Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America

Monday in Holy Week

Posted on March 29, 2021 by Pastor Dulas under Devotions
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Scripture: St. John 12:1-23 (NKJV)
 
12:1 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. 2 There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. 3 Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.
 
4 But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, 5 “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.
 
7 But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. 8 For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”
 
9 Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. 10 But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.
 
12 The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out:
 
“Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ The King of Israel!”
 
14 Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written:
 
15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt.”
 
16 His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him.
 
17 Therefore the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness. 18 For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign. 19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!”
 
20 Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. 21 Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”
 
22 Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus
 
23 But Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.
 
Devotion
 
It is Holy Week, and yesterday was Palm Sunday. Jesus comes riding into Jerusalem like a king, and we ride along almost like we are in on an inside joke. Everyone keeps calling Jesus the king, and we know that He really is! Even when the Pharisees arrest Him and charge Him with blasphemy because He says He is the Son of God, we might snicker to ourselves because we know that He really IS the Son of God. And then He is handed over to the Romans and the soldiers mock Him as king, and again we grimace at what is being done to our Lord. But we know how the story ends, so we also have something of a snicker because we know the secret that they obviously do not know—that Jesus really IS king.
 
Then they crucify Him. And what is the sign above His head? It says, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” Oh, the irony! Since we know the ultimate outcome, we can also let our snicker come out, at least just a little, because we will have the last laugh here. We know the secret; we know the truth! Jesus really is the king! As He told Pilate, His kingdom is not of this world. And He has brought us into that kingdom. So as Jesus rides triumphantly into Jerusalem, the crowds shout “Hail King of the Jews,” and we say, “Yes, indeed. Jesus IS King.”
 
Prayer: Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we, who amid so many adversities do fail through our own infirmities, may be restored through the Passion and intercession of Thine Only-Begotten Son; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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