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A journey through Lent - 2016
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Day Thirty Seven - The Plot.
As the events of Holy Week start to rapidly play out Jesus predicts his arrest and crucifixion ahead of the religious leaders meeeting to plan his death.
He knew that Judas, would betray him.
God always sees through our plans and schemes to our motives.
We can somehow feel sorry for Judas caught up in God's plan but we remember he had every choice not to do what he chose to do.
The fact that God knows what will happen does not remove our ability to make the choice to follow the right path. Indeed his knowledge may be that we do!
In Jesus' last meal, that of the Passover, we see a symbolic importance as Jesus' death would be the new Passover. One which would save and free us so that we can live in his love forever.
When our own lives seem to be falling apart the events of Holy Week can bring us reassurance and comfort that God has a plan for our lives.
His power is at work in every aspect of our lives for his purposes. We may not understand why we find ourselves in the difficult places we sometimes find ourselves but by remembering Jesus' death for us, we discover the purpose of God's plan for us.
Through Jesus' death we find life, we are freed from the grip of sin and can be assured of the freedom his love brings to all who acknowledge and follow him. In Jesus we are truly blessed by God.
Bible Passage: - Matthew 26:1-5, 14-25 (NIV)
When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, "As you know, the Passover is two days away - and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified."
Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and they schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. "But not during the festival," they said, "or there may be a riot among the people."
Then one of the Twelve - the one called Judas Iscariot - went to the chief priests and asked, "What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?" So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?"
He replied, "Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, 'The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.'" So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.
When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, "Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me."
They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, "Surely you don't mean me, Lord?"
Jesus replied, "The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born."
Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, "Surely you don't mean me, Rabbi?"
Jesus answered, "You have said so."
Contemplation Saying.
"Surely you don't mean me, Lord?"
Contemplative Prayer.
Think of the saying in order to understand context and meaning,
Feel the meaning of the saying with and in your heart,
Pray, using the saying, for yourself or others. With only a name and without explaining the reasons or pre-defining any answers.
Listen for God's voice in the quiet of your prayers.
Pray using your own prayers or one of those which have been prepared below.
Hymn: Singing the Faith - "Freely, freely, you have received"
Let us pray together.
Twitter Prayer
Lord, help us to live completely soaked in your neverending love and the freedom it brings. Amen.
Facebook Prayer
Loving God, we thank you for your presence in our lives, especially for those times when we are lost and feeling out of control.
May we experience the release from our sin, which Jesus brings to each of us as we confess before him.
Help us to live every day soaked in your neverending love and the freedom which it brings.
Freely giving all we have and are into your service. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.
Full Prayer
Loving God, we thank you for your presence in our lives, especially for those times when we are lost and feeling out of control.
Help us to bring ourselves into communion with Jesus, to trust and rely on him, our Saviour.
May we experience the release from our sin, which he brings to each of us as we confess our need for forgiveness.
Help us to live every day soaked in your neverending love and the freedom which it brings.
May we freely give all we have and are into your Holy plan for us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.
Lord, help us not to be so tied up in our own agendas that we lose sight of your plan for us.
We know that you are entwined in our lives and that we need to let ourselves go to travel with you.
Help us to place our feet on the path that you have already walked.
Let us not be swayed by the things of the world which so easily distract and divert us from that narrow path.
Lord, when we forsee pain and hardship help us not turn aside onto the easy road. For it is in those moments that we are moulded by your loving hands.
We praise you for the example you have set for us. For your willingness to die for us that we mighht know the beauty and constancy of your love for us.
Blessed be your name forever, Jesus our Saviour. Amen.