“Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” In the 1400’s Thomas A’ Kempis wrote “By seeking myself, I lost myself; by seeking you alone, and by loving you with a pure heart, I found both myself and you.” The inner peace we seek is found by loving and serving Jesus the Christ. We are on a mission – being and bring Christ to the world. As we serve him, his peace comes to us in abundance. The secret of contentment is to live for the one who died for us and rose again. Skip
There is no condemnation for those who those who are in Christ Jesus. We, who live by faith, live in the Spirit. The Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in us. We have been set free. Free to live for him who died for us. One of my favorite verses was penned by the Apostle Paul in a letter to the Corinthians. “Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” (2Corinthians 5:13-15) We live for the one who died for us. Skip
Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus secret disciples of Jesus put aside their fear and come forward to provide Jesus with a proper burial. What was going through their minds? Why come forth now? Jesus is dead. His ministry is over. Why acknowledge your faith in the one crucified as a common criminal? Did they feel sorry for Jesus? Did they want to right his unjust execution? We will never know what motivated Joseph and Nicodemus. As you progress through this day consider your faith. What motivates you to acknowledge your faith in the crucified one?
The hour has come. Jesus must die. By dying Jesus brings glory to the Father and eternal life to all who believe. His prayer is that we know the true God and Jesus Christ whom he sent to be our Savior and Lord. His prayer is that those who know the true God and Jesus Christ whom he sent be one. In and through our unity, our oneness, God will be revealed to the world. In this day, in this week how can you demonstrate the unity of faith? How can you serve this day another believer? Who needs a kind word, a kind action or a gentle touch? May the full measure of Christ’s joy be in you today!
Today’s Gospel text is a sad portion of scripture. Jesus is coming to the end of his life. He knows the path to which he is called to walk is a path of death. He tells his disciples, ‘You are going to have the light just a little while longer,’ How sad! His soul is troubled. Jesus must leave those he loves. His mission, his call is to die for the sins of the world. Over the next few days we will reflect on Jesus’ call, his ministry of sacrificial dying. I challenge us also to consider our call, our ministry. What is God calling each of us to do or to be? Skip Seibel
Some Greeks came to Philip and said ‘We would like to see Jesus.” I love those words. For I too want to see Jesus. If you are reading this blog, you too want to see Jesus. How do we see Jesus? What is the secret? The secret may lie in the words of Jesus, “Anyone who loves their life will lose it and whoever serves me must follow me.” Maybe as we follow Jesus and lose our life in service to him, we discover Jesus in people, places and the things we do. From the days of Abraham and Moses, God’s people were his sent people, sent to be the light to the world. As we lose ourselves in service to Jesus the Christ, we will learn the depths of his love, power and grace. Skip Seibel
The Passover feast was a weeklong national celebration. Every year people from all over the nation gathered in Jerusalem, the holy city, David’s hometown, the site of the temple of the Almighty God to celebrate their freedom from Egyptian oppression. Those who had already arrived in the city greeted those who were entering the holy city of Jerusalem. Word came that Jesus of Nazareth, the prophet, the miracle worker; the long awaited Messiah King was coming. Just like Moses did centuries ago maybe this is the year Jesus would set them free. As Jesus entered the city the crowd laid their cloaks and tree branches on the ground as they cried out; ‘Hosanna, `Hosanna to the son of David.Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’ The people were pumped. They were ready. The Messiah King had arrived. They thought maybe this is the year that God intervenes and sets his people free. God was about to act and set his people free. But his plan was not their plan. His way was not their way. Jesus was the Messiah, the suffering Messiah. He was the Messiah king who would sacrifice himself for the sins of the world. He was the Lamb of God, the final lamb of sacrifice. He was and is the redeemer, the reconciler, the one who forgives. Skip Seibel
The temple designed to be a place where people from every corner of the earth could come before God and enter into his presence had became a place of commerce. The vendors and money changers cluttered the path to God’s grace, forgiveness, and mercy. From its inception Israel was to be God’s instrument in the world, a pathway to God’s presence. But the path became clogged, cluttered and blocked. The Israelites had become self-centered. They had set aside their calling to be a people sent by God into the world. Mainline Christian churches must once again recapture their calling to be a people sent by God to do his work. Mission can no longer be just a program of the church, but it must define the church. Mission can no longer be the work of a few, but the all of God’s people must envision themselves to be God’s sent people. Skip Seibel
Somehow it seems odd to read that Jesus burst into tears when he was taken to the cave that his friend Lazarus was placed after he died. At the same time, it’s a perfect example of Jesus’ humanity. He personally grieved for Lazarus’ death and for Mary and Martha’s loss. It illustrates his humanity. But in the same instant he is realizing that raising Lazarus will be another proof of his holiness. He needs to prove he is the Son of God. What an immense personal conflict to bear. His prayer in the garden of Gethsemane again reveals this conflict. ” Abba (Father), anything is possible for you! Take this cup away from me! Yet, I pray, not what I want but want you want!”
Human and divine. How terribly wonderful.
This scripture reveals the depth of Martha’s belief in Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world”. Few of Jesus’ followers were able to understand or articulate this so clearly. Even when Jesus’ primary goal was to make himself known to those he taught. His disciples lived with him; ate, traveled and slept with him.Yet they were unable to grasp this fully.
We often think we are disadvantaged by not having Jesus to see or hear; by living 2000+ years after he walked on earth. Would it be easier to have stronger faith if we could witness the living Jesus?
We have something the disciples didn’t. We know the rest of the story. The Bible allows us to read and begin to understand God’s magnificent plan that started at creation. Our faith is derived from a relationship that God established at the time of creation and was promised to continue today and into eternity.
