A WORD FOR TODAY, April 11, 2022
Peggy Hoppes
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Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, April 11, 2022
“But now apart from the law, a righteousness of God has been revealed, being testified by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all those who believe. For there is no distinction, for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; whom God sent to be an atoning sacrifice, through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness through the passing over of prior sins, in God’s forbearance; to demonstrate his righteousness at this present time; that he might himself be just, and the justifier of him who has faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:23-26, WEB
We are nearing the end of our forty-day wilderness wandering with Jesus. This season of Lent has been a time to look at Jesus’ ministry, to follow His footsteps to the cross. For many it was a time of fasting, giving up something that has become more important than God. It has been a time of prayer, repentance, discernment, and self-denial to prepare for the Passion of Jesus. We faced many temptations, as we do every day. Many of us failed to sustain our fasts because life has gotten in the way. We have been reminded that we can’t do any of this by our own effort, that we will fail miserably if we try. We can overcome by God’s grace because Jesus walked all the way to the cross for our sake.
Yesterday, on Palm Sunday, Jesus entered Jerusalem to shouts of “Hosanna, blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!” The people were excited, pulling palms from the trees to wave and throwing cloaks in the path of the donkey on which He rode. Some of the Pharisees rebuked Jesus, telling Him to quiet the crowd. Jesus answered, “I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
On this first day of Holy Week, Jesus went into the temple courts and overturned the tables of the moneychangers and merchants. Those businessmen were there selling animals for sacrifice in the temple, acts that were established in the laws of Moses. However, the moneychangers and merchants were taking advantage of the needs of the pilgrims who could not bring their own sacrifices on their long journeys. During Passover, it is said, that the population of Jerusalem swelled to more than two million people. The priests benefitted from the influx of pilgrims that were there for the feast because they took a portion of the proceeds for their living and the upkeep of the Temple. They were indignant that Jesus would upset the business of the day. They needed to put a stop to Jesus’ activities.
Jesus had the power to do these things from the Word of God, given to Him by God Himself. Jesus overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the merchants because they were dishonoring the temple by their deceit and greed. They were fulfilling prophesy of Jeremiah by making the temple a place of false religion, rather than true worship of God. He was returning the temple to its true purpose, to be a house of prayer. The priests were trying to find some way to stop Jesus, to catch Him in words that would give them reason to turn Him over to the worldly authorities. Jesus refused to give them what they wanted, which put Him one step closer to the cross.
This week is going to be one of struggle, of surprises, of tragedy. It would be much easier if we could just jump between the rejoicing of Palm Sunday to the rejoicing of Easter. However, Easter is pointless without the cross. We need to walk these next few days with Jesus, to experience the change of the crowds from adulation to anger. We don’t want to admit it, but we are no different than the mob who rejected Jesus just days after shouting “Hosanna.” Jesus doesn’t like up to our expectations, either, so as we experience His Passion this week, let’s remember that our voices joined theirs that week, and that Jesus walked that final week and became the atoning sacrifice for us, too.
A WORD FOR TODAY is posted five days a week – Monday through Friday. The devotional on Wednesday takes a look at the scripture from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday. A WORD FOR TODAY is posted on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Word-for-Today-Devotional/339428839418276. Like the page to receive the devotion through Facebook. For information and to access our archives, visit http://www.awordfortoday.org
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