March 6: Resisting Temptation

Posted: 05 Mar 2014 06:54 AM PST

The True Vine

Day 46
Read: Luke 23:44-49

Father, into your hands I commend my spirit. (v. 46)

During this last week we have remembered and reflected on the words of Christ in his last hours on earth. After all he had been through, his final words were words of trust: “Into your hands I commend my spirit.” Yesterday we noted he quoted Psalm 22 on the cross, today we see he also quotes Psalm 31:5. In contrast to the anguish of Psalm 22, these final words are words of hope, trust and faith, and it is to that hope, trust and faith that we also are called.

We’ve seen him in a number of different ways this week. He is the good shepherd, the bread of life, living water and the light of the world. He forgives those who torture and kill him and he offers mercy to a criminal crucified next to him. Salvation is found in him–he is the source of life.

“I am the vine,” he says, “you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

As this week draws to a close, take a moment to reflect on all the things Jesus is to you and thank him. Let us renew our commitment to him and also say, “Into your hands I commend my spirit,” for it is very true that apart from him we can do nothing. –Jonathon VanderWall

Prayer: Help us to abide in you each and every day. We do commit ourselves afresh to you.

The Light of the World

Read: Mark 15:33-41

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (v. 34)

Darkness covered the entire land. An earthquake shook the ground, and Jesus cried out in a loud voice the first words of Psalm 22, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” This was the darkest moment of Jesus’ sojourn on earth, and he gave an utter cry from empty blackness. Scholars debate what exactly happened at this moment. Did the Father actually turn away from Jesus, or did it just feel like the Father had turned away? Was all hope lost?

There are times in our lives when it seems like all hope is lost. Though we will never understand the feeling of the weight of the world’s sin on us, we do experience times of emptiness, darkness, even hopelessness. In these times we often echo the words of Jesus, “My God, why have you forsaken me?”

Today we remember the death of our Lord and Savior, but we never fully forget that we do not worship a God who was defeated by death. “I am the light of the world,” Jesus said. “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). We worship the living God, the light of the world, who has conquered death and darkness and who walks beside us always. –Jonathon VanderWall

Prayer: Jesus, help us to remember that you are always with us, no matter how dark life may seem.

The Bread and the Cup

Read: John 6:25-59; 19:28-29

I am thirsty. (19:28)

On the night in which he was betrayed, Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you.” He did the same with a cup, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:19-20). With these words he instituted the Lord’s Supper, which is traditionally commemorated around the world tonight. We eat the bread and remember that Jesus’ body was broken for us. We drink from the cup and remember Jesus’ blood was shed for us.

All of these actions give definition to what he had earlier said in John 6. In that passage there is much arguing among the Jews and among the disciples–Jesus’ words about never being hungry or thirsty again must have sounded unusual. Yet we know he is the living water of which we can drink and never be thirsty and that he is the bread of life of which we eat and are satisfied.

A day after instituting this supper, as he hung on the cross, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” As John tells us, this was to fulfill the scriptures. Jesus thirsted so we no longer would. As we come to the table and remember Jesus’ death, we know that in him and through him we will never thirst or hunger again. –Jonathon VanderWall

Prayer: Jesus, you suffered so that we don’t have to; you died that we may live. Thank you for your sacrifice.

Love and Forgiveness

Read: Luke 23:32-37

Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing. (v. 34)

Like all children, I knocked my head, tripped and fell, and crashed my bike more than a few times. I remember the pain of those times. But real physical torture is not something that I can honestly relate to. It is difficult to entirely understand the suffering and physical anguish Jesus endured in the last 24 hours of his life on earth. He was beaten, spat on, flogged and crucified.

Yet even in this torturous punishment Jesus cried out to God, not in anger or resentment, but on behalf of his persecutors. “Forgive them,” he asked, “for they do not know what they are doing.” Jesus had at his disposal the power of God and legions of angels to swoop to his aid (Matthew 26:53). However, instead of taking revenge on his killers, Jesus prayed for them.

The previous night Jesus had spoken to his disciples of this kind of love, saying, “Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another” (John 13:34). On the cross he demonstrated the full extent of his love.

Jesus prayed for the forgiveness of those who tortured him. How difficult is it for us to forgive those who have wronged us? May we follow his example more completely. –Jonathon VanderWall

Prayer: Lord, help us to love one another as you have loved us.

The Good Shepherd

Read: John 10:1-21; 19:16-27

Woman, here is your son. (19:26)

The story of the death of Jesus is not peaceful or calm. He went from Pilate to Herod and back again. He was tortured and then mocked as he was led to the place of his crucifixion and death. Yet, even in the chaos and suffering Jesus remembered his mother. As his world crumbled, he provided for his mother a second son, a further support, in the disciple John.

In this Holy Week, we remember the death of Jesus and the events leading up to it. This is a week of strong emotions. We may feel moved by stories of Christ’s righteous anger in the temple or Peter’s denial. Worship services are often somber, because we focus on the suffering that Jesus endured on our behalf.

However, as he did for Mary, Jesus also speaks words of comfort and assurance to us. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). His words are a comfort to us. Jesus, our Lord and Savior, is our shepherd and he will provide for us. He guides us through the darkest valleys, protecting and comforting us, restoring our soul. In this week of remembrance, may Jesus, the good shepherd, be our comfort and guide as we navigate the valley of the shadow of death. May we know that our Lord walks with us every step of the way. –Jonathon VanderWall

Prayer: Lord, may we know your comfort and provision as you guide us through all the days of our lives.

Read: 2 Peter 3:1-10

Not So Fast

The Lord is not slow about his promise. (v. 9)
Punctuality is a Western virtue. Have you heard the mantra of time management gurus? “If you are not five minutes early, you are late.” We set deadlines and due dates and often manage our calendars down to the last minute hoping to squeeze every moment of productivity out of the day. Time is a commodity to be spent well, and wasting it is a sin. Punctuality is prized, and patience is often in short supply.
God exists outside of time and does not operate on our schedule. The early church in Peter’s day was eagerly awaiting the imminent return of Christ. When Christ had ascended, he promised to return and the church lived in anticipation of that event. Yet, Jesus was taking his time. Days and years went by and Christ had not returned. People became impatient—grumbling and scoffing and saying, “Where is the promise of his coming?” (v. 4).
While God’s timing may appear slow to us, he is not slow “as some count slowness” (v. 9), but is patiently working out his plan of salvation. God’s delay in returning is not tardiness but patience because he “does not want any to perish” (v. 9). Thank God for that!
Just as Jesus Christ came in the “fullness of time” (Galatians 4:4), God works in his perfect timing. He calls us to trust him to bring all that he desires to pass. —Stephen Shaffer

Prayer: Lord, give me a measure of your patience and the wisdom to trust in your timing.

Read: 2 Peter 1:16-21

Bearing Witness

We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven,
while we were with him on the holy mountain. (v. 18)
I was once called to be a witness in a legal proceeding. My friend was accused of a crime, and when the authorities learned I had seen the incident they called me in, sat me down, and questioned me. I was called upon because I knew what had happened.
Peter and the rest of the apostles had witnessed tremendous events. They heard God the Father give Jesus honor and glory both at at his baptism and on the mount of Transfiguration. Peter was there when Jesus healed the lame, cast out demons, and calmed the sea. The disciples heard Jesus’ teachings about the kingdom of God and saw his life, death, and resurrection as the fulfillment of what God had promised long ago. After Jesus’ ascension, Peter was compelled to testify to what he had seen. He witnessed Jesus Christ and then was called upon to be a witness for Jesus Christ because he knew all that had happened.
Like Peter, we are called upon to bear witness. Peter’s testimony to the risen Christ is like a “lamp shining in a dark place” to which we “will do well to be attentive” (v. 19). We remember Christ’s journey to the cross. It is not myth or false witness, but the truth of the gospel. Christ has died, Christ is risen and Christ will come again. —Stephen Shaffer

Prayer: Lord, embolden me to bear witness to Jesus Christ.