Christian Reflection and Prayer

Lenten meditation

Read John 12:12-19.

TEXT: "So the Pharisees said to one
another, 'You see that you are gaining
nothing. Look, the whole world has
gone after Him'" (John 12:19).

The great Festival of Passover is near.
Huge crowds make their way across
the countryside toward Jerusalem,
and our Lord Jesus enters Jerusalem
in triumph, riding on a donkey.

The Pharisees throw up their hands in
fear and frustration. They say to each
other "You see that you are gaining
nothing." The situation is totally out of
control. But again they will not stop to
consider Jesus' claims. They only react
in frustration and fear of what Jesus
might do with the huge Passover
crowds gathering around Him in
Jerusalem.

It is fascinating to compare their reaction
to that of the crowds. The crowds cry out
to Jesus, "Hosanna," which means "help"
or "save." And they are right. The Lord
Jesus is the mighty Son of God, who has
come to battle Satan, sin, death and hell.
He alone can save us from our bitter
enemies.

As we begin this week of Jesus' suffering
and death for our sins, we notice He is
completely in control. We will notice He
is in control through this entire week-clear
up to and including His arrest, trials and
crucifixion.

That's important to remember when we
look at our own lives. Often we are as
fearful and frustrated as the Pharisees,
realizing situations in our lives are totally
out of control. We can throw up our hands
like the Pharisees, or call upon Jesus as
the crowds do, remembering that Jesus is
still in control, sitting at the right hand of
the Father and guiding all things for our
good.

PRAYER:

Lord, please help and
save us, especially when circumstances
are at their worst and totally out of our
control. Remind us that they are never
beyond Your control. Amen.

Lutheran Hour Ministries

Lenten Meditation:

Scripture

Read John 12:1-8.

TEXT: "Jesus said, 'Leave
her alone, so that she may keep it
for the day of My burial. For the
poor you always have with you,
but you do not always have Me'"
(John 12:7-8).

Mary is very grateful to Jesus. She
has heard His wonderful words and
received her brother Lazarus back
from death. As her family gathers
around the table with Jesus and His
disciples for dinner, she pours an
expensive ointment over Jesus' feet
and wipes it with her hair.

Her generosity should be an
inspiration for Jesus' disciples. But
it only stirs the darkness in Judas.
He complains how the ointment was
worth nearly a year's wages and that
the money should have gone to the
poor instead. But Jesus stands up in
her defense. He boldly commands
Judas to leave her alone. She has
done this to honor Him, and the
scent of that perfume will linger on
His body throughout His trials,
crucifixion and burial in the coming
days.

Do we have Mary's tremendous
sense of gratitude and love for our
Lord? Do we really appreciate what
He has done for us, what He has
given to us, and the promise of a
glorious future because of Him?

How striking to compare Mary's
devotion with that of Judas-who has
replaced his devotion to Jesus with
a love for money. For, as John tells
us, Judas had no intention of helping
the poor with that money. He only
wanted to get his hands on it-as he
had stolen money from the disciples'
moneybag many times before. Sadly,
in the next few days he will do far
worse for a much smaller amount of
money.

PRAYER:

Holy Spirit, stir up in my heart true
love, gratitude and appreciation for
all Jesus has done for me. I pray in
Jesus' Name. Amen.

Lutheran Hour Ministries

Scripture:

Read John 11:1-44.

TEXT: "Jesus said to her,
'I am the resurrection and the life.
Whoever believes in Me, though
he die, yet shall he live, and
everyone who lives and believes
in Me shall never die. Do you
believe this?'"(John 11:25-26).

Lenten Meditation:

Jesus is about to do one of His
greatest miraculous signs. He
receives a frantic message to
come to Lazarus who is gravely
ill. But Jesus remains where He
is. His disciples think Jesus is
avoiding Jerusalem where the
crowds had tried to stone Him
a short time ago. But Jesus
waits two days before finally
heading out for Bethany, a small
village near Jerusalem. Thomas
tells his fellow disciples, "Let us
also go, that we may die with
Him."

Jesus finally arrives after Lazarus
has been dead four days. Martha
says, "Lord, if You had been here,
my brother would not have died.
" But Jesus had a reason for His
delay. Jewish rabbis believed a
person's soul hovered over the
body for three days, and then
finally departed when
decomposition set in. By waiting
for the fourth day, Jesus would be
performing a miracle none of the
Jewish leaders could deny.

Sometimes we get confused
by the struggles in our life. Like
Martha we plead with the Lord to
help, but when we need Him most
He seems to delay, or not to hear.
But Jesus has a purpose and a
plan for everything He does for us.

Jesus told Martha "I am the
resurrection and the life." Jesus
proved that by raising Lazarus from
the dead-and by His own resurrection
on the third day. When we are
discouraged, beaten down and
depressed, we can look to Jesus and
know our future is secure.

PRAYER:

Lord, give me confidence in Your
victory during the dark days when
I need You the most. Amen.

Lutheran Hour Ministries