Scripture

Pilate saw that he wasn’t getting anywhere and that a riot was developing. So he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. The responsibility is yours.” And all the people yelled back, “We will take responsibility for his death – we and our children.”

Observation

Each year the governor releases one prisoner to the crowd. Pilate gives the crowd the choice between Jesus and Barabbas, a notorious criminal.

Pilate’s wife send a message to him, pleading for him to release Jesus, whom she says is innocent.

The crowd calls for Barabbas to be freed and Jesus to be crucified. Pilate then dramatically washes his hands, and says,” I am innocent of this man’s blood.” The crowd calls out that they and their children will take responsibility for His death.

Jesus is sent to be flogged and crucified.

Application

Pilate paints himself as a victim in the dispute over Jesus. He sees that Jesus has committed no crime, but out of fear, he hands Jesus over to be flogged and crucified.

The Jewish leaders and the crowd, on the other hand, call for the blood guilt to be on themselves and their children.

Every single person that has ever lived shares in the guilt over Jesus’ death. We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s standard. It is for this reason that Jesus came and died. Only people who have never sinned are truly free of the guilt over Jesus’ death.

But God graciously forgives all of our sins because of the blood of Jesus. Hallelujah! He is the one who sets is free from sin, once and for all.

Prayer

Thank you Jesus for dying for me. Thank you for your forgiveness. Amen.

Scripture

When Judas, who had betrayed him, realised that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders.

Observation

The priests and Elders take Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor .

When Judas realises that Jesus is going to die, he is filled with remorse. He takes the payment for his betrayal back to the priests and elders. He tells them “I have betrayed an innocent man.”

Judas throws the coins down in the temple and goes out and hangs himself. The priests pick up the coins, and they decide to buy a Potter’s field to use as a cemetery. This fulfils the prophecy in Zachariah 11:12-13.

Pilate questions Jesus, asking him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”Hhe replies, “You have said it.”

The priests and elders bring their accusations against Jesus, but He makes no response, much to the governor’s surprise.

Application

Judas is filled with remorse, but he does not repent of his sins.

Remorse is about feeling bad for my actions, but not necessarily about seeking God’s forgiveness, nor turning away from sin. Lots of people feel guilt at times, but they do not turn that guilt into repentance. They fail to connect their sin to God’s law and God’s mercy.

If Judas had repented, he would have been forgiven by Jesus. He did not have to hang himself; he could have experienced the abundant life that comes from following Christ.

The contrast with Peter is very clear. Peter denied he even knew Jesus. but he repented, and Jesus welcomed him back into the fold. But for Judas, there was no way back because he did not repent.

Prayer

Jesus, thank you for the assurance that no sin is too big for you to forgive as long as I repent. Amen.

Scripture

Peter swore, “A curse on me if I am lying – I don’t know the man.” Immediately, the rooster crowed.

Observation

While Jesus is undergoing a show trial, Peter is in the courtyard outside. A servant girl says to him, “You were with Jesus the Galilean.” Peter denies this.

Later, another servant girl tells the people standing around that Peter was with Jesus. Again Peter denies it.

Later still, a group of people together accuse Peter of being a disciple of Jesus. He denies this with a curse. Then the rooster crows, and Peter goes away weeping bitterly .

Application

Peter calls down a curse on himself to emphasise the fact that he is not lying – even though he is, in fact, lying.

A curse is a kind of negative prayer that invites and and empowers demons to bring misfortune, illness, and other forms of suffering into a person’s life.

It can be simple words, like a mother saying to a child, “You will never amount to anything.” It can be more elaborate, as in Peter’s self curse.

Sometimes curses spoken by our ancestors can flow down through the family tree to influence us.

The good news is that Jesus is greater than any curse. His blessings overcome the curses and the malevolence of satan.

All we need to do is break every curse in the name of Jesus. Hallelujah!

Prayer

Father, thank you that Jesus has broken every curse in my life. I just claim that blessing now. I break every curse in my life in the precious name of Jesus. Amen

Scripture

Jesus replied,“You have said it. And in the future you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Observation

Judas comes with a crowd of armed men. He kisses Jesus, according to a pre-arranged signal. The men arrest Jesus. One of the disciples waves a sword, slashing off the ear of the High Priest’s servant. Jesus tells him to put away the sword. He then meekly goes away with the guards.

Jesus is taken to the home of Caiaphas the High Priest. The priests and the high council try to find witnesses who will lie about Jesus. Finally, they find two men who declare that Jesus had said He was able to tear down the Temple and rebuild it in three days.

Jesus then tells them He is the Messiah and that he will come on the clouds of heaven. The High Priest tears his clothes and says “Blasphemy!”

They decide that Jesus is guilty and deserves to die.

Application

The phrase “coming on the clouds of heaven” is an expression that means to judge a people. In this case, Jesus is saying that these priests will recognise that He is the Messiah when He comes in judgement against the Jewish religious system. This happened in the year 70, when the whole of Jerusalem, and the Temple in particular, were destroyed by the Roman legions.

Recognising Jesus as the Messiah is not a matter of opinion or a religious preference. Jesus is, in fact, the Son of God whether we want to believe it or not. He will judge these who resist or oppose His rule .

If Jesus really is the Son of God, the only rational response is to worship Him as such an to determine to obey Him. This is called becoming a disciple or being born again.

Everyone will see the Son of Man seated the right hand of God. Those who acknowledge him as Lord will be raised to life. But those who reject him face everlasting torment.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, you truly are the Son of Man. I praise you and I worship you. Amen.

Scripture

“Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Observation

As they go to the Mount of Olives, Jesus says to his disciples that that night they will all desert Him. Peter declares that he will never abandon Jesus. But Jesus tells him that very night, Peter will deny three times that he even knows Jesus.

They go to the grove called Gethsemane. Jesus tells them to stay there, taking Peter, James, and John a little further. He asks them to keep watch with Him.

After a while, Jesus returns to the three to find that they are asleep. Again He prays and returns a second time to find them asleep.

Finally Jesus returns a third time and find that Judas has arrived with some guards to arrest Him.

Application

The words of Jesus to his disciples are relevant to us today. “Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give into temptation. For the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.”

We cannot live the Christian life in our own strength. The fleshy part of us is too weak. If we depend on our own virtue, Satan will trip us up every time.

The key is to put the flesh to death, to crucify our old nature. Then we will realise that we have no strength of ourselves and must fully rely on Christ.

“Keep watch and pray.” Jesus tells us we must stay alert for the signs of the evil one. We must recognise patterns of temptation so that we can see the attack coming.

Then we must pray as earnestly is Jesus did. Pray for the ability to stand firm in Christ. Pray for all sorts of other things also. It is this close intimacy with God that allows us to overcome evil.

Prayer

Lord, when I am tempted, please remind me to pray and to seek you. There is no good thing that I can do of myself, but you sustain me and keep me. Amen.

Scripture

He took the cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each you drink from it, for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many.”

Observation

The disciples ask Jesus where they are to celebrate the Passover. He give them directions, and they prepare the feast.

Jesus sits down with his disciples. He says that one of them will betray Him. Distressed, they each ask, “Is it me?” Jesus replies that one of them will do it, and it would be better if he had never been born.

Jesus takes some bread, blesses it, and gives it to the disciples, saying,“This is my body.” Then he takes a cup of wine and says that it is His blood in God’s covenant.

They sing a hymn and go to the Mount of Olives.

Application

The sacrament of Holy Communion was instituted by the Lord Himself. The simple act of eating bread and drinking wine reminds us of the power of Jesus’ sacrifice for us on the cross.

The bread is his broken body. The wine is the blood that confirms the covenant God has made with His people on the cross.

Some christians make light of the sacraments, but we do this at our peril. Paul tells us that if we participate in an unworthy manner, we bring judgement on ourselves.

We underestimate the power of symbols. In Communion, we are eating Christ’s body and drinking His blood. We consume Christ to maintain our life. He is in us by the Holy Spirit. The church shares a common loaf of bread and a common cup of wine to illustrate that we are unified in Christ.

Communion and baptism provide spiritual power to the church. As important as preaching and the gifts of the Spirit are, we must never neglect the sacraments.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, you died for me at Calvary. Please help me to appreciate the depth of your love for me. Amen.

Scripture

“She has poured perfume on the me to prepare my body for burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deeds will be remembered and discussed.”

Observation

The leading priests and elders start plotting to capture and kill Jesus. But they don’t want to do it during the Passover for fear of a riot.

Jesus is in Bethany, where a woman comes in with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume which she pours over Jesus’ head. The disciples are indignant at this extravagant waste. Jesus tells them that she has done a good thing, effectively preparing his body for burial. What she has done will be remembered all over the world.

Judas then goes to the priests to offer to betrayed Jesus.

Application

Everything is coming together for the crucifixion. The priests are plotting. Judas is ready to hand Jesus over. This woman, in an active extravagant worship, is preparing Jesus’ body for burial.

There are always people who want to limit how the church may worship the Lord. They see expressions of love as a waste of limited resources.

Other people don’t count the cost. They just want to love on Jesus without restraint.

The fact is that God will supply all that we need to express our love for Him. If he calls you to donate generously, even recklessly, to a mission or to a church, you can be sure that he will look after you and provide more than enough for you.

I experienced this when we first started our church. We literally had nothing, but we were able to feed our family, furnish our building, and give generously to other ministries. I have seen this pattern reproduced in other people over the years .

Prayer

Father, thank you so much for your provision and for the great gift of salvation. Please help me to give back to you as generously and as extravagantly as this woman in Bethany. Amen .

Scripture

“All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people from one another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on the right and the goats on the left.”

Observation

When the Son of Man comes in glory with the angels – at the end of the world – Jesus will judge all people (“all the nations”).

People will be separated into goats and sheep. The sheep are those people who, motivated by Christ’s love, cared for the hungry, thirsty, prisoners, orphans, and so on. When they did something for the least of his brothers, it was as if they did it directly for Christ.

The goats, on the other hand, are rejected because they ignored the needs of the least of Christ’s brothers and sisters.

The goats will go into eternal punishment, while the sheep will go to eternal life.

Application

In this passage, Jesus clearly shows that judgement will be on the basis of our works, that is, deeds done to serve christian brothers and sisters.

But what about salvation by faith? Yes, we are saved by our faith in Christ, but we are saved to do good works in Him (Ephesians 2:10).

It is not enough to declare that we have asked for God’s forgiveness. The reality of the new birth comes out in a changed lifestyle. Anybody who professes Christ but is still living for themselves is not a true Christian.

We will be judged by our actions, because our actions reveal the true state of our heart.

To be born again means that our whole life is surrendered to Christ. We see ourselves no longer as masters of our own destiny, but as slaves to Christ.

Prayer

Thank you Jesus for dying for me. Please show me the “least of these” whom you are asking me to serve. Amen.

Scripture

“Now throw this useless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Observation

Jesus tells the parable of three servants.

A man going on a long trip entrusts money to three servants, according to their ability. To one he gives five bags of silver, to another two bags, and to the third one bag. Two of the three servants invest the money and double their investment, while the third servant buries his treasure in a hole in the ground .

The master returns. He is delighted with the efforts of the servants to whom he had given five and two bags. The third servant said to his master, “I know you are a harsh man and I was afraid I would lose the money you gave me.”

The money given to this third servant is given to one of the other servants. The useless servant is thrown into the outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Application

Jesus often spoke about the judgement coming upon those who are opposed to God. People who think that Jesus was just about warm fuzzies and pretty unicorns have never read what He said. Much of his teaching is a warning to escape judgement from the Father.

In this case, the judgement fell on a man who was fearful of punishment. He saw the master as harsh and unforgiving. In his fear, he failed to live up to what was expected of him. There are people who refuse to have anything to do with God because of a false perception that He is harsh and waiting to smite those who earn His displeasure. Because they refuse to see that God is love, then they bring upon themselves the judgement they feared.

Hell is real! Judgement is real! The only way to be put right with God is to receive the forgiveness bought on the cross by Jesus. There is no other way to the Father. But the way is open to everyone who comes to Him.

Prayer

Father, thank you for your great love and never ending grace. Thank you for the assurance that you welcome all who come to you in Jesus. Amen

Scripture

“You, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or the hour of my return!”

Observation

Jesus tells a parable of ten bridesmaids awaiting a bridegroom. Five of them are foolish, for they did not bring sufficient oil for their lamps. The others had wisdom to bring extra oil.

At midnight, they are roused by a shout that the bridegroom is coming. The five foolish girls have to go off to buy oil, but the five wise girls accompany the bridegroom into the marriage feast .

When the foolish bridesmaids return with their lamps lit, the bridegroom tells them to go away, he does not know them.

This is how it will be on the judgement day. We must keep watch and be ready for Jesus to return .

Application

The girls in this story were not divided into bad and good, but wise and foolish. The wise girls were prepared and ready to meet the bridegroom, but the foolish girls were not ready.

The vast majority of people, so it seems, go through life totally unprepared to meet the Lord. They may not be wicked by the world’s standards, they simply disregard the claims that God has on their lives.

They may be told about the need of a Saviour, read a message, or even go to a church service, but they think that they don’t need that stuff at this time of their lives. For one reason or another, they don’t get around to getting right with God, and then it is too late.

On the day they die, the stern rebuke comes, “Go away! I never knew you!”

Don’t be that person. Ask Jesus to come and forgive you today!

Prayer

Lord, your word says that today is the day of salvation. I pray that if anyone reading this does not know you that you will come to them and show them clearly the way of salvation. Amen.