TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 2:10-11; 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20
Indeed, you are our glory and joy. - 1 Thessalonians 2:20
TODAY IN THE WORD
Today's suggested reading in Luke 2 may make you wonder if we forgot to turn our calendar over.re on the same page as you. We know Christmas was two months ago. It's just that Luke 2 is such great news it seems a shame to restrict it to one day a year. The angel called Jesus birth an occasion for great joy that was to be told to all the people.The joy was that this Child was the Savior God had promised in Old Testament times.The shepherds who saw the baby Jesus got the idea, telling everyone what they had seen and heard. And they did it while glorifying and praising God (Luke 2:20).believers to be his children in the faithand like any new father or mother, he was overjoyed to be part of their birth. The apostle felt the same way about the Philippians, another congregation that was close to his heart (Phil. 4:1).were a big part of the rejoicing and reward that he could look forward to at Christ's return. Paul wasn't at all hesitant about revealing his keen anticipation over the rewards stored up for him in heaven (2 Tim. 4:. He knew he wasn't going to stand before the Lord empty-handed, and that thought thrilled him.If we allow ourselves to become too wrapped up in the temporary things going on around us, we can lose sight of the things that bring genuine joy. Things like the joy of leading others to Christ, for instance.and helpful ideas for personal evangelism. But the joy of it all has to come from within. Our prayer is that these studies will help to stir the joy of evangelism in you.House churches were the order of the day in Paul's world. The homes of believers in places such as Philippi and Thessalonica were, by definition, centers of evangelism as well as places of worship.are a number of helpful books available that explain how to begin an evangelistic Bible study or other outreach in your home. We suggest you get hold of one of these books and check with your pastor for help in getting started.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: John 12:1-8
The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. - Matthew 20:28
TODAY IN THE WORD

Without a doubt, Jesus' anointing by His friend Mary of Bethany is one of the great acts of devotion in Scripture. It is also symbolic of the death that awaited Jesus only a week later in Jerusalem.

This was the Lord's first visit to Bethany since raising Mary's brother Lazarus from the dead (John 11). People's reaction to this miracle caused Jesus and His disciples to withdraw to a village called Ephraim (John 11:54) because the Jewish leaders sought to arrest Him (v. 57).

Jesus remained hidden for a while, but the time came for God's eternal plan of redemption to be fulfilled. The Jewish Passover was at hand--it was time for the Passover lamb to be sacrificed. As God's perfect Lamb, Jesus headed for Jerusalem, knowing that arrest, trial, and death on the Cross awaited Him.

Mary may have sensed that Jesus' visit was unusually important. Or, perhaps she was led by the Holy Spirit to anoint Jesus.

There was no doubt about the significance of Mary's act. Jesus knew that His death was just ahead and that afterward He would be leaving them to return to heaven. Since they would not always have Him with them (John 12:, Mary was more than justified in lavishing her expensive perfume on Jesus. In so doing, she was testifying to the great cost and value of His death.

This incident in Bethany was the prelude to the most important week in Jesus' life, the week that would culminate in the purpose for which He came to earth: to pay for our sins by His death on the Cross.

This month, we will walk with Jesus and His disciples through the holy, painful, and triumphant days often known as Passion Week, or Holy Week--and then on to His ascension.

These studies are designed to prepare our hearts for the observance of Easter on April 12. Let's determine to spend this time at Jesus' feet, just as Mary did that evening in Bethany.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY

Mary gave Jesus the most precious thing she had to give.

Though we can't give Jesus the gift Mary gave Him, we can begin this month by bringing Him something that pleases Him just as much: ""a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess His name"" (Heb. 13:15). Thinking about Jesus' death and resurrection for sin gives us more than enough reason for praise, especially since we know He died that we might have eternal life!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 19:28-40
Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! - Luke 19:38
TODAY IN THE WORD

Bible teacher and author R.C. Sproul recalls being a graduate student in Europe in 1965 when Sir Winston Churchill died. Sproul and a friend made their way to London for the great statesman's funeral--and wound up standing on a London street as an impressive array of world leaders passed within a few yards. Sproul was awestruck and never forgot the occasion.

This same awe must have filled the hearts and minds of those who witnessed Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. This event, which occurred on Sunday and is considered the beginning of Holy Week, was God's introduction of His Son, Israel's Messiah, to those He had come to save.

Historians tell us that Messianic fervor was running high in Jerusalem at that time. And since it was the Passover, Jerusalem would have been flooded with people. Conditions were right for the Messiah to arrive in Israel's capital city.

Clearly, the ""crowd of disciples"" (v. 37) accompanying Jesus saw this as a Messianic event. They embarked from the Mount of Olives, where the Messiah would appear. As the procession moved along, the people hailed Jesus as their king and shouted the Messianic title, ""Son of David"" (Matt. 21:9).

The people also cut branches from trees, throwing them in the road ahead of Jesus (Matt. 21:. From this action, we derive the name of this day: Palm Sunday.

But not everyone in the crowd was shouting acclaim for Jesus. The religious leaders from Jerusalem watched the procession with growing alarm. With excessive crowds in Jerusalem for Passover, they could not have a bunch of people shouting Messianic praises at a man they despised.

The Pharisees and the others who took offense at the crowds' response already knew Jesus well and had already decided that He must die. They tried to convince Jesus to quiet the crowd; but His response shows that God would not allow His Son to enter Jerusalem without praise (Luke 19:40).

This event was obviously a joyous one and has traditionally been seen as triumphant. But as we will see tomorrow, Jesus had another emotion in His heart as He approached the city knowing they would not believe in Him as Messiah.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY

Were some of the people shouting Jesus' praises on Palm Sunday among those who called for His crucifixion later in the week?

We can't say definitively. But the Bible does indicate that as the week progressed, the Lord's followers became increasingly silent in their witness. Each of us has likely felt pressure to keep quiet about Jesus at times for fear of ridicule. Let's pray today that God will give us new courage to speak out for Him this month.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 19:41-44
He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. - John 1:10
TODAY IN THE WORD

It has been said that one way we can measure our likeness to Jesus Christ is by whether we weep over the same things that Jesus wept over. Today, we will see what broke our Savior's heart.

The picture Luke gives us in these few verses is a powerful one, both visually and emotionally. Here was Jesus Christ, approaching Jerusalem at the head of a triumphant parade. The acclaim of the people was echoing across the Mount of Olives, and yet Jesus rode toward the holy city with tears in His eyes. His words reveal the reason for this weeping.

Jesus was distraught at the unbelief and spiritual blindness that hung over Jerusalem and the nation of Israel itself like a dense fog. Her King was coming to her, ""righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey,"" just as the prophet had said (Zech. 9:9).

This should have been the happiest day in Israel's history--the fulfillment of several thousand years of Messianic expectation and longing. To be sure, the Lord's disciples were shouting for joy. But when it came to the nation as a whole, Jesus knew that ""His own [would] not receive Him"" (John 1:11).

Israel's rejection of her Messiah led to a prophecy (Luke 19:43-44). Although the people chafed under the yoke of Roman occupation and longed for deliverance and peace, Jerusalem would soon know war on a scale they had never before experienced.

The siege Jesus predicted was the Roman invasion beginning in 70 A.D. that led to the overthrow of the nation, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the scattering of the Israelites into the Gentile world.

Jesus wept over Jerusalem because of His love for the people and His desire to see them come to Him (Matt. 23:37). Although He knew He would be rejected and sentenced to die, He was coming to them as their King and Savior.

But in the eternal plan of God, Jesus' death provided salvation for the world!
TODAY ALONG THE WAY

Jesus weeping over the spiritual state of Jerusalem is an example of His grief over the effects of sin.

If God weeps over the ravages of sin and unbelief, then as followers of Christ, we need to be brokenhearted over these things as well. Yesterday we talked about allowing other people to intimidate us into silence. Another reason we sometimes fail to witness is that we don't feel God's grief over the sin of unbelief. If you want a transformation in your spiritual life, ask God to help you see the lost people in your neighborhood, workplace, or even in your home, through His eyes.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 21:12-17
My house will be called a house of prayer. - Matthew 21:13
TODAY IN THE WORD

One hearing expert says our world is blaring with so much noise that virtually seventy-five percent of high school seniors have already begun to lose their ability to hear high-pitched sounds. In fact, exposure to extremely high noise levels can begin causing permanent damage to the ear in as little as fifteen seconds. The key is to protect the ears at appropriate times by using earplugs or earmuffs.

By and large, the people of Jesus' day who should have led His procession into Jerusalem, hailing Him as Messiah, had grown progressively hard of hearing. Their problem was spiritual, of course, not physical.

We're talking about people such as ""the chief priests and the teachers of the law"" (v. 15) who had set themselves against Jesus from the very beginning of His ministry. These men, along with the Pharisees, were the guardians of Israel's religious life and worship. They, of all people, should have recognized their Messiah and bowed in worship before Him.

Instead, they had turned a deaf ear to Jesus. And the nation's spiritual life showed the effects of their ""hearing loss.""

The temple area had become a marketplace to take advantage of the crowds that thronged Jerusalem during the Passover celebration. Animals to be used in the sacrifices were put up for sale. Moneychangers changed ordinary coins into special shekels that were acceptable as offerings.

The people had allowed the noise of commerce to drown out the voice of God, so that Jesus could no longer tolerate seeing God's house turned into a ""den of robbers."" He cleansed the temple in an unforgettable display of zeal for His Father's honor.

Even though the merchants and the religious leaders felt the lash of Jesus' anger, those who were blind and lame came to Him and found healing. And the children joyfully shouted His praises, using the Messianic title ""Son of David.""

But the leaders tuned out these praises. They heard the children, to be sure. But because these men had allowed themselves to become spiritually deaf, all they could think about was silencing Jesus' youthful witnesses.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY

Many people were startled by our Lord's intolerance of sin and spiritual callousness among those who should have known better.

Maybe what we need today is a little more holy intolerance for things that are clearly wrong. One result of living in a culture such as ours is that it can dull our spiritual hearing and deaden our sensitivity to sin. With that in mind, why not take inventory today and see if there has been any complacency in areas such as your personal convictions, habits, or work practices? If anything comes to light, be prepared to cleanse your temple.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 19:47-48; John 12:9-11, 17-19
If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself. - 2 Timothy 2:13
TODAY IN THE WORD

Judging by the statistics on military ""dropouts,"" something happens to a good number of soldiers between the recruiter's office and a healthy dose of army life. Official estimates indicate that out of the new recruits who enlisted in the army in 1997, fifteen percent will leave during the first six months. Thirty months after enlistment, the number of dropouts reaches twenty-two percent. And well over one-third of the recruits will not make it through three years of military service.

It's easy for people to fall away when things get tough. We can see an illustration of this in the account of the Holy Week as Jesus entered Jerusalem and ministered during the final days of His earthly life.

The Gospels indicate that early on in the week, Jesus' public approval rating was high. Even though the Jewish authorities were against Him, as we saw yesterday, the crowds that filled Jerusalem received Him gladly.

Luke gave a strong testimony to Jesus' popularity. The Jewish leaders couldn't find a way to lay their hands on Jesus because ""all the people hung on His words"" (Luke 19:48).

John's report is even stronger, because the words come from the mouths of Jesus' enemies: ""The whole world has gone after Him!"" the Pharisees said in their jealousy (John 12:19).

But the plotters did not need to worry about whether or not they'd be able to carry out their murderous plans. By Friday of Holy Week, the crowds would be calling for Jesus' death. What looked like a popular movement on Palm Sunday wasn't so attractive after Jesus was arrested and it became clear that anyone associated with Him was in danger.

Obviously, not everyone who followed Jesus during this week proved to be a ""fair weather"" disciple. John says that many people put their faith in Jesus after they saw how He had raised Lazarus from the dead.

But the fact remains that when it came time for the crowd to make its decision about Jesus' fate, there is no record of anyone's shouting in His defense. Today's lesson is a sobering reminder of human fickleness and of our need to stand strong for the Lord.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY

It's possible that there are some in the Today family who are unsure about their relationships with Jesus Christ.

If that describes you or someone in your home, you can settle the issue today by repenting of your sin and by putting your faith in Christ. The Bible says ""all have sinned"" (Rom. 3:23), but it also promises that whoever believes in Jesus will have eternal life (John 3:16). If the need exists, make today a day of salvation in your home.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 21:18-22
If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit. - John 15:5
TODAY IN THE WORD

Visitors to Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, are often shocked when they first see Manger Square. Despite its name and associations with the night of our Savior's birth, tourists discover that Manger Square is merely an asphalt parking lot packed with tour buses. One tourist remembers her surprise when she first saw the square more than a decade ago: ""I had this image from my childhood of a cozy little inn."" Bethlehem's Manger Square isn't the first tourist location to turn out differently than the promises and claims in the brochure.

During Jesus' earthly ministry, Israel had all the outward appearances of a spiritually vital nation. But it was not living up to its claims--it had failed to produce the kind of true righteousness and faith that would have embraced, rather than rejected, God's Messiah.

Jesus' cursing of the fig tree, an unusual event in this last week of His life, seems to have been a parable of Israel's disappointing fruitlessness. The tree had leaves on it, which means it should have had figs for Jesus to eat, since leaves and fruit usually appear together on these trees.

But Jesus found the tree barren and pronounced a curse on it. Matthew says the tree withered immediately.

The tree represented barren, fruitless religion that produced nothing of lasting value. In contrast, Jesus' teaching on prayer shows the power of believing prayer (as opposed to a profession of faith that promises a lot but delivers little).

Some Bible teachers believe that Jesus wasn't denouncing the entire nation but those who practiced hypocrisy, such as the moneychangers and merchants He had just driven out of the temple.

Whatever the case, the lesson for us is the same. Jesus' teaching on the importance of bearing fruit (John 15) reminds us that simply going through the rituals of religion does not please God. We need to make sure that the life of Christ is flowing through us so that we become productive.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY

If Jesus were to examine our lives over the past week for signs of spiritual life and fruitfulness, what would He find?

That's an examination you can make today. As you think back over the past week, can you point to fruitful times of fellowship with God in His Word and in prayer? Are there other signs you can see that indicate your Christian life is on track? Be encouraged by the evidence you see and determine to strengthen areas where the signs of life are not so strong.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Mark 11:27-33
""Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"" - John 1:29
TODAY IN THE WORD

Thomas Reed became speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in December, 1899. The next year, he persuaded the House to adopt a new set of rules, known as the Reed Rules, which greatly increased his power. One day, however, the speaker made a ruling that one representative thought contradicted Reed's Rules. The man pulled out his copy of the rule book and showed the speaker where his decision clashed with the rules. ""Oh,"" Reed replied, ""the book is wrong.""

The various leaders of Israel thought they caught Jesus in violation of the religious ""rules."" In their minds, He had no authority to clear out the temple as He had just done.

But the Lord was not about to be backed into a corner. A direct answer to the question posed to Him, ""By what authority are you doing these things"" (v. 28), would have done little good, since these men were not after the truth. They were looking for an excuse to arrest Jesus.

But since Jesus was popular with the people--at least for the moment--the Jerusalem authorities were afraid to step in and arrest Him. So they hoped that He would make a slip of the tongue and fall out of popular favor.

But Jesus turned the spotlight back on His questioners by posing a question of His own. The private discussion among these religious experts tells the heart of the story. They realized Jesus had them no matter how they answered. So instead of committing themselves on the question of John the Baptist's ministry, they pleaded ignorance.

This gave Jesus the opportunity to deny His accusers the information they pretended to want. Actually, Jesus answered their question in an indirect way. If they had said that John's ministry was from God, they would have had their answer about Jesus' authority--for John had testified that Jesus was indeed the Messiah of Israel.

The real story here, of course, is the stubborn refusal of Israel's religious establishment to believe in Jesus. Their hatred and unbelief would help drive Him to the Cross and leave the nation spiritually desolate.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY

Sometimes, we are tempted to turn away from what we know to be true because of the cost involved.

That's why it's so important to have a prior commitment to live according to the truth. Today, take a few minutes to try to identify a circumstance in which you would most likely face the temptation to compromise or deny the truth. Now imagine yourself buckling the ""belt of truth"" around your waist (Eph. 6:14), then pray that God will help you keep your belt firmly in place this coming week.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 21:28-32
Not everyone who says to me, ""Lord, Lord,"" will enter the kingdom...only he who does the will of my Father. - Matthew 7:21
TODAY IN THE WORD

The status of Manger Square in Bethlehem (see March 6 study) is about to change, according to a recent news story. The square is getting a makeover that planners hope will be finished by the year 2000, when four million visitors are expected to flock to Bethlehem to celebrate the 2ꯠth anniversary of Jesus' birth. The asphalt parking lot will be replaced with patterned tiles, and the square will be lined with trees and fountains in an effort to turn the tourist site into a beautiful attraction.

In a way, we could say that Manger Square is like the first son in the parable we read about today. Just as the square is to be transformed from an unattractive parking lot into a beautiful plaza, so this son's change of heart transformed the ugliness of his refusal into the delight of his obedience.

We have already seen how during Holy Week, Jesus had repeated confrontations with the Jewish leaders who refused to believe His claims and sought to put Him to death. But nowhere does He apply His teaching more directly to those in religious authority than in this short parable.

Since Jesus interprets the story Himself, we don't have to guess at His meaning. The two sons represented two classes of people. The first son stood for the group of people classified as ""sinners"" by the society of that day: tax collectors, prostitutes, and the like.

The second son represented the religious leaders to whom Jesus spoke. The point of the parable is unmistakable. Those who refused God outwardly by their actions, but said yes to Him inwardly, were in a better position before God than those who said yes to Him outwardly, yet refused to do His will inwardly (v. 32).

In fact, one commentator suggests that Jesus was even more blunt than saying that sinners were entering the kingdom ahead of these religious authorities. This Bible teacher says the phrase ""ahead of you"" should be translated ""instead of you.""

His point is well made, because Jesus said these religious leaders needed to repent and believe in Him. The fact that they failed to do so suggests they missed out on God's kingdom.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY

This is a powerful and straightforward story, but then Jesus never minced words.

Because the lesson of the parable is so crucial, why not plan to make this story the subject of a family devotional time this week? If you have young children, you can teach them the importance of the sons' actions, not just their words. Older children (as well as we adults) can grapple with the important issue of outward piety versus inward reality in one's spiritual life.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 22:1-6
Woe to the worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! - Zechariah 11:17
TODAY IN THE WORD

According to one presidential historian, Theodore Roosevelt became worried about carrying the state of New York in the 1904 election. So he approached two of the state's wealthiest businessmen for help. They gave a large amount of money to the campaign, and another man also raised a large sum among his friends. Roosevelt won the presidency handily and later started railing against the ""criminal rich"" and the ""malefactors of great wealth."" One of the New York men who had contributed heavily to Roosevelt's campaign fumed, ""We bought him, and then he did not stay bought!""

Judas Iscariot agreed to be bought by the chief priests and experts in the law when he betrayed Jesus for thirty silver coins (Matt. 26:15). Later, when he decided he did not want to stay bought and tried to reverse the deal, he discovered that it was tragically too late for him (Matt. 27:3-4).

Without question, Judas is the most pathetic figure in the story of Jesus' crucifixion. The Lord's popularity was still strong at this point in Holy Week; His enemies feared His popularity (Luke 22:2).

The treachery of Judas gave them the opportunity they needed to arrest Jesus with minimum commotion, since Judas would know the Lord's whereabouts and could lead the guards to Him at a time when the crowds were absent.

Matthew 27 gives us a hint that Judas may have had something in mind other than Jesus' arrest. Some think that by betraying Jesus, Judas hoped to force Him into a confrontation with the Romans in which Jesus would defeat Israel's oppressors and claim His kingdom. When it became obvious that this was not going to happen, Judas was seized by remorse.

To try to comprehend why Judas did what he did, we rely on what the Bible tells us about him. The remarkable prophecy of Zechariah 11 concerning the betrayal price and the potter's field shows that Judas's betrayal of Jesus was foretold in God's plan.

In Acts 1:16, we read that Judas's act was in fulfillment of Scripture, although he was still held accountable for his sin. The fact that the Lord's betrayal was prophesied made it no less terrible.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY

Even though a lot about Judas's life is explained by the outworking of God's sovereign plan, we can learn a lesson from the one hint Scripture gives us about this man's character.

Judas was greedy. He had his eye on the cost of everything (John 12:4-5). How can we know if we're becoming greedy? Greedy people are never satisfied--they always want more, they want what other people have too, and it hurts them to give. Let's ask God to deal decisively with any hint of greediness He may find in us.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 26:17-20, 26-30
This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. - Matthew 26:28
TODAY IN THE WORD

Holocaust survivor Corrie ten Boom, whose testimony for Christ became known around the world, once said that her strongest memories of home were of evenings around the family's oval dinner table. After the dishes were cleared, Scripture passages were read in a number of different languages, including Dutch, French, German, English, Hebrew, and Greek. Corrie and her sister, Betsie, derived strength from God's Word. Years later, that language training also allowed the ten Boom sisters to share the gospel with many different women when they were arrested by the Nazis for hiding Jews.

No scene from human life can do full justice to the picture of our Lord reclining around the table with His disciples, serving them the Last Supper. Just as those evenings around the ten Boom table were a time of worship and preparation, so it was that night when Jesus was betrayed.

This Passover meal became the occasion when Jesus inaugurated the new covenant by His blood--the culmination of God's plan for salvation based on the death of Christ. For Jesus Himself, the Last Supper was a time of preparation before He offered the perfect sacrifice of His own blood.

The Last Supper was also a meal of preparation for the disciples. They did not understand everything Jesus was telling them that night. But He was teaching them the significance of His death and giving them the basis on which they would soon go out and begin preaching the gospel.

In a week filled with holy moments, this has to be one of the most moving and important for every believer. Jesus knew the kind of violent death that awaited Him: His blood would be literally ""poured out"" on the Cross. But Jesus' pain and suffering becomes salvation for us when His blood is applied to wash away our sins.

No wonder Paul called the cup which we hold at Com-munion ""the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks"" (1 Cor. 10:16)! Jesus offered us His body and blood, symbolized by the bread and ""the fruit of the vine,"" as nourishment for our spiritual hunger. When we receive Him as Savior, we are welcome at His table.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY

The apostle Paul, as he wrote concerning the memorial service we know as Communion, commanded us to examine ourselves so we would eat and drink in a manner worthy of the Lord (1 Cor. 11:28-29).

Self-examination before the Lord is also appropriate on a normal weekday as we go about our work and family activities. Today, we urge you to let the Holy Spirit search your heart for anything that is not pleasing to God, being ready to confess whatever He brings to your attention (1 John 1:9).

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 22:24-34
The greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. - Luke 22:26
TODAY IN THE WORD

Sir Christopher Wren, the great British architect who designed St. Paul's Cathedral in London, also designed the Windsor town hall. Although the building's inspectors did not think Wren had erected enough supporting pillars, Wren felt differently. So to satisfy the inspectors, he included four more pillars that looked as if they touched the roof but were actually free-standing. The ruse worked, and inspectors went away happy.

Simon Peter's life was a lot like the town hall at Windsor at this point in the Gospel story. He had several solid pillars supporting him, but they weren't necessarily the ones he thought them to be.

Peter was counting on his own resolve and courage to see him through, but he was actually very vulnerable that night as the twelve apostles shared the Passover meal with Jesus. It was the Lord's faithfulness and His prayers, not Peter's determination, that would hold him up and keep him from falling.

This sacred occasion was marred by the betrayal of Judas and also by an argument that erupted over which disciple was the greatest. Jesus gently but firmly rebuked their self-centered thoughts, drawing on His own example as their Lord and Master. We can safely assume that Peter was part of this dispute, since he was feeling confident of his faithfulness to the Lord.

Luke notes that after Jesus' rebuke, He addressed some very tender and reaffirming words to His beloved disciples. They had stood by Him (v. 28), and they would be rewarded when Jesus returned to establish His kingdom. In the meantime, their calling was to serve others, not to be served.

Jesus immediately followed this assurance with His warning to Peter. Again, we can hear love and tenderness in the Savior's voice as He repeated Peter's name and warned him of Satan's desire to test him severely. The devil was given permission to test Peter, and within hours Peter would deny he even knew Jesus.

But Peter was in the Father's hand, and no one could snatch him out (John 10:29). Peter had a bitter and costly lesson to learn about the folly of spiritual self-confidence, but he learned it.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY

After Peter was restored by Jesus (John 21), he became a supporting pillar of the church (Eph. 2:20).

What an encouraging reminder that for the Christian, failure is never final! Are you hurting over a recent episode of failure? Satan loves to remind us of those times and make us wonder how God could love us when we disappoint Him. If you feel a need to be restored today, take your need to the Lord. Thank Him that He is praying for you, claim His forgiveness, and pray that He will keep you from becoming spiritually self-confident.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: John 14:1-9
Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. - John 14:1
TODAY IN THE WORD

The story is told of a man who once found a beautiful rock in a North Carolina stream and took it home to use as a doorstop in his cabin. Years later a geologist who was hiking in the area stopped at the cabin and saw the doorstop, which he recognized immediately as a huge lump of gold--one of the largest ever found east of the Rockies.

The disciples were much like that man who failed to recognize the incredible value of something that had become very familiar to him. These men had been with Jesus day and night for more than three years, yet they still did not fully grasp the nature of this One they followed and loved.

While the other Gospels spend a comparatively few verses dealing with the Last Supper, John gives us four chapters of Jesus' teaching on that special night. In the course of the evening Jesus made several disturbing announcements. The first concerned His betrayal, and the disciples expressed dismay that this would come from one of their own.

But the Lord's second announcement seemed to disturb the apostles even more: the news that He was leaving them (John 13:33). Clearly, their hearts were troubled.

And because He knew their hearts, Jesus reassured them of their place in heaven with Him and of His return for them some day. But the disciples seemed even more perplexed by these words. They did not expect Jesus to die the next day. Where could He be going, and what was the way He talked about?

When Thomas expressed these questions on behalf of the group, Jesus answered by making a claim that no one else on earth can make: ""I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me"" (v. 6).

Here is Jesus' exclusive, all-encompassing claim to be the Savior. Still seeking assurance, however, Philip voiced his request that Jesus show them the Father. And Jesus respond-ed with another claim that only He can make: His oneness with God the Father.

In other words, the Man who reclined with the Twelve was God in the flesh, the only one who could be our Savior.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY

As we will see later this month, Jesus' resurrection validated His incredible claims to be our God and Savior.

Peter definitely got the message! As you read 2 Peter 3:18, notice that the apostle's last written words relate to ""our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."" The apostle Jude gave us this benediction: ""To the only God our Savior"" (Jude 25). Is there anything in your week that seems too big for you? Draw encouragement today from knowing that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: John 14:15-26
The Father... will give you another Counselor to be with you forever--the Spirit of truth. - John 14:16-17
TODAY IN THE WORD

A little girl who was being put to bed for the night told her mother she was afraid of the dark. Her mother turned off the light and lingered in the room, hoping to calm her child's fears. The girl looked out her window at the moon and asked, ""Mother, is the moon God's light?""

""Yes,"" her mother replied.

""Will God put out His light and go to sleep?""

""No, God never goes to sleep.""

""Well,"" replied the little girl, ""as long as God is awake, there is no sense in both of us staying awake.""

On the night before Jesus' death, His disciples became almost childlike in their very real fears about His departure and what would become of them. In the process of teaching and reassuring the Twelve, Jesus made wonderful promises that are for us today as well.

One of Jesus' greatest promises concerned the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit's ministry would bring both teaching and comfort to the disciples, just as Jesus had taught them and quieted their fears during His time on earth. The difference was that the Holy Spirit's dwelling place and ministry would be internal, unseen to human eyes.

The Spirit's teaching ministry is made evident in verse 26, where Jesus says the Spirit ""will teach you all things."" We experience the fulfillment of this promise every time we open God's Word and seek to know and understand His revelation to us.

But the Holy Spirit is a Person, not just a presence. Therefore, His coming to indwell believers would bring the comfort of the Father and the Son also, since each member of the Trinity is fully God.

Jesus wanted His disciples to know that they would not be left as orphans. They felt like frightened children in a dark room that night. But their fear would be short-lived, because in the Person of the Holy Spirit, Jesus would come to them again and make His presence real in their lives. What was new and wonderful and mysterious to them is a daily reality for us!
TODAY ALONG THE WAY

We who have the Holy Spirit living within us have a tremendous advantage over believers who lived under the old covenant.

One the best examples of this blessing is found in Romans 8:14-16. Our benefits are staggering: (1) The Spirit's presence in our lives means we are God's children; (2) the Spirit makes the intimacy of our relationship with our heavenly Father real; and (3) the Holy Spirit speaks assurance of salvation to our hearts. Do you feel like praising God for all of this? Go ahead!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: John 17:1-26
I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. - John 17:4
TODAY IN THE WORD

Everyone in the Upper Room observing the Last Supper with Christ acted in character. Judas Iscariot ate with a treacherous heart and left early to consummate the betrayal of Jesus. Peter made a boast he couldn't back up. He and the other disciples argued over who was the greatest. And John leaned on Jesus as an expression of his love for his Lord.

Jesus also acted in perfect keeping with His character as His Father's beloved Son. Jesus had lived His entire earthly ministry in prayerful, loving dependence on His Father, often spending all night in prayer. So it is not surprising that Jesus ended this important meal and His last night on earth with a prayer to the Father.

We know something is special about this night because Jesus began by saying, ""Father, the time has come"" (v. 1). The hour for Jesus' humiliation and glorification had arrived. Jesus prayed that both He and His Father would be glorified by the sacrifice Jesus was about to make.

We could spend a week studying this remarkable prayer. In verses 6-8 Jesus reviews the extent to which He had relied on the Father for His words and works. Jesus had said earlier that He did nothing on His own initiative, but spoke the words the Father gave Him (see John 5:30; 8:28-29). On this night He made that vital connection even more explicit.

Although this prayer involves intimate communion between Father and Son, we were on Jesus' mind that evening. This is why the prayer is traditionally known as Jesus' high priestly prayer. He came before God the Father as our Priest, our Mediator (1 Tim. 2:5).

The requests Jesus made for us are awesome. He asked God to protect us from Satan (John 17:15). He prayed that we might be sanctified, set apart for God's use (v. 17). He desired that we might be one with other believers in true spiritual unity (v. 21). And finally, Jesus requested of His Father, ""I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory"" (v. 24).

Imagine what hearing this prayer must have done for the Lord's confused, fearful disciples in the Upper Room. Imagine what Jesus' prayer ministry is doing for us in heaven today (see Heb. 7:25)!
TODAY ALONG THE WAY

The fact that Jesus is alive and praying for you in heaven today ought to do something special for your weekend.

To help bring home the truth of this lesson, write ""Jesus is praying for me!"" on a 3 x 5 card. Then list the four requests Jesus made for you from John 17: protection, sanctification, unity, and a home in heaven. Now put the card on your desk or other workplace on Monday.