May 2

John 2:1-25   New English Translation (NET)

Turning Water into Wine

2 Now on the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, ² and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. ³ When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no wine left.” ⁴ Jesus replied, “Woman, why are you saying this to me? My time has not yet come.” ⁵ His mother told the servants, “Whatever he tells you, do it.”

⁶ Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washing, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. ⁷ Jesus told the servants, “Fill the water jars with water.” So they filled them up to the very top. ⁸ Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the head steward,” and they did. ⁹ When the head steward tasted the water that had been turned to wine, not knowing where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), he called the bridegroom ¹⁰ and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the cheaper wine when the guests are drunk. You have kept the good wine until now!” ¹¹ Jesus did this as the first of his miraculous signs, in Cana of Galilee. In this way he revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.

Cleansing the Temple

¹² After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there a few days. ¹³ Now the Jewish feast of Passover was near, so Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

¹⁴ He found in the temple courts those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers sitting at tables. ¹⁵ So he made a whip of cords and drove them all out of the temple courts, with the sheep and the oxen. He scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. ¹⁶ To those who sold the doves he said, “Take these things away from here! Do not make my Father’s house a marketplace!” ¹⁷ His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will devour me.”

¹⁸ So then the Jewish leaders responded, “What sign can you show us, since you are doing these things?” ¹⁹ Jesus replied, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up again.” ²⁰ Then the Jewish leaders said to him, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and are you going to raise it up in three days?” ²¹ But Jesus was speaking about the temple of his body. ²² So after he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and the saying that Jesus had spoken.

Jesus at the Passover Feast

²³ Now while Jesus was in Jerusalem at the feast of the Passover, many people believed in his name because they saw the miraculous signs he was doing. ²⁴ But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people. ²⁵ He did not need anyone to testify about man, for he knew what was in man.

 

May 1

God Has Provided a Lamb

John 1:29-51              New American Standard Bible (NASB)

 

²⁹ The next day he *saw Jesus coming to him and *said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰ This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who ^[a]has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’ ³¹ I did not recognize ^[b]Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing ^[c]in water.” ³² John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. ³³ I did not recognize ^[d]Him, but He who sent me to baptize ^[e]in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes ^[f]in the Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴ I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

Jesus’ Public Ministry, First Converts

³⁵ Again the next day John was standing ^[g]with two of his disciples, ³⁶ and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and *said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” ³⁷ The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. ³⁸ And Jesus turned and saw them following, and *said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?” ³⁹ He *said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they came and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the ^[h]tenth hour. ⁴⁰ One of the two who heard John speak and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. ⁴¹ He *found first his own brother Simon and *said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which translated means ^[i]Christ). ⁴² He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of ^[j]John; you shall be called Cephas” (which is translated ^[k]Peter).

⁴³ The next day He purposed to go into Galilee, and He *found Philip. And Jesus *said to him, “Follow Me.” ⁴⁴ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. ⁴⁵ Philip *found Nathanael and *said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” ⁴⁶ Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip *said to him, “Come and see.” ⁴⁷ Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and *said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” ⁴⁸ Nathanael *said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” ⁴⁹ Nathanael answered Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.” ⁵⁰ Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” ⁵¹ And He *said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

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If you have read the Old Testament, or just know the stories of the ancient forefathers, you probably know the story of Abraham taking Isaac, his long-awaited son, up that mountain to sacrifice him.
It is a very different story isnt it? Always makes us a little uncomfortable that our loving and holy God would make such a request~
And then....what relief we feel when God stops Abraham from taking the life of his precious son, Isaac!
I want to take you to that very moment.
 Genesis 22:"Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a lamb caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the lamb and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son."
Do you see? God provided a lamb for us!
The Lord Jesus Christ......the Lamb of God.........provided by God to take our place as the sacrifice for our sin. 

Lord, open our eyes that we may fully see the truth and what you reveal to us today in these scriptures... Amen 

 

April 30
Let There Be LIGHT~

John 1:1-28           New English Translation (NET) 

The Prologue to the Gospel

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God. ² The Word was with God in the beginning. ³ All things were created by him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. ⁴ In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind. ⁵ And the light shines on in the darkness, but the darkness has not mastered it.

⁶ A man came, sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that everyone might believe through him. ⁸ He himself was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. ⁹ The true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was created by him, but the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to what was his own, but his own people did not receive him. ¹² But to all who have received him—those who believe in his name—he has given the right to become God’s children ¹³ —children not born by human parents or by human desire or a husband’s decision, but by God.
¹⁴ Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We saw his glory—the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father. ¹⁵ John testified about him and shouted out, “This one was the one about whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is greater than I am, because he existed before me.’” ¹⁶ For we have all received from his fullness one gracious gift after another. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came about through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God. The only one, himself God, who is in closest fellowship with the Father, has made God known.

The Testimony of John the Baptist

¹⁹ Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” ²⁰ He confessed—he did not deny but confessed—“I am not the Christ!” ²¹ So they asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not!” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No!” ²² Then they said to him, “Who are you? Tell us so that we can give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
²³ John said, “I am the voice of one shouting in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.” ²⁴ (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) ²⁵ So they asked John, “Why then are you baptizing if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
²⁶ John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not recognize, ²⁷ who is coming after me. I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandal!” ²⁸ These things happened in Bethany across the Jordan River where John was baptizing.
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The opening verses of the Gospel of John are some of my most favorite~ I LOVE that John makes it clear that the WORD is God and that that very same WORD is Jesus Christ who was also CREATOR. He is LIFE. He is the Light of Mankind!
He gives those who receive Him the RIGHT to become the children of God!~
Such rich words.........given to US.
Through those words we can gain enough understanding of the magnificence of who God is to desire a relationship with Him, more than any other thing in this life.
Things to ponder:
vs:5 The darkness in my life is my lack of understanding.
               Am I really trying to understand?
               Do I believe the truth of God enough to allow it to bring light to
                       the darkest places in my heart?

Believe: (verb) "Active faith-something we DO" , " commitment, loving self-abandonment.

Lord, do I truly believe YOU? Help my unbelief! Help me to understand my purpose and destiny in you, and to live it out well!

 

April 29

Luke 24:13-53  J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)

 

The walk to Emmaus

^13-17 Then on the same day we find two of them going off to Emmaus, a village about seven miles from Jerusalem. As they went they were deep in conversation about everything that had happened. While they were absorbed in their serious talk and discussion, Jesus himself approached and walked along with them, but something prevented them from recognising him. Then he spoke to them, “What is all this discussion that you are having on your walk?”

¹⁸ They stopped, their faces drawn with misery, and the one called Cleopas replied, “You must be the only stranger in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard all the things that have happened there recently!”

^19-21a “What things?” asked Jesus. “Oh, all about Jesus, from Nazareth. There was a man—a prophet strong in what he did and what he said, in God’s eyes as well as the people’s. Haven’t you heard how our chief priests and rulers handed him over for execution, and had him crucified? But we were hoping he was the one who was to come and set Israel free ...

^21b-24 “Yes, and as if that were not enough, it’s getting on for three days since all this happened; and some of our womenfolk have disturbed us profoundly. For they went to the tomb at dawn, and then when they couldn’t find his body they said that they had a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of our people went straight off to the tomb and found things just as the women had described them—but they didn’t see him!”

^25-26 Then he spoke to them, “Aren’t you failing to understand, and slow to believe in all that the prophets have said? Was it not inevitable that Christ should suffer like that and so find his glory?”

^27-29 Then, beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he explained to them everything in the scriptures that referred to himself. They were by now approaching the village to which they were going. He gave the impression that he meant to go on further, but they stopped him with the words, “Do stay with us. It is nearly evening and soon the day will be over.”

^30-32 So he went indoors to stay with them. Then it happened! While he was sitting at table with them he took the loaf, gave thanks, broke it and passed it to them. Their eyes opened wide and they knew him! But he vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, “Weren’t our hearts glowing while he was with us on the road, and when he made the scriptures so plain to us?”

^33-34 And they got to their feet without delay and turned back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven and their friends all together, full of the news—“The Lord is really risen—he has appeared to Simon now!”

³⁵ Then they told the story of their walk, and how they recognised him when he broke the loaf.

Jesus suddenly appears to the disciples

³⁶ And while they were still talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them and said, “Peace be to you all!”

³⁷ But they shrank back in terror for they thought they were seeing a ghost.

^38-40 “Why are you so worried?” said Jesus, “and why do doubts arise in your minds? Look at my hands and feet—it is really I myself! Feel me and see; ghosts have no flesh or bones as you can see that I have.”

⁴¹ But while they still could not believe it through sheer joy and were quite bewildered, Jesus said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?”

^42-44 They gave him a piece of broiled fish and part of a honeycomb which he took and ate before their eyes. Then he said, “Here and now are fulfilled the words that I told you when I was with you: that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must come true.”

^45-47 Then he opened their minds so that they could understand the scriptures, and added, “That is how it was written, and that is why it was inevitable that Christ should suffer, and rise from the dead on the third day. So must the

change of heart which leads to the forgiveness of sins be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Jesus commissions them with the new message

^48-49 “You are eye-witnesses of these things. Now I hand over to you the command of my Father. Stay in the city, then, until you are clothed with power from on high.”

⁵⁰ Then he led them outside as far as Bethany, where he blessed them with uplifted hands.

^51-53 While he was in the act of blessing them he was parted from them and was carried up to Heaven. They worshipped him, and turned back to Jerusalem with great joy, and spent their days in the Temple, praising and blessing God.

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What a wonderful way to complete the reading of the Gospel of Luke!

The Gospels truly are GOOD NEWS!

The great joy of knowing we serve a risen Savior......a God who is alive and powerful...is enough, isn't it?

 

It is so exciting to see how many of you are reading along with this program. I hope that as you read each days scripture, you will also pray for those others literally Around the WORLD that are reading the same Word of God as you! Stay the course, my friends!

Keep your heart and minds focused on HIM!

Tomorrow we begin our new journey with the Gospel of John!

 

April 28

Luke 23:44-24:12      J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)

The darkness, and the death of Jesus

^44-46 It was now about midday, but darkness came over the whole countryside until three in the afternoon, for there was an eclipse of the sun. The veil in the Temple sanctuary was split in two. Then Jesus gave a great cry and said, “Father, ‘into your hands I commend my spirit.’” And with these words, he died.
⁴⁷ When the centurion saw what had happened, he exclaimed reverently, “That was indeed a good man!”
^48-49 And the whole crowd who had collected for the spectacle, when they saw what had happened, went home in deep distress. And those who had known him, as well as the women who had followed him from Galilee, remained standing at a distance and saw all this happen.

Joseph from Arimathaea lays the body of Jesus in a tomb

^50-53 Now there was a man called Joseph, a member of the Jewish council. He was a good and just man, and had neither agreed with their plan nor voted for their decision. He came from the Jewish city of Arimathaea and was awaiting the kingdom of God. He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. He took it down and wrapped it in linen and placed it in a rock-hewn tomb which had not been used before.
^54-56 It was now the day of the preparation and the Sabbath was beginning to dawn, so the women who had accompanied Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph, noted the tomb and the position of the body, and then went home to prepare spices and perfumes. On the Sabbath they rested, in obedience to the commandment.

The first day of the week: the empty tomb

24 ^1-7 But at the first signs of dawn on the first day of the week, they went to the tomb, taking with them the aromatic spices they had prepared. They discovered that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb, but on going inside, the body of the Lord Jesus was not to be found. While they were still puzzling over this, two men suddenly stood at their elbow, dressed in dazzling light. The women were terribly frightened, and turned their eyes away and looked at the ground. But the two men spoke to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here: he has risen! Remember what he said to you, while he was still in Galilee—that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, and must be crucified, and

must rise again on the third day.”

^8-9 Then they did remember what he had said, and they turned their backs on the tomb and went and told all this to the eleven and the others who were with them.

^10-12 It was Mary of Magdala, Joanna, the mother of James, and their companions who made this report to the apostles. But it struck them as sheer imagination, and they did not believe the women. Only Peter got up and ran to the tomb. He stooped down and saw the linen clothes lying there all by themselves, and he went home wondering at what had happened.
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Praise God! He has risen! There is nothing greater to say! Hallelujah!

April 27
At the Last Minute!

Luke 23:13-43             J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)  

Pilate declares Jesus’ innocence

^13-16 Then Pilate summoned the chief priests, the officials and the people and addressed them in these words. “You have brought this man to me as a mischief-maker among the people, and I want you to realise that, after examining him in your presence, I have found nothing criminal about him, in spite of all your accusations. And neither has Herod, for he has sent him back to us. Obviously, then, he has done nothing to deserve the death penalty. I propose, therefore, to teach him a sharp lesson and let him go.”
^17-21 But they all yelled as one man, “Take this man away! We want Barabbas set free!” (Barabbas was a man who had been put in prison for causing a riot in the city and for murder.) But Pilate wanted to set Jesus free and he called out to them again, but they shouted back at him, “Crucify, crucify him!”
²² Then he spoke to them, for a third time, “What is his crime, then? I have found nothing in him that deserves execution; I am going to teach him a lesson and let him go.”
²³ But they shouted him down, yelling their demand that he should be crucified.
^24-25 Their shouting won the day, and Pilate pronounced the official decision that their request should be granted. He released the man for whom they asked, the man who had been imprisoned for rioting and murder, and surrendered Jesus to their demands.
²⁶ And as they were marching him away, they caught hold of Simon, a native of Cyrene in Africa, who was on his way home from the fields, and put the cross on his back for him to carry behind Jesus.

On the way to the cross

^27-31 A huge crowd of people followed him, including women who wrung their hands and wept for him. But Jesus turned to them and said, “Women of Jerusalem, do not shed your tears for me, but for yourselves and for your children! For the days are coming when men will say, ‘Lucky are the women who are childless—the bodies which have never borne, and the breasts which have never given nourishment.’ Then men will begin ‘to say to the mountains, Fall on us! and to the hills, Cover us!’ For if this is what men do when the wood is green, what will they do when it is seasoned?”

Jesus is crucified with two criminals

^32-34 Two criminals were also led out with him for execution, and when they came to the place called The Skull, they crucified him with the criminals, one on either side of him. But Jesus himself was saying, “Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing.” Then they shared out his clothes by casting lots.
³⁵ The people stood and stared while their rulers continued to scoff, saying, “He saved other people, let’s see him save himself, if he is really God’s Christ—his chosen!”
^36-38 The soldiers also mocked him by coming up and presenting sour wine to him, saying, “If you are the king of the Jews, why not save yourself?” For there was a placard over his head which read, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
³⁹ One of the criminals hanging there covered him with abuse, and said, “Aren’t you Christ? Why don’t you save yourself—and us?”
^40-41 But the other one checked him with the words, “Aren’t you afraid of God even when you’re getting the same punishment as he is? And it’s fair enough for us, for we’ve only got what we deserve, but this man never did anything wrong in his life.”
⁴² Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
⁴³ And Jesus answered, “I tell you truly, this day you will be with me in paradise.”
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Last minute Savior.......
How precious to hear the words....."this day, you will be with me in paradise".
If one lives life to the bitter end avoiding God and all He is and does, and then at the very last moment......receives priceless and precious forgiveness and salvation..........How very wonderful
BUT if we receive that priceless gift of salvation while we still have time on this earth to reach others with the love of Christ HOW MUCH MORE WONDERFUL!
Don't wait until the last minute, my friends!
The joy of knowing the Lord Jesus, and letting Him have full access in your life is something you surely don't want to miss!
How much more wonderful to get to your last breath.....having shared his joy and love with everyone you could!
Who will you reach out to TODAY for Him?
It is a matter of life and death for each of us.
No reason to wait until the last minute!

 

 

April 26
Exposed

Luke 22:54-23:12

J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)

Jesus is arrested: Peter follows but denies his master three times

^54-56 Then they arrested him and marched him off to the High Priest’s house. Peter followed at a distance, and sat down among some people who had lighted a fire in the middle of the courtyard and were sitting round it. A maid-servant saw him sitting there in the firelight, peered into his face, and said “This man was with him too.”

⁵⁷ But he denied it and said, “I don’t know him, girl!”

⁵⁸ A few minutes later someone else noticed Peter, and said, “You’re one of these men too.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!”.

⁵⁹ Then about an hour later someone else insisted, “I am convinced this fellow was with him. Why, he is a Galilean!”

^60-62 “Man,” returned Peter, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the cock crew. The Lord turned his head and looked straight at Peter, and into his mind flashed the words that the Lord had said to him ... “You will disown me three times before the cock crows today.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

^63-65 Then the men who held Jesus made a great game of knocking him about. And they blindfolded him and asked him, “Now prophet, guess who hit you that time!” And that was only the beginning of the way they insulted him.

In the early morning Jesus is formally interrogated

^66-67 Then when daylight came, the assembly of the elders of the people, which included both chief priests and scribes, met and marched him off to their own council. There they asked him, “If you really are Christ, tell us!”

^68-69 “If I tell you, you will never believe me, and if I ask you a question, you will not answer me. But from now on the Son of Man will take his seat at the right hand of almighty God.”

⁷⁰ Then they all said, “So you are the Son of God then?” “You are right; I am,” Jesus told them.

⁷¹ Then they said, “Why do we need to call any more witnesses, for we ourselves have heard this thing from his own lips?”

Jesus is taken before Pilate and Herod

23 ^1-2 Then they rose up in a body and took him off to Pilate and began their accusation in these words, “Here is this man whom we found corrupting our people, and telling them that it is wrong to pay taxes to Caesar, claiming that he himself is Christ, a king.”

³ But Pilate addressed his question to Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “Yes, I am,” he replied.

⁴ Then Pilate spoke to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find nothing criminal about this man.”

⁵ But they pressed their charge, saying, “He’s a trouble-maker among the people. He teaches through the whole of Judea, all the way from Galilee to this place.”

^6-12 When Pilate heard this, he enquired whether the man were a Galilean, and when he discovered that he came under Herod’s jurisdiction, he passed him on to Herod who happened to be in Jerusalem at that time. When Herod saw Jesus, he was delighted, for he had been wanting to see him for a long time. He had heard a lot about Jesus and was hoping to see him perform a miracle. He questioned him very thoroughly, but Jesus gave him absolutely no reply, though the chief priests and scribes stood there making the most violent accusations. So Herod joined his own soldiers in scoffing and jeering at Jesus. Finally, they dressed him up in a gorgeous cloak, and sent him back to Pilate. On that day Herod and Pilate became firm friends, though previously they had been at daggers drawn.

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Questions to ponder:
Do I want to stay in the background in my walk of faith, like Peter?
Hoping that I can go unnoticed .... unidentified?
....after all, it's easier if people don't think of me as a "Christian".
In my workplace, in my family, even in my own home it's just easier if people don't know that I am a believer.
Right?

What is that nagging feeling, causing me to feel so uncomfortable?
I just want to be left alone to live my life like everyone else!

Then, when Jesus meets my gaze, He looks straight into my heart and I am exposed.

I am NOT like everyone else. I am a child of God......I have a Savior,
Someone who died for me.......gave His life for mine.
I can't stay in the background.....I must speak out, stand up, and claim my position in Christ Jesus!



 

April 25

Luke 22:35-53          J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)

Jesus tells his disciples that the crisis has arrived

³⁵ Then he continued to tell all, “That time when I sent you out without any purse or wallet or shoes—did you find you needed anything?” “No, not a thing,” they replied.

^36-37 “But now,” Jesus continued, “if you have a purse or wallet, take it with you, and if you have no sword, sell your coat and buy one! For I tell you that this scripture must be fulfilled in me—‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’. So comes the end of what they wrote about me.”

³⁸ Then the disciples said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” And Jesus returned, “That is enough.”

^39-40 Then he went out of the city and up on to the Mount of Olives, as he had often done before, with the disciples following him. And when he reached his usual place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not have to face temptation!”

^41-42 Then he went off by himself, about a stone’s throw away, and falling on his knees, prayed in these words—“Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me—but it is not my will, but yours, that must be done.”

^43-45 And an angel from Heaven appeared, strengthening him. He was in agony and prayed even more intensely so that his sweat was like great drops of blood falling to the ground. Then he got to his feet from his prayer and walking back to his disciples, he found them sleeping through sheer grief.

⁴⁶ “Why are you sleeping?” he said to them. “You must get up and go on praying that you may not have to face temptation.”

The mob arrives and Judas betrays

⁴⁷ While he was still speaking a crowd of people arrived, led by the man called Judas, one of the twelve. He stepped up to Jesus to kiss him.

⁴⁸ “Judas, would you betray the son of Man with a kiss?” said Jesus to him.

⁴⁹ And the disciples, seeing what was going to happen, cried, “Lord, shall we use our swords?”

^50-51 And one of them did slash at the High Priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. But Jesus retorted, “That will do!”

^52-53 And he touched his ear and healed him. Then he spoke to the chief priests, Temple officers and elders who were there to arrest him, “So you have come out with your swords and staves as if I were a bandit. Day after day I was with you in the Temple and you never laid a finger on me—but this is your hour and the power of darkness is yours!”

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Step into the story:

There I was, an obedient servant of the Jewish High Priest. I don't want to go out on this murderous night. I wanted to stay in my quarters resting by the fireside after the long day's work.

But being the obedient servant, I must accompany this band of officials out to arrest that rabble rouser....  Jesus of Nazareth.

Who cares what Jesus of Nazareth is up to?

Leave the guy alone, right? I mean, he's surely a nut. But he is an interesting nut.

They say he has actually healed people of diseases they have had their entire lives! Some say he makes food multiply from a little bit to an abundance without so much as a word spoken.... no hocus pocus... nothing.. And the craziest thing of all? that guy Lazarus....a group of guys went out to see him one day and came back saying the guy had been dead... in a tomb for FOUR DAYS... and then this Jesus came along and well.... they say he brought him back to life!

People say the craziest things, don't they?

So.....here I am....tramping out in the chill of the night with that other lunatic, Judas. What a rat! He has been with this Jesus everywhere he went for a long time, and yet he is willing to turn him over to the officials for some cash.

Here I am just doing my job, and thinking, "Let's get on with it so I can get some shut eye before I have to start work again in the morning."

Suddenly, you see him.

Jesus standing there in the garden. He doesn't look like any big deal. Just an ordinary guy... but he's the one all right. Judas leads the guards right to him.

One of his friends is pretty upset... takes out a sword and before I knew what was happening a searing pain!

My EAR! The fool cut off my ear!

Then , I can't explain what happened.... but this Jesus told the guy to back off.... came over and touched my head.... instantly the pain was gone... no more blood. I put my hand to my ear... and well.... IT WAS HEALED... right there in that garden... It all happened so fast that I wondered if it was real.

But the blood was on my clothes.... how do you explain a thing like that?

By the time I came to my senses again... they had dragged Jesus off to court. They ended up crucifying him.

And me? Well, I don't know what to think. He sure didn't seem like a big threat to national security to me. And those guys that were with him weren't going to take over the government... there was just a handful of them.

I don't understand why the priests were so shook up about this man.

This healer.

I really am starting to believe what people are telling me about him now.

I saw His face when He healed me. He was not a nut.

He looked like he really cared about me... cared that I was in pain.

I wonder............could He really have been the M-E-S-S-I-A-H?

April 24
Jesus Prays for Us!

Luke 22:14-34             J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)

^14-16 Then, when the time came, he took his seat at table with the apostles, and spoke to them, “With all my heart I have longed to eat this Passover with you before the time comes for me to suffer. Believe me, I shall not eat the Passover again until all that it means is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”

^17-18 Then taking a cup from them he thanked God, and said, “Take this and share it amongst yourselves, for I tell you I shall drink no more wine until the kingdom of God comes.”

The mysterious words which were remembered later

¹⁹ Then he took a loaf and after thanking God he broke it and gave it to them, with these words, “This is my body which is given for you: do this in remembrance of me.”

^20-22 So too, he gave them a cup after supper with the words, “This cup is the new agreement made in my own blood which is shed for you. Yet the hand of the man who is betraying me lies with mine at this moment on the table. The Son of Man goes on his appointed way: yet alas for the man by whom he is betrayed!”

Jesus again teaches humility

²³ And at this they began to debate among themselves as to which of them would do this thing.

²⁴ And then a dispute arose among them as to who should be considered the most important.

^25-30 But Jesus said to them, “Among the heathen it is their kings who lord it over them, and their rulers are given the title of ‘benefactors.’ But it must not be so with you! Your greatest man must become like a junior and your leader must be a servant. Who is the greater, the man who sits down to dinner or the man who serves him? Obviously, the man who sits down to dinner—yet I am the one who is the servant among you. But you are the men who have stood by me in all that I have gone through, and as surely as my Father has given me my kingdom, so I give you the right to eat and drink at my table in that kingdom. Yes, you will sit on thrones and rule the twelve tribes of Israel!

The personal warning to Simon

^31-32 “Oh Simon, Simon, do you know that Satan has asked to have you all to sift like wheat?—but I have prayed for you that you may not lose your faith. Yes, when you have turned back to me, you must strengthen these brothers of yours.”

³³ Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go to prison or even to die with you!”

³⁴ “I tell you, Peter,” returned Jesus, “before the cock crows today you will deny three times that you know me!”

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What an amazing thing to know that the Messiah, the King of Heaven, would love a person enough to pray for him so that he would not lose strength and would not lose faith.

 

Just as He prayed for Simon Peter, so He prays for YOU!

Jesus wants us to perservere, to succeed in our walk of faith. 

He knows that it takes more than an act of our own will to be successful. 

We MUST have an ALIVE relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ that will cause Him to pray for our faith to be strengthened.

Each one of us has weakness that we can't overcome in our own strength.

We NEED the help of our Savior to go beyond our self.

We NEED him to get through those tough times that come to us in this life.

We NEED him to help us reach out into the world around us, to show others the way to Him.

He proves Himself faithful to us over and over again.

How wonderful to know that He is praying over us, cheering us on, every step of the way! 

 

April 23
ON Guard!

Luke 21:29-22:13    J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)

²⁹ Then he gave them a parable.
^30-33 “Look at a fig-tree, or indeed any tree, when it begins to burst its buds, and you realise without anybody telling you that summer is nearly here. So, when you see these things happening, you can be equally sure that the kingdom of God has nearly come. Believe me, this generation will not disappear until all this has taken place. Earth and heaven will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
^34-35 “Be on your guard—see to it that your minds are never clouded by dissipation or drunkenness or the worries of this life, or else that day may catch you like the springing of a trap—for it will come upon every inhabitant of the whole earth.
³⁶ “You must be vigilant at all times, praying that you may be strong enough to come safely through all that is going to happen, and stand in the presence of the Son of Man.”
^37-38 And every day he went on teaching in the Temple, and every evening he went off and spent the night on the hill which is called the Mount of Olives. And the people used to come early in the morning to listen to him in the Temple.

Judas Iscariot becomes the tool of the authorities

22 ^1-2 Now as the feast of unleavened bread, called the Passover, was approaching, fear of the people made the chief priests and scribes try desperately to find a way of getting rid of Jesus.

^3-6 Then a diabolical plan came into the mind of Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve. He went and discussed with the chief priests and officers a method of getting Jesus into their hands. They were delighted and arranged to pay him for it. He agreed, and began to look for a suitable opportunity for betrayal when there was no crowd present.

Jesus makes arrangements for his last Passover with his disciples

^7-8 Then the day of unleavened bread arrived, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed and Jesus sent off Peter and John with the words, “Go and make all the preparations for us to eat the Passover.”
⁹ “Where would you like us to do this?” they asked.
^10-12 And he replied, “Listen, just as you’re going into the city a man carrying a jug of water will meet you. Follow him to the house he is making for. Then say to the owner of the house, ‘The Master has this message for you—which is the room where my disciples and I may eat the Passover?’ And he will take you upstairs and show you a large room furnished for our needs. Make all the preparations there.”
¹³ So they went off and found everything exactly as he had told them it would be, and they made the Passover preparations.
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 Earth and heaven will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
^34-35 “Be on your guard—see to it that your minds are never clouded by dissipation or drunkenness or the worries of this life, or else that day may catch you like the springing of a trap—for it will come upon every inhabitant of the whole earth.

³⁶ “You must be vigilant at all times, praying that you may be strong enough to come safely through all that is going to happen, and stand in the presence of the Son of Man.”
Yes, Be on guard! take great care to stay clear of anything that would cloud your mind......anything.