God Speaks
Jesus Celebrates Passover, Prays in Gethsemane, Is Arrested and Goes on Trial
Verse of the Day: The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” “You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” (Matthew 26:63-64 NIV 2011)
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We Respond
Matthew 26
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding Matthew 26:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
1. Jesus, as the Son of God and the Son of Man, knew what His mission was and surrendered to the will of God to be beaten and crucified and to be raised to life again.
2. People (like Judas and Peter) often seek self-aggrandizement or self-preservation.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Matthew 26?
Dear Father in Heaven, this is such a long chapter, so packed with foundational truth. Please help me to understand what Jesus was accomplishing in these last days before His death on the cross. Different people had different agendas. Caiaphas and his fellow Jewish leaders sought a way to capture and dispose of Jesus. A woman in Bethany (Mary?) sought to anoint and honor Him. Judas sought to gain a reward for betraying Him. I want to be like Mary and give my most precious possession to show my love and gratitude to You, Jesus. At His last Passover meal with His disciples, Jesus plainly told them what would happen in the next few days: 1) One of them would betray Him, but all would leave Him. 2) He gave His followers a way to remember the significance of what He was about to do–give His body and blood so that the sins of multitudes could be forgiven. 3) Despite Peter’s assertion of loyalty, Jesus said that Peter would deny knowing Him three times before dawn. Lord Jesus, help me to be faithful to You despite the cost or difficulty. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Matthew 26? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will ask the Lord to show me any hidden agendas I may have. Then I will ask His help in dealing with these issues.
- I will look for a special way I can honor Jesus’s sacrifice for me. Then I will carry it out.
- I will make a list of things to think about the next time I take communion.
- I will spend at least 10 minutes listing and thanking Jesus for shedding His blood and giving His life so that my sins _____ (specific actions and attitudes) can be forgiven.
Mark 14
Reflection: This is a long chapter relating the last few days of Jesus’s life just before His crucifixion. It begins with a plot by the Jewish leaders to kill Jesus. While He was eating at the home of a prominent man in Bethany, a woman anointed Jesus with an expensive perfume. This raised objections from some at the meal, but Jesus defended and commended her. Soon afterwards Judas plotted with the Jewish leaders to betray Jesus to them. In preparation for Passover, Jesus directed two of His disciples to go and make arrangements for a meeting room (later called the “upper room”). As they gathered there, He told the Twelve of His coming betrayal and death. Then He instituted what we now call of the Lord’s Supper. At that time, it was what the Jews call the Seder, a ceremonial meal in remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt; Jesus gave it a whole new meaning. After the meal, Jesus foretold Peter’s three denials before sunrise. Jesus prayed vehemently in Gethsemane for the Father to alter His plan for Christ to bear the sins of all on the cross so that whoever believed could be saved, but in the end, the Son submitted to the will of the Father. Through His willing sacrifice, Jesus made salvation possible. At the end of this time of prayer, Jesus was betrayed and arrested (according to the eternal plan foretold in the Scriptures). One young man fled naked, leaving his long linen shirt with those who had tried to grab him. Jesus stated the truth of who He really was to the high council, but that only incensed them even more. Meanwhile, Peter was in the courtyard where he did deny (three separate times) that he knew or was associated with Jesus. When he realized what he had done, Peter wept bitterly.
Prayer: Dear Lord God, please thwart the plans of the enemy of men’s souls wherever and whatever he plans to use against those You love. May I and all who love You go to extravagant measures to “pour out” our love and devotion. Forgive those who betray You and us. May we respect the old, traditional ways of honoring You while embracing the new ways You have modeled for us. Please use even our mistakes, failures, wrong-doings, sins, and betrayals for Your ultimate glory. Help me and other believers to declare (despite fear and embarrassment) that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the Son of the Blessed and is coming back. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will use something precious to me to honor Jesus Christ as the woman in Bethany did.
- I will state the truth about Jesus every opportunity I have, regardless of the consequences.
- I will pray for those who are being persecuted for their faith in Jesus the Christ.
- I will ask the LORD to show me ways in which I have denied Jesus so I can confess that in the presence of others and receive the forgiveness Jesus died to provide me and others like me.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.