interest, and fearful guardedness,
The hardness of the heart, its barricades,
And at the core, the dreadful emptiness
Of a perverted temple. Jesus come
Break my resistance and make me your home." - Malcolm Guite 

What things are causing resistance in my heart today?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

26a - Delusions of grandeur

We are all a lot like Simon Peter - we have delusions of granduer! We promise much, but end up falling short of our bold promises. We mean well and we desperately want to give our all to Jesus, but in the end our frailties trip us up.

³¹ On the way, Jesus told them, “Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say,

‘God will strike the Shepherd,
    and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’

³² But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.”

³³ Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.”
³⁴ Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.”
³⁵ “No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the other disciples vowed the same. (Matthew 26:31-35)

We can't fault Peter for his willingness to try and this is why he is such a beloved disciple for all of us. He keeps stumbling, but then rising again. He makes a mistake, wrestles with his sins, and then comes clean before Jesus. And in seeing the heart of Peter, Jesus loves him and gives him the greatest responsibility of all - carrying the message of Hope to a broken world.

This Holy Week remember that Peter was forgiven for his failings and lauded for his Faith. 

It is not our failings that will turn Jesus away from us, but rather our refusal to to recognise him as our Lord.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

22

Alright my numbering system may seem a little off, but there is some method in my madness. I have been trying to write a brief post on eavh chapter from Matthew's gospel during Lent. We managed to get up to Matthew 21, which was Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, but I didn't want to surge ahead and lose the connection with Jesus' last week on earth.

Matthew saves seven chapters for Jesus' death and resurrection, so we will use these as our reflection over Holy Week. And it is during these days that we note Jesus' powerful teaching on a number of different subjects. For today, we see how he is questioned by many of the religious leaders, all trying to catch him out, but he stumps them with his profound words. In Matthew 22, he says:

^"Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22: 34-40)

There are a lot of things we can draw from these verses, but in my opinion the obvious one is this: 
"If we practised these 2 key commandments sincerely we would end up keeping all the other laws and commandments together."

It was Jesus' love for his Father and his love for us that drove him through the last week of his life.

What keeps you moving forward day after day?

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Six

Each day has enough trouble of its own.
These are the last words of Matthew 6 and they come at the end of portion where Jesus urges his followers not to worry about the trivial things in life.  It is not that these things aren't important for us - we do need food, shelter, clothing and so on - but I believe Jesus wants us to know that God is also concerned about these things too and God will make a plan for us. God will provide enough for us to get through each day.

That could mean - Enough food...
Enough shelter...
Enough love...
Enough strength...
Enough support...
Enough hope...
Enough comfort...

As you continue to make your journey to Holy Week reflect on these wonderful words from Jesus. God is enough. God will give us enough in order to sustain us for whatever we are facing.

^"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." - Matthew 6:33-34

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Hiding my face - Ezekiel 39

The phrase "hiding my face" immediately conjures up two things in my mind. Either I am terribly embarrassed by something and want to hide from the public eye, or I am deliberately trying to stay away from another person. 

As we read Ezekiel 39 this phrase occurs 3 times (verses - 23,24,29) and it seems to me that God has moved from a place of deliberately hiding from his people, to allowing himself to be found (note verse 29). As the Lord chooses to forget the unfaithfulness of his people, we see a shift in his desire to be 'found' by them. I get a picture of God moving from a place of  'embarassment' to a willingness to be seen in public with his people again.

 ²⁵ “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will now restore the fortunes of Jacob and will have compassion on all the people of Israel, and I will be zealous for my holy name. ²⁶ They will forget their shame and all the unfaithfulness they showed toward me when they lived in safety in their land with no one to make them afraid. ²⁷ When I have brought them back from the nations and have gathered them from the countries of their enemies, I will be proved holy through them in the sight of many nations. ²⁸ Then they will know that I am the Lord their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind. ²⁹ I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

Not sure if any of this makes sense? Hopefully we see a glimpse of this in the events of Holy Week as Jesus moves fully into the public arena, willing to die on the cross in full view of the entire city. God is not hiding any more. God is present with us 100%.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Coming back

The Lenten journey is one of calling us back home and so when we read the prophecy in Ezekiel 36, in light of the Cross, we see this remarkable promise being fulfilled. Through the love of Jesus we can come home to the heart of the Father.

 
“Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: I am bringing you back, but not because you deserve it. I am doing it to protect my holy name, on which you brought shame while you were scattered among the nations. ²³ I will show how holy my great name is—the name on which you brought shame among the nations. And when I reveal my holiness through you before their very eyes, says the Sovereign Lord, then the nations will know that I am the Lord. ²⁴ For I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home again to your land.

²⁵ “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. ²⁶ And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.²⁷ And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.

The prophecy in Ezekiel 36 is truly a memorable one. It speaks of incredible hope and restoration. God is going to do some remarkable healing and renewal in the hearts of the nation. These are the 3 big things that stand out of this chapter, for me:

1. God will bring us back (home)
2. God will cleanse us
3. God will renew our hearts - from hearts that are as hard as stone to hearts that are responsive and ready to obey

Living in Grace
D3LM3

What token?

When he was reflecting on the account of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-11), Matthew Henry wrote these words:

·        “Those that worship Christ as King must lay their all under his feet; the clothes, in token of the heart.” – Matthew Henry.  

       This was in reference to the fact that some people would have laid their best robes at the feet of a King (in these days) or at the very least some Palm branches. We are challenged to reflect on what we will 'lay before' our Lord and King this Holy Week? Will it be our best or just the rags of our lives?

  

     Living in Grace

     D3LM3

The Courage

As we edge closer towards Holy Week it is deeply profound to contemplate the courage of Jesus. I mean who of us walks into a City where people want you dead? Jesus knew what was lying in wait for him, yet he still rode into the messy cauldron of religion, politics and economic chaos. He had come to Save the world and this was his moment.

Hebrews 12: 2-3 - ^"looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.³ Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart."

How does Jesus' Courage inspire you?

What are you facing at the moment? Ask God to give you Courage.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

April Fools - Lent #25

Solomon has a fair amount to say about fools, so I thought that on this "April Fools Day" we should reflect on some of these words. He actually mentions 'fools' over 70 times in the book of Proverbs, eleven of which appear in Proverbs 26 alone.

"Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, honor is not fitting for a fool. Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest. A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools!" - Proverbs 26:1

"Like tying a stone in a sling is the giving of honor to a fool." - Proverbs 26:8


"Pound on a fool all you like—
you can’t pound out foolishness." - Proverbs 27:22 (Message)

It seems that our world is not short on foolish people - we see them at every turn. However, best we reflect on our own lives before other people refer to us as being 'foolish'. There is a thin line between farce and  honour.

I leave the last thoughts on foolishness to Paul. This is what he had to say to the church in Corinth.

• "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." - 1 Corinthians 1:18

Don't be counted among the foolish this Holy Week.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Good Friday - Lent 34

There are many verses in Psalm 34 that help us reflect on Christ's work on the cross. Read through a few of these and see what I mean.

• "The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them." (V.17) - Jesus was totally pure, holy and righteous when he died on the Cross. Although his cry from the Cross seems to fall on the deaf ears of the Father, he is heard. The Lord hears all our cries.

• "The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." (v.18) - Our God is able to relate to all of our pain and suffering, because he went through the agony of the cross. He is able to save our crushed spirit's as well offer us eternal life.

•  "He protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken." (V.19) - This prophecy is fulfilled on Good Friday, when not one of Jesus' bones were broken. 

May you have a blessed Easter Weekend and may your Friday indeed be a GOOD day.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

"No one will be condemned who takes refuge in him." - Psalm 34:22

A day of Hope

For me this Easter Sunday has reminded me of the incredible Hope we have in Jesus. Just when the disciples were the darkest time of their lives, Jesus miraculously rises from the grave. What a reminder that God is not predictable or controlled by human decisions. Our Lord has risen from the grave!

Remember that when we worship Jesus, we worship the Lord of Hope. Nothing is to difficult for God. Death, sin and guilt have been paid for on the cross and now we are invited to taste the sweet victory of the empty tomb.

Hebrews 6:18-19 – "God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. "

Living in grace,
D3LM3