Perfect Peace

Maundy Thursday is the day during Holy Week that commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus and is when the Love Feast and the Washing of the Feet act of service are practiced in some Christian churches.  Churches observe Maundy Thursday in various ways. 

Love Feast.  The Love Feast was a fellowship meal eaten by Christians in the early church for the purpose of fellowship and usually ended with sharing in the Lord’s Supper (Communion).  At the services I’ve attended there was a light meal of soup and bread followed by the foot washing and then the observance of the Lord’s Supper.  In the verses below Paul was exhorting the Corinthians to come to the Lord’s table in the right spirit which some of them weren’t.  They were coming on empty stomachs and thinking only of themselves.  The Love Feast is meant to give Christians a time of fellowship over the meal and unite them as they eat together.  Once this takes place, they are prepared spiritually to serve each other as Jesus did.

“When you meet together,
you are not really interested in the Lord’s Supper.
For some of you hurry to eat
your own meal without sharing with others.
As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk.
What? Don’t you have your own homes
for eating and drinking?
Or do you really want to disgrace
God’s church and shame the poor?
What am I supposed to say?
Do you want me to praise you?
Well, I certainly will not praise you for this!”
1 Corinthians 11:20-22, NLT

Foot Washing.  I have been to a couple of Foot Washing services, and it is humbling to get down on your knees and wash someone else’s feet and then have them wash yours, yet that is what Jesus did for His Disciples at their last meal together.  It would do us all good to participate at least once in a lifetime in such a service to experience what the Disciples were experiencing when Jesus washed their feet. 

“Jesus got up from the meal,
took off His outer clothing,
and wrapped a towel around His waist.
After that, He poured water into a basin
and began to wash His disciples’ feet,
drying them with the towel
that was wrapped around Him.
Now that I, your Lord and Teacher,
have washed your feet,
you also should wash one another’s feet.
I have set you an example that
you should do as I have done for you.”
John 13:4-5, 14-15, NIV

Washing your guest’s feet when they arrived after a long dusty walk in sandals was a common courtesy but one the Disciples hadn’t thought about in preparation.  Jesus demonstrated servanthood and washed their feet which also showed them in a tangible way that spiritual cleansing was needed as well.

The Last Supper.  After these acts of fellowship and service were done, Jesus continued teaching and preparing His Disciples for what was to come next.  He shared His last meal with His Disciples which has become known as The Last Supper or Communion, and is our way of commemorating Jesus death, burial, and resurrection until He comes again for us in the clouds.

“He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it.
Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples,
saying, “This is my body, which is given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”
After supper he took another cup of wine and said,
“This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—
an agreement confirmed with my blood,
which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.”
Luke 22:19-20, NLT

Garden of Gethsemane.  Upon finishing up their time of fellowship with singing a hymn, they walked out to the Mount of Olives.  The Garden of Gethsemane is a garden that sits at the base of the Mount of Olives.  Jesus and His Disciples spent a lot of time there praying, teaching, and fellowshipping together because it was a quiet place where they could rest without being disturbed…until this night.  Jesus asked His friends to stay and watch and pray while He went a little further to pray alone, but as we know they fell asleep more than once.  Finally, it was time for things to start heating up.  Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss and Jesus was dragged away which began the physical abuse at the trials that started that night and concluded the next day.

“And when they had sung an hymn,
they went out into the mount of Olives.”
Matthew 26:30, KJV

Reflection.  What can we learn from the events of this Maundy Thursday?  Look back at each of the pieces of that day…which was really only an evening…and listen to what Jesus is telling and showing us here.

PRAYER POINT FOR TODAY:
Lord, You were busy right up to the end teaching and demonstrating love and servanthood to those around You.  May I be able to do the same until You call me home to Heaven.

• Week 1 – temptation
• Week 2 – confession, forgiveness, and fasting
• Week 3 – listening to God and answering when He calls
• Week 4 – God’s love for us
• Week 5 – waiting, anxiety, and trust
• Week 6 – suffering (W), pain (T), and struggles (F-S), rejoicing (Palm Sunday), Trials (M-T-W), Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Silent Saturday
• Easter – resurrection and salvation

Trials come when we least expect them, especially when you’re out hiking on an unfamiliar path.  A friend and I were hiking a path which led to the spot pictured above.  We looked around for signs or markers to see how the trail was going to get us around this waterfall and slippery rocks.  We finally found it, but it required climbing up and over huge boulders—not easy and not exactly what we had in mind for a leisurely hike in the woods.

The Roman trial of Jesus included three parts of the trial.  Keep in mind that there is a slight overlap with the Hebrew trials we talked about yesterday.

(1) The appearance of Jesus before Pilate. 

“Then the entire council took Jesus
to Pilate, the Roman governor.”
Luke 23:1

When the religious leaders heard what Jesus had to say for Himself, they figured they had enough proof to put Him away and took Him to Pilate.  So Pilate asked Jesus a few questions and then turned to the leading priests and the crowd.  In an attempt to get Jesus out of his hair and off his mind, Pilate told them he didn’t find anything wrong with what Jesus said.  The crowd became insistent that Jesus should be crucified.

When Pilate learned that Jesus was a Galilean, he sent Jesus to Herod because that was his jurisdiction…anything to get rid of Jesus.  Besides Herod had a reputation for corruption…let him deal with it.

Jesus gave short answers that did not directly affirm nor deny their questions.  You have said it.  He let them think about their own question and decide the truth for themselves.  What is our first recourse when someone accuses us of something?  I didn’t do it. OR It was him as we point the finger at someone else to get us off the hot seat.  Jesus did not do that.  He was willing to take the brunt of the accusations.

(2) His arraignment before Herod. 

“Herod was delighted at the opportunity to see Jesus…
Then Herod and his soldiers began
mocking and ridiculing Jesus.”
Luke 23:8a, 11a

At first Herod was pleased to see Jesus.  He’d heard about Jesus and was hoping to see Him perform a miracle.  I wonder if Herod would have believed if Jesus had performed a miracle???  But it wasn’t a private audience.  The religious leaders were also present and were not at all silent.  They were hurling accusations to which Jesus wasn’t responding.  When Herod wasn’t getting what he’d hoped for he, too, began mocking Jesus.  

Jesus had short answers for Pilate, but now with Herod, He did not answer a word.  That is a good example to follow.  No answer is often better than short angry answers or longer ones that say too much.  Responses that aren’t what the other person wants to hear usually spur on more unnecessary disagreement and tension whereas no response lets things simmer and die.

(3) His reappearance before Pilate. 

“Finally, they put a royal robe on Him
and sent Him back to Pilate…
So Pilate sentenced Jesus to die as they demanded.”
Luke 23:llb, 24

Jesus must have felt like a ping pong ball being batted back and forth between Pilate and Herod.  Politics at its finest!  Pilate and Herod weren’t exactly friends before this, but now they were becoming friends because they became united in their mockery and disdain for Jesus.  It looks and sounds like Pilate really didn’t see any reason to execute Jesus but was afraid of not only the crowds but the Roman authorities who had already warned him about restlessness in his jurisdiction.  He was afraid the crowd might get out of hand and threaten his own leadership.

It’s not my job.  That’s your responsibility.  Essentially that’s the game Pilate and Herod were playing with Jesus in the middle.  We play that game in life, too.  If there’s something in it for us, we want to take credit, but if there’s nothing in it, we want to pass the buck to someone else.  Jesus didn’t do that.  He accepted full responsibility for the weight of the world that was on His shoulders.  He didn’t call it quits when it got tough.  He went all the way to the end, to the cross, and then resurrection.

PRAYER POINT FOR TODAY:
Lord, help me to know when to be quiet and when to speak.  May I be willing to take the blame when it’s mine to take, give it up when it belongs to someone else, and the wisdom to know the difference.

• Week 1 – temptation
• Week 2 – confession, forgiveness, and fasting
• Week 3 – listening to God and answering when He calls
• Week 4 – God’s love for us
• Week 5 – waiting, anxiety, and trust
• Week 6 – suffering (W), pain (T), and struggles (F-S), rejoicing (Palm Sunday), Trials (M-T-W), Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Silent Saturday
• Easter – resurrection and salvation

I used to like to climb rocks when I was younger.  I never gave a thought to snakes sunning themselves on rocks or spiders and other creatures hiding in the crevices.  There was an old bridge near where I lived that crossed a small stream, with rocks built up on both sides.  I loved to sit on the rocks and watch the water go by, listening to its babbling.  When I saw this field of rocks as an adult, I thought no way!  But as a kid, I probably would have been ready to take it on.  Oh but the trials of such an attempt!  Feet slipping off the rocks into sharp places…Losing your balance and falling…Not being able to make much progress on the rough terrain…Uneven surfaces…Possibility of injuries…

Trials of Jesus.  Jesus’s trials were not a bed of rocks, but were every bit as harmful and torturous…not to mention illegal.  I’m not a theologian, so my comments will be simple, and I have included internet links to further descriptions/commentaries of each of the trials.  These three were considered the Hebrew or Jewish trials based on Mosaic Laws.

(1) The appearance before Annas.  Just reading these two verses gives me the impression that there was something going on between the Romans and the religious leaders.  Were they scratching each other’s backs in an attempt to be rid of Jesus once and for all???  The religious leaders couldn’t arrest anyone, so they needed the Romans on their side, and the Romans were only too glad to arrest someone and arrange their death by crucifixion.  That was their attempt to show the citizens what could happen to them, too, if they disobeyed the Roman government.

“So the Roman cohort and the commander
and the officers of the Jews,
arrested Jesus and bound Him,
and led Him to Annas first;
for he was father-in-law of Caiaphas,
who was high priest that year”
John 18:12, 13

Have you ever dragged someone into a conversation because you wanted someone to back you up even if it wasn’t with the best intentions?  You heard what she said, right?!  We need to do our due diligence before we draw others in on what might be a wrongful assumption on our part.

(2) The trial at the night session of the Sanhedrin.  The religious leaders were in a hurry to get their dastardly deed done before the Sabbath so they broke more than one rule of fair trials and justice, the first one being that they held it at night instead of waiting until the next day when things could be done in proper order.  The religious council scrounged for witnesses who would say what they wanted them to say instead of speaking the truth. When they got what they wanted to hear, they plunged into a sentence of death.

“Those who had arrested Jesus took him
to Caiaphas the high priest,
where the teachers of the law
and the elders had assembled.”
Matthew 26:57 (through 68)

Do we sometimes take what we hear and twist it to suit ourselves or our situation?  See?  I told you so!  If it’s not truth, it’s not justice.  Make sure you have your ducks in a row and that they are all ducks, not chickens or some other fowl (pun intended 😊).

(3) The examination at the morning sitting of the same court. (In this link, scroll down until you come to the heading “The Jewish Leaders Accuse Jesus (18:29-32)”.) Pilate listened to the charges and to Jesus, but it appears he didn’t want to be the one to sentence Jesus to death.  He was caught between the people, the religious leaders, and Roman law.  He tried to get out of it by offering Barabbas but the crowd wouldn’t hear of it.  So he washed his hands of it as if that would absolve him of Jesus’ death.

“When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere,
but that instead an uproar was starting,
he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd
“I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said.
“It is your responsibility!”
Matthew 27:24

How many times have you walked by someone who needed help and kept going thinking someone else can help?  Maybe it’s not your (mine) responsibility, but if the shoe was on the other foot, wouldn’t you want someone to stop and help you?  I know we have to be very careful these days or what we thought would be helpful could backfire, and that often keeps us from reaching out. As we wrap up these three trials of Jesus today, take time to meditate on them and recognize the truths.  Jesus was not tried fairly, but what if He had been?  Would the story have ended the same?  Would He have been freed?  What then?  We would not have the forgiveness of sin and eternal life.  God uses horrible events sometimes to bring about His plan.

PRAYER POINT FOR TODAY:
Lord, I know what You went through was extremely hard on your body and mind, but I am thankful that You endured to the end for me.

• Week 1 – temptation
• Week 2 – confession, forgiveness, and fasting
• Week 3 – listening to God and answering when He calls
• Week 4 – God’s love for us
• Week 5 – waiting, anxiety, and trust
• Week 6 – suffering (W), pain (T), and struggles (F-S), rejoicing (Palm Sunday), Trials (M-T-W), Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Silent Saturday
• Easter – resurrection and salvation

Trials come in all shapes, sizes, and varieties.  Deer, squirrels, rabbits, and other animals and birds are nice to watch in the wild, but I don’t like when people feed them to draw them closer to homes.  Then they can become invasive and destructive.  I constantly had squirrels on my deck and they dug in the window boxes and ate all the tulip, hyacinth, and daffodil bulbs that I had planted there.  Rabbits made nests in my flower garden and matted down the flowers to the point that they didn’t come back again that year.  Birds are pretty to watch, but they poop all over everything which requires cleanup on my part.  They were and are trials to me, especially when people who live near me feed these animals and birds and I’m chasing them away.  Exasperation!

Types of trials.  There are trials such as in court with a judge and jury to decide the fate of the person being tried.  There are trials where you can get a product or service free for a limited amount of time to test it out and see if you like it and want to purchase it.  Then there’s the trials of adversity, the things that try our patience, our love, our commitment.  Of these trials of life, there are several reasons or causes for them. 

• The first reason for some trials is that of our own sins or mistakes.  We take an action that caused someone pain.
• The second reason for some trials is that this is a fallen world, full of sickness, disease, and fallen people.  These happen because they are beyond our control.
• The third reason for some trials is that God wants us to grow through the experience.  There might not be a concrete reason why a trial comes except that God wants to teach us through it.

Why me?  Why now?  When all is well, everyone’s happy, and the bills are all paid, we tend to relax…a little too much…and even glibly take credit for how everything is working out according to our plan.  But what happens when one of those trials come our way?  Then what’s our response?  Why me?  Why now?  After all, everything was fine the way it was. 

Why NOT me?  Why NOT now?  Those are the better questions to ask, though admittedly the harder ones both to ask and to answer.  None of us likes to see our apple cart upset, our investments deteriorate, loved ones get sick or even die, or any number of negative situations.  But that is when we grow in the Lord.  This comes at a time for me that I’m needing to remind myself of this.  So I’m squirming in my own seat right now and crying out for God’s wisdom and guidance even as I write this.

Biblical reasons for trials:

• To learn patience – “God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”  (James 1:12)
• Don’t give up – “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)
• God’s discipline – “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.”  (Hebrews 10:35-36)
• To be strong in the Lord – “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”  (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
• Grow and bear fruit – “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
• God could be protecting you from a bigger problem that you can’t see right now.  “The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life.”  (Psalm 121:7)

Tomorrow we’ll look at the trials of Jesus preceding His death on the cross.

PRAYER POINT FOR TODAY:
Lord, I know that my trials have a purpose and they’re only momentary in light of eternity, but they are still painful.  Give me the strength to wait on You as I go through them.

• Week 1 – temptation
• Week 2 – confession, forgiveness, and fasting
• Week 3 – listening to God and answering when He calls
• Week 4 – God’s love for us
• Week 5 – waiting, anxiety, and trust
• Week 6 – suffering (W), pain (T), and struggles (F-S), rejoicing (Palm Sunday), Trials (M-T-W), Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Silent Saturday
• Easter – resurrection and salvation

For those of my readers who have young children, Steve Green has a great song for Palm Sunday.  Click here.  Palm Sunday is the day that our Lord rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and marks the beginning of what many call Holy Week.  This is a triumphal start to a week that ended in Jesus’ death.  Watch this video (below) bring the story to life as we worship the Lord together today.

Matthew 21:1-11 contains the events of that first Palm Sunday which got its name from the Palm branches that people laid down on the road for Jesus and His donkey to ride on as He arrived in Jerusalem on that glorious day of celebration.  Palm branches represented the final victory Jesus would soon fulfill, triumphing over death.

“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
I Corinthians 15:55

In those days, it was common for kings and dignitaries to arrive in town riding on a donkey.  Donkeys symbolized peace, so anyone riding one showed that they came with peaceful intentions.  (There’s that perfect peace, the theme of this blog.)  One of the names of Jesus is the Prince of Peace.

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
Zechariah 9:9

Those shouting “Hosanna!” (meaning save now) were actually hailing Christ as King. They were waiting for an earthly king, but God’s plan was to bring spiritual salvation to everyone who would believe in Him.

“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!”
Psalm 118:26

Jesus knew these people meant well but didn’t understand all that was going to happen.  He must have wept for Himself knowing all He would be going through shortly, but He mostly wept for these people many of whom had not yet accepted Him as the Messiah, who were lost and confused, and would be betraying Him in just a few days.

“As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city,
he wept over it.”
Luke 9:41

Man could never come up with a plan like God’s to save the world.  Palm Sunday reminds us of that in how the people worshipped Him one minute and the next spat upon Him. They wanted someone who would fight for them on earth against the Roman government and its injustices.  They didn’t realize that God’s plan was much better in the end.  This is the reason we celebrate Holy Week. Christ’s sacrifice sets us free of our sin and paves the way for eternal life.

Reflection.  Reflect on this day of celebration.  What does it mean to you and your family?  Many churches hand out strands of Palm branches, but what does that mean to you?  Are Palms necessary to worship the Lord?  No, they’re not necessary, but the praise and music that went along with the Palms that day are definitely a necessary part of praising the Lord.  Scripture tells us that if we don’t praise Him, the rocks and stones will (Luke 19:40) which is a figurative speech.  Praise and acclimation is needed and should not be held back.  God created us to bring praise and honor to Himself.  Are you praising Him today and every day for all that He’s done for you?

PRAYER POINT FOR TODAY:
Lord, I worship and adore You. I praise You for Who You are, what You’ve done for me, and for the eternal life I have to look forward to. You are awesome!

• Week 1 – temptation
• Week 2 – confession, forgiveness, and fasting
• Week 3 – listening to God and answering when He calls
• Week 4 – God’s love for us
• Week 5 – waiting, anxiety, and trust
• Week 6 – suffering (W), pain (T), and struggles (F-S), rejoicing (Palm Sunday), Trials (M-T-W), Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Silent Saturday
• Easter – resurrection and salvation

Life is full of struggles of various kinds.  Some are like a tug of war that goes back and forth several times until someone pulls hard enough to knock the other party off their feet and are declared the winner.  Another struggle I think of is someone who is drowning and struggling to stay above water and catch another breath.  An athlete struggles to keep going when they are near exhaustion but the race isn’t over yet.  Then there’s the inward struggles of emotions that tug on our heart strings.

I can see these struggles in Jesus.  His tug of war was with the religious leaders who were constantly trying to trip Him and find fault with Him so they could arrest Him.  After Jesus’ arrest, He was literally struggling to stay alive and breathe until it was His time to die.  He was near exhaustion but spent all His energy on staying focused on the task before Him.  The inward struggles of emotions sure didn’t help.  He had so many thoughts and feelings for those He was leaving behind, those who needed to know Him for Who He really was, as well as those whom He loved and felt pain and sorrow for as they watched the struggles He was going through. 

The human side of Jesus surely must have wanted to avoid the pain and struggle He knew would come, but He knew He had to submit because it was part of His Father’s plan.  That’s what a struggle is in essence—a pull between two opposing forces, forces that can be tangible or intangible.  When you experience a struggle of some kind, who or what wins out?  You have to make the decision as to who or what is going to win the struggle.  Is it the flesh or the spirit?  Will you allow yourself to be tempted to do wrong or submit to Jesus for strength to do the right thing?  No one else is going to make that decision for you. 

It’s not a game.  Think of it as you having to decide your last move in a game of Chess or Checkers.  What do you do?  Make a haphazard move?  No!  You look at all angles, consider what your opponent would be able to do or if you have them cornered.  If you make the wrong move, the game is over and you’ve lost, but if you make the right move, you win!  Life (while there is a real board game called Life) is not a game, and we don’t get a chance to play another game to see if we can win the next time.  There is no next time after death, so we need to make sure we make good decisions the first time around.

“And just as it is destined for people to die once,
and after this comes judgment.”
Hebrews 9:27, NASB

What can we learn from Jesus’s struggles? 

• Jesus kept His eyes focused on the Father and the plan laid out for Him. 
• The path will not always be easy or smooth.
• Don’t be shocked when you hit roadblocks.
• We don’t need to know the end result; just follow what we know at the moment.
• At times we will feel lonely and isolated, but He is always there with us.
• We need to be resolved before struggles come to follow the Lord and make good decisions.
• Prepare and pray!  Spend time with your Heavenly Father.
• Rest in Him and draw strength from the Word.
• Trials will come.  Be ready with answers from Scripture.
• Accusations need not surprise us.  Respond with a soft answer and calm spirit, not in anger and frustration.
• Jesus is waiting for us on the other side, in Heaven.
• Look at the end picture.  We have healing, forgiveness, and eternal life because of all Jesus went through for us.
• Life isn’t pain-free and the time of death may not be either, but peace and rest for eternity are the end results.
• The road may be long and dusty and full of potholes, but those streets of gold will make it worthwhile.
• Just remain faithful to Jesus and He’ll take care of the rest.
• Light the way for others through the darkness of life.

Make these lessons personal.  Meditate on how you can apply them to your specific struggles.  Pray for the Holy Spirit to teach you.

Tomorrow we rejoice with millions of others as we think about our Lord’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem on what we now call Palm Sunday.

PRAYER POINT FOR TODAY:
Lord, help me apply these lessons to my own life and struggles. It’s easy to look at them now, but when struggles arise, it’s more difficult. Teach me how to learn from these lessons and internalize them so they’re ready to draw on when I need them.

• Week 1 – temptation
• Week 2 – confession, forgiveness, and fasting
• Week 3 – listening to God and answering when He calls
• Week 4 – God’s love for us
• Week 5 – waiting, anxiety, and trust
• Week 6 – suffering (W), pain (T), and struggles (F-S), rejoicing (Palm Sunday), Trials (M-T-W), Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Silent Saturday
• Easter – resurrection and salvation

We all have different struggles in life.  My Mom had a green thumb when it came to flowers.  She left me 25 African Violet plants when she went to Heaven, all from one that I gave her.  She just kept propagating them.  I tried it just like she did, but mine never got big and beautiful like hers.  This one struggled for its life and though it was blooming, it shriveled up and died not too long after that.  What kind of struggles are you facing?

“Have I not commanded you?
Be strong and courageous.
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged,
for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9, NIV

Why does it have to be so hard?  That’s something I often ask the Lord when I’m having a bad day, when things go wrong, when I work hard for something only to find it slip out of my reach.  Joshua told the Israelites to not lose heart.  They saw the troubles they’d already had and what was waiting for them as they moved forward to possess the land, and they were losing their nerve, their energy, and their desire to keep going.  Joshua told them to be strong and courageous.  Get with the program!  Don’t be afraid and discouraged.  Remember what God has done for you in the past and that He is still with you and will continue to be with you wherever you go.  The same holds true for us as well.

Is it time for a pep rally?  When I’m in the midst of a down day and struggling with life’s issues, the last thing I want is someone trying to cheer me up, though I know that’s what I really need.  Human nature likes to wallow in self-pity for a time before it gets up, dusts itself off, and presses on.  So after I catch myself down in the pits, it’s time for a pep rally.  I put on some praise music, listen to some podcasts, read, meditate on God’s Word, and seek out answers to my struggles.  What Joshua told the Israelites in the verse above is a good starting point for my own pep rally.

How do we face our struggles?  There’s basically three ways we can face our struggles:  alone, with others, and with God.  Facing our struggles all alone is not the best option, but understandably at times that is our only option…at least at the moment.  Jesus is always right there to help us in our struggles and weaknesses, but often we don’t think about it and think we’re all alone and try to figure things out ourselves.  In the verse below, Paul asked his brothers and sisters in Christ to join him with the things he was struggling with by praying for him.  Having someone come alongside us in our struggles can be a big boost to our morale.  Sometimes all we need is someone to help us see a different view of the struggle that will either solve it or give us strength to work through it.  Having someone praying for us is a very big help.

“I urge you, brothers and sisters,
by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit,
to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.”
Romans 15:30, NIV

I asked a friend to pray for me in a situation I knew I would be in.  When I was in that moment, I remembered that my friend was praying for me, and it brought such comfort to me and gave me a burst of spiritual energy to keep plodding along in the strength of the Spirit.

Struggles make us strong.  Think about the butterfly that is all nice and cozy in the cocoon of the caterpillar.  I love butterflies because they’re so pretty and quiet and to me are a symbol of new life.  If you would open a cocoon to let the caterpillar out, you would be destroying it.  It needs to fight its way out to become strong.  There’s a lesson in that for us, too, because when we fight out way through struggles, we become stronger than we were before.  Christ within us through His mighty power working within us makes us strong.

“That’s why I work and struggle so hard,
depending on Christ’s mighty power
that works within me.”
Colossians 1:29, NLT

All that Jesus went through in life made Him stronger day by day so that when the end came and He was physically weak, He was spiritually strong in God.  God’s strength was made evident in Jesus’ weakness as He struggled through the end of His life on earth.

PRAYER POINT FOR TODAY:
Lord, as I struggle with things in life, keep reminding me to bring them to You and depend on You for the strength I need to get me through. Thank You for Your might power working within me.

• Week 1 – temptation
• Week 2 – confession, forgiveness, and fasting
• Week 3 – listening to God and answering when He calls
• Week 4 – God’s love for us
• Week 5 – waiting, anxiety, and trust
• Week 6 – suffering (W), pain (T), and struggles (F-S), rejoicing (Palm Sunday), Trials (M-T-W), Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Silent Saturday
• Easter – resurrection and salvation

I loved having flower gardens but this one was a real pain both literally and figuratively!  It was a fairly steep bank that had never been tended to properly.  Prickly thistle overran it along with the roots of pine trees and Old English Ivy that had outgrown its beauty.  It took a long time to get this garden looking this nice but even then it was hard to keep weeded despite using weed prevention tactics.  It caused even more pain to my back from bending over and stretching.

What causes you pain in life?  Maybe it’s a person, a job, a project, or a situation.  We can do some things to alleviate some kinds of pain, but for others there is nothing we can do.  Some pain is temporary such as a needle for an injection or drawing blood, but other pain lasts longer such as recovery from surgery or a broken arm or leg.

Jesus experienced all kinds of pain in His last days on earth.  Today we’re going to look at the types of pain Jesus experienced.

Emotional.  Jesus faced more emotional pain in a short amount of time than many of us do in a lifetime. 

• Misunderstood.  Jesus came to save the world but the world didn’t believe in Him.
• Rejection.  He was rejected by those He came to save.
• Betrayed.  One of His own close friends betrayed Him with a kiss meant to show love.
• Deserted.  At the peak of His emotional pain, His own Disciples deserted Him.
• Alone.  He was alone in His darkest hours when the emotional pain of what was and was to come pressed in on Him.
• Mocked/verbal abuse.  He was mocked with cruel retorts and verbal abuse.
• Accused.  Jesus was wrongly accused and bore the brunt of it for us.
• Humiliated.  He was displayed publicly with little to cover His physical body.

Physical.  I’m going to get really specific here.  We too often gloss over all the minor details and go right to the big picture.

• Handcuffed.  It wasn’t the kind of handcuffs we think of today.  His hands were tied with rope probably similar to rough rope such as used on a ranch.  It was tied or knotted tightly so He couldn’t slip out of it.  The rope most likely rubbed His wrists raw causing blisters and painful sores.
• Stripped of clothing.  Nights can get rather chilly as noted by the Scriptures that tell us Peter stood by a fire to warm himself.  But Jesus was stripped of His beautiful robe right down to His loincloth (“undies”).  No sandals to protect His feet.  No robe to keep Him warm.  His whole body was on display.
• Blindfolded.  As of Jesus didn’t have enough going through His mind, then He was blindfolded while the soldiers hit Him and taunted Him.
• Crown of thorns.  Thorns just pricking you when you bump into one is bad enough, but now the soldiers were pressing a crown of thorns into His head, puncturing the scalp and causing more pain as they continued their “sport” of verbal abuse.
• Whip.  A leather whip would have been bad enough, but the one they used on Jesus had pieces of broken glass, lead, and other objects that were designed to rip into the objects it touched which in this case was Jesus’ back, arms, and legs.  It hurt when it hit, but then when they pulled back on the whip, it ripped through the skin and caused welts and severe bleeding, not to mention infection setting in.
• The cross.  There was no pity for Jesus’ hurting body.  Though His body was already racked with pain from all He’d already endured, the soldiers made Him carry His own cross on the road to Golgotha.  There was no padding for His body to protect Him from this heavy, splintery, dirty piece of wood, possibly nails in it sticking through where the cross pieces were nailed together.  So the splinters would have rubbed into the open sores of Jesus along with the blood that was running down Jesus’ face.
• The nails and the hammer.  These were not tiny roofing nails or penny nails, but huge spikes like that used on railroad ties.  It is said that Jesus did not fight the soldiers who threw Him down on the cross and reached for the nails and the hammer to drive them through His hands and feet.  It’s a wonder He didn’t pass out right then and there like I would have!
• Inability to breathe properly.  When the cross was raised up and plunked into the hole that awaited the cross, it became extremely difficult for Jesus to breathe.  To learn more about the medical/physical aspects of the last hours of Jesus, click here.
• Loss of blood, cramps, dehydration.  With all that Jesus experienced in physical pain, it’s amazing that He could still think and speak as He did to the two thieves, John, and His Father.

I’m sure there are other aspects I haven’t mentioned, but this is enough to hopefully help you to see all that Jesus went through for you!  Will you commit yourself to Jesus today?  For help in making that commitment, click here.

PRAYER POINT FOR TODAY:
Lord, thank You so much for being willing to go through all that excruciating pain for me. I love You and want to live for You from this day forth. Come into my heart, forgive me of my sins, and wash me clean so that I can live with You for all eternity.

• Week 1 – temptation
• Week 2 – confession, forgiveness, and fasting
• Week 3 – listening to God and answering when He calls
• Week 4 – God’s love for us
• Week 5 – waiting, anxiety, and trust
• Week 6 – suffering (W), pain (T), and struggles (F-S), rejoicing (Palm Sunday), Trials (M-T-W), Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Silent Saturday
• Easter – resurrection and salvation

Beginning today through Easter Sunday, we will be looking at the last days before Jesus’ life came to a horrible death and then joyously resurrected, and how it applies to us. 

Suffering.  I like to start with definitions because too often we think we know what a word means but use it without really understanding all the various parts of what the word means.  To one person “suffering” could mean lying on a sunny beach in Hawaii—someone has to do it!  😊  To another suffering means lying in bed too sick to move or not being able to get up. ☹  By definition, according to Miriam Webster, “distress, suffering, misery, agony mean the state of being in great trouble.”  Each one of those words has their own meaning of the aspect of suffering.  Let’s look at them in light of what Jesus went through that last week of His life.

“Distress implies an external and usually temporary cause of great physical or mental strain and stress.”  Distress definitely causes all kinds of problems for people, from mental to emotional to physical.  It affects every part of your body in ways you don’t even think about.  What kind of distress might you be experiencing right now?  Are you aware of it and of its effects on your body? 

What might Jesus have been thinking about and experiencing as it got closer to the time for Him to complete the work the Father gave Him to do?  He may have been thinking about all the people who heard His message—both those who responded and those who didn’t.  He may have had concern for the believers after He was gone…would they still follow Him and spread the Good News?  Perhaps He wondered if things could have been different or if there was anything important left unsaid.  Did the Disciples and believers really understand the events to come???  Wow!  That’s enough to cause distress.  The weight of the world was literally on Jesus’ shoulders, and He knew the dreaded day wasn’t far away.  It’s kind of like surgery…you know you need it but you dread it at the same time.

“Suffering implies conscious endurance of pain or distress.”  Every time I get on my exercise bike, I’m usually thinking about all the other things I could be doing, or think about how tired I already am.  It takes a conscious effort for me to stay focused on the result of that exercise (losing weight) to keep me from getting off the bike.  Then when my legs start aching and the pace slows, I tell myself I can’t give up.

The beginning of the end of Jesus’ earthly life was near and it would change the world, but oh the pain He would have to endure in the days ahead.  The sequence of events had begun.  Just like once you hit send on an email, there’s no turning back, so Jesus knew there was no turning back.  He had to complete the task assigned by His Heavenly Father.  He could only go forward to the cross and then upward to Heaven.  After that it was all downhill (no pun intended). 

“Misery stresses the unhappiness attending especially sickness, poverty, or loss.”  The old saying says that misery loves company, though I’m not sure how accurate that really is.  Some of us would rather be left alone when we’re feeling miserable, and certainly wouldn’t wish loss or sickness on anyone else.

Jesus was brave and focused on His purpose of living and dying for others.  He prayed alone in Gethsemane.  He went to the cross alone.  He taught and shared with His Disciples what was going to be taking place soon, but they didn’t get it…just like us sometimes.  He was alone with His thoughts and emotions—yes, emotions!  Jesus had many emotions going through Him.  He’s experienced it all so He can identify with us in our stresses of life.

“Agony suggests pain too intense to be borne.”  I remember in elementary school a friend moved away, like out-of-state move.  Then some close relatives moved hours away.  To this little girl it felt like the world had come to an end.  Though I reconnected with both my friend when she moved back and with my relatives through visits, it was never the same.  The separation had taken a piece of my heart with them never to be fully returned because circumstances were different.

Jesus’ Disciples knew their Master was troubled in spirit about something.  He was as sad as He could ever be short of dying.  His Disciples could see the anguish in His eyes but didn’t know what to do.  They never saw Him like this before.  Though we usually mourn over things that have already happened, Jesus was grieving over what would be happening, what still lied ahead for Him.  He was full of sorrow for the very people He came to help, and yet He knew it had to be this way for their salvation.  Jesus never hesitated, but kept going no matter what—all the way to the cross!

PRAYER POINT FOR TODAY:
Lord, I think about my own suffering at various times and then of Your suffering, and there’s no comparison. The pain and suffering I experience for minor aches and injuries is nothing like Yours. I can never thank You enough for all You went through for me.

• Week 1 – temptation
• Week 2 – confession, forgiveness, and fasting
• Week 3 – listening to God and answering when He calls
• Week 4 – God’s love for us
• Week 5 – waiting, anxiety, and trust
• Week 6 – suffering (W), pain (T), and struggles (F-S), rejoicing (Palm Sunday), Trials (M-T-W), Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Silent Saturday
• Easter – resurrection and salvation

Trust and Obey is our subject for today.  Listen to this great old hymn.  Then come back and let’s talk… 

If you’re one of the older generations, you might remember the old song that goes Love and marriage…go together like a horse and carriage.  If you never heard that one, you can find the background here.  😊 I’m not quite that old, but I remember hearing it as a kid when my Mom had the radio on.  Trust and obey go together like that.  When you trust God, you’ll want to obey Him.

I’d love to go into all the words of that song which can be found here, but will stick to the refrain.  The verses talk about how when we walk with the Lord, He helps us on our way, sticks close by, chases the doubts and fears away, and how He gives us so much more than we ask or need.  But for all that to happen, we need to take to heart the refrain:

“Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy with Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

Who of us doesn’t need some doubts chased away, our fears dispelled, and help along the way?  I know I do…every day!  Do you want to know what I found out?  On the days when I allow those fears to take over, begin doubting, and lose sight of the good things of life—those are the days that I’ve gotten sidetracked and not trusted, not obeyed.

I wonder how many of my readers know what this was.  Well, if you guessed an outhouse, you are correct.  For the younger readers who never had to use one, consider yourself blessed.  When I grew up, we were one of few people in the area who did not have total indoor plumbing so this rickety old building contained the “facilities”.  Talk about trust!  I had to trust this old building to not fall over with me in it. 

What are we to trust?  We need to trust in God’s promises, His goodness and love.  Believe in Him.  If we trust in ourselves, something else or another person, we will trip and fall every time.  Our trust needs to be in God alone and He will lead the way for us.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart.
Do not depend on your own understanding.
In all your ways obey him.
Then he will make your paths smooth and straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6, NiRV

Can you name some of God’s promises?  I’m not going to help you.  That’s something we should know if we’re in the Word.  Pick up your Bible and use your concordance or search button on your Bible app.  Look up key words like trust, obey, and promise.  I’ll give you a kickstart:  Jacob in Genesis 28:13-15. 

I like to do word studies once in awhile and it’s interesting to see how the same word can be used in different ways and mean different things.  I just looked at trust in my concordance and it said to also see believe and faith.  I also heard a good analogy that if we trust someone, we will depend on them.

What are we to obey?  We need to obey all the commands God has given us in His Word, not just the ones that are easy or convenient.  Hey, I’m preaching to the choir here.  Sometimes I read a verse and think to myself, yeah, right!  I’m being honest, and if you want to be truly honest, I’m sure you do, too.  So then I have to meditate on that, pray about it, and seek God’s help to be obedient to all His commands.

“Teach these new disciples to obey
all the commands I have given you.
And be sure of this: I am with you always,
even to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:20, NLT

Obedience to God’s promises bring blessings.  It reminds me of when I was trying to train my dog to obey sit and stay commands.  Most days it seemed like a lost cause with my strong-headed Black Labs…yes, I had one who died and got a second one, and they were both like that even though from different breeders.  I would give him the command and when he obeyed, he got a treat.  God gives us blessings when we obey His commands.

There’s a whole column of references to obeying in my Bible’s concordance, including this one at the very end of the Bible that includes prophecy.

“Look, I am coming soon!
Blessed are those who obey
the words of prophecy written in this book.”
Revelation 22:7, NLT

This week we talked about waiting and the anxiety it can bring, and now the trust and obedience to God’s Word that brings peace and happiness.  Next week (starting tomorrow) we will start looking at the last days before Jesus’ life came to a horrible death and then joyously resurrected, and how it applies to us. 

PRAYER POINT FOR TODAY:
Lord, trusting anyone is hard for some of us, especially when our trust has been broken and shattered by someone close to us. Help us to learn to trust You, knowing that You will never hurt us and indeed will bless us.

• Week 1 – temptation
• Week 2 – confession, forgiveness, and fasting
• Week 3 – listening to God and answering when He calls
• Week 4 – God’s love for us
• Week 5 – waiting, anxiety, and trust
• Week 6 – suffering (W), pain (T), and struggles (F-S), rejoicing (Palm Sunday), Trials (M-T-W), Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Silent Saturday
• Easter – resurrection and salvation