Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Long Island MTC, NY
"..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; 34 they will mock him, and spit upon him, and flog
him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise again.”
The Bible passage we are looking
at during this Mid-Lent season is the passage where Jesus predicts His death
for the third time. Some questions come to mind when studying this
passage:
Why
does Jesus mention about His death three times to the disciples? Is He
trying to prepare the disciples for His death? Is He testing their faith? Is He
trying to scare them? It is actually more than these suggestions. From the
beginning, Jesus knew the men He had chosen as His disciples, were men of doubt,
sin, and fear; it is the sole reason He selected them. He planned to instill
faith, grace, and courage in each so that they could touch the lives of others
as they progressed on their walks of faith.
Christ was not trying to scare the disciples; instead He was
acknowledging the future at hand with courage. Doubt is an overbearing element
and it pairs well with fear. When we don’t believe that we have the ability to
accomplish a goal or overcome an obstacle in our lives, we back away with fear
and fall back to the comforts of the known. Each time Jesus predicts His
capture and death, the disciples express their disbelief, which is why Christ
feels the need to express what will happen out loud. This prediction is
repeated three times to show consistency. He utilizes these moments to teach
the disciples that the constant acknowledgement of faith is necessary and
extremely helpful. Consistency is key to becoming a strong Christian. The more
we practice our faith, the less doubt we face when obstacles come our way.
The strength and courage Christ delineates is inspirational.
Expressing one’s death cannot be done with ease. The way Christ delivers the
message to the disciples is definitive and powerful. He says “they WILL condemn
him to death and WILL hand him over to the Gentiles, who WILL mock him and spit
on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he WILL rise.” He is clear
about His way and is ready to face all that will happen. Christ speaks as
though it is already done and there is no reason to be fearful at this point.
Notice that there is no uncertainty in His words. The word “will” precedes each
action described in the passage showing clarity and confidence. This is exactly
what Christ wants each of His disciples and us to have in our own life endeavors.
Our lives are full of moments where we need to sacrifice our comforts to
glorify His name. There is no resurrection without the cross. If He can
sacrifice His life, why can’t we sacrifice details that are far more
insignificant? During this lent season we must consume our lives with courage
and faith. God’s plan for us is inevitable. Whatever it is that we need to
overcome, we need to accept that it will happen, and then all barriers will
come crashing down.
PRAYER
Dear Lord, we pray that the Holy Spirit will work in our
hearts so that we can grow with courage to face life with the absence of fear
and doubt. May Your words reside in our hearts and stir us to action. Amen
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
"It is to the Cross that the
Christian is challenged to follow his Master: no path of redemption can make a
detour around it.” ― Hans Urs von Balthasar