38Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."

39Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."

40Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter.

- P136

the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John apart with Him and asks the other disciples to wait while He prays. Jesus’ sorrow as He anticipates His death is so great that He needs His closest friends with Him to help share His grief. He prays to God in emotional devastation, expressing His anguish at what will happen to Him; yet at the same time, He expresses trust in God’s will for Him. Whether with joy or a heavy heart, we should express our feelings directly to God, honestly present our requests to Him, and be ready to yield to His will. Like Jesus, we can also ask close, trusted friends to be present with us as we pray in our hour of need.
- P138

Dear heavenly Father, You listen to me as I say this prayer. In my joy or in my pain, You hear me and are near me. You answer every time I ask for Your help. Please grant me what I desire only if it is what You desire. In Jesus’ name, amen. - P138


댓글(0) 먼댓글(0) 좋아요(0)
좋아요
공유하기 북마크하기찜하기 thankstoThanksTo
 
 
 

 Whenwe face uncertainty-relationships that shift, situations that feel unstable,
or moments when people disappoint, or worse, betray us-we can feel asthough life is unfolding outside God‘s control. We may feel the confusionthe disciples undoubtedly felt when they learned a traitor was among them.
When we face such moments, let us anchor our souls in the truth that Jesusis always in control and He will always remain faithful to us. - P130

26While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body."

27Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you.

28This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

- P132

31Then Jesus told them, "This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: "‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’

32But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee."

33Peter replied, "Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will."

34"Truly I tell you," Jesus answered, "this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times."

35But Peter declared, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the other disciples said the same.

- P133

Jesus gives His body and blood, symbolized by the bread and wine, as a new covenant gift to His disciples. Jesus’ loving sacrifice seals His promise to sustain and redeem His people through His own life offered for them. This promise is available to us whenever we feel spiritually empty, unworthy, or distant from God, wondering if we have what we need to keep following Him. The Lord’s Supper reminds us that our strength does not come from our performance but from Christ’s finished work on the cross. When we are burdened by our weakness, let us reflect on Jesus’ sacrifice and receive with gratitude what He provides to help us walk faithfully with Him: Himself.
- P134

Dear heavenly Father, You know that I have given my life to You. You also see the weaknesses I cannot see. Examine me and see if I harbor tendencies that would make me act contrary to the love I profess to have for You. In Jesus’ name, amen. - P135


댓글(0) 먼댓글(0) 좋아요(0)
좋아요
공유하기 북마크하기찜하기 thankstoThanksTo
 
 
 

Judas, one of Jesus’ twelve apostles, goes to the religious leaders and offers to betray Him for a price. Jesus’ enemies give him thirty pieces of silver and Judas begins looking for opportunities to hand Jesus over to them. Betraying Jesus was not a mistake Judas accidentally made. It was deliberately coordinated and executed. A person can follow Jesus in word and deed yet still not belong to Him. Judas’s desire to live a life separate from Jesus even while doing life with Him is what separated him from the Savior. - P130

Judas is a warning for all of us not to be content to merely be affiliated with Jesus but actually love Him. It is from genuine love for our Lord and Savior that our thoughts and actions must flow.
- P130

Heavenly Father, You are in complete control over all things, both good and evil. You love both the faithful and the unfaithful, and I know I have been both. When I face disappointments or uncertainty, help me rest in Your sovereignty and faithfulness. In Jesus’ name, amen. - P131


댓글(0) 먼댓글(0) 좋아요(0)
좋아요
공유하기 북마크하기찜하기 thankstoThanksTo
 
 
 

2"As you know, the Passover is two days away—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified."

3Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas,

4and they schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him.

- P124

7a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.

8When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. "Why this waste?" they asked.

9"This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor."

10Aware of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me.

11The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.

12When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial.

13Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."

- P125

For the fourth time in the book of Matthew, Jesus tells His disciples that He will be handed over to death. This will take place during the Passover, which is fitting because Passover commemorates the final plague in Egypt when the Israelites smeared lambs’ blood on their doorposts to protect their firstborn from the angel of death. Jesus becomes the Passover Lamb, and His blood covers the sins of His people so that they can cross over from death to life. The chief priests and elders are afraid to arrest Jesus during the festival because of a potential riot, but nothing is able to stop Christ from fulfilling His mission. - P126

At the proper time, God brings His salvation, revealing His enduring wisdom, sovereignty, and power. - P126

Jesus receives an extravagant offering in the form of an alabaster jar filledwith very expensive perfume. The disciples see this offering as a waste ofmoney. It sounds righteous to say that the money could have been given tothe poor. However, the woman clearly understands Jesus true value. Shegives Him the worship and devotion that He deserves, and Jesus says thatshe has done a beautiful thing, preparing Him for burial.  - P126

Sometimes we arelike the disciples, seeing value from a worldly perspective and forgetting togive ourselves and our possessions completely to God.  - P126

As we meditate onwhat Jesus has done for us, may we experience the love, joy, and gratefulnessof knowing that He is worth all that we could ever offer Him and more. - P126

The reality is that weneed GodGod desperately, and it is right to acknowledge our need for Himભાજપ પર િeach day. We should be in regular communion with Him, dependent onthe guidance of the Holy Spirit, and growing in our knowledge of God‘scharacter, commands, and promises. May our daily routines reflect thisgrasp of reality. - P127

Jesus, I praise You as the Passover Lamb who was slain for me. Thank You that Your blood grants me life. You are worthy of all my devotion, and I pray that I would hold nothing back in my worship of You. In Your name I pray, amen. - P127


댓글(0) 먼댓글(0) 좋아요(0)
좋아요
공유하기 북마크하기찜하기 thankstoThanksTo
 
 
 

40"The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me - P121

44"They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

45"He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

- P121

In this vision of judgment, Jesus tells of a defining marker between the sheep and the goats. The sheep are the blessed, righteous ones who enter the kingdom and receive their inheritance. They have shown compassion to others and were quick to help those in need. Jesus explains that when we care for His brothers and sisters, we are showing care for Him. His examples encourage us to look out especially for those who have physical needs or for those who could benefit from hospitality or a word of encouragement. We are reminded that the righteous sheep reflect the compassion and love of Christ and that every act of service to others is precious in His sight.
- P122

Dear Lord, thank You for always providing for me. Forgive me for the times I fail to care for the people around me. Show me how I can better serve You by showing Your comfort and care to my brothers and sisters. In Your name I pray, amen. - P123

On the other side, there are the goats who are cursed and commanded todepart from the King. The goats go away to eternal punishment becausethey have ignored the needy and shown them no care or compassion. Wecan sin against God not only by committing flagrantly sinful acts, but alsoby sins of omission in which we do not do the good that God commandsus to do. If we truly love the Lord and seek to follow His ways, then oureyes and hearts will be inclined to bless those around us.  - P122

May we not allowselfishness or laziness to prevent us from demonstrating God‘s righteousnessand care. Let us seek the Lord and allow His Spirit to lead us to those inneed of His care and hospitality. - P122

I still use social media because I tell myself that I need to know what isgoing on in people‘s lives. However, I no longer feel comfortable with beinga simple spectator. Now, whenever I go online, I have made it my goal toencourage someone with my words. I do not offer a simple "like" or emoji.
Rather, I look to say something that will brighten a person‘s day and showinterest in their lives. With this approach, I have been able to have moremeaningful conversations and reconnect with people I have not talked toin a while.
Sometimes I get angry or cynical about something I have read online, butto build and thatadvertisers want this reaction because it leads to further engagement. Goingforward, I aim to shine more of Christ‘s light in these online spaces. - P123


댓글(0) 먼댓글(0) 좋아요(0)
좋아요
공유하기 북마크하기찜하기 thankstoThanksTo