Monday the 16th

Mark 11: ¹¹ Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

 

SO once again we find ourselves at the beginning of Holy Week. The last 5 days that Christ will spend as man on this earth. Christ Showed up on Palm Sunday, and was acknowledged for what He was. Blessed is He that comes in the Name of the Lord. What really rests on my heart today is not that Jesus finally is publicly lifted up, not how people put palms, and their own cloaks down on the road for Him, not how He proclaimed that the rocks would cry out His name if the crowd was silenced……no this morning I find myself amazed at the simple fact that He showed up……not only did He show up, but He showed up early! I want you to really think about that. Christ, unlike us, knew exactly how this was all about to play out. Before he asked for the colt, before He told His followers where they were going, Christ knew this trip would be His last……and He made the trip anyway.

 

Every time I read something about the strength, the courage, the faith that is displayed by Christ…..I always follow that thought with “what would I do?” Could I make that trip? Would you? I think of some of the times in my life that could only be described as defining moments…..I have to admit, on more than one occasion I felt a lot more like Jonah, and a lot less like Christ! It just gets me to thinking. What if I knew this was my last week, what if I knew I was to….oh I don’t know…….let’s say, I knew that I was going to have to die in the electric chair this coming Friday in Huntsville…….I can tell you I would be sweating blood a lot sooner that the night before! You might think “Oh but if you knew that your death would save the world, you would go”……Maybe, but even then would I get there 5 days early? I think it would be a lot less painful to stay as far away as possible, then show up at the last second!

 

It is this picture of Christ, showing up in town 5 days early, spending those precious last few days, teaching the Word of God, breaking bread with His friends, reassuring others that all will be well….this is what spurs me on to strive to more like Christ. The Faith that Christ displayed His last week here is a picture of Faith in action. It is a reminder that first and foremost, once again Christ has done something totally for others, and nothing for Himself.

 

And there it is, that question again what would you do? One week to live, one week left to walk the earth…..Think about that as the week progresses, each morning wonder out loud what would you do with your last few days……Would you show up early, try and take care of other people, make sure that everyone was secure, and ready as they could be to go through what was about to happen? It is a selfless life to pick up the cross, and walk with Christ, it is a life that He so perfectly gave example of while He was here. As we read, pray, and meditate on the coming week, imagine it is you that is on this journey this week. Let us all strive to be as selfless, as caring, as available, and as faithful as Christ was to everyone (especially to His Father) this week. We have about 100 hours left….what will we do with it?

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

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www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

 

www.theworkweekwithchrist.blogspot.com