Tag Archives: Holy Week

Into the Night

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I tell folks when they read the Bible to read it slowly. Don’t rush through. It’s not a race.

Read slowly.  Listen.  Pay attention.  See what God may be saying to you through the words you are reading.  Something will jump out to you. Something will grab you. Something will say – look there!  That’s important!

I was reading this morning in John on this Wednesday of Holy Week went something jumped out to me.  I was reading the text where Judas left to betray, when I saw something I’d never really noticed before. Listen to John’s Gospel:

Jesus responded, “It is the one to whom I give the bread I dip in the bowl.” And when he had dipped it, he gave it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot. When Judas had eaten the bread, Satan entered into him. Then Jesus told him, “Hurry and do what you’re going to do.” None of the others at the table knew what Jesus meant. Since Judas was their treasurer, some thought Jesus was telling him to go and pay for the food or to give some money to the poor. So Judas left at once, going out into the night.

Lots of stuff there, but what got me was that last sentence – “Judas left at once, going into the night.”

In John’s Gospel, light and darkness are big deals.  Jesus is the light.  He is the light of the world.  He is called light over and over and over again.  He is the light that has come forth into the world to shine God’s goodness and mercy and salvation.

And, likewise, where there is no light, there is darkness. And darkness is where we don’t want to be.  Darkness is apart from Jesus.  Darkness is sin and evil and destruction. Listen to what John says in chapter 3:19, “And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.”

Light has come.  But people loved the dark more than the light. They loved their sin more than His life. They loved their way more than His way.

So, today, what did Judas do – He left Jesus and went into the night.  Into the darkness.  To betray.

Today, you will have choices to make. Will you leave Jesus and go into the darkness?  Into the darkness of sin?  Of lust?  Hate?  Pride?  Greed?  Anger?  Judgement?  Rage?  Will you leave the side of your savior and walk into the night?

We are called to be the children of light, not of darkness.  May we not go chasing after the dark places.  May we stick by Jesus’ side. May we not wander into the night.

Will You Follow?

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Today is the Tuesday of Holy Week, this week between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. In this week Jesus remains in Jerusalem teaching the people about what is to come.  He teaches them about what is coming later this week; about His suffering, His death, and even His resurrection.

And these teachings are not always easy to hear.

When someone is drawing close to the end of their life, I’ve heard it said that they talk and speak with a clarity of purpose. I don’t know if that’s true in the same way for Jesus – His words always rang true.  His teaching always had authority.  He was always clear.  He always spoke the truth.

But, there is something about what He tells this crowd on this Tuesday in light what He knows will be happening to Him on Thursday and Friday. Listen to these words:

Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.

Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me.

And that sounds nice, doesn’t it?  That sounds nice and sweet. But here’s the problem.  Jesus doesn’t always lead us into easy places.

Jesus doesn’t always lead us to the places that we’d go on our own.

I mean, look at where He willing went this week – the cross. But He went, knowing that through the cross, our salvation and victory over sin, death, and the grave would be achieved.

And honestly, that victory makes it possible to follow Him.  He will call you into places you don’t want to go.  He will call you to people who you don’t like.  He will take you to places you don’t want to go.

The question is this.  Will you follow?

You can follow for two reasons.  First, if He calls you somewhere or to something you don’t like/want, know that in the end, it’s for your good. The tears you cry are not in vain. The hurts you feel are not without a purpose.  The tough times serve a purpose. They will draw you close to Him.

Sometimes it take a tough time to realize Jesus is all we need.

Second, when He calls you to those places, know that through the cross and the empty grave, you’ve already got the victory.  Sin, death, and the grave have been defeated.  You can trust that.  You can live that.

Jesus calls us to follow Him.  Into places we might not want to go.  Know though, where He calls us to, He will go with us.  He will not leave or forsake us. Today, or ever.

Today, will you follow?

Nothing Compares to Him

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This week between Palm Sunday and Easter is called Holy Week. Each day of this week, Jesus was drawn closer to the cross, closer that day that won our redemption and our victory. But each day is a day closer to the emotional and spiritual pain of His betrayal, and closer to physical pain and death of cross.

Each day is one day closer.

And each day this week, we will remember what He went through. I was talking yesterday at Asbury, to truly understand how amazing the empty grave of Sunday is, we must stop and remember the pain and hurt of the bloody cross.

Today on this Monday of Holy Week, John 12 tells us what happened to Jesus:

Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead. A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.

There are lots of different thoughts at to the significance of the perfume Mary used. Some say could have been part of the dowry for marriage.  Some say it could have been part of a family tradition.  I’ve heard lots of stories and sermons about what all the perfume represented, and I don’t know the answer to it.

But I do know this.  This perfume was the most valuable thing Mary owned. This was worth more than anything she owned or could have owned.

And she willing laid it at the foot of Jesus. Literally.  This perfume of great worth only found in its true worth in being used to anoint Jesus.

Today, what is that thing of great worth in your life?  What is that prized possession?  Is it of more worth to you than Jesus?  Or course, publicly, we’d all say “Of course not!” But what about privately?  What about when no one is looking? What about when’s it just us and our thoughts?

Today, Mary showed us an example.  Nothing was worth more than Jesus to her. Nothing.

May we see that example, and may we follow.  Jesus laid everything down for our sake and for our salvation.  May we lay it all down for His glory.

He is our greatest prize and possession.  And nothing compares to Him.