Do you appreciate the fact that nothing takes Jesus by surprise?

 15 Mar 26

Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Devotions on F.I.R.E. Year One

Readings:

Deuteronomy 26

Deuteronomy 27

Mark 15:1-26

And when they crucified Him, they divided His garments, casting lots for them to determine what every man should take (Mark 15:24). 

Do you appreciate the fact that nothing takes Jesus by surprise?

Our Lord predicted what He would experience. Mark quotes Jesus, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day” (Mark 9:31). Moreover, the Scripture predicted one thousand years earlier that Jesus’ garments would be divided through casting lots. David writes about Jesus, “They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots” (Psalm 22:18). Going beyond Jesus’ prediction and that of Psalm 22, we are told about His crucifixion, “He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world” (1 Peter 1:20). Take heart because Jesus knows all and endured much for you! 

Employment Point: Honor the omniscient Jesus by trusting Him with your life.

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Reflections

Deuteronomy 27 has quite a good part of it reminding God’s people not to do evil and they did it in as curses and where everyone agrees with an “Amen”. May we be serious disciples as the Lord’s people in the past and remember all His commands, never turning to the left or right. 

“The chief priests accused him of many things. So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.” But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.”Mark‬ ‭15‬:‭3‬-‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

• from here I learnt something. That even in front of authority, we need not respond to false accusations. The truth speaks for itself. Sometimes when we start to defend ourselves, we may start to sound defensive even. I guess it also depends on situations but pray that the Lord grants us wisdom to deal with situations so that we know if we should speak or give no reply.

““Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!” Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭15‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

• I see that even though Pilate was not convinced of any wrong that Jesus did, he has conformed to the norm because he wanted to satisfy the crowd (v14-15). I understand in that context Jesus was to suffered as it was prophesied.. but Lets learn to do the right things and not follow the crowd or try to please them. And if in any case we do the wrong things, may the Lord our God lead us back to the right paths

“They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. 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.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭15‬:‭17‬-‭19‬ ‭NIV‬‬

• Its ironic. And yet it also fully portrays what is truly happening in the world even right now. They called Jesus their Lord, but time and again they “struck him and spit on him”. And yet, as the almighty Lord our Father, He did not say anything nor did He retaliated. He totally surrendered Himself to the will of His Father-that is to die for all our sins. We may not understand our sins but Christ do. And He has gone before us and redeemed all of our sins so we can be righteous before God.
• Thank you Lord for your everlasting love for your sinful people and even though we sin time and again, You have never held it against us and just continue to use your love to mould us.

“Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.”Mark‬ ‭15‬:‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

• anyone wonders what this interesting concoction was mentioned? Like why was this offered? Following is what was explained in the commentary

Jesus refused any drug to numb His pain. He chose to face the agony of the cross with a clear mind and without medication.

i. “According to an old tradition, respected women of Jerusalem provided a narcotic drink to those condemned to death in order to decrease their sensitivity to the excruciating pain... This humane practice was begun in response to the biblical injunction of Proverbs 31:6-7: ‘Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress; let them drink and forget their poverty, and remember their misery no more.’” (Lane)

ii. “The local sour wine was ‘laced’ with myrrh; this would give it a bitter taste, but a soporific effect. Thus is explained the reference to ‘gall’... He would not take any anaesthetic; all His faculties must be unclouded for what lay before Him.” (Cole)

iii. “Was it out of any love to suffering that he thus refused the wine-cup? Ah, no; Christ had no love of suffering. He had a love of souls, but like us he turned away from suffering, he never loved it... Why, then, did he suffer? For two reasons: because this suffering to the utmost was necessary to the completion of the atonement, which saves to the utmost; and because this suffering to the utmost was necessary to perfect his character as ‘a merciful High Priest’ who has to compassionate souls that have gone to the utmost of miseries themselves; that he might know how to succor them that are tempted.” (Spurgeon)

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The Discipline of Dismay

BY OSWALD CHAMBERS

March 15

Those who followed were afraid. — Mark 10:32

When I first began walking with Jesus, I was sure I knew all about him. It was a delight to give everything up for his sake, to fling myself out on a risky path of love. Now, I’m not so sure. Jesus is striding ahead of me, and he looks strange: “They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid” (Mark 10:32).

There is a side to Jesus that chills the heart and makes the spiritual life gasp for breath. This strange being, with his face set like flint and his striding determination, no longer appears as counselor and comrade. He has a point of view I know nothing about. At first, I was confident that I understood him, but now there is a distance between us; I can no longer be so familiar with my Lord. He is out ahead, and he never turns around.

Jesus Christ had to fathom every sin and every sorrow that could possibly afflict the human race: this is what makes him seem so strange. When we see him in this aspect, we don’t know him. He is a leader striding before us, and with dismay we realize that we don’t know how to follow him. We have no idea where he’s going, and the destination has become strangely far off. A sense of darkness surrounds us.

The discipline of dismay is a necessary part of discipleship. The danger is that we will try to escape the darkness by kindling a fire of our own. God says we must not: “Let the one who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord” (Isaiah 50:10). When the darkness of dismay comes, endure until it is over. Out of it will come a following of Jesus which is an unspeakable joy.

Deuteronomy 26-27; Mark 14:27-53

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

Civilization is based on principles which imply that the passing moment is permanent. The only permanent thing is God, and if I put anything else as permanent, I become atheistic. I must build only on God (John 14:6)

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Reflections

I think it is too easy to be feeling uncomfortable when in the dark. Just that I know of people who cannot sleep in the dark as well and need some form of lighting. Thank God that I am ok either ways and can still sleep. However, studies have shown that sleeping in total darkness helps us to have better rest. Perhaps something that we all can try.

When we enter darkness, our natural instinct is to look for light. We wanted clear vision of what’s ahead, the fear in us seems too great to allow us to take another step forward. However, Jesus wanted us to trust Him, and allow Him to take the lead.

Not sure if you have tried this game of trust. So they will have someone blindfold you and hold your hand to walk a stretch of road that has turns and what not. This was something that I had done and also in one of the events called “run for light”-targeting to bring awareness to the blind in our society. At the end of the game, they asked us what and how we were feeling and were there any difference between where we were at the start and at the end.

Interesting fact is this. Beginning was hard for there was fear. But our friend’s reassuring voice and guidance helped allayed our anxieties. After a while, we are quite comfortable walking along and following their commands. This is quite the same with following Jesus. He wants us to do exactly this. Just walk with Him blindfolded, relying on Him for cues on when to turn and when to stop, when to walk and when to climb. This sole reliance is built on the basis of trust. And we know that we can fully God to guide us through.

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Lent devotion Day 26/53

taken from YouVersion, Lent for Everyone

Lent for Everyone is a devotional created and written by N.T. (Tom) Wright. For each day of Lent, there is a reading chosen from the Gospel of Matthew, plus a reflection by Wright. These readings have grown out of a project encouraging Lent reading in Northern England. This is the second in a three-volume series based on the Revised Common Lectionary of the Church of England.

Today’s reading:

Psalm 23

WEEK 4: SUNDAY

As I suggested earlier, farm animals are not as stupid as town- dwellers often imagine. They recognize individual faces — faces of other animals, faces of humans too. They know individual voices. They pick up signals and react accordingly. If it's some- one they know or trust, they will be happy; if not, they may well be afraid. In this, perhaps the most famous Psalm in the book, the poet has managed, in the first four verses, to get right inside what we might call the mind of an animal — in this case, the sheep.

Sheep are very vulnerable. By themselves, they can't find the way to good pasture and drinking water. In the Middle East, these things are hard to find, and it's the shepherd's job to know where they are. That's quite a challenge in a region where, for much of the year, there is little rain. And there are dangers all around: dark crevasses where one could get lost, or stuck, or be at the mercy of robbers, wolves or lions.

From the sheep's-eye point of view, therefore, the shepherd brings a huge sigh of relief. I know this shepherd. I trust him. I'll be all right. When I follow him closely we always end up with good grass to eat and water to drink. We'll have to go on some odd paths from time to time but they always get us to the right place. And when danger approaches — well, the shepherd will look after us. He has a big stick and he knows how to use it. We'll be all right.

Many generations of devout Jews, from long before the time of Jesus to this day, have prayed that Psalm, putting themselves into the picture. Yahweh, Israel's God, was like that with them! They could trust him for everything, even when everything went dark. And now, many generations of Christians have prayed the Psalm in the same way, in the light of the many passages where Jesus picks up the shepherd-promise and applies it to himself. In fact, the gospel story is not unlike the picture of the shepherd and the sheep: Jesus leading his disciples around Galilee, teaching them, healing people as he goes. And as the story moves us forwards towards the valley of the shadow of death, we look on in awe and wonder as the Good Shepherd goes ahead of us into the darkness. His rod and his staff, two poles of wood, come together in a new pattern, a shape which will etch itself on the heart of the world. We look at the cross and we are comforted.

The poem then shifts, in the last two verses, away from the sheep and the shepherd. Once we come out of the dark shadow, we become human in a new way. A table is spread before us, despite the people who still mock us and try to attack us for our faith and our hope. God provides us with good things of all sorts. Instead of the sheep who are led to food and drink, we become people who, strengthened by God's food, discover that he is gently following them in the new ventures to which they are called. 'Goodness and mercy', or in another translation 'kindness and faithful love', will follow us. That is to say, God himself will follow us — and God, as we constantly need to remind ourselves, is himself over- flowing with goodness, kindness, mercy and faithful love.

Again the poem shifts. For the original poet, 'dwelling in the Lord's house for ever' would mean, literally, making one's home in the Temple in Jerusalem. But already within ancient Judaism 'the Lord's house' had come to mean, by extension, the places where his people met to pray, and the holy book they studied wherever they went. The first Christians believed that the Temple itself had been transformed from being made of stone, timber, bricks and mortar to being made of flesh, blood and bones: Jesus' flesh and blood, where the living God truly and utterly dwelt, and then, astonishingly, the human bodies of his followers, as God's Spirit came to live within them. We make this poem our own, then, confident that Jesus, the good shepherd, will do all that the first four verses claim. Confident, too, that his dwelling in us and ours in him, rooted as they are in his kindness and mercy, will never come to an end.

TODAY

Lord, we thank you for your faithful love and mercy. Look after us each moment, we pray, and lead us where we need to go.

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Let’s pray:

Father Lord, we thank You for being our shepherd, through all the highs and lows of our lives, we know Lord, You have been faithful. Even when we walked through the darkness valleys, indeed we shall have no fear. We are Your sheep and we hear Your voice. Help us Lord to be able to discern Your voice with ours. Help us to abide in You for You are the vine and we are the branches. All our lives, You have been so so good. With every breath that we are able, we will sing, the goodness of God. Oh yes we will sing, and praise You O Lord! ❤️