Read: Isaiah 53 “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought him peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:4-5 (NIV) I recently went and saw the new movie – ‘Wicked’. Years ago, I saw it as a musical in Melbourne and loved it and so was not sure how it could be portrayed as a movie. I was impressed (with the first part released so far) as it told more of the background leading up to the story of the ‘Wizard of Oz’. It explained how and why the characters then behaved in such a manner to others and the story behind the scarecrow, tinman and lion.
I won’t spoil it, but I do recommend it. To understand the whole crucifixion and why Jesus came to die for all of humankind, we need to understand the background and the stories in the Bible from the beginning of time when God created the world. Seeing and hearing just the story of Easter is like just seeing the musical, leaves you wanting to know more of the background. God wanted all His people to come to believe and love Him, not because we are forced to, but out of our free will. Things went sour with Adam and Eve and humankind didn’t improve. So, from the beginning God had a plan of salvation for us and it was through His beloved Son.
God waited until the right time to send His Son into the world to be the sacrifice for all our sins. We would no longer be condemned to our wrongdoings but be set free through the rising of Jesus from the dead – He beat the devil who now has no power over us. Through the Old Testament, God sets out His plan as to why He chose to save us in this manner. We see the nature of a loving Father who wants all to follow Him and love Him by sending His Son to die for the sins of the world so that we can enter heaven. When we understand the backstory of our salvation, we can fully realise the extent of God’s love for us. God loves us so much that He gave up everything for our eternal life!
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for giving me your story of salvation so that I can understand the extent of your love. Help me to continue to learn and grow more in understanding. Amen
Read: Psalm 22:1-11,16-18; John 19:23-24 “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? … They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.” Psalm 22:1a, 18 (NIV) This Holy Week we are going to be reading about the prophecies made by Old Testament prophets concerning the events which happened to Jesus in the last week of His life on earth. At each Maundy Thursday service that I have attended it closes with the stripping of the altar signifying abandonment. During this time when all is taken from the sanctuary, Psalm 22 is usually read. This Psalm is prophetic in nature and written by King David (who was close to God’s heart).
The beginning of this Psalm is a quote that Jesus also says from the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46b) and there are other references to Jesus’ hands and feet being pierced (Psalm 22:16b) and His clothes and robe being gambled for (Psalm 22:18). King David reigned as the King of Israel 1010 – 970 B.C. so it was written about 1,000 years before Jesus. Psalm 22 describes with amazing accuracy the means of death and other significant details surrounding Jesus’ death. Humans are unable to predict the future, only our God can. I am reading a book by Liane Moriarty, ‘Here One Moment’ for a book club. It tells the story of a woman who predicts the time and means of death of a whole planeload of people and the fallout from these predictions.
Being halfway through this book, I can see the danger in knowing the future as it becomes a determinant to all actions and behaviours. You can be bound by the prophecy. God knows our future and all that it entails. Jesus knew from the beginning that He was to suffer and die and that did not determine how He acted or saw people with total and absolute love in His heart. He could have changed His mind at the last moment and renounced He was God – but that would have changed our future! God loves you so much that He lets us live one day at a time. Live it for Him!
Prayer: My loving Father, thank you that you hold my future and life in your hands, and you lead me where I should go. Help me to live my life in a way that brings glory to you. Amen.
(Luke 19:38a) Read Luke 19:28–38
Can you imagine it? The commander of the Roman legion rides into Jerusalem with all the pomp and pageantry to which they were accustomed – riding on a donkey! The onlookers would have held their stomachs to stifle a collective guffaw, snickering at such a sight. Yet Jesus, whom the crowds praise as ‘king’, does just that. Rides into Jerusalem on a donkey – and a young, little one at that!
It’s curious that the Christian church marks the beginning of this week, Holy Week, with the event we know as Palm Sunday. Even the gospels other than Luke don’t place this event at the beginning of this week. But there’s something significant about marking Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and the welcome he receives at the beginning of this week.
For the rest of the week in our devotions, we will turn to the Gospel of John. One of the themes of his account of the Passion story is that of Jesus as king, especially in his trial before Pilate and his crucifixion. But what kind of king?
Among some Christians today, there is a strong emphasis on Jesus as king. You can see it in a lot of modern Christian songs. Jesus rules, he sits on the throne, and all power belongs to him. For me, personally, that puts him out of reach. The Jesus the crowds proclaim as king is betrayed, ridiculed, beaten, bloodied and crucified. He is the king who comes not on a stallion but on a donkey. As we go into Holy Week and relive the events, here, at the start, we are reminded of who this Jesus really is. He is the king on a donkey, and a donkey was considered a ‘beast of burden’ – a carrier of heavy loads.
A verse from the prophet Isaiah has come to mean a lot to me in recent years. Isaiah 53:4 says, ‘Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows’. That’s my king. Not far off, but right there alongside me in all my experiences. The king, riding on a donkey. Lord Jesus, you are my king. You sit on the right, ruling side of God. But I thank you that you are not way up there, somewhere away from me and my life – you are alongside me, sharing my burdens, and there for me. Thank you. Amen.
Greater than Moses 33rd Day in Lent (Friday) Read: Deuteronomy 18:15-18 Moses said: “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him.” Deuteronomy 18:15 (NIV) How did Moses know about Jesus? The book of Deuteronomy was supposedly written about 1406 B.C. Moses described the person to come as someone like him. Both Moses and Jesus were delivered from the threat of death as babies. They were both born during a time of ruling oppression (the Egyptians and the Romans). Both were adopted – Moses by the Pharoah and Jesus by Joseph.
They both performed miracles: Moses - parting of the Red Sea, water from the rock, and Jesus - with all the healings and miracles you have just read about in these devotions. There are many other similarities, but one of the biggest was that they both interceded for the people with God. There are important differences also: Moses was a sinful human and Jesus was sinless, fully human and fully God. Jesus is a part of the Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Back to my question, how did Moses know about Jesus as the Messiah? He prophesised what God told him. Jesus was the longed-for Messiah whom the Old Testament people had been waiting for. There are so many prophecies in the Old Testament pointing to Jesus coming to be the Saviour of the World. During this Lenten season we have looked at the miracles that point to Jesus as being God’s Son. As God’s Son, His greatest miracle was to give Himself up to death to atone for our wrongdoings.
We remember our Saviour’s path to this final miracle in rising from the dead. We have seen the love and compassion Jesus showed in healing those sick, helping those in need, using everyday food and drink to feed multitudes. Just as Moses predicted Jesus coming to the world, so we can know with certainty the life that He has prepared for us in Heaven – it has also been foretold. God has prepared a wonderful future for us, and it is up to us to share this future with as many as possible. Our lives are not predestined, but with Jesus they are certain.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are my Saviour and the Lord of my life. In the Bible and through the prophets you have shared with me the plan of your Father’s from the beginning. Guide me and teach me. Amen.
Read: Isaiah 11:1-5 “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him” Isaiah 11:1-2a (NIV) Last year, my husband and I went on long-service leave. Neither of us had been to Europe since the early 1990’s and so we decided to revisit it, but this time together. As part of our wanting to see different parts of Europe we also wanted to trace our family lines and see what we could find. Part of our trip included Silesia, Poland, Lautenthal, Germany and Nykøbing, Denmark. In so many of my family books, family from Germany and Poland, the history was unknown before they immigrated, and I wanted to know why. We found, in Poland, WW2 changed everything, Lutheran churches were reclaimed as Catholic or destroyed along with any records, and any German headstones in cemeteries were reduced to rubble. Much of what I was hoping to find was wiped out.
We though did discover that in 2010, the Catholic church acknowledged the Evangelicals and memorials were erected where the cemeteries or churches had been. Bishop Paul Smith made mention of the memorial of Fritsche’s church in the town of Trzciel in a previous issue of ‘The Lutheran’. This memorial and ruins of the church were all that were left of a thriving church. We explored Kavel’s church (now a Catholic church), the memorials in Züllichau, Chlastawe and Chichagora. Knowing where my ancestors lived and their surrounds had to satisfy me, as there was nothing else to be found. (I will share another time what we found in Germany and Denmark.)
Just like myself, the people of Israel wanted to know where they were from, which is why so much genealogy is included in the Bible. Isaiah foretold that a descendant of Jesse would come, and the Spirit of God would rest on Him. This gave comfort to the people of Israel knowing that God had not forgotten them and this person was to be someone special given by God. This man Jesus was the Son of God who was more than special, He is miraculous! You are chosen and planned for by God. Your history is found in the Bible.
Prayer: Loving God, you have always loved me, and my family history is tied up in your Holy Word. Thank you for choosing me as your special child. Amen.
Read: Isaiah 35:3-7 “Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.” Isaiah 35:5 (NIV) Isaiah served as God’s prophet in Jerusalem from about 740-701 B.C.
He lived during the latter half of Israel’s kingdom period and spoke to the leaders of Jerusalem and Judah on God’s behalf. He constantly warned them about God’s judgement and to turn to Him, but he also prophesied about the Saviour who was to come. He gave them hope and comfort that a Saviour was coming who was to be “Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6) In our Bible verse above Isaiah also foretold of what the people could expect when Jesus came to His ministry. As we have read from the other devotions this prophecy has been fulfilled. Interestingly though this prophecy isn’t just about Jesus and the miracles He performed; it is also about the end times on Judgement Day, when all believers will enter heaven “… with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.” (Isaiah 35:10) Sure sounds like a wonderful time. But until that time, Isaiah gave the people hope in a Saviour who heals, who cares, has compassion and provides for everyday needs. We also have this hope and comfort that a Saviour who cared back then is also able to care and help us in all our needs today. Our Miraculous Jesus has been given the power of His Heavenly Father. He is Lord and shows loving kindnesses to all His children. It is hard not to be in awe and somewhat fear of this power – like a child appearing before the principal. But our God comes to forgive us from ourselves and the wrongs we do each and every day – that is a loving God and Saviour. “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come… he will come to save you.” (Isaiah 35:4) Isaiah prophesied a healing loving Saviour, that Saviour still does these things today!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you came to heal and save. Thank you for all you have done for me. Continue to grow my faith and help me to look forward to your coming again with joy. Amen.
Read: John 21:1-14 “He [Jesus] said, ‘Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.’ When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.” John 21:6 (NIV) As I mentioned in an earlier devotion, our family used to go to Marion Bay (on Yorke Peninsula, SA) for holidays when I was a child. My father had holidays in September so that is when we went, water was freezing and the weather cold, but we were near the beach and the jetty and that meant fishing. Sometimes we caught a squid or two, leatherjackets, rock cod and maybe a couple snook.
The memories of just sitting quietly, getting a nibble or two and hopefully a couple fish to eat for our dinner are quite vivid. Many times, we walked home without any fish, but other times we had a feast! Fishing requires patience. Jesus had risen from the dead and had appeared to the disciples, and the disciples were just waiting around to see what would happen next and what Jesus would tell them to do. Simon Peter was an impatient and impetuous man (makes you wonder if he was a good fisherman). He wanted something to happen so instead of sitting around, he decided to do something. So, six of Jesus’ disciples went out fishing all night. “Throw your nets over the right side”, called out Jesus from the shore. (This had happened to them before with amazing results).
The disciples did that and were rewarded with 153 fish. Simon (being impetuous) jumped into the sea and swam to Jesus. Jesus had a fire going and they cooked some of the fish for breakfast. Jesus had risen and he used fish to prove to them that He was Jesus Christ, God’s Son and Saviour! There are at least 153 reasons to believe that Jesus is who He said He was! He has given us His Word and His life to feast on. Now, go out and do some fishing for Jesus, be bold, do something different, throw the net on the other side, and grow your faith and in doing so grow the faith of others around you! Throw your net on the other side, be patient and feast on Jesus’ breakfast.
Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, for showing me that you are risen from the dead. You have shown the disciples how to fish and the results of listening to you. Help me to do the same. Amen.
Read: John 11:1-44 “Jesus said to [Martha], ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26 (NIV) As a child I remember watching the ‘Super Cartoon Show’ immediately when coming home from school. It went for about half an hour and my brothers and I watched about 3-4 cartoons. I remember the Road Runner and Coyote cartoon – no matter what was done to the coyote, he just wouldn’t die! Tweety Bird was able to be eaten and squashed, Sylvester the Cat could have an anvil dropped on his head, Bugs Bunny could be shot and Elmer Fudd dropped from a height and still none of them would ever die. Death just did not happen on the cartoons!
They had this superpower that resisted any form of death. This was not the case with Lazarus, and John (the Gospel writer) went to great lengths to prove it to those reading this story that Lazarus did die. Jesus even made sure of it by waiting two more days before going to visit the family. There could be no doubt that when Jesus got there, Lazarus had been dead and in the tomb for four days. His body would have already begun the process of decomposition. So why did Jesus wait so long and why didn’t he come immediately so that rather than raising Lazarus from death he could have just healed him from a sickness?
Basically, Jesus was proving to all around that not only could He heal, but He had the power over death. Jesus was raised from death by our Heavenly Father after three days, but Jesus was also showing that He had the same power – He was truly God’s Son, not just someone subservient to God who could do some things and not others. Jesus has the power to heal and the power over death itself. Won’t He then have the power to hear your prayers and your concerns and help you? Faith in Jesus is the key to all that He promises… eternal life! T he power of Jesus is incredible, don’t underestimate it or His love!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, so often I don’t ask for your help thinking that you can’t. Forgive me for underestimating your power and love for me. Give me a faith that moves mountains! Amen.
Read: John 9:1-11 “He replied, ‘The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.’” John 9:11 (NIV) We probably know of the Fred Hollows Foundation which restores sight to people affected by cataracts. Blindness changes the lives of not just the person themselves but everyone who cares for them. In Tonga, a man named Ngu had developed cataracts through an accident. He could no longer farm, his wife had to work longer, and his young daughter was the constant caregiver – giving up sports and playing with friends.
Ngu had the cataract surgery and when the bandages were removed, he looked to the sky, raised his arms and exclaimed, “Praise be to God!” Reading the Bible story of Jesus healing the man born blind – we don’t hear of his joy and exclamations when healed, but we can read of him trying to understand what had happened. Basically, he was blind, Jesus touched his eyes with some mud, he washed his eyes, and he could see!! Not much more to say, but obviously those who were against Jesus tried to discount the miracle by saying it wasn’t the man and he wasn’t born blind. Read further through this chapter (John 9:12-41) to read the lengths that the Pharisees went to in trying to discredit Jesus – even calling on the man’s parents for confirmation that this was their son, and he really was born blind.
I love the formerly blind man’s response: “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” [John 9:30-33] The opening of the man’s eyes made him truly see who it was who had healed him, and he was bold in stating his convictions. Open your spiritual eyes this Lent and see God at work around you and be bold in sharing His love. Don’t be blind to God at work in your life – open your eyes!
Prayer: My dear Jesus, open my eyes to see you at work in the world and my life. Help me to be bold in sharing your love and grace that others may see you and your saving action on the cross. Amen.