Passover

Nations Day 12 The Daily Pressing: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out The Daily Pressing!

The Questions

1) Why did Mark mention Passover in this passage? (verse 1)

2) What is the significance of Jesus visiting the house of Simon the Leper? (verse 3)

3) Why did the woman pour her expensive perfume on Jesus’ head? (verse 3)

4) Why did Jesus say, “the poor you will always have with you”? (verse 7)

Mark 14:1-11

1It was two days before the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a cunning way to arrest Jesus and kill him. 2“Not during the festival,” they said, “so that there won’t be a riot among the people.”

While he was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper as he was reclining at the table a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured it on his head. 4 But some were expressing indignation to one another: “Why has this perfume been wasted? 5 For this perfume might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they began to scold her.

6 Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a noble thing for me. 7 You always have the poor with you, and you can do what is good for them whenever you want, but you do not always have me. 8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body in advance for burial. 9 Truly I tell you wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”

10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. 11 And when they heard this, they were glad and promised to give him money. So he started looking for a good opportunity to betray him.

Original Intent

1) Why did Mark mention Passover in this passage? (verse 1)
Jesus stopped by Bethany (about two miles outside of Jerusalem) on His way to celebrate Passover. Passover is the annual celebration of God’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt. Passover refers to when the Angel of Death “passed over” the homes of Israelites (and Egyptians) who put the blood of the Passover lamb on their doorposts according to God’s instructions to Moses. Egyptians (and Israelites) who did not obey God’s instructions experienced the death of their firstborn. Even as God gave the instructions for the Passover in Exodus 12, He commanded His people to commemorate their deliverance every year. “This day is to be a memorial for you, and you must celebrate it as a festival to the Lord. You are to celebrate it throughout your generations as a permanent statute.” (Exodus 12:14)

2) What is the significance of Jesus visiting the house of Simon the Leper? (verse 3)
Simon lived in Bethany, a suburb of Jerusalem and the hometown of his friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. The Gospel writer’s decision to include the description of Simon as “The Leper” is significant. Today, leprosy refers to a specific disease called Hanson’s disease affecting both skin and nerves, but during biblical times, leprosy was a generic name for any skin disease. When God gave the Law to Moses after the Israelites left Egypt, there were specific instructions for interacting with people with skin diseases like leprosy. Leviticus 13 explains how the priest examined people with skin diseases and isolated them for seven days. If the disease did not go away, they were excluded from the community to protect the people. “The person who has a case of serious skin disease is to have his clothes torn and his hair hanging loose, and he must cover his mouth and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean!’ He will remain unclean as long as he has the disease; he is unclean. He must live alone in a place outside the camp.” (Leviticus 13:45-46) Lepers were isolated from family and friends by their disease and were considered unclean. Coming in contact with a leprous person resulted in them also being declared “unclean”. Since Simon was healed, he was no longer unclean, and he could safely host people.

3) Why did the woman pour her expensive perfume on Jesus’ head? (verse 3)
John 12:1-8 explains this was Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. Mary had a heart that desired to worship Jesus. Her gift was an extravagant display of devotion to Jesus. Pure nard in alabaster was exceptionally valuable. Nard comes from the Himalayan mountains in India, Nepal, and China; transporting it to Bethany would require a long, arduous journey from Asia to the Middle East. This gift was worth three hundred denarii, which was about a year’s income (minus the days not worked for the Sabbath and holidays) since a denarius was the equivalent of a day’s wages. Some commentaries explained that this alabaster jar of pure nard was probably Mary’s dowry. When a woman got married, her dowry was her security in case she was divorced. Mary desired to give her best. Jesus explained to the disciples that Mary’s gift was a noble thing. The Greek word translated as “noble” is defined as “good that inspires others.” Even to this day, we celebrate Mary’s precious gift. Jesus prophesied that “she has kept it for the day of My burial.” (John 12:7) People used burial spices and perfumes to mask the smell of a decaying body. Jesus knew that going to Jerusalem was His death sentence. He would soon be attacked like the obedient servant in Isaiah 50:6, and He would be led like a lamb to the slaughter as prophesied in Isaiah 53:7.

4) Why did Jesus say, “the poor you will always have with you”? (verse 7)
When Rabbis and teachers of the Law taught concepts, they often quoted parts of Scriptures because they knew their students would fill in the rest of the passage. When Jesus said, “the poor you will always have with you,” He was quoting Deuteronomy 15:11, “For there will never cease to be poor people in the land; that is why I am commanding you, ‘Open your hand willingly to your poor and needy brother in your land.’” He was urging His followers to give generously to the poor even as He was warning them of His upcoming death. At various times, Jesus specifically told His disciples He would suffer and die. “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn Him to death. Then they will hand Him over to the Gentiles, and they will mock Him, spit on Him, flog Him, and kill Him, and He will rise after three days.” (Mark 10:33-34)

Everyday Application

1) Why did Mark mention Passover in this passage? (verse 1)
Passover was a celebration of deliverance. Many Jewish people were eagerly praying for a Messiah to deliver them from Roman occupation. Here’s how David Guzik explains this, “The time is significant, because there was at Passover not only a great expectation of the Messiah, but Jerusalem was also crowded with these Messiah-expecting multitudes. Since Passover remembered a time when God raised up a great deliverer and freed Israel from foreign oppression, it was a time of great patriotic and Messianic anticipation. The Romans were on guard and ready for any hint of revolt.” The people in Jerusalem were eagerly looking for a military savior, but Jesus had come as a Lamb whose blood was to be shed for the forgiveness of sins. 1 Corinthians 5:7 calls Jesus “our Passover lamb.” John 1:29 proclaims that “Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” Just as the blood of the Passover lamb protected the people from death, Jesus’ blood frees us from the penalty we deserve because of our sins. (Revelation 1:5)

2) What is the significance of Jesus visiting the house of Simon the Leper? (verse 3)
Fear of contamination did not keep Jesus from reaching out to people who were considered unclean. There are multiple mentions in the Bible of Jesus healing people with leprosy. Mark 1:40-45 tells how Jesus healed a man with leprosy in Galilee. When Jesus touched him, “immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.” Luke 17:11-17 also tells the story of Jesus healing ten lepers. In both Mark’s and Luke’s accounts, Jesus told the healed men to present themselves to the priest according to the requirements in Leviticus. After the priest examined the men, he would declare them clean and fit to assemble with the rest of the community. Jesus is our healer. Sickness and suffering (both mental and physical) can isolate us from community. We may feel unclean or unworthy of God’s love and grace, yet Jesus wants to heal us so our lives will be a testimony to His grace and healing power, just like Simon. Though Simon was still called “the Leper,” his life had been radically transformed by Jesus’ healing power. His sickness no longer isolated him, and he was able to host Jesus and all the disciples at his house. Like a leper, we can cry out to Jesus, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” (Matthew 8:2) He uses healing to declare His victory in our lives, setting us free so we can bless others!

3) Why did the woman pour her expensive perfume on Jesus’ head? (verse 3)
Mary likely gave her most precious possession when she anointed Jesus’ head. Her act of devotion inspires us to give wholeheartedly. Are we giving our best to Jesus and His kingdom, or are we like Judas, who seemed to care about the poor, but only truly cared about himself? When John wrote about Mary anointing Jesus, he explained that Judas’ indignation wasn’t about caring for the poor but about helping himself. Judas “was a thief. He was in charge of the money-bag and would steal part of what was put in it.” (John 12:6) Mark writes that some disciples expressed indignation and asked, “Why has this perfume been wasted?” (Mark 14:4) The Greek word translated “wasted” in this passage can also mean “destroyed” and is often used to describe God’s judgment in end-times. “Judas criticized Mary for ‘wasting money,’ but he wasted his entire life!” (Wiersbe) Mary’s extravagant gift and Judas’ petty response challenges all of us. Is our indignation about injustice a cover-up of jealousy and greed because we want more? Are we secretly envious of other people’s ability to give? Do we give only to receive recognition? Do we desire to give generously and not waste what we have been given? The greatest gift we have is our salvation; are we sharing it with others, or are we wasting the opportunities we are given to proclaim it and, in the process, devaluing Christ’s sacrifice? Mary gave the equivalent of an annual salary; would you think someone was a fanatic if they gave that amount to the church or help the poor? Would you wonder if they were wasting their resources? I have realized that if I am starting to answer these questions like Judas, I have lost sight of the value of Jesus and the privilege of giving all I have.

4) Why did Jesus say, “the poor you will always have with you”? (verse 7)
When I first read this quote from Jesus, I felt it was very calloused. It seemed to me like Jesus was telling His disciples not to care about the poor. I didn’t realize it was a direct quote from Deuteronomy that Jesus was using to challenge His followers, and particularly Judas who “claimed” to care for the poor. Jesus was prodding each of them to follow Mary’s example of selfless generosity and “to open your hand willingly to the poor and needy brother in the land.” In Mark 10:21, Jesus challenged a rich young man to “give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven.” Jesus commended Mary because “she has done what she could.” (Mark 14:8) Each of us can learn from Mary’s sacrifice. She blessed Jesus by giving generously and sacrificially. God gives us gifts and resources so we can bless others in the same way. Martyr Jim Elliot wisely said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain that which he cannot lose.” Like Mary, when we lavishly give all we have to Jesus, He will cultivate generosity in us towards others just as He gave Himself fully for us.

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with The Daily Pressing!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Nations Week Three!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Word Day 4 Follow & Remove: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Follow & Remove!

The Questions

1) Why did Jesus go to Jerusalem for the Passover and why is this important to this passage? (verse 13)

2) Why did the actions of the people in the temple make Jesus so angry and why was His anger not sinful? (verses 15-16)

3) Why did Jesus not entrust Himself to them? (verse 24)

John 2:13-24

13 The Jewish Passover was near, and so Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found people selling oxen, sheep, and doves, and he also found the money changers sitting there. 15 After making a whip out of cords, he drove everyone out of the temple with their sheep and oxen. He also poured out the money changers’ coins and overturned the tables. 16 He told those who were selling doves, “Get these things out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!”

17 And his disciples remembered that it is written: Zeal for your house will consume me.
18 So the Jews replied to him, “What sign will you show us for doing these things?” 19 Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up in three days.” 20 Therefore the Jews said, “This temple took forty-six years to build, and will you raise it up in three days?”

21 But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22 So when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the statement Jesus had made. 23 While he was in Jerusalem during the Passover Festival, many believed in his name when they saw the signs he was doing. 24 Jesus, however, would not entrust himself to them, since he knew them all

Original Intent

1) Why did Jesus go to Jerusalem for the Passover and why is this important to this passage? (verse 13)
Deuteronomy 16:16 instructed all men to appear before the Lord three times a year. The Festival of Unleavened Bread, which Passover is part of, was one of those times. Jesus would have made the journey to Jerusalem in accordance with this instruction along with all the other Israelite males as Jerusalem was the religious center of Israel. Therefore, the city would have been a bustling place full of travelers. The temple was located in Jerusalem and these travelers were also required to make a sacrifice while they were there. All of these details set up the scene we read about in this passage.

2) Why did the actions of the people in the temple make Jesus so angry and why was His anger not sinful? (verses 15-16)
Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread would have brought many travelers into Jerusalem all of whom were required to offer sacrifices to God according to the Law. While some would have brought their sacrifice with them, several would have arrived needing to purchase an animal for the sacrifice. The people of Jerusalem had chosen to set up a marketplace in the Temple Courts to not only sell animals, but also offer money changing services as people would have needed local currency. These merchants sold for a higher price and took up the space in the Temple that would have otherwise been reserved for worship. Jesus shows up and is angry at what is taking place in His Father’s house. He is angered at the Temple being defiled and people being cheated out of their money. Not only are they defiling the Temple, but they are profiting from their actions. Jesus shows His anger by clearing out the Temple of the merchants. However, this anger was not sinful because Jesus was responding to sin, He was responding to His Father being insulted. Neither was He acting “out of control” in His anger as we read that He had taken the time to “(make) a whip out of cords” (verse 15) as He observed the defilement around Him. Therefore, Christ’s actions were coming from a place of righteous anger and were not sinful.

3) Why did Jesus not entrust Himself to them? (verse 24)
Being the Son of God, Jesus knew the hearts of those standing before Him. He knew when He was being misunderstood or when faith was not genuine. Many eyewitnesses, who followed Jesus and saw all He did during His time in Jerusalem, noticed He was different, but did not embrace Him as the Son of God. Jesus knew they thought He was a good teacher, or possibly a prophet, but they refused to recognize Him as the promised Messiah. As a result, Jesus chose to keep Himself at a distance from those who didn’t genuinely believe Him.

Everyday Application

1) Why did Jesus go to Jerusalem for the Passover and why is this important to this passage? (verse 13)
Jesus went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover which was customary in His day. There was a sacredness to these days and the Israelites took time to pause and remember what God had done. We could learn a lesson from the Israelites about slowing down and intentionally remembering what God has done in our lives. They spent time preparing their hearts by following customs designed to help turn their hearts to worship. While we aren’t bound by the same Law they were, it is wise to follow their example and set aside specific times in our calendar for remembering and celebrating what God has done.

2) Why did the actions of the people in the temple make Jesus so angry and why was His anger not sinful? (verses 15-16)
As New Testament followers of Christ, we no longer have a temple we are required to make pilgrimages to. However, Scripture is clear that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) In light of Jesus’ high view of the temple in Jerusalem, we should ask ourselves if we are conducting ourselves in a manner worthy of ourselves being called a temple. The Holy Spirit resides in all who have placed the full weight of their trust in Jesus and His sacrifice for us, therefore we should glorify God with our bodies instead of defiling them as the merchants defiled the temple. We can also think about these verses in relation to the church, which is God’s people living out His love to others on earth. We can bring disunity within the church and damage the church’s impact when we become distracted by anything less than worshipping our Creator. Likewise, we should remember there is such a thing as righteous anger. However, in response to sin and injustice, we must be careful to act within the authority we have and not assume the authority of Jesus. We should rise up against injustice and stand up for those who are treated unjustly. We should be angered by sin within ourselves and others. However, we are not called to be the judge and jury for those outside the Body of Believers. Instead, we are called to love the sinner and point them to Jesus. (1 Corinthians 5:11-13)

3) Why did Jesus not entrust Himself to them? (verse 24)
Jesus knew the hearts of those around Him when He walked the earth, and He knows ours as well. He knows if we are genuine in our faith or faking it to the world around us. “Faith cannot be one-sided here any more than elsewhere. Christ gives Himself to those who give themselves to Him. They who so trust Him that He is sure they will follow Him even when they cannot see where He is going; they who trust Him, not in one or two matters which they see He can manage, but absolutely and in all things; to these He will give Himself freely, sharing with them His work, His Spirit, His reward.” (Expositor’s Bible Commentary) There will be challenging days in our faith and we are called to trust Christ, not only when life is easy and we know where we are headed, but also in moments of uncertainty or when those around us waiver. When we choose faith, the reward is large. This past year of 2020, has been a year of staying faithful in the unknown and hard for many of us. However, even in those moments, we are called to genuinely believe and trust Jesus. Following Him won’t always be easy, but it will always be worth it!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Follow & Remove!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Word Week One!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Enough Day 14 Sacrificial Lamb: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Sacrificial Lamb!

The Questions

1) What boasting is Paul referencing in verse 6?

2) Why does Paul care about cleaning out leaven (yeast) and new batches of dough? (verse 7)

3) What feast are we to be observing? (verse 8)

1 Corinthians 5:6-8

6 Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little leaven leavens the whole batch of dough? 7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new unleavened batch, as indeed you are. For Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore, let us observe the feast, not with old leaven or with the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Original Intent

1) What boasting is Paul referencing in verse 6?
When we read Scripture, it’s extremely important we first read for context. What does the whole passage say? What is the main point? If we fail to do this, we will quite likely run away with a poor understanding of Scripture, of God, and even ourselves. Then we try to apply this mis-alignment to our lives and end up with a mess! The church in Corinth, who first received Paul’s letters we’ve cleverly dubbed “1 & 2 Corinthians” had major issues. They had serious conflict, bad beliefs, and were known for blatant sins that ran counter to Christ and His gospel of love and unity. Yet, they still felt justified in boasting about how great they were doing. Paul’s admonishment was meant to sternly call them out for their lack of love and inconsistency in holding to truth and what it really meant to follow Jesus as His Church. In this specific instance, a man was committing a gross sexual sin by sleeping with his father’s wife, an action not even condoned by Corinthian culture outside the Church. Yet, inside the church, they boasted on how loving they were by not calling this man out for his blatant hypocrisy and sin as he claimed to follow Jesus and love people. (1 Corinthians 5:1-2) They felt they were doing the right thing by ignoring this man’s sin. It’s also very important to note that Paul makes a distinction in verses 9-13; he did not intend believers in the church to cast judgement on people who were not Christ-followers. “I did not mean the immoral people of this world (…); otherwise you would have to leave the world!” Christians are not meant to judge those outside the church, only God can do that! “For what business is it of mine to judge outsiders? (…) God judges outsiders.” (verses 12-13)

2) Why does Paul care about cleaning out leaven (yeast) and new batches of dough? (verse 7)
We don’t use the word “leaven” much in today’s world, but it refers to yeast one would use in baking. Why does Paul care about yeast? Well, he actually didn’t; he knew his audience understood “yeast” to be a symbol for “sin”. In the Old Testament, God had commanded His people to rid their houses of yeast as they prepared for Passover, a special festival commemorating God’s rescue of Israel from slavery to the Egyptians. (Exodus 12:14-20) When Paul states, “Don’t you know that a little leaven leavens the whole batch of dough?” (verse 6), he wasn’t trying to mock them for their lack of scientific understanding. Rather, he was illustrating the extreme potency of sin and its deadly affects. If Christ’s Church was like a batch of dough, even a small bit of sin (yeast) would quickly spread throughout the dough. Because the Corinthian church understood yeast to be a metaphor for sin, Paul’s point was abundantly clear, they could not just “ignore” sin within their local church body for eventually, the entire church would be consumed with sin. No one would hold them accountable for their sin because everyone would just “accept” a lower standard and justify each other’s sinfulness. Paul instructed the Corinthians to “clean out the old leaven” by confronting sin within their churches. He reminds them they are indeed a “new, unleavened batch” (verse 7) because Christ has died for them, declaring them righteous! Jesus paid for their sin, so they should respond by fleeing from it and following Christ in living holy lives that honor Him together as a whole church. Out of great love for one another and gratefulness to Jesus, they should encourage each other to reject sin’s allure and run instead toward the life of fullness offered in Christ.

3) What feast are we to be observing? (verse 8)
Imagine the churches of Corinth gathering together in the homes where they regularly met for worship and preaching to listen to Paul’s letter. Jews, Gentiles, men, women, and children all came together under the freedom Christ had come to give them. This was the New Testament church! They had complex lives with countless temptations to sin, worship idols, and pressure to achieve more just like us today. The Jews present, who were probably fewer than the Gentiles, were as familiar with Torah (Old Testament) Law as the back of their hand. Though the Gentiles hadn’t grown up with God’s Law, they were still familiar with Jewish practices, sacrifices, and feasts because they played such a prevalent cultural role. When Paul wrote, “Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us observe the feast…” (verses 7-8), everyone listening immediately understood the connection between Christ and the Passover lamb. Christ was the One crucified on a Roman cross and resurrected from the grave three days later. The Passover lamb was the animal slain every year by every Jewish family during the Passover feast which commemorated God’s rescue of Israel from slavery in Egypt. Paul was tying these two together as the same symbol. Christ had become the Passover Lamb. Once Paul made this clear, he urged the churches to go out and live everyday lives in light of this incredible sacrifice. “Therefore, let us observe the feast…” The audience recognized the feast as Passover, but Paul wanted them to go deeper and understand that feasting was now meant to encompass the whole of the Christian life. Believers were now to feast on Christ as the Bread of Life (John 6:35) who has no sin in Him and calls those who trust Him to also leave behind all sin (yeast).

Everyday Application

1) What boasting is Paul referencing in verse 6?
It’s so easy to justify ourselves, isn’t it? Or maybe it’s just me who is always running ahead with ready defenses for every action, thought, or word. I’d much rather point to the shiny, pretty things I’ve done and completely ignore those sinful patterns I keep right on living with. Shockingly, I was given another opportunity to confront my sin just a few days ago as my husband expressed his frustration with how I consistently interacted with him. Regardless of the suggestion, dream, or feeling he shared with me, I was oh so quick to shut him down with my own counter opinion or critique. As he talked with me about his frustration, the Lord opened my eyes and I realized my husband was right. I was stuck in a pattern of criticism and harshness, but I had justified my attitude and sharp words toward him as me being allowed to have my own voice. Expressing myself was never the issue, my willingness to listen and encourage him was where I was deeply lacking. I’m sure Paul’s sharp words were hard for the Corinthians to hear; facing our sin is generally painful. As difficult as it was, I am so grateful for my husband’s willingness to point out my sinful pattern and for the Spirit enabling me to recognize how I wasn’t loving my husband despite my lengthy list of justifications. Where is the Lord pointing out your sin patterns? Resist the urge to boast in your justification and surrender to His conviction! Maybe you see sin habits in a brother or sister who loves Jesus. Make the loving choice and confront them, calling them to recognize their sin and turn away from it! Our churches desperately need believers to hold each other accountable to following Jesus and loving others! 

2) Why does Paul care about cleaning out leaven (yeast) and new batches of dough? (verse 7)
How often do you think about “getting rid of” the sin in your life? Probably not often! If we look at our sin patterns, we can feel overwhelmed and weighed down with impossibility of breaking comfortable habits. We choose to sin because it’s easy and we enjoy it, but we like it because we have forgotten the far greater delight of following the ways of the Lord. Psalm 119 is FULL of declarations on how joy-full (Psalm 119:14-16), wise (Psalm 119:23-24), life-giving (Psalm 119:25), freeing (Psalm 119:45), and even delicious (Psalm 119:103) the commands of the Lord are to His people who follow them. Proverbs says the path of those who reject wisdom leads to death. (Proverbs 2:19) Paul knew, and had experienced in his own life, that Jesus was always the Better, which is why, when writing to confront the Corinthians of their sin, he turned their focus onto the Sacrificial Lamb. (verse 7) Only when we keep Christ, His love, and His sacrifice that we could never repay in focus, do we become repulsed by our sin instead of drawn toward it. When you think of “getting rid of sin” in your life, begin in prayer and ask the Lord to show you His glory, goodness, and righteousness. As we gaze on Him, His Spirit will stir within us a far greater love for God than for our sin. Only in Jesus do we have victory to break the deadly pattern of sin in our everyday lives! (Romans 7:24-25)

3) What feast are we to be observing? (verse 8)
We don’t have the same contextual benefit the first New Testament churches had when they read Paul’s letters. Most of us don’t celebrate all the Jewish festivals, and we have no concept of an annual Passover Lamb, let alone daily sin offerings through animal sacrifice. While the first century church had real life visuals for these concepts, 21st century believers need to work a little harder to understand the original culture and context. Nevertheless, Paul’s connection of Christ as the Passover Lamb and his urgent call for the early church to reject sin’s pull and move forward into living as God’s holy people is a message for us today! Sin isn’t a plaything, something to be ignored, or passed over as insignificant. Our sin is what cost the Savior His life. If it wasn’t for our sin, there would be no need for Jesus to sacrifice Himself on our behalf, but because He did, we are free to reject sin and love God and others around us! Consider your role in your local church body as you think about what if you had been one of the first believers in ancient Corinth. Would you hear Paul’s Spirit-led words and become an advocate for addressing sin in yourself, your family, and your church body? Would you hunger for the sinless “bread” of Christ, desiring to daily feast on Him through studying His Word and developing a deeper relationship with Him? It’s one thing to claim you’re a Christian, it’s quite another to take your relationship serious enough to leave your sin behind and feast on the holy life God has called us to enjoy together!

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

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GT Weekend! ~ Hallel Week 3

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) To the Jewish disciples who sat around Jesus at the Passover meal, the Messiah had come for them. For the Jews. For God’s chosen people. Throughout His time on earth with them, Jesus had taught them it wasn’t about their lineage as Jews that granted them access to God, it was their hearts. Their inner selves required a re-birth and a new beginning available only through the Holy Spirit. But this idea of Christ coming only for Jews still held fast. He had healed Gentiles. He had blessed the faith of Gentiles, but still the disciples held so tightly to the belief of Christ being for them, as God’s special people, it left no room for others. Soon, when Christ would rise again, and when the Holy Spirit would descend upon these men at the day of Pentecost, they would understand the reality that Jesus Christ came to offer salvation to all! It may be easy for us to verbalize this truth, but take time to ask the Lord where you have inadvertently put up fences, deciding that someone is too far gone for the gospel. Maybe there’s someone who you deem too broken or too sinful to welcome the salvation of Christ. Remember, Jesus came for ALL!

2) Even though the disciples were awash in tidal waves of fear and uncertainty as they left the Upper Room following that final Passover meal with Jesus, there were anchoring truths to which they could cling. They had seen Jesus heal the broken. He was healer. They had witnessed Him calm the seas. He held all authority. They had been with Him as He wept over loss. He was human. They had heard Him teach over and over, touch over and over, sit in the middle of mess over and over. They knew He was love, and His love was God’s love, which endured forever. True, the times were dark, but God’s character had never once shifted; His love endured forever. What have been your anchors during difficulty in the past? What new things have you learned about God and His heart in recent times to help carry you through the next season of doubt and darkness? Take a minute to write these down, as many come to mind. Dwell on these. Praise God for His character and heart of love that endures forever!

3) Surely the closing words of the Hallel psalms were confusing for the disciples. How could they proclaim what the Lord had done in the wake of His death and seeming abandonment? Maybe you’ve experienced something similar in your own life. How can you proclaim the Lord’s goodness when death steals a loved one, when divorce breaks marriage, when sickness steals away the vibrancy you or a loved one once experienced. But Death did not have the final word for Jesus! He returned in victory, conquering death and bringing abundant life that would never end. He won for us what we could never accomplish on our own! His life won our victory. His ascension opened the doorway for the Spirit to descend on us with power to proclaim His gospel and His goodness. His coming return reminds us He is faithful and He is sovereign. The whole of the Hallel beckons us to keep trusting His heart even when we don’t understand. He is faithful! Write down your own declarations of truth and repeat them to yourself often this weekend. Face life with the assurance of Life winning over Death!

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Psalm 118:5-6 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

I called to the Lord in distress;
the Lord answered me
and put me in a spacious place.
The Lord is for me; I will not be afraid.
What can a mere mortal do to me?

Prayer Journal
It seems the reasons to run and be afraid and allow anxiety to overtake me are endless. Everywhere I turn there are more reasons to live in fear. Except for one. When I turn to You, Father, peace awaits. Courage is given. Purpose motivates me to love others well because You have loved me deeply. What can man, or a virus, or death, do to me? You, the sovereign ruler over all, hold my heart and my life. When I hide myself within the truths of Your love, fear flees. This is the spacious place for me to land. As I continue facing distress in real life, Lord, remind me, Spirit, to keep trusting You. Here, I will have no fear!

Worship Through Community

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Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Hallel Day 15 From Death To Life

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 118:17-29
Psalm 24:1-10
Matthew 26:36-56
Luke 20:9-18

Hallel, Day 15

I will not die, but I will live
and proclaim what the Lord has done.
The Lord disciplined me severely,
but did not give me over to death.

The words came flooding like so much mockery as the events of the previous hours replayed again and again, unbidden, in my mind. These were words my lips had sung hours before in swirls of confusion beneath the dark sky of Gethsemane. It was the same garden, the same piles of rocks, the same swath of olive branches where I had sat with these brothers of mine for countless hours over the last three years.

Here, I’d heard Jesus teaching the masses.
Here, I’d heard been confronted with truth.
Here, we had learned to pray.
And mere hours go, here is where my brothers and I had fallen asleep while…….
the sobs gathered with overwhelming force in my throat, choking me, as I called to mind my failings.

I ran aimlessly through the now empty garden.
I could not hold back the screams of agony.
Falling to the ground, my fists pummeled the soft earth, and I wished for death.

Here, just hours ago, I had watched Jesus heal a soldier’s ear from Peter’s reckless sword.
Here, I had been jolted awake from Jesus’ emotion-filled plea to please, please pray with Him. But I didn’t. I just couldn’t stay awake.

My hands reached up and grabbed at nearby olive branches in self-loathing and anger, plucking new leaves into my balled-up fists.

Softly, the words came again.
I will not die, but I will live
and proclaim what the Lord has done.

Proclaim?!
I scoffed!
Proclaim what??
That Yahweh had parted the Red Sea?
So what…
That He brought us out of exile?
That was centuries ago….
None of it was relevant now.
Our Messiah is… dead.

Anger overtook me again as my fingers dug into the dirt.

Open the gates of righteousness for me;
I will enter through them
and give thanks to the Lord.
This is the Lord’s gate;
the righteous will enter through it.

The melody came like whispers.
As if Jesus Himself were singing the words, and my mind easily recalled the lusty sound of His voice, fraught with emotion, as He had sung those words while leading us here last night.

This is the Lord’s gate;
the righteous will enter through it.

What did any of this mean anymore in light of all the new happenings.
In light of death….
The only understanding hitting me hard on repeat was the knowing that I was not righteous. I was not righteous. I was not righteous. Too many sins, like the dirt pressed beneath my fingernails, my sin colored everything.
I knew the truth, I was not righteous.

Not like Jesus. Certainly not like Jesus. He was innocent. Holy. Pure.
And again, the tears flowed with the blatant injustice of it all.
Holiness murdered. Messiah dead. Hope gone…..

I will give thanks to you
because you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
This came from the Lord;
it is wondrous in our sight.

My lungs held their air as the words seemed to wrap around me, insisting I gaze at them longer. My body trembled, but something about those words I hadn’t recognized before. I turned my head as if to hear the words sung again in Jesus’ voice. Was there a deeper message in these age-old lyrics?

You…have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
This came from the Lord;

They were jagged pieces of a puzzle, but like a hazy fog gathering around me, realization was slowly creeping over me.
Salvation.
The stone the builders rejected….
This came from the Lord.

I inhaled sharply, suddenly remembering I had forgotten to breath, and my mind raced to the day Jesus had spoken those very words.
We were all gathered around Him in Jerusalem, walking around the breathtaking edifice of Herod’s Temple. He had told a strange parable, as most of them were, about the owner of a vineyard who, while out of the country, had sent a servant to gather fruit. But the tenants of the vineyard, whom the owner had left in charge, beat up the servant and sent him back empty handed. Three times the owner sent a servant, and three times the tenants abused the servants. Finally, the owner sent His own beloved Son, saying surely, the tenants will respect my son. But they didn’t. Instead they killed him. Then Jesus had quoted this portion of the Hallel, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone”.

Soft rain began mixing with my tears as I lifted my face to the heavens.
Christ was the cornerstone.
Christ was the rejected son, killed by the ones intended to care for the Father’s people.
Salvation.
This came from the Lord.

“There must be more to the story, Jesus”, I felt my lips move, and peace began easing my clenched muscles.
I didn’t have the answers, but, here, as before, in this Garden, I was being confronted with truth.

The Lord is God and has given us light.

Yes, Lord, You are the giver of Light.
Jesus, He is Your light of the world.
But, God, they crucified Him!
My questions still hung in the air
His answer came with power as the words to the end of the Hallel opened my heart, “Bind the festival sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar…”

Jesus.
The bound sacrifice.
The cross was the altar.
Death traded for life!

I still had questions to be sure, but as I rose, dropping the olive branches to the dirt by my sandaled feet, I felt washed. I felt peace.
No, I didn’t know the answers. Christ was still in the grave, but there was more to the story, I knew it would be so because God has always, always been faithful, and always would be.

Yes, He parted the Red Sea.
Yes, it still mattered.
Yes, He set us free from slavery.
Because He has always brought Life out of Death.

You are my God, and I will give you thanks.
You are my God; I will exalt you.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
His faithful love endures forever!

—–
As is the case with each of our first-person narratives at Gracefully Truthful, these stories of Hallel have been imaginative creativity based in the truth of Scripture. We don’t know what the disciples’ exact actions or personal internal wrestlings were after the final Passover meal, the betrayal, the denial, the flogging, and finally the crucifixion of their Lord, Jesus Christ. But, here in the Garden, we hope you find small pieces of your own journey with Jesus, and you, like the disciples, discover He is indeed faithful and true, as He always brings Life out of Death!

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Hallel Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Hallel Day 13 Love That Frees

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 118:1-16
Exodus 15:1-3
Isaiah 53:10-11
Matthew 26:20-30

Hallel, Day 13

“His faithful love endures forever.” (Psalm 118:1-4)

The truth of these words brought the disciples comfort as they walked to the garden, singing this refrain. It had been a strange and unsettling evening. What began as a joyous celebration commemorating God’s deliverance of His people from slavery had taken a much more serious turn over dinner . . .

Talk of betrayal and suffering,
bread being broken and wine poured out,
all pointing to death . . .

Something in Jesus’ manner was different tonight, and it left them uneasy. The comfort of these familiar words surely heartened them.

“His faithful love endures forever.”
Everything will be all right.

For Jesus, the words were a reminder of why He had come and what He had to do. God’s faithful love endures forever, despite humanity’s sin and rebellion, and He was about to demonstrate the depth of His love once and for all . . . at an incredible cost.

“I called to the Lord in distress;
the Lord answered me and put me in a spacious place.”
(Psalm 118:5)

Freedom!

The disciples longed for freedom from Roman rule and they trusted Jesus was the promised Messiah, the One who would deliver their freedom. Just as God freed the Israelites from Pharaoh’s rule so many years ago, surely He would do the same for them. If God was on their side, they would be victorious. There was no reason to fear.

Freedom . . . 

Jesus needed to focus on the reason why He was going through with this. It was for these dear friends walking alongside Him, and for many others who would believe through their witness.

His death and resurrection would set them free, liberate them from sin and death forever, and cast out fear of God’s judgement by making them righteous. True, eternal freedom for His beloved friends was worth all that lay ahead.

“The Lord is my helper. Therefore, I will look in triumph on those who hate me.” (Psalm 118:7)

Perhaps the disciples’ voices grew louder, more confident, as they pondered these words.

Jesus had spoken of enemies tonight, but they wouldn’t have the final word. Against all odds, the Israelites had triumphed over Pharaoh and his army. God had shown His power, and He could do it again. Surely the Lord was for them.

But did Jesus’ voice grow fainter as He sang, wrestling inwardly with what was to come?

“I know there are many who hate me.
They will do their worst.
Death will look like defeat.

O Father, help Me endure.
I know this is necessary, and I know it will be worth it.
I know death will not have the final victory.
I know this will be a mighty triumph over the powers of hell for eternity . . .
but I also know it will be painful and bloody.
Please give me strength.

And help My brothers, Father.
My death will seem like a crushing defeat to their faith.
Please give them strength to endure.”

“All the nations surrounded me; in the name of the Lord I destroyed them.” (Psalm 118:10)

No matter what comes against us, no matter what enemies surround us,
we can defeat them in God’s power.

“Very soon, I will be surrounded by enemies, whipping and spitting, mocking and jeering, rejoicing in My demise. Already, the true enemies, the spiritual forces of evil and darkness, invade My mind, urging Me not to go through with it, to use My power to break free.

And I could . . . but I will not.

Only through My death will these enemies be truly destroyed, and My children set free. O Father, give me victory over the temptation to quit. Help Me be strong.”

“The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation.”  (Psalm 118:14)

As they echoed the Israelites’ song of victory after crossing the Red Sea, praising God for His mighty power, hope rose in the disciples’ hearts. God was with them. Victory was sure . . .

As for Jesus, He looked to the suffering awaiting Him, knowing through His death, He would become their salvation. It was the only way.

Only in death would they, and all who would believe, be set free to embrace eternal life . . .

Great suffering lay ahead; Christ must hold onto hope, and cling to the truth that death would not have the final word:

“I will not die, but I will live and proclaim what the Lord has done.”  (Psalm 118:17)

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Halle Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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Hallel Day 11 For All Peoples

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 117
Psalm 148
Hebrews 10:11-25
Romans 15:7-12
Revelation 22:12-17

Hallel, Day 11

Judas left the Passover supper suddenly.
Only Jesus knew why, but He didn’t say anything . . . aloud.
In His heart and mind, He cried out,
“Father, I know where I’m going.
In my humanity, I am hurt by the betrayal of one I love.
‘Woe to him for his actions (Mark 14:21), even if they were necessary to extend the offer of redemption to all those We love.”

With the meal ending, Jesus and His disciples began singing before leaving the upper room.

“Praise the LORD, all nations!
Glorify him, all peoples.”
(Psalm 117:1)

As they finished the first verse, the disciples were unaware of Jesus’ pain, and their town expectations filled their minds. These men, who spent three years with Jesus, believed He was the Messiah. They believed He came to overthrow Roman rule and bring Israel’s freedom.

“Surely we should praise Him because He is the Messiah, our long awaited Savior!”

They’d heard the reading of Isaiah 9:6 in the temple and as they thought through the characteristics listed, they saw ample reason to praise the LORD.

“He has indeed been a wonderful counselor! Look at the way He has taught through His many parables. And I remember the counsel He gave Martha.”

“Mighty God definitely applies to Him. He’s performed incredible miracles, from healing to  casting out demons and even resurrecting Lazarus from the dead! Yes, He is mighty and worthy to be praised!”

As Jesus sang, His heart soared with the knowledge His life, sacrificial death, and resurrection would elicit praise for the Father not just from His disciples or even His chosen people, the Jewish nation.

No, the praises would come from all peoples.

Jesus foresaw Paul’s letter to the Roman church, demonstrating how passages from the Tanakh, sacred Jewish scripture, speak of the Gentiles praising Christ (Romans 15:7-12).

As Jesus surveyed His disciples, their heads bowed and voices raised in song, He pondered, “They do not yet realize I am Messiah for all people. They sing words without full understanding. But when revelation comes, they will lead multitudes in praise.”

As the disciples recited promises of the Prince of Peace, on whose shoulders the government would rest, they were filled with expectation.

Yes, they would praise Him as King.
Surely, they believed, such a King would rescue them from Roman rule.
He would take the government on His shoulders and all would bow to Him.

For generations, they’d waited for the Prince of Peace to establish an earthly throne and rule over a glorious Jewish kingdom. Now, they were certain, He was here to accomplish it.

But Jesus came to claim a kingdom much larger than a single nation.
And He came to defeat an enemy much more powerful and deadly than the Romans.

“I have shown my faithful love throughout the ages.
My fulfillment of My Father’s redemptive plan will demonstrate the depth of my love.
My followers think I’m here to rescue them from Rome . . .
But My love runs deeper.
I am here to rescue them from sin and death.
I love them too much to stop at the temporary.”

As they each relished their thoughts, Jesus and the disciples continued on to the second verse of the short, but powerful hymn.

“For His faithful love to us is great; the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever. Hallelujah!”
(Psalm 117:2)

As those words lifted to heaven, the disciples recalled Jesus’s statement,
“I and the Father are one”. (John 10:30). And their thoughts swirled.

“If He and the Father are One, was Jesus the flaming torch passing between the divided animals to make the covenant with Father Abraham?

Was it Jesus who kept God’s promise to rescue the Israelites from Egypt, and did so by parting the Red Sea? Was it Jesus who brought our ancestors back from exile in Babylon?

If so, His love has been faithful and surely, it will endure forever.
We must offer our praises for His enduring love!”

Jesus, knowing their thoughts, felt both joy and grief.

His joy stemmed from His faithful love and the deep assurance it would never, ever fail. It would indeed endure forever, through the creation of the new heaven and the new earth, and beyond. His faithful love would hold Him to the cross the next day. 

But the thought of the personal cost to Him brought grief. The impendng betrayal by Judas and denial by Peter, and the physical torture were burdens to bear.

Even heavier was the weight of the sin of every single human settling in darkness upon His spirit, and the consequential separation from the Father. This was soul-crushing grief.

“But My love never fails. My faithfulness endures forever.
I will seek the Father, but I know to love this world, I must save it.
This is my great joy, to love this way.”

And for the joy set before Him, Jesus led His disciples to the Garden, yet another part in the greatest love story about the greatest King who is faithful and loving, forever.

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Hallel Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Hallel!

The GT Weekend! ~ Hallel Week 2

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) The disciples were undoubtedly filled with fear and confusion unlike anything they had experienced before as they sat with the Lord Jesus in the Upper Room, doing familiar actions, singing familiar hymns, but everything was different in deep ways. When have you felt something similar? Maybe it was a family tragedy. Maybe it was finding yourself caught in the quicksand of a relationship spinning out of control. Maybe it was discovering a serious health issue or uncovering a painful deception. For the disciples, Jesus was turning their worldview upside down, doing the very thing they expected to be the end of them and of Him. But His purposes were far above theirs, and as they kept walking forward in faith, trusting Him even when they couldn’t understand, they would see how He would turn death into life. Remarkable! This portion of the Hallel called for the disciples to bless the Lord, despite their dire circumstances. Where is the Lord calling you to do the same? Commit to blessing the Lord, praising Him, and choosing to trust Him regardless of your situation.

2) That last Passover with the disciples was fraught with intentional forethought that had begun centuries before by the very same God who now sat at the table with 12 men. Unfathomable!! Jesus Himself even said He had long waited for this moment with anticipation. Finally, the fulfillment of so much was unfolding! Jesus was about to make things new. He was taking an Old Testament understanding of the covenant and allowing it to give birth to a New Covenant. One where animal sacrifices would be overtaken by the perfect sacrifice for sin across all of time and covering all of sin, God Himself. Yes, the price was far beyond our ability to even begin to comprehend. Yes, the darkness of those three days in the grave would leave the disciples spinning with uncertainty and fear. BUT. All would be made new as Christ’s victorious life was given in exchange for our sin! Take time to journal your thoughts on this act of incredible love and mercy that far exceeds our ability to express. Sit. Worship. Adore. Lift hallelujah for the Lord of Life and Love!

3) Sarah made it clear in yesterday’s Journey Study that Christ had come with clear purpose, to be the Passover Lamb. Every year, Jews were required to slay a lamb with spot or blemish to cover over their sins, making atonement to the Most Holy God. Though Scripture teaches that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin (Leviticus 17:11, Hebrews 9:22), it also teaches it is impossible for the blood of animals to effectively take away sin. (Hebrews 10:4) A perfect sacrifice was needed. One that was so effective it didn’t need to be repeated every year. Christ was perfect as He lived out our human life, wrapped in human flesh, but did it all without even one sin. Then He, who deserved no punishment, chose to take our death and separation from God upon Himself. He was the sacrificial lamb given on our behalf. Are you relying on your own good works to give you access to a good standing with God when only one, perfect sacrifice will be accepted? Choose to be covered by the blood of the Lamb, and spend your every breath praising Him for this radical gift of love!

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Psalm 115:9-11 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

Israel, trust in the Lord!
He is their help and shield.
House of Aaron, trust in the Lord!
He is their help and shield.
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord!
He is their help and shield.

Prayer Journal
Trust. Help. Shield. Trust. Help. Shield. Lord, how often I look to the strength of my own hands or to my own ingenuity or even, oh Lord, to other people of influence in my life in order to solve my problems. Father, remind me of these three powerful words and turn my heart back to being fully focused on You alone. Teach me not to wander. Pursue me, and may I quickly learn to return. May I choose to trust You over and over for every situation, big or small. You alone are my help and my shield, oh Lord my God!

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Hallel Day 10 Eden’s Promise

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 116:12-19
Matthew 26:17-56
Titus 3:4-7
1 Corinthians 1:20-22
Revelation 19:4-9

Hallel, Day 10

Have you watched a movie using flashbacks to help the audience understand how the past is connected to the current scene?

Or if, like me, you’re a fan of the popular TV show, This Is Us, you get it.

As I prepared for this Journey Study, the idea of a movie struck me. Since we are approaching Easter, the opening scene features Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.

We see the disciples asleep under a tree, and the camera pans to a lone figure in the distance.

Jesus.

He falls to the ground, exhausted. Emotionally spent, He weeps, and with sweat so thick it trickles down His brow as drops of blood, He cries out in anguish,
“My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me;
nevertheless, not as I will but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39)

As the heaviness of His words hangs in the air, the scene flashes back to another garden.

Here, in the middle of Eden are a man and woman, naked and cowering in fear as they crouch behind a bush, doing their best to hide. We expect lightning to strike, judgment crashing down on them as a result of their blatant disobedience to God.

But in a surprising twist, God curses the serpent.
While Adam and Eve’s sinful choice brings weighty consequences, God surrounds them with gracious compassion. He tenderly clothes Adam and Eve, promising one day their broken relationship with Him will be fully restored.

We realize that as Jesus kneels in Gethsemane, HE is the fulfillment of the promise made long ago in Eden.

The plot is perfect.
It’s Passover week.
The heartbreak of Gethsemane is still to come.
We find Jesus and His disciples eating supper together.

The evening must have been so confusing for the men who’d spent the past three years with Jesus. They heard Him teach, watched Him heal, and witnessed miracle after miracle. Yet, it seemed they still had NO understanding of the events unfolding before them.

The camera zooms in as the men sit around a table, eating the traditional Passover meal.

Sighing, Jesus looks around the room, soaking in the moment with His closest friends.

“How do I tell them, Abba?”, Jesus prayed. “They will be so confused and scared. Even after all this time with Me, they still don’t understand what we are doing.”

Heart heavy, He announces His impending betrayal.

Thaddeus spits his wine in shock. Philip drops the matzah he was passing to Judas.

“BETRAY You?”, Matthew utters in bewilderment.

“Which of us would do THAT?!”, James quickly adds, his eyes darting around the room suspiciously.

“It’s not me, is it?” Andrew whispers in Jesus’ ear, his face pale with worry.

Jesus moves the meal on to the last cup of wine, for with it comes the promise of a new covenant. His very blood would soon be poured out as a sacrifice bringing forgiveness of all mankind’s sins, past, present, and future.
He, Himself, would be the final Passover Lamb. 

After supper, we watch Jesus and the disciples making their way to the Mount of Olives. As they walk, despite the tension amongst them, out of ritual, the men continue singing the traditional Hallel. (Matthew 26:30)

On this night, however, their minds wandered as they sang the verses from memory.

“Pssst, Thomas, what do you think Jesus meant by BETRAY? Surely, it’s just another of His parables, right?”

“I don’t know. And what did He mean by ‘drinking His blood?’ Hey, John, you’re close with Jesus, do you understand what He’s saying?”

“I wish. I don’t understand, either. I want to know when He will overthrow the Romans and set up His kingdom!”

Jesus is singing along, yet His own heart and mind are in extreme turmoil.
“I am here to deliver them.
I came to fulfill promises.
I must die, so they can live.
I must do this.
Father, help Me! Help Me finish what We started so long ago.”

With heaviness, Jesus enters the Garden of Gethsemane followed by His confused disciples.

And we’re back to our opening scene of Jesus crying out in despair.
He knew exactly what the next few hours would bring.

This night was the culmination of thousands of years of promise, a single perfect life, and a propitiatory death.

His coming had a purpose:
to reconcile man to God,
redeeming all who were lost.
He left heaven so we could enter.

As the story continues, He hangs on a cross, paying the penalty for OUR sin.
Just as God extended grace to Adam and Eve in Eden, He now offers salvation freely to us. (Ephesians 2:8-9). NO ONE deserves such grace, yet ANYONE can accept His incredible gift!

When we accept the gift of salvation, we abandon our roles as spectators and become part of the cast! We look forward to being in the final scene, a wedding supper foreshadowed by Jesus’ final Passover with His disciples.

One day, all who have trusted Jesus as their Savior will celebrate with Him at the Feast of all Feasts, the finale of all finales!

Until then, we wait.
Like the disciples on Passover night, we may not understand everything happening in our lives. We may be confused, afraid, overwhelmed, or overcome with grief.

Just as the hymns of Hallel proclaimed what God had ALREADY done, while also anticipating what He WOULD do, we can choose to trust God to keep all of His promises.

We live with both the reminder of Easter and the anticipation of Jesus’ return.

In the middle, we choose worship.
Not because of our circumstances, but because of CHRIST.

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