Holy Week devotions & prayers

For the past three years, I've written a special daily devotional book for Holy Week. Each book contains poems, prayers, and devotionals exclusively written by me. I wrote for Christian folks who may be too busy at work, school, or other places to join in the traditional services and masses that take place during Holy Week.

The books can be read on a daily basis, which helps the reader cultivate a sense of the sacred in her or his life during Holy Week. The following books are all available for those interested in Holy Week devotions.

 

Church Meeting devotions: Holy Week - First to be Saved

Bible Passage: Mark 15:8-15

Key Verse:      Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.         Mark 15:15 

Did you realize that Barabbas was the first person that Jesus died for? Think about it. Barabbas is released by Pilate and Jesus takes his place. Barabbas is a terrorist who has probably killed his share of Romans. He led an unsuccessful revolt resulting in his capture. He was scheduled for crucifixion; instead Jesus takes his place.

I wonder if Barabbas stayed in Jerusalem and watched what happened to Jesus. The chances are that he didn’t. He probably left the region as quickly as possible, thanking his lucky stars and hiding somewhere safe. We never hear about him ever again, so he perhaps took his undeserved freedom and fled into obscurity.

Justice was denied that day in Jerusalem, but grace increased. Jesus, the peace loving, faithful prophet died in the place of a murderous religious fanatic. God’s Holy Son took the place of a wicked human being. Because we focus so much on the Cross and Resurrection, we miss this most poignant moment of the first Holy Week.

The point that I’m making is this: if Jesus could die for a person like Barabbas, then hasn’t He also died for people like us?

Question for personal reflection

Do you think that Barabbas was ever personally grateful to Christ for dying for him? Are you grateful for the same thing?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You died for each one of us, taking upon Yourself the unholiest of our sins and the vilest of our deeds. You died in place of us, so that we may be completely forgiven and eternally restored to God. How can we ever thank You? How can we show You our appreciation? We give our hearts to You, as well as our lives, to the glory of God. In Your Holy Name, we humbly and thankfully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s drawing is one of John’s latest Holy Week images. It’s called “Cup of Salvation.” If you would like to view a larger version of the picture, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7268/6894799260_642eda84fe_b.jpg

Church Meeting devotions - Holy Week - Final Footnote - Psalm 22

Bible Passage: Psalm 22:1-5

Key Verse:      My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?                      Psalm 22:1

Every year our church has an actual sunrise service at a beautiful private school campus in our town. On a good morning, you can see for miles and the Great Smoky Mountains are perfectly silhouetted on the horizon. A couple of weeks before the service takes place, I go to the US Navy website to get the actual time of sunrise, so that I can let our people know when to gather at the school’s flagpole.

When I looked at the time this year, I got a terrible shock: Easter sunrise is at 6:10AM. I thought that this was a bit early, but the US Navy has never steered me wrong, so I accepted the time and let everyone know when to gather at the school. I pictured us all arriving with tired unwashed faces, unkempt hair, and yawning all the way through the singing, prayers, and gospel readings.

Fortunately, our church choir director re-checked the timetable and noticed the footnote at the bottom: Add one hour for daylight time, if and when in use.

The actual time of Easter sunrise is 7:10AM! As Bugs Bunny would say: what a maroon!

Because I didn’t read the footnote, I got the time wrong. Coincidentally, the same thing happens with Psalm 22. When we read those first words being spoken by Jesus from the Cross, we think that God has abandoned Him and that Jesus is painfully separated from God. To be forsaken by a parent is a great emotional loss to anyone, and so we interpret Christ’s use of this scripture as a way of expressing His complete despair and sadness of being isolated from God.

But we haven’t read the footnote, which comes in the last verse of this psalm: ‘They will proclaim His righteousness to a people yet unborn-- for He has done it.’ – Psalm 22:31

Jesus is not bewailing the fact that He has been abandoned by God; He is actually singing a song of salvation where God delivers His people for all time! It’s not about being forsaken and isolated; the Cross is about being saved and restored to God.

Question for personal reflection

How has Christ’s death become a blessing for me?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You won the battle of good versus evil, life versus death, and sin versus obedience when You died on the Cross. You sacrificed Yourself for us; You obeyed God perfectly and completely. You knew that His plan of salvation for humanity succeeded. We will be eternally grateful to You for this Supreme Sacrifice which eternally restores us to God. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving our souls and bringing us back into God’s gracious Kingdom. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. if you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is John’s latest Good Friday drawing of Christ being crucified. It’s called “Outside a City Wall.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7100/7027482543_2af1a2c5f8_b.jpg

Church Meeting Devotions - Good Friday - Dying Faith

Luke 23:44-46 It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last.

A lot of the divisions that we have in our churches today usually involve issues about how we live our lives as Christians. For some people, complete loyalty to the word of God is essential. For others, treating everyone as a child of God is of paramount importance. We battle each other constantly about how we interpret the scriptures by what we preach and practice. In other words, both groups use the Gospels as a means of showing us all how to live.

But in today’s scripture, we are not taught how to live. Instead, Jesus teaches us how to die. After enduring agony, suffering, and shame for hours, Jesus is ready to die. Mustering all of His remaining strength, He cries out loudly for everyone to hear: “Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit.” He completely surrenders Himself to God and unequivocally declares His faith in His Father. He does not mumble or mutter those words. He declares them openly, publicly, and loudly.

It is a complete validation of His life. He has lived it according to His Father’s will. Jesus now yields to death, but does not give Himself over to darkness or oblivion. He places His spirit into God’s hands. He confidently gives Himself over to God with His last dying breath.

One day, there will be an unavoidable moment in our own lives when we will take our last breath. It may be at home, in a hospital, or at a hospice. It could be unexpected, unintended, or accidental. Whatever the case or circumstances, Jesus has shown us how to die.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we don’t like thinking about death or dying. We live our lives fully, doing our best to survive each day by trying to be healthy and happy. But one day, death will come. Help us to be spiritually prepared for that expected or unexpected moment. Come to us at that mysterious time and enable us to surrender our spirit into Your hands. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.