The Great High Priest

 

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14–16 ESV).

 

Many believers in their enthusiasm to understand more of Jesus have tried to skip the Old Testament. This usually results in an interpretation of Jesus within their own personal experience and context. It leads to errors that can only be avoided with the biblical-historical context and categories. This is the reason some have assigned the role of a teacher, life-coach, even a hero or trailblazer to Jesus. And, while there may be some truth in each of these, they will not be as true and deep and authoritative and helpful as the categories that the Bible itself uses.

 

In our reading today we have one of those Old Testament contexts for understanding who Jesus is and what he came to do, namely, the category of “high priest” (v. 14). This reference is a bit difficult for most of us, especially if we are new to the faith. There aren’t any high priests around today. So, this is a context for understanding Jesus that is foreign to us. But God planned centuries of history with Israel, recorded in the Old Testament, so that we would have a context for understanding this reference. This also indicates the high level of importance the writer has toward the reference. We would impoverish ourselves and swerve from the truth if we said, “Well, that’s too old-fashioned and irrelevant for today. Nobody knows what a high priest is; so, let’s just translate Jesus into one of our familiar categories, say, defense attorney.” That would be foolish indeed!

 

Instead, what we need to do before we jump to contemporary analogies is to go back to God’s context, God’s history and God’s instruction, and learn some deep and wonderful things that we might otherwise miss, even to our peril, because “high priest” does not equal “defense attorney” or any other analogy in our world. Our history is simply too limited to interpret Jesus. We need God’s history. Our culture, our society, our era in time are way too provincial to give the needed categories for grasping who Jesus is and what he came to do.

 

While we will see much more of this tomorrow, today we can know this truth of the high priest’s role in being the bridge between us and God. The high priests came from among men and were appointed on behalf of the people to offer gifts and sacrifices to God for sins. A whole world of meaning is opened up to us here. There is a God. There is sin. This sin has created a barrier between God and the people. But God has made a provision for being reconciled to the people. He has ordained that there be human priests who would be a go-between; and that these priests would offer sacrifices. There is no negotiation; there is only atonement. The high priest facilitated that act.

 

Since Jesus is the greatest High Priest, His act on our behalf is perfect and eternal. This is now a role that provides so much more depth to our relationship to Him. He reall is all we ever need to be reconciled to God!

 

An Example to Persevere

 

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’ As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’” Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief. (Hebrews 3:7–19 ESV).

 

As we continue through Hebrews, the writer’s main approach is with a very serious warning of the way God worked in the past. God has always been consistent. This is seen clearly in the way He dealt with Israel after they came out of Egypt and then in spite of all that power and mercy on their behalf, they responded to God with grumbling and unbelief. The result was that he gave them up to die in the wilderness and swore that they would not enter God's rest in the promised land.

 

A refresher may be helpful here. The people of Israel are used as an example for the original readers at this point. Remember, they had been treated with great mercy as God brought them out of Egypt by signs and wonders. And these people had seen signs and wonders (cf. Hebrews 2:4). The Holy Spirit had been at work in their midst, and they had participated in his power (cf. Hebrews 6:4). They had tasted the powers of the age to come (cf. Hebrews 6:5). And for a short while they were very happy and seemingly confident in God. But it didn't last. And that is why this example is so important to the writer of Hebrews. He wants the professing Christians to last, to persevere. Because that's the only way they will prove they are truly God's house and truly share in Christ's salvation. So, he says look at Israel and don't be like them.

 

Then he continues with the warning to his readers (v. 8). The warning is clear and severe: do not harden your hearts as when they provoked me [or perhaps better, "as in the embitterment", as in the day of trial in the wilderness (v. 9), where your fathers tried me by testing me, and saw my works for forty years. And it gets worse: "They always go astray in their heart; and they did not know my ways; as I swore in my wrath, 'They shall not enter my rest.'" (v. 11).

 

The story of Israel should be an example for the professing church. Do not treat the grace of God with contempt, presuming to receive the benefits of grace without the responsibilities. Simply put, do not treat Jesus as a mere ticket to heaven. He calls us to life and the works of that life. We are indeed chosen for the continued spread of His Gospel!

 

Who Are You

 

Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. (Hebrews 3:5-6 ESV).

 

Today’s reading is one of those difficult passages for many people. In order to understand the principle the writer is introducing here, we must look at what seems to be a random inclusion in the last verse. Look at the last part of verse six. The writer draws us into the picture. He says to his readers that they (we) are the very house of God—the house his Son made and inherits—"if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end"—"Whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end."

 

Now this "if" is a tremendously serious thing. We are his household—we are God's people, we are God's possession and inheritance, that is, we are saved—if. This "if" is so serious and so important that the rest of chapter 3 is a support and explanation of it. In fact much of the rest of this book is meant to make this "if" plain. We will be looking at this in the days to come.

 

Notice first that this condition— "'if' we hold fast to hope"— is a condition for being something now. It does not say: you will become God's house if you hold fast to your hope. It says, "We are God's house" if we hold fast to confidence and hope. It's like saying, "You are a Aggie if your typical rally cry is 'Gig ‘Em!' or if your natural greeting is 'Howdy!' Using these phrases does not make you an Aggie; it shows you are an Aggie.

 

This verse, with the support of others in Scripture, shows that "if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm to the end, we show that we are God's house." This is what defines the household of God: God's people hope in God. God's people are confident in God. They hold fast to God as their boast. That's the human trait and evidence of belonging to God's household. If you want to be assured that you are of God's household, test to see if you hope in God and have confidence in God and look to God for the security and happiness of your future and the satisfaction of your heart. It is who we are. It is not a condition for our salvation; it is a proof of our salvation. Listen to the Apostle Paul:

 

Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:3 ESV).

 

In those moments when your courage begins to fail, remember your hope is in Jesus’ work, not your courage! You are a part of the house of God!

 

Jesus is Greater than Moses

 

Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house. For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. (Hebrews 3:1–6 ESV).

 

The writer of Hebrews now turns his attention to the superior nature of Jesus over Moses. He has already established that Jesus is greater than the angels. He establishes this superiority several key distinctions:

 

First, he uses the image of a builder versus the house. This is the primary metaphor. Moses is described as a faithful part of "God’s house" (the people of God). Jesus is the builder of that house. Just as a builder deserves more honor than the house itself, Jesus deserves more glory than Moses because He is the creator and architect of the community Moses served.

 

Next, he uses the metaphor of the Son versus the servant. Moses was faithful in God's house as a servant, fulfilling his role by testifying to the things that would be spoken in the future. Jesus is faithful over God's house as a Son. A son holds authority and inheritance over the household, whereas a servant only carries out the owner's instructions.

 

Then he uses the metaphor of fulfillment versus foreshadowing. Moses delivered the Old Covenant and the Law, which served as a "shadow" or "testimony" of things to come. Jesus is the fulfillment of those promises, bringing a New Covenant established on "better promises," offering grace and truth rather than just the Law.

 

And finally, he shows Jesus to be the source of redemption. Moses led Israel out of physical slavery in Egypt but could not lead them into the ultimate "rest" of God because of their unbelief. Jesus leads a "new exodus," delivering people from the spiritual slavery of sin and providing eternal salvation and rest.

 

These comparisons were essential to his readers who were Jewish. They are essential to us today in that our nature is to be focused on earning our redemption by our works. All our works are little more than “filthy rags.” The grace of God is imparted to us through the work of Christ. Listen to the Apostle Paul:

 

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8–10 ESV).

 

There are good works to be done, but these are the result of the “workmanship” of Christ. We get to do them! Focus on the greatness of our Savior!

 

Pay Attention to this Great Gift

 

Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. (Hebrews 2:1–4 ESV).

 

Perhaps the most interesting feature of our reading today is its use of nautical terms. The idea given here is that of a boat that has slowly drifted out to sea. A boat that someone failed to tie to the dock, and consequently has been pulled out to sea by the undercurrent or the tide. Quickly I must say the writer is not referencing the loss of the boat (salvation); rather he is referring to the benefits of the salvation we have been given.

 

We’ve either seen it or experienced it ourselves. We grow out of, or slowly moves away from, interests, habits, and hobbies in our lives over time. An eight-year-old who loves playing with building blocks or dolls will eventually trade in their stuffed giraffes for make-up or a game console by the time they are twelve. The star high-school athlete will eventually trade their sports ambitions in for a business endeavor. People change, their interests change, they drift in and out of various likes, dislikes, and pastimes. What once was, may no longer be our primary focus. This is not necessarily bad in relation to pastimes and trivial matters.

 

However, in relation to the Gospel and the Christian faith, it can be devastating. The truth is, every Christian has or will experience spiritual drift at some point in their Christian lives. Interestingly, the believers to whom the letter of Hebrews is addressed apparently were at risk of the very same danger. For them, this message was not only timely but necessary to protect them from a terrible fate.

 

Remember the historical context of the letter. The audience of the writer was under immense persecution from the Roman government, as the letter was likely written during the reign of Emperor Nero. Due to this persecution, these believers were tempted not only to drift away from the Gospel and all that they had been taught, but were tempted to abandon their faith and lose their hope.

 

It was a warning against doubt. Listen to James, the brother of Jesus in his letter:

 

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (James 1:5–8 ESV).

 

It is not as if Jesus has not proven His trustworthiness. If we should learn anything from our recent celebration of the resurrection, it must be that Jesus keeps His word. Don’t be careless about your faith. Grow it! Nurture it! Anchor it in the history of the Lord in your life!

 

He Upholds the Universe by His Power

 

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”? And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.” But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. (Hebrews 1:3–8 ESV).

 

Our reading today presents Jesus as the supreme, divine Son of God the radiant image of God who sustains the universe, cleanses sin, and reigns eternally. He is vastly superior to angels, inheriting a superior name and throne. It is a summary of what is to come in the rest of the letter. It encourages trusting in his active power, finished work, and supreme authority. We should briefly unpack each of these declarations. They hold the essence of our continued strength for each step of our journey.

 

Jesus is the supreme sustainer of the universe. I have watched the images and reports of the NASA mission of Artemis II. They are spectacular. The mission's trajectory sets several human spaceflight records, including distance from Earth (252,757 miles); distance beyond the Moon (about 4,700 miles); and velocity (atmospheric reentry speed of about 25,000 miles per hour), and the furthest distance humans have traveled from Earth. Yet, the reports continue to affirm others who have traveled into space concerning the incomprehensible vastness of the universe. Jesus sustains it all, seen and unseen!

 

Jesus is not just a messenger; he is the "dazzling radiance" of God’s splendor and the exact representation of His nature. To know Jesus is to know God entirely. And, as God, He is currently upholding all things by the word of his power. This means he is sustaining our life right now. When we feel overwhelmed, we can look to the one who holds the universe together.

 

Jesus has also provided purification for sins. Notice the writer says, “… he then sat down”. This is a position of finished work. There is no "extra" work needed to secure salvation; we can trust in his completed sacrifice. Jesus is superior to angels, a theme highlighted to show his unmatched rank. Angels are servants, but Jesus is the Son—the rightful King whose throne is everlasting.

 

The question we should ask of ourselves is if Jesus is holding the entire universe together, can’t we trust him with the specific, chaotic details of our lives today?

 

Long Ago, and At Many Times God Spoke

 

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. (Hebrews 1:1–4 ESV).

 

I hope you had a wonderful Easter! What an incredible time of year to see the hand of God in fresh ways. It seems that is at the heart of where I want to begin with Morning Devotionals for the rest of this month. So, today we begin in the first chapter of the Book of Hebrews.

 

The author of Hebrews is unknown. He knew Timothy (cf. 13:23). He was not an eyewitness of Jesus (cf. 2:1, 3). The letter was written very early in comparison to the other books of the New Testament, probably before 70 AD. Early manuscripts bear the title “To the Hebrews,” which reflects the ancient assumption that it was written to Jewish Christians as well as Gentile Christians who previously had been drawn to the Jewish religion.

 

The theme of the letter is simply that Jesus is greater than any angel, priest, or old covenant practice. We will see the instruction that believers must not forsake the great salvation that Jesus has brought about, and that they must hold on by faith to the true rest found in Christ. The author encourages the readers to minister to others with this truth. Jesus is superior to any other revelation God may have given in the past. He writes of Jesus: “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power” (v. 3). The word translated “radiance” is ἀπαύγασμα (apaugasma). It refers to Christ's eternal radiance, that is to say that His brilliance supremely reflects the effulgent glory of the Godhead. His eternal light breaks through all the darkness that keeps someone in spiritual ignorance (bondage) and thus protects us from every attack exerted by sin.

 

In Augustine’s writings against the Manichaeans, he argues that Christ, as the "brightness" of God's glory, must be equal to the Father. He notes that just as there is nothing "round about the sun but its brightness which is produced from it," there is no separation between the Father and His Son. He further highlights that through the Son, God "created the world" and that the Son "upholds the universe by the word of his power". In his Confessions, he reflects on how the whole creation is supported by this divine power. This is the Savior who has given His life for us. It underscores the great love and value He shows toward each of us. That is the strength we may draw on in our daily needs! Jesus was no mere prophet telling others what God said. He is God, telling us the good news of redemption!

 

Easter Sunday - 2026

 

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” And they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened. (Luke 24:1–12 ESV).

 

I remember the first time I visited the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem. It is located just outside Jerusalem’s Old City walls, near the Damascus Gate. It lies in a quiet, walled garden. It’s shaded by trees, filled with flowers, and isolated from the chaos of the city. It was a profoundly affecting experience. We were allowed to actually enter the tomb and spend a moment in reflection of the event of Jesus’ resurrection. After each of our group had spent some time there we moved to a beautiful flowering vine covered gazebo nearby and I was able to lead us in a celebration of communion. It was amazing.

 

While scholars continue to debate whether this is the actual burial place of Jesus, the Garden Tomb has become less about certainty of location and more about certainty of faith. It’s a tangible reminder that the resurrection wasn’t just a story. I was a real event that happened in a real place, at a real moment in history – the moment that is the foundation for the faith of anyone who calls themselves “Christians.”

 

Similarly, the disciples and the women who had followed Jesus had heard him talk about rising from the dead on the third day, but they had not understood what he had actually meant. So when they saw the empty tomb after the crucifixion, and when they eventually saw Jesus alive again, he took their breath away! Here was the living Jesus, walking and talking, eating food, and holding his damaged hands out for them to see.

 

Today the church remembers that breathtaking surprise: Jesus’ resurrection. We talk about it as, among other things, the beginning of a new creation, with Jesus being the firstborn from among the dead. It’s enough to take our breath away—the miracle itself, and then all of the many other miracles that it set in motion. Please do not get lost in the busy schedules of the day. Family and friends, children’s activities, all of these are good; however, the real significance is found in the life that is ours through Jesus. It is forever and it is perfect in every way! That is the message of Easter!

 

Silent Saturday - 2026

 

So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there. (John 19:40–42 ESV).

 

Holy Saturday is often known as “Silent Saturday.” It does not get much attention in the life of the Church. Most of us mark Maundy Thursday with communion, Good Friday with a dark liturgy of worship, and Easter Sunday with an explosive celebration. However, Holy Saturday is the day that we need to acknowledge God’s silence. This day is one in which we sense God’s inaction. Holy Saturday is the day we begin to feel the sting of death and sense the sadness that death has spoken the final word.

 

Mary Magdalene must have felt the deepest of grief on Holy Saturday. She was a tormented outcast who was healed by Jesus and had been welcomed as part of His entourage. Mary deeply loved Jesus. He was everything to her! Holy Saturday must have been so disappointing for Mary. We don’t have a record of what she did on Saturday. As a Jew, Mary’s activity on the Sabbath would have been very restricted. There was not much she could do on Holy Saturday. The silence of Saturday must have signaled a new normal that was so, so disappointing to embrace. Jesus had filled her life with so much goodness, beauty, and purpose and now He was gone for good. You may know the feeling. Perhaps you've been where Mary was at that moment. There are those times in our lives when things have gone horribly awry and you're wondering "Where is God at the very moment that I need Him?"

 

He is present. Life in a Holy Saturday season is hard, but it is not hopeless. High praise is coming on Sunday, but not until we pass through the crushing silence of Saturday. If you find yourself in a Holy Saturday season of feeling abandoned by God, prayers unheard and unanswered, remember you are in good company. And, like Mary, you will have your sunrise moment when Jesus shows His good work in your life!

 

Good Friday - 2026

 

So he delivered him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” (John 19:16–19 ESV).

 

Marshall Segal, CEO and President of Desiring God, a ministry of John Piper said the following about the “Good Friday”:

 

When Jesus went to the cross for you, you were not worth dying for. It wasn’t something in you that convinced him to bear the nails, the thorns, the wrath. We’ve heard so much about his real and wondrous love for us that we might forget his love is wondrous precisely because we were not. Because, when he set his loving eyes on us, we were corrupt, defiant, repulsive. We were the treacherous wife prostituting herself out and then spending the husband’s money on other lovers. We should have been swallowed by holy rage, not by his mercy.

 

There is so much truth in this quote. The Apostle Paul said it as well:

 

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. (Romans 5:6–9 ESV).

 

In our church, Gospel City Church in Arlington, Texas, the pastor is often heard remarking that “Jesus paid the debt we could never pay and died the death we all deserved.” He is so correct!

 

Think on this truth. The Creator of all things; the One who by His word alone spoke all of the universe into existence; and the only One who bore no guilt took our sin and guilt to the cross on our behalf. Can we ever comprehend the vast significance of that truth? John Calvin said of the cross: “Sin was conquered on the cross. [Christ's] death is the foundation of our hope, the promise of our triumph!” Could there be any greater grace extended than that… well, we shall see there is one more great gift of grace. When Jesus stepped forth from that tomb eternally resurrected, He also conquered death itself on our behalf! This is the Amazing Grace of our God!

 

Holy Thursday - 2026

 

Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.” (John 13:1–11 ESV).

 

Holy Thursday, also known as Maundy Thursday, is a Christian holy day that commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with his apostles. It falls on the Thursday before Easter Sunday and marks the beginning of the Paschal Triduum, the three-day period that includes Good Friday and Holy Saturday, culminating in the celebration of the Resurrection. Many people are not familiar with the word “Maundy.” On its own, the word maundy means “the ceremony of washing the feet of the poor, especially commemorating Jesus’s washing of his disciples’ feet on Maundy Thursday.” Recorded around 1250–1300 AD, the word maundy comes from the Old French mande, in turn from the Latin mandātum, which means “mandate or command.” As you may surmise, this Latin word is the source of the English mandate.

 

A bit of chronology might be helpful at this point. As the Passover Meal concluded, Jesus gave some final instructions to His disciples—and to all who would follow Him in the centuries to come. Then He did something quite remarkable. He took a towel and poured water into a basin and began washing the disciples’ feet (v. 5). In First Century Israel, most people wore sandals and walked on dusty or muddy roads that were often covered by animal droppings. The task of cleaning people’s feet was given to a slave, or the lowliest servant in the home. But Jesus knelt before each of His disciples—even Judas who would betray Him—and took the role of the humblest servant.

 

Then He spoke the words that would give this solemn day its name, “Maundy Thursday.” Later in the upper room Jesus would give them one of His last directives: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you…”  (John 13:34). Of course, this is in stark contrast at the scourging and crucifixion as Jesus’ focus was on love.

 

Jesus took on the sins of the world on Calvary—including your sins and mine—to make a way for us to have a restored relationship with God. That is what Maundy Thursday is all about. In the world, filled with so much sorrow and sadness, Christ’s command to love one another shines like a beacon in the darkness. My hope and prayer is that you would resist the polarization so commonly practiced in our culture today. By grace, let each of us pick up this commandment of Jesus to lost and hurting people everywhere—thus fulfilling His desire for the future of His Church.

 

Holy Wednesday - 2026

 

Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.” But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.” Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him. (Matthew 26:6–16 ESV).

 

Holy Wednesday remembers the day when both faithful Mary and treacherous Judas prepare Jesus to die. After an increasingly public string of challenges to both Rome and the temple system, the religious elite believe that Jesus is a threat to their kingdom and religion (cf. John 11:48). If Jesus is not killed, they believe Rome will come, take what little power they have left, and destroy their temple (cf. John 11:50; Matthew 26:3-4). Believing it’s better for one man to die than for a whole nation to be lost, the religious elite make their final plans to kill Jesus.

 

Meanwhile, a woman named Mary takes a jar of perfume valued at 300 pieces of silver (or a year’s salary), cracks it open, pours it over Jesus’ head and feet, and rubs it into his skin with her hair (cf. John 12:3). It’s not only lavish but socially awkward and humiliating. Horrified, Judas speaks up for the disciples. He calls Mary’s display wasteful and argues the perfume should have been sold and spent on the poor (cf. John 12:4-5; Matthew 26:8-9). But Jesus quiets Judas and tells the disciples Mary is doing the right thing. He says: “You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me” (v. 11).

 

Jesus isn’t dismissing care for the poor with this statement, he’s highlighting the value of what he has come to do. Like the religious elite have said, the only way to save God’s people is if he is killed. Mary understands that Jesus must die, so she embalms him in advance. To her, it’s no “waste” to offer her most precious possession if it prepares Jesus for the burial that will save God’s people (Matthew 26:12). But Judas realizes Jesus is no longer useful to him. So, he sneaks away and tells the religious elite he will betray Jesus for a tenth of what Mary poured out (vv. 14-15).

 

Strangely, everyone in this story is preparing for Jesus to die. The religious elite offer a bribe to more easily capture Jesus. Judas betrays Jesus for another month’s expenses. And Mary prepares him to be laid in a tomb. Even more strangely, everybody believes Jesus must die in order to save them. Judas thought Jesus’ death would save his financial status. The religious elite thought Jesus’ death would prevent Rome from breathing more heavily down their necks. But Holy Wednesday is good news because Jesus announces that his death will save God’s people not from Rome or poverty, but from death itself (cf. John 11:51-52).

 

Holy Tuesday - 2026

 

And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” (Mark 13:1–2 ESV).

 

On Tuesday of Passion Week Jesus returns to Jerusalem from Bethany. According to most scholars this is when Jesus was issued various challenges by the Pharisees and Sadducees over subjects such as marriage in heaven, paying taxes to Caesar, and the source of His authority (cf. Matthew 21:23-23:39; Mark 11:27-12:44; Luke 20:1-21:4). It is also the day Jesus commented on the widow’s donation (cf. Mark 12; Luke 21) and was approached by believing Greeks (cf. John 12:20–36). Additionally, we see the most direct and scathing judgement that Jesus spoke over the Pharisees. They have been called His seven “woes” (cf. Matthew 23:13–36). In the evening He delivered the Olivet Discourse (cf. Matthew 24-25; Mark 13; Luke 21:5–36).

 

It is the latter of these that we will focus our attention on today. Our reading is taken from the beginning of Mark’s account of the vast teaching. One of the disciples turned and looked at the magnificent temple structure, which was truly one of the wonders of the ancient world. Still in amazement at this building, which he had probably seen hundreds of times, he said to Jesus: “Look at that. Isn’t that something?” He directed the gaze of Jesus not to the temple built by Solomon in the Old Testament, which was destroyed, but to the temple that was being rebuilt by Herod the Great. The construction of this temple by Herod had begun fifty years before this occasion. It still was not finished. The image attached is a rendering from Scripture and Josephus developed by The Temple Institute in Israel.

 

To give you some idea of the Herodian temple, the outer court measured five hundred by three hundred yards. The outer court was five football fields by three football fields. The temple itself took up thirty-five acres of ground. Herod was known throughout the world for his incredible construction products and for the development of what have been called “Herodian stones.” Josephus tells us that some of the stones making up the temple were sixty feet long. We are talking about one stone: sixty feet long, eleven feet high, eight feet deep, each one weighing over a million pounds. Some historians of antiquity said the temple of Herod in Jerusalem looked like a mountain of marble decorated with gold. The disciples were looking at the temple, standing in awe of what seemed to be an impregnable structure that nothing imaginable could destroy. As the disciples were in awe at this magnificent edifice, Jesus said: “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down” (v. 2). In other words: “Do you see those sixty by eight by eleven feet stones that weigh one million pounds? They’re going to be crushed into dust.” Oh… and they were in 70 AD.

 

Let me telescope for a moment. Jesus said: “Three things are going to happen: one, the temple is going to be destroyed; two, Jerusalem is going to be destroyed; three, I’ll be coming on the clouds of glory at the end of the age.” The first question out of the disciples’ mouths is, “Well when will that be?”

 

Jesus did not give them a specific answer to that question; and, we still don’t have the answer to that question. Many have tried to understand the fullness of Jesus’ description of “the times and season.” However, no one has that answer fully. What we do know is that the three days of the cross, burial, and resurrection a new Temple was being constructed. This is the reason Jesus instructed His disciples to be vigilant:

 

“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning—lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.” (Mark 13:32–37 ESV).

 

Are you awake… or have you been lulled into sleep? Awaken… your Savior is indeed coming again!

 

Holy Monday - 2026

 

And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, “‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?” And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there. (Matthew 21:12–17 ESV).

 

Monday of Holy Week begins with Jesus asserting His authority in the temple. If Jerusalem was a beehive, with His triumphal entry the day before, Jesus hit it with a stick. You could hear the buzz grow as the anger within the religious leadership got organized. With that kingly arrival on Sunday, Jesus had made a strong declaration about His authority over all the conventions of man. Now He ratches up the tension, this time to declare the failure of His own people to live up to the covenantal mandate God had given them to be a blessing to the world (vv. 12-13).

 

Much of what the Gospels tell us about Monday centers on the theme of Jesus’ authority—both over the created world and in His right to pass judgment upon it. Everything Jesus did He did with authority. So when He woke His disciples Monday saying He wanted go back into Jerusalem to teach in the temple, as risky as it sounded, it wasn’t surprising. But everyone sensed something stirring, as if Jesus had rounded a corner and His end was coming fast.

 

When Jesus saw the commotion, commerce, and chaos going on in the temple, He was indignant. The way the Sanhedrin led Israel was not how God’s people were supposed to be led. The temple was a sacred space, and worship was a holy matter. The propriety and dignity of approaching the presence of God had found an advocate in this visiting rabbi. And so, on the Monday before His crucifixion, Jesus went into the temple and overturned the money changers’ tables (cf. Mark 11:15-19).

 

This was not the first time Jesus had done this. He had cleared the temple like this once earlier, back before anyone knew His name. Then He had warned the merchants to remove the money-changers’ tables and stop making His Father’s house into a den of thieves (John 2:13-17). If the first time Jesus cleared the temple served as a warning; this time it served as a judgment. This was not an eruption of sudden anger. Jesus saw nothing on that Monday He hadn’t seen many other times. He had even stood in this very place as recently as the day before, so nothing He saw came as a surprise. Jesus simply did what He planned to do.

 

Jesus’ provocative actions in overturning the money changers’ tables spoke to His deep concern for the way God’s people had traded the work of loving God for a religion of economy. And ever since, He remains involved in the provocative work of overturning idolatrous hearts, calling us back to the dignity and sanctity for which we were intended. A. W. Tozer said:

 

Most church people play at religion, as they play at their games! Religion itself, is the one game most universally played. The Church has its "fields" and "rules" and its "equipment" for playing the game of religion. It has its devotees, both laymen and professionals, who support the game with their money and encourage it with their presence—but who are no different in life or character from many who take no interest in religion at all! As an athlete uses a ball—so do many of us use religious words. We throw them swiftly across the field—and learn to handle them with dexterity and grace. We gain as our reward, the applause of those who have enjoyed the game. In the secular games which people play, there are no moral benefits. They simply are a pleasant activity which changes nothing, and settles nothing of any importance. Sadly, it is much the same in the game of religion. After the pleasant meeting, no one is basically any different from what he had been before!

 

Jesus’ message that day was the same as the Prophet Malachi:

 

Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the LORD of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand. (Malachi 1:10 ESV)

 

Perhaps this is our most important thought to ponder this day!

Palm Sunday - 2026

 

Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” (Mark 11:1–10 ESV).

 

Today is the day that begins Easter Week for most Christian churches in the world. It is most often called Palm Sunday as it calls forth the memory of the spreading of palm branches along the road that Jesus came into Jerusalem on for the last time before His crucifixion. It is a remarkable event. The Prince of Peace enters the "City of Peace" (Jerusalem’s literal translation) as the people cheer, "Hosanna!," which means, "Save!" However, it is unlikely they knew what was really happening. Their "Hosanna!" will become "Crucify him!" by the end of the week. Also of interest are the two disciples Jesus sent to get the colt. I wonder if they were honored to do this for Jesus? Their obedience challenges us to be obedient disciples.

 

Neither then nor now does Jesus need cheerleaders and crowds waving branches and throwing cloaks to carpet the way for Him. James Russell (J. R.) Miller was a prolific 19th-century American Presbyterian pastor, editor, and author who wrote over 60 books and numerous pamphlets focused on practical Christian living, devotionals, and home life. Known for a smooth, encouraging writing style, his work emphasized character building, daily kindness, and spiritual optimism. He was born on March 20, 1840, near Frankfort Springs, Pennsylvania. He attended Westminster College and served as a pastor in Pennsylvania and Illinois. He died in Philadelphia on July 2, 1912. In a short sermon He said:

 

“Shallowness of life is too common a fault. It is not a large proportion of beginnings of good, which grows into maturity. There are too many people who are always eager to accept any new truth that is brought to them—but who do nothing with it, make nothing of it, do not assimilate it in their life— and therefore soon lose it. Many begin to build, and are not able to finish. Countless readers read part of the first volume of great books, and never get any farther. In certain popular schools and lecture courses, the first enrolment falls off fifty percent before the close. If all who begin to learn music or art persevered unto the end—how full the world would be of music and of beauty! If all fine beginnings of character ripened into perfection—how good we all would be!” (J. R. Miller, Shallow Lives)

 

I pray the beginning of this week will lead us to a deeper level of unquestioning obedience to will and purpose God has given us to travel in our lives!

 

Making Our Way to the Cross - Pt 12

 

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. (Colossians 2:13–15 ESV).

 

Today is the last devotional of our present series. Tomorrow I’ll be using the events of Passion Week to take us to Easter Sunday. It would be a mistake on my part to fail to mention the utter defeat of death and the devil that Jesus accomplished in His death. John Stott was often referred to as the “closest thing to an evangelical pope” died in July, 2011, at the age of 96. Over the course of his long life he made an enduring mark on the Protestant and Evangelical world. Perhaps his greatest book was The Cross of Christ. I highly recommend it, though it is not a mere weekend read. In it he said:

 

“It would be hard to exaggerate the magnitude of the changes that have taken place as a result of the cross, both in God and in us, especially God’s dealings with us and in our relations with him. Truly, when Christ died and was raised from death, a new day dawned, a new age began.” (John Stott, The Cross of Christ).

 

Turning to the Puritans we can see that they viewed the defeat of Satan at the cross not merely as a symbolic victory, but as a definitive, legal, and cosmic event that shattered the devil’s dominion over humanity. They believed that while Satan remained active, his power to condemn believers was nullified at Calvary, rendering him a "disarmed" and "defeated foe". In our reading today Puritans emphasized that Christ used the cross to cancel the "certificate of debt"—the record of humanity’s sins—nailing it to the cross and removing Satan’s legal grounds for accusation (v. 15).

 

They also taught the disarming of the “Principalities.” This is the expression used to describe that Christ stripped Satan and his demons of their weapons, publicly shaming them by turning his own death into their defeat. Additionally, while rejecting the idea that a ransom was paid to Satan (as he had no lawful right to us), they believed Christ paid the penalty for sin to Divine Justice, which broke the bondage in which Satan held humanity. Through his death and resurrection, Christ paralyzed the power of the devil, who used the fear of death to enslave people.

 

For us today, since Satan has no rightful dominion over a believer's life, we can fight temptations and fear with the assurance that the ultimate conflict has already been won. This is how we may stand firm against this defeated enemy. Of course, there is a battle; however, the outcome is secure. Victory is ours in Christ and His work on the cross. A frequently used quote by an anonymous author says it well:

 

“The Devil whispered in my ear: ‘You’re not strong enough to withstand the storm.’ I whispered back: ‘I am the storm.’”

 

That is true because of Jesus’ work on the Cross!