Christian Reflection and Prayer

By Rev. Wayne Palmer

Lenten Devotion

And He (Jesus) said to them, "I have earnestly desired to
eat this Passover with you before I suffer" (Luke 22:15).

Read Luke 22:14-15.

According to the Bible's reckoning, the day began at sunset
rather than midnight. So as Jesus sits down in the upper
room to eat, He is well aware the final day of His earthly life
has begun. Much lies before Him: three grueling hours of
prayer, His arrest, three trials, mistreatment and mockery,
bitter suffering, abuse, torture, six hours of agony on the
cross and, finally, His death.

These great Passion events could easily dominate His
thoughts, but instead He pushes them aside and focuses
on the moment. He wants His disciples to know how
important they are to Him. His literal words make that clear:
"With great desire I have desired to eat this Passover with
you."

What was so important about this meal for Jesus? It was the
people who surrounded Him-the people He loved and for
whom He would soon lay down His life. Jesus feels the same
about you and me. He treasures the time we spend reading
His Word, gathering with our brothers and sisters in worship,
praying to Him. He promises, "For where two or three are
gathered in My Name, there am I among them"
(Matthew 18:20).

Here in the upper room they will soon eat the Passover lamb
and remember how God had delivered their ancestors from
slavery in Egypt. But they don't realize that among them sits
the Passover Lamb. It is He who will this very day will go to
the cross to deliver them from the slavery of sin, death, Satan
and hell-and open wide for all of us the gates of Paradise.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, thank You for living in my heart. Deliver me from
all evil and lead me to Your eternal home. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)

CRYPTIC INSTRUCTIONS

By Rev. Wayne Palmer

Lenten Devotion 2016

And they went and found it just as He had told them, and
they prepared the Passover (Luke 22:13).

Read Deuteronomy 16:1-8.

Jesus' instructions must surely have challenged the faith of
Peter and John. What were the odds they would see a man
carrying a jar of water? That he would lead them to a house
with a large guest room, furnished and available? Yet this is
exactly what they experienced. Surely, it strengthened their
faith when one by one, Jesus' strange instructions worked
out for them.

But was there another reason Jesus gave such cryptic
instructions? He was well aware that one of His 12 disciples
was carefully watching for an opportunity to betray Him in the
absence of the crowds. When Peter and John asked Jesus
where they were to prepare the Passover, it is the moment
Judas was waiting for. What better occasion to find Jesus
away from the crowd, in a house that can be surrounded, with
no way of escape?

If Jesus had identified the house He had in mind, Judas could
have found a way to sneak out and inform the Jewish leaders.
Then there would have been no time to eat with His disciples,
to institute Holy Communion, or to prepare Himself through
prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. Each of these things is
essential, and Jesus won't permit Judas to gain that knowledge
until the time is right.

In a similar way, as Jesus guides us through life, He keeps our
enemies in check and thwarts their plans to harm us-unless it
suits His loving, divine purposes for us and for them.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, we are surrounded by spiritual enemies who wish
to destroy our faith and do us eternal harm. As You watch over
us and limit what they can do, give us loving hearts to share
Your Word so that You may bring them to repentance and faith.
Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)

By Rev. Wayne Palmer

Lenten Devotion

"He will show you a large upper room furnished; prepare
it there" (Luke 22:12).

Read Luke 22:11-12.

As Jesus directed, the two disciples enter the city gate and
find the man carrying the water jar. He will guide Peter and
John to the house where they will prepare the Passover for
Jesus. But for these disciples the strangest thing may not
be the man carrying water.

The strangest thing may well be that a room large enough
to accommodate at least 13 men is still available in
Jerusalem. The city is bursting with Jewish pilgrims
gathered together from all over the Roman Empire to
celebrate the Passover. But as Jesus predicts, they won't
just find a large empty room, it will be fully furnished, with
all the furniture and utensils they will need.

Thirty-some years ago a Jewish carpenter diligently
searched for just such a room in the little town of Bethlehem,
a few miles southwest of here. In fact, Luke uses the exact
same Greek word for "guest room" here as he uses for "inn"
there (see Luke 2:7). But no such room was available that
first Christmas, so Jesus had been born in a humble shelter
for cattle.

But this time it is different. A room has been held back and
reserved. In this space Jesus will celebrate His Last Supper
and institute Holy Communion. The owner of this house
knows the Teacher, and will be deeply honored to lend Him
this room. He is the second man in recent days who has been
privileged to loan his property to the Savior of mankind. Just
the previous Sunday a man had loaned Him his young donkey,
which had never been ridden before. And before the sun sets
again, a prominent Jewish ruler will lend Jesus his unused tomb.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, thank You for choosing to honor us with Your
presence. Use our time, treasure, talents and lives to spread
Your Kingdom and glorify Your Holy Name. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)