Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Luke 24:13-21,28-32

¹³ Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from

Jerusalem. ¹⁴ They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. ¹⁵ As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; ¹⁶ but they were kept from recognizing him.

¹⁷ He asked them, “What are you discussing

together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. ¹⁸ One of them, named Cleopas,

asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have

happened there in these days?”¹⁹ “What things?”

he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed

before God and all the people. ²⁰ The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; ²¹ but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem

Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.²⁸ As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. ²⁹ But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.³⁰ When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. ³¹ Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. ³² They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

 Reflection

In Luke 10:1 Jesus sends seventy two disciples to go ahead of Him to spread the Gospel. The two men on the road to

Emmaus are most likely part of these seventy-two. In our scripture today we see again disciples that are sad after

Jesus’ death.  They then encounter the risen Christ. But they do not realize it is Jesus until they sit and have a meal with Him. This is why the role of Communion in our faith is so

important. We can see the work of God when we share a meal together and like the travelers on the road to Emmaus we can even encounter the risen Christ. What does

communion mean to you? Does the story of the travelers on the road to Emmaus change or inform that view?

Monday, April 6, 2015

John 20:1-2, 11-18
¹Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the

entrance. ² So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

¹¹ Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb ¹² and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.¹³ They asked her, “Woman, why are you

crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”¹⁴ At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.¹⁵ He asked her, “Woman, why are you

crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have

carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”¹⁶ Jesus said to her,

“Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

¹⁷ Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my

Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”¹⁸ Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

Reflection

The Greek word for resurrection is anastasis literally, "to stand again." In the case of Jesus, resurrection meant the restoration of his whole self — body and spirit — by God, the creator of all life. The gospels record a number of

accounts of Jesus appearing after his resurrection to His

disciples individually as well as while they are in groups. This week we will explore the six appearances of Jesus after His resurrection.  Our first story is the resurrection story from the gospel of John where Mary sees the risen Jesus. On

Sunday we celebrated the resurrected Jesus. He have seen that He’s alive. How are you sharing this hope having

encountered the living Christ on Sunday?

Weekly Theme April 5 through 11

The Resurrection Changes Everything

 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,  that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the

Scriptures, 
—1 Corinthians 15:3-4

             

              Three days after Jesus’ death, the power of God raised him to new life and he walked out of the tomb.  The victory over sin and death that came from Jesus’ death and resurrection was then offered to all humanity.

How do we receive this gift of forgiveness and new life?  How does Christ’s new life get transplanted into our lives?  It is a free gift.  There is nothing we can do to earn forgiveness and new life.  We can’t be good enough to get it.  It isn’t something we are born into or that we inherit.  It is a free gift that is

received when we believe in faith that Christ did die for our sins and that through his resurrection we have received new and eternal life.  When we have faith that all that Christ did was done for us then the transplant of new life has taken place and we will live eternally through that new life.  The resurrection of Jesus has changed everything.

Bottom line is that there is something we all need.  We all need forgiveness for our sins and we all need the gift of life

everlasting.  The new life that we need is transplanted into our lives when we believe. When we have faith that Christ died and rose from the dead for us then Christ’s new life is transplanted into our lives.  The resurrection of Jesus changes everything.

Saturday, April 4, 2015

Mark 15:27-37

²⁷ They crucified two rebels with him, one on his right and one on his left. ^[28]  29 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, ³⁰ come down from the cross and save yourself!” ³¹ In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved

others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! ³² Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him. ³³ At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. ³⁴ And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).³⁵ When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.”³⁶ Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and

offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said. ³⁷ With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

Reflection

Have you ever thought about those other two criminals on the cross or better yet the criminal that was released,

Barabbas. Imagine that you are Barabbas. You know the

horrible things you have done. You know that you deserve to die, but this man Jesus takes your place. You follow Him from the prison to Golgotha. And you see there Jesus die on a cross in your place.  This is what Christ does for each and every one of us. We are sinful and we deserve to die, but He has taken our place.

Friday, April 3, 2015

Mark 15:16-26

¹⁶ The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. ¹⁷ They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. ¹⁸ And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” ¹⁹ Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. ²⁰ And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him. ²¹ A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.

 ²² They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). ²³ Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. ²⁴ And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.²⁵ It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. ²⁶ The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the jews.

Reflection

 In Luke 9: 23 Jesus tells His followers, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Simon of Cyrene quite literally follows this call. Think about what it would mean for you to take up Christ’s cross and follow Him?

Thursday, April 2, 2015

Mark 14:32-42

³² They went to a place called Gethsemane, and

Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”

³³ He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled.

³⁴ “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” ³⁵ Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. ³⁶ “Abba, Father,” he said,

“everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

³⁷ Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour?

³⁸ Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”³⁹ Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. ⁴⁰ When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.

⁴¹ Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. ⁴² Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

Reflection

No reflection today. Simply take the time to pray with Jesus. 

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Mark 14:17-26

¹⁷ When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. ¹⁸ While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.”

¹⁹ They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, “Surely you don’t mean me?”

²⁰ “It is one of the Twelve,” he replied, “one who dips bread into the bowl with me. ²¹ 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.”

²² While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.”

²³ Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it.

²⁴ “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them.²⁵ “Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the

kingdom of God.” ²⁶ When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Reflection

In this passage Jesus has one last meal with His friends. We often think that we are blameless in the death of Jesus. But He died for our sins. So as we remember this last meal, think about ways in which you betray Jesus. What things in your life did Christ die for?