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 Judas Betrays Jesus

Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and agitated. Then he said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me.” And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.” Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “So, could you not stay awake with me one hour? Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again he went away for the second time and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” Again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words. Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand.”


The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; with him was a large crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him.” At once he came up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him. Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you are here to do.” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and arrested him. Suddenly, one of those with Jesus put his hand on his sword, drew it, and struck the slave of the high priest, cutting off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the scriptures be fulfilled, which say it must happen in this way?” At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as though I were a bandit? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me. But all this has taken place, so that the scriptures of the prophets may be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.

Scripture:

Exodus 12:1-4, (5-10), 11-14
Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
John 13:1-17, 31b-35


Maundy Thursday Meditation....

He gathered around the table for a festive meal with his friends. Suddenly without warning,
he got up from the table, wrapped a towel around his waist, took a basin of water and
assumed the role of a servant washing the guest's dusty feet. His friends could barely
stand it and protested loudly. Could it be that the man with wet hands and a damp towel
did not understand the meaning of the Passover meal? Or could it be that he understood
better than anyone else? Could it have been that he was telling them he would empty
himself and take on the role of a servant even unto death for them, for us? Could it be
that he was announcing that this meal, the water and the wine, would all too soon become
 a symbol of salvation, celebration, and call to servant ministry in his name?

From 'Table Talk'

Scripture:

"You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and
then you see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
(Matthew 7:5)

Have you ever noticed this:  If you ask a question, or if someone asks
you a question to describe someone else, you almost always begin
with negative characteristics about that person.  It really uncanny how
often that happens.  It happened to me not long ago.  I was asked to write
a recommendation for someone I knew.  This as a personal recommendation
specifically asking about this persons characteristics.  I noticed, as I
was writing, I was beginning, right off, to speak negative about this person.
This Matthew 7:5 verse immediately flashed in my mind. I thought, "Kim
you hypocrite, do you honestly think with all the logs in your eyes, you
need to show the few specks in his eyes!"  It was time to take a second
look at what I was doing.  My question is this:  Don't you think it's time
to take a second look at your relationships and the logs in your own eyes?

Prayer:

Oh Lord help me to take care of the logs in my own eyes, there are
many.  God help me to always leave judgment to you.  THANK YOU GOD
FOR BEING GOD.

Quote:

The true hypocrite is the one who ceases to perceive his deception, the one who lies with sincerity”

The pickle jar as far back as I can remember sat on the floor beside the
dresser in my parents' bedroom. When he got ready for bed, Dad would
empty his pockets and toss his coins into the jar.

As a small boy I was always fascinated at the sounds the coins made as
they were dropped into the jar . They landed with a merry jingle when
the jar was almost empty. Then the tones gradually muted to a dull
thud as the jar was filled.
I used to squat on the floor in front of the jar and admire the copper
and silver circles that glinted like a pirate's treasure when the sun
poured through the bedroom window. When the jar was filled, Dad would
sit at the kitchen table and roll the coins before taking them to the
bank.

Taking the coins to the bank was always a big production . Stacked
neatly in a small cardboard box, the coins were placed between Dad and
me on the seat of his old truck.

Each and every time, as we drove to the bank, Dad would look at me
hopefully.

'Those coins are going to keep you out of the textile mill, son.
You're going to do better than me. This old mill town's not going to
hold you back.'

Also, each and every time, as he slid the box of rolled coins across the
counter at the bank toward the cashier, he would grin proudly 'These are
for my son's college fund. He'll never work at the mill all his life
like me.'

We would always celebrate each deposit by stopping for an ice cream
cone. I always got chocolate. Dad always got vanilla. When
the clerk at the ice cream parlor handed Dad his change, he would show
me the few coins nestled in his palm. 'When we get home, we'll start
filling the jar again.' He always let me drop the first coins into
the empty jar. As they rattled around with a brief, happy jingle, we
grinned at each other. 'You'll get to college on pennies, nickels,
dimes and quarters,' he said. 'But you'll get there; I'll see to
that.'

No matter how rough things got at home, Dad continued to doggedly drop
his coins into the jar. Even the summer when Dad got laid off from
the mill, and Mama had to serve dried beans several times a week, not a
single dime was taken from the jar.

To the contrary, as Dad looked across the table at me, pouring catsup
over my beans to make them more palatable, he became more determined
than ever to make a way out for me. 'When you finish college, Son,'
he told me, his eyes glistening, 'You'll never have to eat beans again -
unless you want to.'

The years passed, and I finished college and took a job in another town.
Once, while visiting my parents, I used the phone in their bedroom, and
noticed that the pickle jar was gone. It had served its purpose and
had been removed.
A lump rose in my throat as I stared at the spot beside the dresser
where the jar had always stood. My dad was a man of few words, and
never lectured me on the values of determination, perseverance, and
faith. The pickle jar had taught me all these virtues far more
eloquently than the most flowery of words could have done.

When I married, I told my wife Susan about the significant part the
lowly pickle jar had played in my life as a boy. In my mind, it
defined, more than anything else, how much my dad had loved me.

The first Christmas after our daughter Jessica was born, we spent the
holiday with my parents. After dinner, Mom and Dad sat next to each
other on the sofa, taking turns cuddling their first grandchild. Jessica
began to whimper softly, and Susan took her from Dad's arms. 'She
probably needs to be changed,' she said, carrying the baby into my
parents' bedroom to diaper her. When Susan came back into the living
room, there was a strange mist in her eyes.

She handed Jessica back to Dad before taking my hand and leading me into
the room. 'Look,' she said softly, her eyes directing me to a spot on
the floor beside the dresser. To my amazement, there, as if it had never
been removed, stood the old pickle jar, the bottom already covered with
coins. I walked over to the pickle jar, dug down into my pocket, and
pulled out a fistful of coins. With a gamut of emotions choking me, I
dropped the coins into the jar. I looked up and saw that Dad,
carrying Jessica, had slipped quietly into the room. Our eyes locked,
and I knew he was feeling the same emotions I felt. Neither one of us
could speak. This truly touched my heart. I know it has yours as
well. Sometimes we are so busy adding up our troubles that we forget to
count our blessings.

Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture
you can change a person's life, for better or for worse.

God puts us all in each other's lives to impact one another in some way.
Look for Good in others.
The best and most beautiful things cannot be seen or touched - they must
be felt with the heart ~ Helen Keller

- Happy moments, praise God.
- Difficult moments, seek God.
- Quiet moments, worship God.
- Painful moments, trust God.
- Every moment, thank God.

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A psalm of David.
 

1 O LORD, our Lord,
       how majestic is your name in all the earth!
       You have set your glory
       above the heavens.

 2 From the lips of children and infants
       you have ordained praise [b]
       because of your enemies,
       to silence the foe and the avenger.

 3 When I consider your heavens,
       the work of your fingers,
       the moon and the stars,
       which you have set in place,

 4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
       the son of man that you care for him?

 5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings [c]
       and crowned him with glory and honor.

 6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
       you put everything under his feet:

 7 all flocks and herds,
       and the beasts of the field,

 8 the birds of the air,
       and the fish of the sea,
       all that swim the paths of the seas.

 9 O LORD, our Lord,
       how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Scripture:  (Genesis 32: 22-32)

Reflection:

Here we see Jacob wrestling with God and in the
process is crippled.  Now that must have been
quite an experience, fighting with God.  Now wait
just a minute, I think its about time to ask myself
a question.  Do I fight with God?  You know I really
don't think I'm going to like the answer here.  An
even more important question is, do you fight with
God?  Will you like your answer?  I must admit
here I have found myself limping a bit because of some of
my past decisions and attitudes towards God.  I
sometimes struggle with God in making decisions.  But
finally I discovered something, if I call off the match and
declare God as the winner and join my Lord and Savior in
His work, my life is much better off.  How about you are
you willing to call off the fight and join God in His work
for your life.  I sure hope so, because if you have you
have discovered the one true gift from God "belief".

Prayer:

Thank You God for always being willing to fight for
me.  Thank You God for always being willing to fight
against me to make me stronger.  Thank You God
for my belief in that struggle. THANK YOU GOD FOR
BEING GOD! IN JESUS NAME.  AMEN

Quote:

To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also
dream; not only plan, but also believe

Scripture:
"Lord, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty.
I don't concern myself with matters too great or awesome
for me. But I have stilled and quieted myself, just as a
small child is quiet with its mother. Yes, like a small
child is my soul within me. O Israel, put your hope in
the Lord, now and always." (Psalm 131) NLT

Reflection:

I have to admit, I find myself being concerned about matters
that are to great or awesome for me. Sometimes I
worry about everything. About my children, their children,
my friends and neighbors, my marriage, my work, the
world, evil, you name it and I worry about. Thats why
Psalm 131 becomes so important to me. I have to still
and quiet myself, I have to slow down, I need to pray
and meditate with my God. My soul is like a small
child within me, and just like a child my soul can be
disrupted. When my soul is in turmoil I find relief
in putting all my hope in the Lord, now and always.
Without my hope in the Lord, without my faith and
love of Jesus Christ, my life is a life of turmoil, suffering,
and unhappiness. What is your life like, where is your
hope!
Prayer:
Thank You God that my hope is build upon nothing
less than Jesus Christ and His righteousness.
Father God keep me stilled and quieted, and keep
my soul like a small child within me. Thank you
God that you give me hope. Thank you GOD FOR
BEING GOD! In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.
Quote:
All great things are simple, and many can be expressed
in single words: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope
Sir Winston Churchill

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Scripture:

"Joshua spared Rahab the prostitutes and her relatives
who were with her in the house, because she had hidden
the spies Joshua sent to Jerico.  And she lives among
the Israelites this day.  (Joshua 6:25)  (Read Joshua
chapter 6)

Reflection:

Isn't forgiveness wonderful.  Forgiveness is truly a miracle.
Here we have a known prostitute, a woman who was
considered the lowest of lows, named Rahab.  God looked
within Rahab's heart and gave her a second chance.
A beautiful act of forgiveness.  At the risk of her own life, she
helped the Israelites and in so doing, received a new
life, and a new people, and a new savior.  This "lowly"
prostitute, this lowest of lows, because of God's
forgiveness, became one of the ancestors of Jesus Christ.
This of course is the same savior who died on the cross
and forgave all mankind of their sins.
I guess the question here is are you in need of forgiveness?
God can forgive you now, no matter what you've done.
All you have to do is admit you need help, receive God's
forgiveness, and change your life, not only do you feel
better, you are better.
Remember this God of second chances wants to help you
today.  He is here for you.

Prayer:

Quote:

Were it illegal to say
"I'm sorry, please forgive me,"
Gladly an outlaw I would be,
To apologize anyway.
-- FH, Cordula's Web.