Preparing to Wait

Day five of Passion Week
Passover day dawns and Jesus’ disciples are asking where they are to prepare and celebrate the Passover meal. Following his directions they find the place and begin the preparations. A celebration meal but the mood is somber.

When the full moon of the evening appeared Jesus sat with His disciples.

A servant came to Jesus with a pitcher and basin to wash his hands and a strange thing happened. Jesus took the basin and the water and wrapped the towel around his waist and went to each disciple to wash their feet.

He took the most humble position to show them what was expected of them. Strange things were happening this night.

The atmosphere changed when Jesus stated that one of them would betray him. They asked “is it I.” How sad they still had doubts but would I have done any better?

Jesus whispered to John that it was the one to whom he would give the morsel after dipping it. It was given to Judas Iscariot. Judas left the gathering after this revelation.

At the end of the supper Jesus took bread and wine and with words and actions He instituted the Lord ’s Supper, Holy Communion.

This was a departure from the Passover ritual.

Jesus waited until Judas was gone to institute this new sacrament. It could not be defiled by a sinner.

It was almost midnight when they left the room where they celebrated the Passover. Jesus spoke with his disciples as they slowly walked to the Mount of Olives. He continued His teaching when they arrived in the garden.

Jesus spoke to his apostles for hours trying to fill them with what they would need to know to carry them through the next few days. Were they fearful, Jesus said he was going to be put to death, would they be also? What did all the words He spoke to them mean? They would have a fuller understanding in a few days.

At about 1 a.m. he finished with several prayers and then asked Peter, James and John to follow him.

Jesus had completed everything. The preaching and teaching were over, the miracles over.

Now it was time to wait.

As I have been writing during this Passion Week I am sobered by the process of my deliverance. Doesn’t it seem like God could have come up with an easier plan of redemption, one that didn’t involve the suffering and death of His Son?
He made it easy for me; all I had to do was accept that Christ took the punishment of my confessed sins and turn my life over to Him.
Jesus’ part in this plan was total relinquishment of His will to His Father’s.
Daily He asks you and I to do the same.

His end was my new beginning.

Woo Hoo Here He Comes

Day 40 of 40 days of Lenten Posts - Day 1 of Passion Week Posts
Today begins Passion Week, Jesus’ final week on earth as God-man, by the end of the week He would take up His rightful position at His Father’s right hand.

The time had come for Jesus to be proclaimed as their king, fulfilling the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9.

Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a colt, the throngs shouting, “Hosanna, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed is the King of Israel.”

Palm branches were waved and placed on the ground as the colt carrying the King of kings and Lord of lords slowly made its way through the crowd into the waiting city.

How far did the sound of those shouts travel? All of Jerusalem might have heard the cry from that mighty crowd.

Were the disciples excited by this demonstration or did the words that Jesus spoke echo in their minds, “I must die.”

As Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and talked to them about what would happen to him when they arrived."I will be betrayed to the chief priests and other Jewish leaders, and they will condemn me to die. And they will hand me over to the Roman government, and I will be mocked and crucified, and the third day I will rise to life again." Matt 20:17-19 TLB

The triumphal entry was a prelude to the climax of His journey to earth to die for the sins of all mankind. On His mind were those who would receive the freely given gift of eternal life and those who would reject it. It overwhelmed Him and He wept.

But as they came closer to Jerusalem and he saw the city ahead, he began to cry. "Eternal peace was within your reach and you turned it down," he wept, "and now it is too late. Luke 19:41-42 TLB

It is not too late for you.

Will you accept His gift?