75 verses! Matthew was bringing it! Chapter 26 sets the stage for the most important event in human history, so we can give him some extra verses to use can't we?
26:2 - I continue to love Jesus more and more when I read verses like this...he knows he is going to die a horrible, excruciating death and he is still willing to go through with it for you and me! That is love. How many times do we as humans bail on family and friends and churches when things get too hard? Jesus lived out a strength that is as beautiful as it is powerful.
26:6 - Three words, "Simon the leper." Jesus continues to give us the example for what it looks like to live out revolutionary love...he eats with the rejected, the unclean, the sinful, the hated, the revolting...he is love.
26:26-29 - Every Sunday we take the bread and the juice to remember the sacrifice of Jesus, but we need to be in communion with God every day. Do you let the fact that he allowed his body to be broken for you set the standard for how you live each day? Do you let the offering of his blood wash you clean from your mistakes and prepare you to do what it takes each new day to honor him? Our communion with God is not something we do at church once a week...it is a spiritual connection that we should be seeking out every day.
26:34-35 - Sometimes even when we hear the truth - we refuse to accept it. God please let my heart be open to your truth, no matter what that means for the way I like to do things. Sometimes when we speak the truth in love to others, they will refuse to listen to it. God please let me treat them with mercy as you did (Matt. 26:37 - even though he knew that Peter was going to betray him, he still brought him along).
26:39 - I feel closer to Jesus when I see his humanity in the scriptures...he understands what we are up against here on earth...he understands how difficult it is to go through horrible events in our lives. But he also sets the example for us by following God no matter what the cost...again, his strength is beautiful.
26:41 - We are told that there is no temptation that is too much for us to handle with God's help (I Corinthians 10:13), so I believe that Jesus is trying to offer Peter a chance to get strength from God so that he can overcome denying Jesus. He says watch and pray so that you might not enter into temptation...this could be saying, Peter you are about to deny that you have ever known me...seek God right now and let Him help you overcome that sin. But we all know what Peter does, he falls back asleep and by the end of the chapter he is telling people he has never known Jesus. Of course Jesus prophecy that Peter would deny him was going to come true (He is God), but I'm sure he didn't want Peter to deny him.
26:75 - Simple yet powerful sentence. How many times have I sworn to not betray my Lord, only to look back bitterly after I have failed.
3 comments:
So, this is my first post so I'm not exactly sure what I am supposed to say, but I thought I would just leave a thought I had while reading this chapter. I know we've all heard the story about the last supper at least a bazillion times, and I usually skip over it because I feel like I've heard it all before. This time when I read it I was thinking about Jesus' character. He had to be one amazing man to be able to break bread with his twelve closest friends and then let them know that one of them would betray him. I usually take that part for granted that he would give his life, I can't imagine being in his shoes. I guess during communion every week I need to do a better job remembering just how awesomely amazing his sacrifice really was and thanking him for it.
Thanks Michelle - that was great. And that is what you're supposed to do...just read the chapter and comment on what it spoke to you. Again, thanks.
If this was a movie, the climax is coming. It has started to rain, the sun is going down, traitors have been revealed, and we have one who is confused among the disciples. You just know that the climax of the movie is coming. The next decisions will determine the outcome of the movie. Can Peter bounce back? What happens to Jesus? I know the answers to this, but reading this with easter coming up sets off some emotion as I read.
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