Hosanna! Hosanna!
You O Lord will save us
This is your day, your victory
We rejoice and adore
Come Lord save us
Join is in this festal throng
You are our King
Hallelujah!
reflection
Reflection on Isaiah 50
The Lord calls
But none answer
“Who sold you as slaves?
Slaves to sin?”
Silence
The Lord will redeem
By His own hand
He pays the price
Blessed Saviour
Dying
Fear the Lord
Rejoice in Him
He will release you
Who will receive?
Silence
Reflection on John 11:1-45
Scripture
Many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him.
Observation
Word comes to Jesus that Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, is sick. Knowing that Lazarus has in fact died, Jesus stays where he is for two days before leaving for Bethany. By the time He arrives there, Lazarus has been dead and buried for four days.
Jesus proceeds to the tomb and orders it to be opened. He prays and then, in a loud voice, calls out, “Lazarus come out!”
To everyone’s amazement, Lazarus emerges, wrapped in grave cloths.
Application
Jesus is the resurrection and the life. He has defeated the power of death.
Death is a part of life which it was never God’s intention for us to suffer. It came in with the sin of Adam and Eve. But now God has reversed the curse so that everyone who follows Jesus will live for ever.
This is not something for the distant future or a religious theory with no present relevance. It is a promise for right now.
Death has lost its sting.
Prayer
Thank you Father for your promise of eternal life. I do not have to fear death, for you have promised I will live for you for eternity. Amen.
Reflection on Romans 8:6-14
Scripture
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Observation
If we set our minds on the things of the flesh we will die, but if we set our minds on the things of the Spirit we will have life. We are no longer in the flesh because the Spirit of God dwells in us.
If the Spirit of the one who raised Christ from the dead dwells in us, then we too will be raised to eternal life.
Application
To set our minds on Christ and on the ways of God means that we are consistently orienting our hearts to eternal life. When we get caught up in the sinful ways of the flesh and of the world then we are desiring the things that will lead to death.
The test for anyone who claims to be following Christ is where do our desires come from? Am I wanting to let every part of my life be surrendered to Christ? Or do I want to hold parts of my life for my own pleasure?
The choice is the choice between life and death.
Prayer
Lord please help me to give everything to you you, to direct my heart and mind to the things of the Spirit rather than the flesh. Amen.
Reflection on Psalm 130
Your ways are awesome
Too high for my brain
So I leave in your hands
Thoughts of the future
And questions of fairness.
Instead I sit in your presence
Like a child on your lap
I will enjoy your peace
And soak in your love.
Reflection on Ezekiel 37:1-14
Scripture
“I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes the Lord has spoken.”
Observation
The Spirit of the Lord takes Ezekiel to a valley full of dry bones. The Lord tells Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones commanding them to come together.
So the bones are gathered together, and flesh, sinews and skin cover the bones. But there is no life in them.
The Lord then tells Ezekiel to call out to the wind to come and fill the bodies. The bodies stand up, alive like a great army.
The Lord tells Ezekiel to prophesy to Israel and to promise that the Lord will bring them back from exile and He will put His Spirit in them.
Application
There is nothing more dead than dry bones. But God can turn death into life when we trust Him.
The people of Israel were in exile and had abandoned all hope of returning home. But God said, “You will go home.”
Whatever hopes or dreams we have that seem to be as dead as dry bones can be brought to life by the Holy Spirit.
The only condition is that we trust God to do it His way.
Prayer
Holy Spirit, come and bring life to the dry bones of my lost dreams. Come and bring life where there is no life. Amen.
Reflection on Ephesians 5:8-14
Scripture
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.
Observation
We once darkness, but now we are light. Therefore we must live as children of the light and live to please the Lord.
We must have nothing to do with the deeds of darkness, except to expose them. What is exposed to the light becomes visible.
Therefore we must arise and let the light of Christ shine on us.
Application
Christians must live lives that are very different from those of unbelievers. The fruit of the Christ-filled life is righteousness, and that righteousness must shine out of us like light in the darkness.
The ways of the world are darkness. Even respectable people, people of good repute in the world, live by sin. They have no reason not to lie or deceive in business, no reason not to take up sexual relationships, and so on,
Christians must live holy lives- lives marked by the standards and character of Christ Himself.
The world pressures us to compromise, to conform to its standards. But Christ demands “No compromise!”
Prayer
Lord Jesus let your light shine through me today. May every word and deed show your righteousness. Amen.
Reflection on John 9:1-41
Scripture
“If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
Observation
Jesus and his disciples come across a man born blind. The disciples ask who sinned for this man to be blind. Jesus replies that it is not about sin but for the purpose of glorifying God.
Jesus spits, makes some mud with the saliva and rubs it on the man’s eyes. Jesus tells the man to go and wash in the Pool of Siloam, which he does and he is then healed.
The Pharisees investigate the healing, questioning the man and his parents. The man testifies that he doesn’t know much about Jesus but he does know that he was once blind but now he can see.
Application
Religion makes us blind to the activity of God. Like the Pharisees, we can be so intent on protecting God’s reputation that we miss what He is actually doing.
Healing a man born blind was one of three miracles that only the Messiah could perform. The Pharisees needed to make sure that this healing was authentic. But their fear of promoting a false Messiah prevented them from seeing what the true Messiah had actually done. They rejected the man’s testimony and they rejected Jesus.
Some Christians are so afraid of being misled by counterfeits that they discount all miracles, healing and spiritual gifts. They then miss out on what God is doing all around them and run the risk of attributing God’s works to satan.
Jesus is still healing people and He is still performing all kinds of signs for those who will see them. We need to open our eyes, using spiritual discernment to separate God’s works from the devil’s.
Prayer
Show me Jesus what you are doing in the world now. Let me be open to the works of your Spirit. Amen.
Reflection on Psalm23
You Lord are my shepherd
Like a sheep, I follow
Listening to your voice
Attending to your call
Trusting your direction
For you are good
Providing all I need
Like green pastures
You take me through life
I lack no good thing.
Lord you will protect me
When death stares me down
And enemies surround.
You will lead me to heaven
To the feast prepared for your people.
Reflection on Romans 5:1-11
Scripture
Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Observation
Our faith in Christ makes us right with God, and Christ brings us peace with God- reconciliation with the Father.
Because of the grace of God, we can boast about our hope of glory- it is all gift. But we also boast about our suffering which produces endurance, character and hope.
While we were weak, that was when Christ died for us. God’s immense love for us is shown in the fact that Christ died for us while we were still sinners.
We are reconciled to God through the death of His Son while we were still sinners. We can therefore be sure of our salvation.
Application
My salvation does not depend on my being holy or on my deeds. It’s not about me being good enough. It’s about Christ being good enough to bring rebels like me back to relationship with God.
Christ was crucified long before I knew about it. When He called out from the cross, “Father forgive them,” I was included in that prayer.
Peace with God is not something we achieve, but a free gift from an awesome, loving God.
Prayer
Thank you Father for your great love. Thank you that you love me even when I stray from you. Amen.
