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Good morning my friends who are “Walking with Jesus”,
For more than a month now, the daily news headlines have been of COVID-19 and its global impact. The death numbers keep climbing and the stock market keeps falling. As you seek something to counter the ‘bad news’, the fear and worry, where do you go, my friends?
I begin my day in worship of Almighty God, the Bible and prayer, with my eyes focused on words spoken to us from God Himself, and my heart focused on God’s throne room in prayer. Listen to Psalm 123: “I lift up my eyes to You, O God, to You whose throne is in heaven. As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master…so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till He shows us His mercy.”
Are you doing that my friends? Are you lifting your eyes and heart many times each day, to look to God as the eyes of frightened children look to their parents; or the eyes of slaves look to their masters; or the eyes of students look to their teachers; or the eyes of soldiers look to their commanders? We are in great need of God’s mercy aren’t we? “Mercy” means we do not receive the punishment we deserve.
When you consider how disrespectfully the nations where you and I live have treated God; how your nation and mine has pushed God OUT of our societies; how proud and self-reliant our nations have been… oh yes, we should cry for God’s mercy! All through history, when people do Psalm 123, God responds in mercy! What’s holding the people where you live, back from doing Psalm 123? Might it begin with YOU and me?
One week from today is “Good Friday” and Easter weekend. I wonder what you think God sees as He looks at the human race one week before Easter 2020? I suspect it is very much like it was in the days of Jesus in 1st century Palestine. John 11:55-57 tell us people were gathering in Jerusalem from all over the Roman Empire for the annual Passover festival. This year, Jews around the world are making preparations, even with travel restrictions, for Passover 2020 which begins the evening of April 8 and concludes April 16th.
Notice please vs. 57 “But the chief priests and Pharisees had given orders that if anyone found out where Jesus was he should report it so that they might arrest Him.” Israel was in turmoil. Despite the amazing miracles in which Jesus had demonstrated both His great power and God’s love; despite His teachings which drew people back to God… some leaders saw Him as a threat, and wanted Him removed. Others simply rejected His teachings and considered Him some type of magician to be ignored or worse, to be silenced. But some, very grateful for God sending Him to a world in turmoil, believed Jesus to be the Son of God and followed Him.
As you consider how the people of your nation have responded to Jesus over recent years, what do you see? How have they treated His teachings, His Bible, even those people who claim to follow Him as their Savior and Lord? As we approach Passover/Easter 2020, in the grip of COVID-19, how are the people where you live preparing for this next week?
John 12:1-11 tell us Jesus and His disciples returned from their retreat in the desert, to Bethany, the town where Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. “Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with Him.” John adds in verse 9 “A large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came not only because of Him but also to see Lazarus whom He had raised from the dead.”
The excited anticipation of the Passover festival filled the air, and in the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus, an evening of food, enjoyment and friendship was happening, which would be remembered for a very long time. Let’s put ourselves in the crowd filling the courtyard outside their home. Push your way up to a window and look in, what do you see, what do you hear all around you. “There he is, the third man from the corner on the right, that’s Lazarus, do you see him? I don’t exactly know all the others, but of course that one in the center there is Jesus, and the one to his right is John, and over there is Peter. Do you see Him? Wow,… Lazarus at the table with Jesus and His friends, can you believe it, and only a few days ago Lazarus had been dead and buried!”
May I ask a question? Has anyone ever looked at you in amazement as they have seen the undeniable evidence of the miraculous work of God in your life? I have a dear friend named Charlie who should have died New Year’s Eve. We texted each other two days ago, as we remembered that it was 90 days ago that his family, with my wife and I, stood around his hospital bed and watched, while they turned off the ventilator! We’d all said good-bye, we’d prayed entrusting Charlie to God…and He kept breathing, without a ventilator and he has been home and doing well for many weeks!
A modern day Lazarus! Each time I see him, I simply shake my head in amazement and thank God again. How about you my friend, are you a modern day Lazarus? Oh maybe not a medical miracle, but are you a spiritual miracle Lazarus? You were dead in your sin, but you trusted Jesus and He saved you and changed you and now each day you live ‘walking with Jesus’? Do people see the difference Jesus makes in your life, especially in these fear filled days of COVID-19?
John tells us Martha was serving of course, it’s what she loved to do. Mary was doing what she loved to do… listening to Jesus, and then suddenly, Mary did an amazing thing, she opened a precious jar of perfume and poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped His feet with her hair! It was another “defining moment”. We’ve seen many of them in recent days haven’t we?
You’ll remember the table they were reclining around was not a high table with chairs like we use today. It was low, perhaps only 20 inches off the floor. So the men reclined against pillows with their feet away from the table. Their feet were bare, they’d left their sandals at the door, of course. Their feet were rough and calloused. Hard working feet. Likely a servant had washed their feet at the door as they took off their sandals, but now Mary was expressing her admiration, her gratitude to God for Jesus in a most unusual way… an anointing of Nard, a perfume she had undoubtedly used when they had wrapped her brother Lazaurus’ body for burial a short while ago. And then she wiped Jesus’ feet with her hair. What a selfless, humble act of love! Can you hear the gasps all around?
In one of the rare times we have a quote from Judas Iscariot in the Bible, John tells us he objected and said “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.’ Then John adds his perspective: “He did not say this because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.” (John 11:4-6) Now, isn’t that interesting?
Evidently as these 13 men walked the dusty roads of Palestine, they had a ‘money bag’. Perhaps Matthew had started with some of his tax-collecting wealth, maybe the fishermen had added some from their fishing business, maybe people spontaneously gave Jesus money after miracles, out of gratitude? From this bag we assume they bought food as they needed it over these months. But here,John tells us Judas was the keeper of the money bag and evidently, at least John was aware, and perhaps others, that Judas often helped himself, because he had the heart of a thief!
It gives us a glimpse into his character doesn’t it? How could Judas be among the 12, seeing the miracles, hearing Jesus teachings, seeing the love in Jesus’ eyes for all peoples, and yet have the hard heart of a thief, and later a betrayer? Oh it’s easy isn’t it my friends? Those hearts are all around us, where-ever you live…and if we are honest, sometimes it’s our hearts too! Selfishness breeds that kind of heart, so does pride, or unforgiveness or anger, or bitterness, and even fear. How’s your heart today my friends? Any chance there’s a little ‘Judas heart’ in yours?
What Jesus said next shocked them, and was another advance warning of what was soon to come: “Leave her alone, it was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of My burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have Me.” (John 12:7,8) For the 13 men at the table, for Mary & Martha, and all those peering in the windows and doors, when Jesus mentioned ‘the day of my burial’, I’m sure they felt that would be many years in the future. But for Jesus, He knew that fateful day was one week away! None of us knows the future do we my friends? Are you prepared for the day of your burial? When that day comes will your family and friends be celebrating with absolute certainly that you are in heaven with Jesus?
Look at how this glorious evening ended, in vs. 10,11: “So the chief priests made plan to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in Him.” That is happening today, in many parts of the world. People who draw others to Jesus are shunned, rejected, criticized, and in some cases arrested and killed.
Perhaps you notice the next verse says “The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast had heard that Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem, so they took palm branches and went out to meet Him. . .” You’re right, that’s Palm Sunday! We’ll look at that amazing event tomorrow and Sunday.
For today, don’t leave the dinner party too quickly. As you watch Jesus, Lazarus, and Jesus’ disciples at the table, and Mary and Martha, and think about what you know will happen to all of them in the months ahead; as you look around at the crowd and listen to what they are saying; as you look at the chief priests and other leaders and the sneers on their faces… what do you see in your own heart my friends?
What will this Easter be like in our world…in your nation, your town, your personal life? This is a day for reflection… what is the condition of your heart, in a COVID-19 fear gripped world, on the eve of Palm Sunday weekend?
Oh Lord Jesus, we lift our eyes to the throne room of God and we thank YOU for coming to our earth and all that Easter weekend means to us in 2020…
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Click to read today’s chapter: John 12; Psalm 123. (At the top you can choose a different translation.)
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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