A Story to Embody: Monday of Holy Week

I really enjoyed today's readings.  It captures the beauty of our Saviour and the depth of the freedom we have in Christ because of His death.  I'm praying you will be able to read these verses applying the truths of His ministry to your own life:

Isaiah 42:1-9

"Here is my servant, the one I support.

He is the one I chose, and I am pleased with him.
I have put my Spirit upon him,
and he will bring justice to all nations.
He will not cry out or yell
or speak loudly in the streets.
He will not break a crushed blade of grass
or put out even a weak flame.
He will truly bring justice;
he will not lose hope or give up
until he brings justice to the world.
And people far away will trust his teachings." 

 God, the Lord, said these things.
He created the skies and stretched them out.
He spread out the earth and everything on it.
He gives life to all people on earth,
to everyone who walks on the earth.
The Lord says, "I, the Lord, called you to do right,
and I will hold your hand
and protect you.

You will be the sign of my agreement with the people,

a light to shine for all people.

You will help the blind to see.
You will free those who are in prison,
and you will lead those who live in darkness out of their prison.

"I am the Lord. That is my name.
I will not give my glory to another;
I will not let idols take the praise that should be mine.
The things I said would happen have happened,
and now I tell you about new things.
Before those things happen,
I tell you about them."

Psalm 36:5-11

Lord, your love reaches to the heavens,

your loyalty to the skies.

Your goodness is as high as the mountains.

Your justice is as deep as the great ocean.

Lord, you protect both people and animals.

God, your love is so precious!

You protect people in the shadow of your wings.

They eat the rich food in your house,

and you let them drink from your river of pleasure.

You are the giver of life.

Your light lets us enjoy life.

Continue to love those who know you

and to do good to those who are good.

Don't let proud people attack me

and the wicked force me away.

Hebrews 9:11-15

 But when Christ came as the high priest of the good things we now have, he entered the greater and more perfect tent. It is not made by humans and does not belong to this world. Christ entered the Most Holy Place only once—and for all time. He did not take with him the blood of goats and calves. His sacrifice was his own blood, and by it he set us free from sin forever. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a cow are sprinkled on the people who are unclean, and this makes their bodies clean again. How much more is done by the blood of Christ. He offered himself through the eternal Spirit as a perfect sacrifice to God. His blood will make our consciences pure from useless acts so we may serve the living God.

For this reason Christ brings a new agreement from God to his people. Those who are called by God can now receive the blessings he has promised, blessings that will last forever. They can have those things because Christ died so that the people who lived under the first agreement could be set free from sin.

John 12:1-11

Six days before the Passover Feast, Jesus went to Bethany, where Lazarus lived. (Lazarus is the man Jesus raised from the dead.) There they had a dinner for Jesus. Martha served the food, and Lazarus was one of the people eating with Jesus. Mary brought in a pint of very expensive perfume made from pure nard. She poured the perfume on Jesus' feet, and then she wiped his feet with her hair. And the sweet smell from the perfume filled the whole house.

Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus' followers who would later turn against him, was there. Judas said,  "This perfume was worth an entire year's wages. Why wasn't it sold and the money given to the poor?" But Judas did not really care about the poor; he said this because he was a thief. He was the one who kept the money box, and he often stole from it.

Jesus answered, "Leave her alone. It was right for her to save this perfume for today, the day for me to be prepared for burial. You will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me."

The Plot Against Lazarus
A large crowd of people heard that Jesus was in Bethany. So they went there to see not only Jesus but Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead. So the leading priests made plans to kill Lazarus, too. Because of Lazarus many of the Jews were leaving them and believing in Jesus.

 
 In Christ,

  

Photo courtesy: Melanie Guest Photography