Holy Week Devotional
First Presbyterian Church Norfolk
This Devotional was written and produced by First Presbyterian Church, 2013. Š [The Center for Prayer & Spiritual Growth; a ministry of First Presbyterian Church of Norfolk, Virginia] 2013
We invite you to a week of transformation as you follow Jesus down the path of the cross. During this season, we remember, we meditate and we celebrate the miracle of our reconciliation to God through Christ’s death and resurrection. Our hope is that you take time to reflect on the last week of Christ’s life as recorded in the gospel of Mark. Our true desire is that you will encounter the living Christ, as you allow yourself to fully enter each story of Mark’s Passion Week narrative. We pray that this will be a season when you will be nourished by the word and presence of the Christ. Let these times of encounter through prayer and reflection be the center and purpose of each day. We invite you to a week of transformation as you follow Jesus down the path of the cross.
Each day we invite you to Pause to consider an invitation to join Christ as he walks the way of suffering Enter into the story as recorded by Mark Encounter the Christ as if you are actually a part of this Biblical story Ponder what Christ is asking you to consider today Pray for transformation
Holy Week Timeline Enter into the story of Easter as recorded in Mark. Mark is the only gospel writer who took great pains to chronicle Jesus’ last week on a day-by-day basis (often with indications of the exact time). In each of the following devotional entries, Mark specifies the day of the event: Palm Sunday
“As they approached Jerusalem” (Mark 11:1)
Holy Monday
“The next day as they were leaving Bethany” (Mark 11:12)
Holy Tuesday
“In the morning, as they went along” (Mark 11:20)
Holy Wednesday
“The Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away” (Mark 14:1)
Maundy Thursday
“On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread” (Mark 14:12)
Good Friday
“Very early in the morning” (Mark 15:1)
Sabbath Saturday
We have scriptures before and after the Sabbath that bracket the day. “It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached…When the Sabbath was over “ (Mark 15:42; 6:1)
Easter Sunday
“Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise” (Mark 16:2)
Day 1 Palm Sunday Pause On this beautiful spring day, you have a choice between attending two very different royal processions. From the west, Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of this region will enter the city on a mighty horse. He is coming to proclaim Roman rule and power. He knows the importance of Roman leaders being in the city during major Jewish festivals. Peace must be preserved as the population of the city nearly doubles during Passover. Pilate’s procession will be a visual feast of power portrayed by soldiers on horses and foot soldiers whose armor and weapons will catch the early morning glimmer of the sun. The people who line the streets will be influential and important. The bystanders who observe this procession will be assured that day-to-day life in the city will remain safe and orderly. Choosing to follow this procession confirms the secular theology that we know and trust: humans can take charge of their own destiny. Through strength, power and intellect, we can manage our world and manage our lives. From the east, Jesus will arrive on a donkey descending from the Mount of Olives into the city. He is coming to proclaim the kingdom of God. His followers will be nobodies and peasants. He will ride an animal that has never been ridden, making an implicit claim of kingship. If we hail Jesus as King, then we receive him as the one who comes to be Lord of our lives. Therefore, we acknowledge that he is the only way to enter into the eternal kingdom of God. We hail Jesus, the Christ, as king by faith in the absence of any outward signs of royal kingship. By faith, we accept that he is in control of our lives even when it doesn’t always feel this way. Which procession will you choose? Whose way will you claim? Who will you follow today?
Enter into the Story Read Mark 11:1-11 Focus verses for today: Jesus sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here…” They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, some people
standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go…. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Mark 11: 1-10)
Encounter Christ You have made the choice to attend the royal procession of the man who is rumored to be the “son of David.” You see this man/prophet in the distance approaching the area where you are standing. There is something different about him. You hear rumors that Jesus has directed the preparations for his entrance into Jerusalem, and you know that it is only God who can direct everything and move men according to his will. As Jesus approaches, you make a decision to honor him by taking off your outer garment and placing it on the ground. You want this prophet to step upon your cloak. You know that somehow once you publicly recognize the authority of this man, your life will forever be changed. As the Christ approaches, his colt steps upon your cloak and Jesus looks toward you and your eyes lock. You have never felt such intense love from anyone. You feel that your heart has been pierced by truth, compassion and love. You are overwhelmed by your own need for salvation, and so you softly whisper Hoshana (a Hebrew expression which means “Please save” or “Save now”). Immediately, you feel an interior sense of satiation and peace. You are unsure of the meaning of this feeling, but know that you will never be the same again. This person is more than a man. He is Lord. You can no longer endure the intensity of his gaze, and you bow your head in submission and sing Hosanna as praise. For now you can rest in the truth that indeed this God-man saves! The Lord has now passed, and you stoop down to recover your garment from the ground. As you place the garment on your body, you feel enrobed in the love of God. You are transformed.
Ponder Imagine placing this freshly trodden garment on your body. What does it mean to “clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ, and not to think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh?” (Romans 13:14) What does it look like to put on the love of Christ? What does it mean to be transformed by the love of Christ? How will you live now that you know that you are fully loved? Will you be able to love others with the love of Christ and not feel the need to satisfy the selfish desire of needing to be loved in return?
Pray Lord, I claim you as king of my life. Take your rightful place as my ruler. Let me love differently. Let me confidently love all who I encounter today regardless of their response toward me. Do not let my love be defined by the actions of another; instead, let this love be authored by you.
Day 2 Holy Monday Pause Yesterday, you verbally accepted the Lordship of Christ, and now today you have to choose whether you will let Christ be Lord of your life. Are you ready to allow Christ to set the priorities in your life? Are you ready to let go of the things that are not of Christ? Will you let him clean out any unholy areas or distractions that are not conducive to a life fully committed to Christ? Are you truly ready for transformation?
Enter into the Story Read Mark 11:12-19 Focus verses for today: On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers’”...the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. (Mark 11:15-18)
Encounter Christ Imagine that you are part of the crowd hearing the Christ and seeing his lesson enacted with great passion and power. You are learning that the whole temple is holy. In fact, even the outer courts are holy (set apart for the work of God)! All parts of the temple are now set apart for the sacred work of Christ. As Christ cleanses the entire temple of the corrupted sacrificial system, you sense that you may be witnessing a new way to approach God. You begin to learn that he wants you to become a source of blessing to all people and all nations. Yesterday, you asked Jesus to save you and today Jesus shows up to teach you. You learn that all areas of the temple are holy, and “that you are God’s temple.” (1 Corinthians 3:16) So today, let Jesus come and fully enter your life. I’m not talking about the way he entered the temple on Palm Sunday when he did a quick peek and left. (see Mark 11:11) Let him truly pierce every area of your life and really inspect your behavior, your methods of decision-making, your models of thought, and your patterns of relationship and love.
When we misuse any part of our life for our own purposes and glory, we are closing off intimacy with Christ. Let us fully open ourselves to Christ, so that we will freely and unashamedly approach him through prayer, conversation and relationship. Let us live into our real purpose and allow Christ to invade every aspect of our bodies and our lives, so we can be a true source of blessing to all people whom we encounter.
Ponder Have you allowed Christ permission to inspect every area of your life? Who is in charge of your decision-making? Is every decision ultimately grounded in Christ and thus grounded in love? Are there patterns of thought that you know are not of Christ? Is Christ at the center of every relationship? Are there relationships that are difficult and instead of inviting Christ into the relationship, you simply avoid contact with this person? Do you need to invite Christ to love this person through you because in your own strength, you are unable to love him/her? Ask Christ to help you to look into your own life with gentleness and love. Ask him to reveal areas that you need opened to his presence. You will know that you are allowing Christ entrance when you feel his gaze without condemnation, for “there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ.” (Romans 1:8) If you start to feel overwhelmed with shame, confess any revealed sin and immediately ask Christ to cleanse you, so that you will feel refreshed and renewed in his presence. (Psalm 51) Christ can heal the wounded areas that you desperately, ineffectively and dangerously protect. He can heal the sections that are closed off to giving and receiving love. Invite the healing touch of Christ and ask him to debride and cleanse your wounds, so that you will be renewed and regenerated. This healing will help bring down the barriers that prevent you from fully developing the ears and eyes of Christ. Each day you will continue to expand into your purpose which is to be a blessing to all people and all nations.
Pray Lord, I am broken and wounded. So many times, I respond to others from a place of defensiveness instead of the place of love. Holy Spirit come, and show me those areas that I have closed o to your regenerating work. Let me see myself and my actions through your eyes. Give me the strength to allow you access to my wounds. Heal me, so that I can fully embrace you and your purpose for my life. Cleanse me Lord and make me new. Give me your strength, so that I can encounter the world with your ears, eyes, mind and discernment. I want to fully encounter the pain of the wounded and lost. Help me be a blessing.
Day 3 Holy Tuesday Pause Yesterday, you were standing in the temple area, and you were astonished at the teachings of the Christ (Mark 11:18). You decided to let him inventory your heart, thought life, and actions, and instead of condemnation, you felt hope and love. So today you have the opportunity to follow the Christ and listen to his teachings for the entire day. Today you have the opportunity to learn about true faith. Will you set aside your own agenda and submit the day to him?
Enter into the Story Read Mark 11:20 –13:37 Focus verses for today: “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” (Mark 11:22-25) “The most important [commandment],” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12: 29-31) “You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Mark 13:9-13)
Encounter Christ Today, you awaken early because you have decided to devote an entire day to being close to the Master. This full day begins at the Mount of Olives with a lesson on faith and continues into the temple area with teachings about Christ’s identity and authority. As evening approaches, you follow Jesus back to the Mount of Olives where you sit down to rest. As you start to doze off, you hear some of the disciples privately ask Jesus about the end of the age. You can’t believe it! You have longed to know this information, and so your senses become alive as you realize you are about to overhear Jesus reveal the great mysteries of the future. Except what you hear is that “no one knows, not even…the Son” when the world will be judged. (Mark 13:32) All he reveals is that we must be ready. We must be prepared for his coming by faithfully proclaiming the good news in the midst of suffering, false accusations, hatred and persecutions. He tells the disciples not to become discouraged because we will face trials from people we love and from those whom we thought were supposed to protect us. Yet, in spite of this, we are to faithfully endure and continue to proclaim the good news of Christ’s gift of love and hope to the world.
Ponder Ultimately today’s lessons are about faith. Do you have the faith to forgive those who have wounded you? Do you have faith to believe that Christ can heal the wounds that others have inflicted upon you? Do you have the faith to give Jesus authority over you life? Do you trust God enough to love him with all that you have and all that you are? Do you have enough faith to fully trust God with your love? When Christ teaches about the most important commandment, he invites us to place relationships above rules. Yet, in this lesson, Christ implies that when we have a loving relationship with God, we are enabled to fully love others. Lastly, do you believe that Christ will come again? Do you trust God enough to faithfully proclaim his love in the midst of suffering and persecution knowing that God will one day make all things right?
Pray Lord, I want to trust you. In many ways, I do trust you, but because of past wounds, I am having trouble fully relying on you and your provision. So many times I want to control people and situations to mitigate any potential problems and pain. Lord, I want you to increase my faith, so that I can rest in your promises without feeling the need to manipulate. Lord, increase my love for you. Show me how to love you with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength. Heal my wounded heart, so I can learn to fully love. Breathe your breath into my soul, and I will become consumed with passion for you and your creation. Heal my wounded mind, so I will be able to dwell on your promises and thus be able to see the beauty of each human being. Infuse my body with your presence, and I will have the strength to devote each moment to your purposes.
Day 4 Holy Wednesday Pause Yesterday, you asked God to increase your faith. Yet, you wonder how much faith is too much? Isn’t it foolish to place all of your trust in one person/ being? What about self-reliance? Can you be too faithful? Too devoted? How much is too much devotion to Christ?
Enter into the Story Read Mark 14:1-11 Focus verses for today: While Jesus was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper; a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly. “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” (Mark 14: 3-9)
Encounter Christ This act of devotion is sandwiched between two stories of betrayal. Except for a kiss from Judas, Jesus receives no other expressions of love from anyone else during his Passion. Imagine that today is the day before a major holiday. You have family and friends in town, and they will be dining with you tomorrow night. Your city is alive and bustling with activity, and you have become caught up in the frenetic pace. After all, there are anywhere from 100,000 – 300,000 pilgrims who have descended upon your city for the big feast day. Yet in the midst of these important preparations, you have to fulfill an obligation to attend your friend Simon’s dinner party where Jesus the Christ will
be an honored guest. You love Jesus and have affirmed that he is your Lord and king, so you will try to squeeze in time to eat with Jesus. In the evening, you arrive at Simon’s house, and as you sit at the table, a woman enters the room with tears in her eyes. She approaches the Christ and breaks open a small jar filled with pure nard and begins anointing him. Now it is fairly common to anoint honored guests during a feast, but this woman is extravagantly lavishing the Christ with the equivalent of a year’s salary. This seems a bit ridiculous and excessive. You want to honor the Christ, but you feel that this woman is being wasteful with her resources. The other invited guests begin to denounce her behavior, and you quietly agree. Just then, Jesus’ voice rises above the other voices, and he verbally affirms this woman’s behavior by stating that she “has done a beautiful thing.” In fact, he looks over at you and says “you can help the poor any time you want,” and you are pierced with the thought that it has been quite a long time since you have “wanted” to help the poor. Immediately you begin to lament that you did not seize the opportunity to extravagantly pour out your love to Jesus. You become overwhelmed with sorrow and regret that you did not join this woman as she did “what she could” to express adoration. It becomes increasingly clear that you have never done all that you could to show love to Jesus. As you look inward, you wonder if you will ever be willing to sacrifice your most precious possessions for Christ. As you are considering your thoughts and possible future actions, you hear the Christ say that this unnamed woman’s actions will forever be remembered as part of the “gospel that will be preached throughout the world.” Jesus is reminding you that faithful and loving actions toward him will not be forgotten. And you remember that “what you do for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you do for Christ.” (Matthew 25:40)
Ponder How much is too much devotion to Christ? How extravagant shall we be? Our culture encourages us to give, but cautions us to hold something back in case of hard times. This seems prudent. What the unnamed woman (Mark 14:3) and the widow (Mark 12:42) do in Mark’s gospel narrative seems foolhardy by our modern North American standards.
This is a true struggle for most of us. What is Christ inviting us to give? Is there a limit to how much we should pour out? What does total commitment to Jesus Christ look like for me? Should I give 10% of my time or 10% of my money? Is he inviting me to give 50% of my time or money? What about something radical? Am I called to give 90% of my time and money? What is the appropriate amount? What does total commitment to Christ look like? Should we hold anything back? When we consider Jesus’ interpretation of the widow’s gift, we learn that “we should put in everything – all we have to live on.” (Mark 12:44) We learn that giving “all” is the appropriate level of giving. Nothing in this world lasts. Yet we learn from this story that even though names are forgotten, actions are remembered.
Pray Father, I am struggling. I want to be totally committed to you. Help me to work toward extravagant loving and living for you. Often I catch glimpses of the life that you have invited me to live, yet many times I hold feelings and possessions in reserve out of fear. Lord, increase my faith. Lord, in my heart of hearts, I want to lay everything down for you. Holy Spirit, help me to live in such a way that on that final day, when I take my last breath, there will be nothing left of me…let me have nothing left in reserve.
Day 5 Maundy Thursday Pause Yesterday, you prayed for help to extravagantly love Jesus. You professed that you want to be fully committed to Christ. Does dedicating your life to Christ mean that you must submit to God’s will? Does this mean that you cannot make your own decisions?
Enter into the Story Read Mark 14:12-72 Focus verses for today: “They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” Going a little farther, 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. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mark 14: 32-38)
Encounter Christ Today, you continued to contemplate Wednesday’s teachings of Christ as you went about your workday. You have been in constant conversation with God about growing your faith. At the end of the day, you need to find a quiet place to think, so you choose to sit in a small garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives. As you are resting in the garden, you hear a small group of men approaching. These are the Master’s disciples and shockingly you overhear them discussing that the Master has warned them that they will “fall away.” You are stunned when you hear this, but as you sit down in the “oil press,” for this is what Gethsemane means in Aramaic, you begin to wonder how you would react if placed under pressure. Would you be able to stand firm and express the goodness of the gospel message, if you felt your life was in jeopardy?
Next, you hear the Master asking for prayer and then walking away from the group and beginning to pray. You are surprised to hear Jesus praying with great sorrow, pain and anguish. You begin to ache as you hear your Lord and King in such visible distress. The agony, trust and intimacy expressed during Jesus’ prayer time is overwhelming. He is praying “Papa, Father, you can - can’t you? - get me out of this. Take this cup away from me. But please, not what I want - what do you want?” (The Message: Mark 14:36)
Ponder Who is the author of your prayer life? When you pray, are you trying to get God to answer your will? Whose will do you want for your life? Do you trust God enough to submit your will to His will? Submitting your will to God is claiming the freedom of not having to be in control. When we live a life of faith, we can release our own desires and plans and then trust that God will provide and protect. In the garden, Jesus struggled with accepting the will of the Father. Jesus had perfect confidence in God’s will, but he knew that what he was about to face would be lonely, agonizing and horrific. Thus, he prayed three times about the difficult and painful death he was about to face, but each time Jesus yielded to his Father’s will. Our prayer time should not be about imposing our will on God, but instead, through prayer, we can open up our lives to God’s will. In prayer we allow the Holy Spirit to pull us toward God and His will. We ascend in prayer toward God and do not try to pull God down to us. True prayer is not an endeavor to get God to change his will, but an endeavor to release his will into our own lives. Jesus told the disciples to watch and pray, so that they wouldn’t fall into temptation. Following our will and our own way will lure us into disobedience and destruction. God has a plan for your life, so ask him to overwhelm you with a desire to seek and follow his will. Ask him for the strength to abide in his will because “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Pray Lord, here I am, pull me into your will this day, whatever that may be. Please help me to trust in you with all of my heart, mind, soul and strength. Help me to let go of my own agenda. Lord, my spirit is willing to accept your will, but my flesh is weak. Too many times, I have a plan in place, and I pray that you will answer my requests according to my will and timeline. Please increase my faith, increase my trust, and increase my confidence in your way. Father, when I enter my own personal Gethsemane (trials), let me wrestle with your will as did the Christ. Let my first concern be to seek your will and not to seek my comfort. Lord, give me courage to accept your will. Give me patience to wait for your will to be enacted in my life. Open my eyes so that I will be able to recognize your will. Do not let me sleep, but instead awaken me to your presence and purpose.
Day 6 Good Friday Pause Yesterday, you spent the evening in prayer as you reflected on how to submit to the will of the Father. You continue to realize that practicing submission is not a one-time decision but an hour-to-hour choice. Yet, this morning looks bleak. You have found out that your Master is now in custody and charged with insurrection because he claimed that he is the king. The penalty for this offense is death. You learn that Pilate is in the midst of a decision that will impact the rest of his life. You have heard that Pontius Pilate likes the Christ and thinks that Jesus has done miraculous and wonderful things. You wonder how Pilate will make his decision? Will he submit to his conscience or to the will of the people?
Enter into the Story Read Mark 15:1-41 Focus verses for today: “Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.” The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it upon his head. And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. And 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. A 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. They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get. It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the jews. (Mark 15:15-25)
Encounter Christ This morning, you awaken early and go to the palace because you hear that Jesus is there. You want to see what has happened to your Lord and King. As you arrive at the common hall of the palace, you see Jesus handed over to the soldiers to be beaten. Soon a whole company of soldiers arrive. They dress Jesus like the caricature of a king and begin to make fun of him. Much to your horror, one of the soldiers reaches out and strikes Jesus on the head with a staff and then spits on him. Time seems to stand still as each soldier, one by one, follows suit. This is too much to endure. Strike upon strike. Spit on top of spit. When they are finished beating him, the soldiers begin to mock Jesus and bow down to him. You can barely look at the Christ in his humiliation. Yet, at the same time, you cannot look away. As you stare at him, he meets your gaze with a look of intense love. Instantly, you realize the truth of the prophesy that the servant “took up our pain and bore our suffering…was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53: 4-5) You feel overwhelmed with thankfulness that he has taken your place. His courageous act of suffering encourages you to trust him fully. You now know that you will serve Jesus always. So, you boldly follow the soldiers as they lead Jesus out of the palace toward his final destination – execution. As Jesus walks, he stumbles under the weight of his own cross that he is forced to carry. Next you see the soldiers look over and summon you to carry Jesus’ crossbeam. Finally, understanding comes as you incarnate Jesus’ words, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.” (Mark 8:34-35)
Ponder In the midst of despair comes understanding. Because of this encounter with Jesus on his final day, you now realize the enormous price Jesus paid for our peace and healing. You understand that Jesus, the Christ, “who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant…he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:6-8)
Since the cost of grace was so great for our Lord and Savior, you feel compelled to deny yourself and thus submit your will and your life to your Savior and King. This decision will at times be costly. You realize that Pilate had two choices today: death to Jesus or death to self. Today, he chose to save himself. Yet, today you can choose death to self. Today you may choose to pick up your cross and follow Christ. This is not an easy decision. It may cost you friends, position and/or money. Are you truly ready to pay the cost of following Christ?
Pray Lord, help me to fully appreciate the costly gift of grace and let this knowledge compel me to love and trust you more fully. Father, give me the courage and strength to deny myself and follow you. Reveal to me areas of my life that are not submitted to your lordship. Show me where and how I may pick up my cross and follow you.
Day 7 Sabbath Saturday Pause Yesterday was the worst day of your life. You witnessed the humiliation, suffering and execution of your Lord and Savior. Today, you wake up and wonder what to do. Today is the Sabbath – a time when you physically, spiritually and emotionally let God rule the day. However, God didn’t seem to rule yesterday, and you wonder how he will be sovereign over today. How can you rest in God when it feels as if he has He is abdicated his throne and left the kingdom. How does one live in the silence?
Enter into the Story Read Mark 15:42-16:1 Focus verses for today: When the Sabbath was over [Saturday Evening], Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. (Mark 16:1) The real story for today is actually between the verses 15:47 and 16:1. It is interesting to note that Mark makes a point of providing us a narrative of Jesus’ actions on the Sabbath (beginning in Chapter 1), but on this last Sabbath Mark is silent.
Encounter Christ Today, you awakened with a sense of hopelessness. Yesterday, you helplessly watched your Savior and God die. Consequently, your first thoughts upon awakening are filled with loss, and you begin thinking that: “Life is not fair; life is too hard; and God is not available when you need him.” In short, you feel forsaken and abandoned. Yet, today is the Sabbath and it should be a time of hope. The Sabbath is a time to remember that God is present and will provide for your needs. It is a day set aside each week when the cessation of your labors serves as a physical reminder that you are not your own God. This is the day where you rest in the knowledge that ultimately God is in charge of everyone and everything.
This day will force you to live in the tension between what you know and what you feel. You will have to work at living into the truth that God is the one who sustains you, even in the midst of feelings of abandonment and loneliness. So today you decide to act in a manner that is opposite to the way that you feel but is consistent with what you know. Today, before getting out of bed, you pray that the Lord will give you the strength to live in a way that is congruent with the truth that you know about God and his ways. Today is the day that you will force yourself to worship and claim God’s provision regardless of the way you feel. You rise, wash and dress. You enter the Sabbath ritual of worship, fellowship, rest and reflection. As you move through the day, you begin to recollect the goodness of God. As you live in his goodness, you begin to muse over Jesus’ teachings and you remember that just a few days ago as he was clearing the temple, Jesus said “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” (John 2:19) At the time, the statement filled you with confusion, but now, it is as if your eyes are open for the first time and you understand. Hope begins to bubble up as you realize that the temple Jesus was referring to was himself. Upon this realization, you recall that the disciples had been dismayed at Jesus’ words and thus dismissed his prediction of his own death three times. You remember that the disciples “were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and…he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. ‘We are going up to Jerusalem,’ he said, ‘and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise’.” (Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:33-34) You realize that you have witnessed the first part of this prophecy and want to be present as a witness of the fulfillment. You decide that you want to let go of your own story of hopelessness and enter into God’s story of promise.
Ponder Are you hopeful even in the midst of seeming despair? What is the source of your hopefulness? Who is the author of your hope? Do present circumstances dictate your hopefulness?
Are you trying to be the source of your own hope? Hope does not come from your present circumstances or even an imagined future version of your physical reality. Our hope is Jesus Christ, and “we have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” (Hebrews 6:19)
Pray Lord, let me join David in his prayer of journeying toward hope. “How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, and my enemy will say, I have overcome him, and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the LORD’s praise, for he has been good to me.” (Psalm 13) Lord, Let me enter into your presence and wrestle with the truth of your promises until you give light to my eyes. “Send me your light and your faithful care and let them lead me” toward your hope and presence. (Psalm 43:13)
Day 8 Easter Sunday Pause Yesterday things felt hopeless, but instead of living in utter despair, you decided that you would abide in the promises of God. Slowly, as the day progressed, you began to see faint glimmers of hope, and you remembered the words of Christ. As you step into this day, your prayer is that this hope will not be disappointed.
Enter into the Story Read Mark 16:2-20 Focus verses for today: Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. “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. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’” Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid (Mark 16:2-8). (The most reliable early manuscripts of Mark end with verse 8)
Encounter Christ Yesterday, you promised your friend Mary that you would help prepare Jesus’ body for burial. So you awaken early this morning and gather the spices you had begun collecting last night. This process takes a little longer than it should because you are still exhausted from your emotional struggle with faith yesterday. You step outside, meet your friends and begin your journey to the burial place of your Lord and Savior. As you travel along the road toward Jesus’ tomb, you feel that the mood and timing is not right for you to share the seeds of hope that began germinating yesterday as you remembered Jesus’ words of
resurrection. Your traveling companions are still overcome with grief and begin fretting over how they will manage to move the large stone from the entrance of the tomb. Upon arriving at the tomb, you look up and realize that everyone has been anxious about a tomb that is already open. You are unsure of the meaning of this sign, but you decide to go into the tomb anyway. As you enter, you are shocked to discover that there is a beautiful young man dressed in white clothes that gleam like lightening. Who is this man? What is this man? Could he be an angel? You swallow your fear and remain inside the tomb to see what this encounter will bring. The “angel” says, “Don’t be alarmed. Jesus of Nazarene has risen. He is not here. See the place where they laid him.” You look over to where Jesus’ body should be laying and there is nothing there but strips of linen. As your fear escalates, the angel of the Lord tells you to go and tell Jesus’ disciples about what you have witnessed. Then he tells you that Jesus “is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” All of the sudden, one of your traveling companions becomes so filled with fear that she runs from the tomb. Shamefully, you follow her out. As your group re-gathers outside the tomb, you begin to discuss what you witnessed. Initially, you are so filled fear that rational thought remains illusive. Yet, slowly your joy becomes greater than your fear, and you travel to the disciples and tell your story. (Matthew 28:8, Luke 24:9 and John 20:2)
Ponder This story of faith is very similar to our own. In this life, we will not be able to gaze upon the resurrected Christ. Initially, the women had to rely on the testimony of the angel and the empty grave. Our faith has to rest on the witnesses’ proclamation of the resurrection as recorded in the Bible. In the midst of their grief, the women had forgotten the promises of Jesus. Because of their sorrow, their eyes were closed to the reality of what they were witnessing: a stone rolled back, an angel of the Lord, an empty grave, a new call, and the comfort of knowing the Lord has gone ahead and is waiting for you (“Go and tell. Jesus has gone ahead of you.”). Ultimately, Jesus is calling us to himself. Just as he went ahead of the
disciples to Galilee and waited for them, he beckons and leads us into the life that we were created to live. On that day when we cast off this flesh, we will meet him in the eternal place that he has gone ahead and prepared for us. (John 14:2) Since we read Christ’s words of promise come to fulfillment in the lives of these early witnesses, we can trust that his promises are true for us today. The story of Christ and the story of the cross do not end with death, but with resurrection.
Pray Lord, I praise you! “In your great mercy you have given me a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for me who through faith is shielded by your power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” Lord, help me to “greatly rejoice…[as I] suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of my faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though I have not seen him, I love him; and even though I do not see him now, I believe in him and am filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for I am receiving the end result of my faith, the salvation of my soul.” (1 Peter 1:3–9)
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