Lent Devotions 2021

Read: Mark 16:6-7 Reflect: What a glorious victory Christ has won! Death could not hold Him down. He is alive and reigns! Let us not look for Christ in the tomb, for He is not there anymore. Let us ask God to speak to us, to meet us where we are and to honour Him as Lord of all. Let us join with Christians around the world proclaiming “Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!” Respond: Lord Jesus, you have overcome death and was raised to life again. May my whole life testify that you are risen indeed! Alleluia! Remind: "The message of Easter is that God's new world has been unveiled in Jesus Christ and that you're now invited to belong to it.”  ~N. T. Wright~ Photo by   Xan Griffin   on   Unsplash

Read: Mark 15:45-47 Reflect: A time of waiting is mostly, in my experience, a very difficult time indeed. The Saturday between the heartbreak of Good Friday and the joyous victory of Easter Sunday can seem like a difficult time because we know what’s coming, but we’re not there yet. It’s a quiet time. Like tombs usually are. It can feel like nothing is happening; no movement. It can feel like time is standing still. Rest assured that God is still in control, even in the times of waiting; the times when it feels like we’re in limbo. Maybe today will be a good day to be intentionally quiet and just listen, watch and wait for the coming victory. Respond: Lord Jesus, thank you that your burial was also not the final chapter in the story of redemption. Thank you that we can look forward to the promise of a victorious resurrection and that you are with me in the quietness of waiting. Amen. Remind: ”It is in the course of our feeble and very imperfect waiting that God Himself, by His hidden p...

Read: Mark 15:37-39 Reflect: The curtain in the temple was there to hide the most holy place in the Jewish temple. The high priest would go behind the curtain once a year to make atonement for the sins of the people for the year. With Christ’s death the curtain is torn and the holiest of holies is exposed, open for all to see and experience. The heart of God is exposed to all. Through Christ’s sacrifice the loving heart of God is revealed to the world, and the world is welcomed in to experience it for themselves. Nothing and no one else would have been able to make this happen. Only Jesus. Respond: Lord Jesus, thank you for your willingness to reveal God’s love through your sacrifice on the cross. Thank you for inviting me into a relationship with you not dependent on anyone but me. I come to you now and bow in your presence, for you are here with me. Amen. Remind: ”God waits for you to communicate with Him. You have instant, direct access to God. God loves mankind so much, and in a ve...

Read: Mark 15:33-34 Reflect: At this dark moment in history - when Jesus is about to die and is forsaken by His Father - it is hard to remember that Jesus is the Light of the world which darkness has not overcome (John 1:5). At this very moment in time it seems like this is the end. The end of hope. The end of joy. The end of peace. It must have been terrifying. We, in hindsight, know that the darkness only hid the victory, not extinguish it. This was not the end. May we, whatever darkness we are facing today, remember and remind ourselves that this too is not the end. The Light will shine in the darkness again, and it will not be overcome. Respond: Lord Jesus, thank you that the darkness is not the despairing end of our story, but the prelude to your victory. Please help me hold on to you, especially when it is darkest around me. Please fill me with your love, peace, joy and hope that I may shine your light to those around me. Amen. Remind: “All the darkness in the world cannot exting...

Read: Mark 15:22-24 Reflect: Golgotha - the place of the skull - would have been a place deeply linked to death. We don’t know whether it got the name from its appearance or whether it was a place where people were regularly executed. We do know, though, that it is a place that carries great sadness, grief, loss, shame and death.  Jesus does not shy away from this place. He does not choose to run and hide, to send for angels or to be sacrificed in a place more fitting for a king. No. His act of sacrifice happens in a place of death and sorrow. This act reminds us that Jesus finds us in our most sorry state, wherever that may be. Jesus does not shy away from our guilt, our pain, our suffering, our shame and our grief. He comes and finds us there and, ultimately, redeems it to the glory of His name. As with His birth, when He chose to enter our world in the filth of a lowly stable (where He was also offered myrrh), He chooses an impure and sorrowful place to save the world. Respond: ...

Read: Mark 15:16-20 Reflect: Two of the scariest verses in the Bible, for me, are verses 17 and 18 in today’s passage: ‘They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!”’ It’s scary because of the accuracy of the soldiers’ words with their hearts in completely the wrong place. They clothed Jesus in a purple robe (a sign of royalty, which He is) but they did it mockingly. They crowned Him as Lord, but with a crown of thorns. They hailed Him as King, but sarcastically. In one sense they said the right words and did the right things, but not because they believed them to be true or significant. We face falling in the same trap. We may say the right things - “Hail Jesus the King!” - , crown Him as Lord - but not of my heart -  or bring expensive sacrifices and still miss the mark. May we recognise Jesus as the true King of all, and may we respond accordingly. Respond: Lord Jesus, thank ...

Read: Mark 15:6-11 Reflect: The story of Barabbas and Jesus is a really clear and visual reminder of what exactly Jesus did for every one of us. Barabbas was guilty of his crimes: insurrection and murder. His execution was justified according to Roman law. But Jesus is taken to the cross in his place. Even though Jesus was innocent, He took on the suffering and shame of the cross in Barabbas’s place. And in ours. Isaiah prophesied that this would happen: ‘But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.’ (Isaiah 53:5-6 - NIV). Respond: Lord Jesus, thank you for your great sacrifice. Thank you that you took on the punishment for my sins. Thank you for paying the price that I may be blameless and pure before the Father. Please help me remember your sac...

Read: Mark 14:60-62 Reflect: In one of the few times Jesus spoke after His arrest He announces Himself to be the Son of God. That is no little thing. Ironically, this truth is one of the pieces of “evidence” the high priest uses to justify Christ’s crucifixion. Essentially Jesus is crucified for speaking the truth.  We know from yesterday’s passage that Jesus was truly human. Today we find that He was also truly divine: He was God. This was necessary to bridge the gap between us (humans) and God (divine) because we (humans) were unable to bridge the gap or give anywhere near to sufficient sacrifice. Without Jesus there would still be a great divide between us, but because of Jesus we can be reunited with God Himself. Respond: Lord Jesus, thank you for bridging the gap between us and God. Thank you for stepping into this world, away from your throne in heaven, to not just be with us, but to bring us to you. Amen. Remind: ”Not only do we not know God except through Jesus Christ; We d...

Read: Mark 14:32-34 Reflect: I find it encouraging to read how Jesus said He felt overwhelmed. We might think it strange that Jesus (being truly God) would feel overwhelmed, but this speaks to the very human nature of Jesus. He wasn’t just a God pretending to be human. He was well and truly fully human. He felt the things we feel. He experienced the world through the senses we have. He felt pain. He felt distressed. He felt the joy of community and the sadness of betrayal. That’s why we can take all our feelings and experiences to Him, knowing that He understands. Hebrews 4:15 explains it beautifully: ‘For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet he did not sin.’ Respond: Lord Jesus, thank you that you were truly human. Thank you that you suffered like we suffer. Thank you for stepping into our world and not just skimming over it like a false god might. Amen. Remind: “Nothing can ...

Read: Mark 14:23-24 Reflect: In the Biblical times a covenant would be sealed (made official and binding) in blood. Jesus makes another link with Passover where the blood of a sacrificial lamb saved the Israelites from death in Egypt. Jesus takes this one step further by making the covenant not just binding to Jews, but to all who would receive it. This, of course, is a binding covenant that no one and nothing can break. One sacrifice made for the forgiveness of many sins. Respond: Lord Jesus, thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you that nothing can take me from the reach of your grace and forgiveness. May my life testify to the freedom I find in your covenant. Amen. Remind: “Because God is the living God, He can hear; because He is a loving God, He will hear; because He is our covenant God, He has bound Himself to hear.” ~Charles Spurgeon~ Photo by   Stephen Rheeder   on   Unsplash

Read: Mark 14:22 Reflect: The Passover rites were observed by Jewish people since their rescue from Egypt (Exodus 12). Jesus takes the bread and changes its meaning to reflect the salvation work He has come to do. By offering the disciples bread Jesus gives them (and us) something to remember and celebrate His sacrifice by. Though they did not know it at the time Christ’s body would be broken like the bread was broken, and offered to all who would accept it. And like bread we need to accept it and take it up daily (Matthew 6:11). Respond: Lord Jesus, thank you that your body was broken for me. I accept your offer of salvation again. Amen. Remind: ”Bread of Life? Jesus lived up to the title. But an unopened loaf does a person no good. Have you received the bread? Have you received God's forgiveness?” ~Max Lucado~ Photo by   Maria Ionova   on   Unsplash

Read: Mark 14:3-9 Reflect: Worship is an act of giving rather than receiving. It is true that we get a lot during times of worship, but that should be a welcome side-effect of two-way communication than the actual aim. We can learn a lot about worship by looking at the woman’s example in today’s passage. She made the effort to come to Jesus. Her act of worship (pouring out an alabaster jar of pure nard) was costly - nard was really expensive. She went all-in with her worship - she broke the jar to pour out all of the nard, holding nothing back. Her focus was Jesus and no one else - she poured out the perfume on Christ’s head, no one else’s. Even though it seemed odd and wasteful to other guests, Jesus recognises her heart and her act of worship and accepts her offering gladly. We can learn so much from her example as we approach God in worship today. Not everyone can buy expensive offerings, but that’s not what Jesus wants. All He wants is sincere and wholehearted surrender when we com...

Read: Mark 13:35-37 Reflect: I can tell you from personal experience that nothing moves faster than a parent who has put their kids to bed, opened up a snack for watching TV and heard the kids’ bedroom door open. I become a ninja while hiding snacks when I hear my daughter come out of her room unexpectedly. That’s why my ears are always finely tuned to the sound of her bedroom door. I often wonder whether we (Christians) tend to be a bit more lax when it comes to God’s kingdom and what we’re supposed to do in it. When Jesus tells His disciples -and everyone- to watch, He is telling them to be ready. Not in order to know when He is coming back, but to keep up the intensity of our relationship with Him. We’re encouraged to view our faith, our relationship with Christ, as a current state of being; more than just something to look forward to after we die. It starts now and continues throughout our lives. Respond: Lord Jesus, thank you that you are with me now by your Spirit. Please help me...

Read: Mark 13:5-6 Reflect: Two days before our wedding I was tasked to pick up the table flowers. While waiting for the market to open, I came up with a fiendish prank: I would call my wife pretending to be the flower shop owner and tell her there was a problem. I was so good that it took some serious convincing (and apologising) that all was okay. That was before we got married. If I would try that now (I would not dare...) my wife would see through my deception in moments. In today’s passage Jesus warns His disciples to not be deceived. ‘Many will come in my name… and will deceive many’ (v. 6). How will we be able to discern what is Jesus and what is not? I think it is only by knowing Jesus intimately. Jesus says in John 10:27 that His sheep listen to His voice, He knows them and they follow Him. The key to keep from being deceived is to get to know Jesus intimately before the deception comes by reading the Bible, praying, and listening to His voice through the Holy Spirit. May we al...

Read: Mark 12:41-44 Reflect: In 2001 I was part of an outreach team in Mozambique. We stayed in a very remote village. I was incredibly surprised and challenged by the generosity of people we would class as impoverished by Western standards. They gave from the very little they had to make us feel welcome, even though we had more than enough to start with. Today’s passage tells the story of a widow who gave all she had to the temple. Compared to the vast amounts of money the richer people gave out of their wealth, the widow’s two copper coins would have been close to nothing. However, Jesus notices her gift. He notices because God is more concerned about our hearts than the number of zeros at the end of our tithing cheque. This woman gave “all she had to live on” (v. 44).  Jesus noticed this woman’s gift because it came from the heart and cost everything she had; a similar gift to what He would give on Good Friday. Respond: Lord Jesus, thank you for your generosity. Thank you for ca...

Read: Mark 12:28-31 Reflect: We (humans) love specifics, don’t we? We love clarity. That’s why, I think, the Pharisees had 613 rules in their law. Some applied only to men, some only to women. Some were positive (the ‘Thou Shalt’ commandments), others were negative (the ‘Thou Shalt Not’ kind). Some of them were very specific. Interestingly however, having more rules makes following them more complicated. That’s why a Pharisee asked Jesus what the most important one was. Jesus boiled it down to two rules: Love God by loving your neighbour. That’s it. Simple enough, but really hard to do. These two rules apply to each one of us personally. Love is a verb; it requires action. When we love, it shows. It manifests in some way. The way I love God and my neighbour may not look the same as your love for God and your neighbour. Sometimes love looks like patience. Sometimes it looks like courage. Sometimes it has a smile. Sometimes it looks like a lot of work. And that’s okay, as long as we love...

Read: Mark 11:27-33 Reflect: Lots of people asked Jesus questions and explanations in His time on earth. Nicodemus (a Pharisee) came to Jesus late at night and asked Him questions, and Jesus gladly taught him (John 3). Christ’s disciples asked Him questions about the parables He told, and Jesus gladly explained. However, we see in today’s passage that Jesus chose not to explain himself to the Pharisees asking about His authority. I can only imagine that it’s because of their hearts that He chose not to give them a straight answer. They had ulterior motives and Jesus saw right through them. They were also more concerned about what the people might think than hearing and accepting the truth. Let us learn from this interaction to always come before God with open hearts, in truth and sincerity. We can never trick Jesus or coax an answer out of Him with sweet talk. He knows us too well. Let us be honest and sincere in our dealings with God. Respond: Lord Jesus, thank you that you want us to...

Read: Mark 11:25 Reflect: Christ ends His teaching on prayer by talking about forgiveness. Not the forgiveness God shows us, but the forgiveness we need to show one another. Jesus is essentially saying that it is no use worshipping God if we hold on to hurt, bitterness and resentment. We have to let go of those things to free up our hands in order to receive God’s forgiveness. Forgiveness is not easy. The hurt, pain, disappointment, bitterness and anger are often far easier to cling to than we would like to admit. However, Jesus tells us that if we hold on to those things, we are missing out on the freedom and joy that He offers. Forgiveness is not pretending the hurt or the wrong never happened. Forgiveness is also not just saying all is okay. Forgiveness is letting go of the bitterness that a wrong brings so that it doesn’t control us. Carrying resentment and anger around is a heavy burden, but there is great freedom, peace and joy in forgiving others. Respond: Lord Jesus, thank you ...

Read: Mark 11:8-11 Reflect: As Jesus enters Jerusalem for the last time before His crucifixion, a crowd of people notice and they react accordingly. Little did they know that the cries of ‘Hosanna!’ (which means ‘save!’) that came from their lips would be exchanged for ‘Crucify Him!’ in a couple of days. I find it both challenging and comforting to see how their cries to ‘save!’ were answered. I bet no one expected that God would work salvation through a crucifixion. But for the moment we have a triumphant Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey. We can welcome Jesus into our hearts in the same way! We can recognise His sovereignty and grace and respond accordingly. Let us praise Him wherever we are with whatever means we have. Respond: Lord Jesus, thank you that you are victorious over sin and death. Please help me understand what your victory means for me, and lead me to live a life honouring your name. Please keep me from turning against you when it becomes less convenient to follow yo...

Read: Mark 10:24-27 Reflect: I always thought this passage meant that I’d be more easily saved than a rich person. That’s not true, though. In the run-up to today’s passage we find the story of the rich young man who wanted to be saved. He followed all the rules, but felt that this was still not enough. Jesus tells him to let go of his wealth, an answer that disappointed the young man. Jesus says that it’s really difficult for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. Seemingly impossible. What I’ve come to learn is that it’s not just money and wealth that can keep me from entering into God’s kingdom. Anything can become more important than Jesus: money, status, power, sex, work, family, religion. Every time I choose to make anything more important than God, I essentially choose not to enter God’s kingdom. But there is always hope with God. Jesus comforts His disciples by saying that though it is impossible for people to save themselves by merit, it is not for God, because “all things...