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!

Making Our Way to Calvary - Pt 11

 

After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. 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 19:38–42 ESV).

 

The details of John’s account are incredible. It would be so easy for him to have hurriedly moved passed these verses in favor of the account of the resurrection. Because the Holy Spirit was inspiring his work, we ought to give attention to it also. Notice he mentions the location of the tomb: “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” (v. 41). While there is some disagreement as to the location of this garden among archaeologists and theologians, the two most prominently accepted places are in the Church of the Ascension and the garden near Gordon’s Calvary in Jerusalem. I have visited both places and tend to agree that it is most likely in the church, though the other location is much more beautiful a setting. John Calvin gives us an incredible insight into these details:

 

In the first place, it did not happen by accident, but by an undoubted providence of God, that the body of Christ was buried in a new sepulchre; for although he died as all other men die, still, as he was to be the first-born from the dead, (Colossians 1:18,) and the first-fruits of them that rise, (1 Corinthians 15:20) he had a new sepulcher, in which no person had ever been laid True, Nicodemus and Joseph had a different object in view; for, in consequence of the short time that now remained till sunset, which was the commencement of the Sabbath, they looked to the convenience of the place, but, contrary to their intention God provided for his own Son a sepulchre which had not yet been used. The good men are merely gratified by the place being near at hand, that they might not violate the Sabbath; but God offers them what they did not seek, that the burial of his Son might have some token to distinguish him from the rank of other men. The local situation served also to prove the truth of his resurrection, and to throw no small light on the narrative which is contained in the following chapter. (Calvin’s Commentary on John)

 

It always astounds me how God’s complete plan, while often unknown by men, is revealed in time in all of its perfection. While Jesus enduring the shameful death of crucifixion making the atonement for our sins, He would be buried in the extravagance of the new tomb of the garden. The death that came into humanity in the original garden through Adam and Eve is now replaced with forgiveness and restoration as Jesus goes into this new garden. Soon we will see the glory of the temporary nature of His stay in that place!

 

Making Our Way to Calvary - Pt 10

After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. 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 19:38–42 ESV).

 

According to our reading, upon hearing of Jesus' death, this secret disciple of Jesus (Joseph of Arimathea) "… asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission" (v. 38).  Joseph immediately purchased a linen shroud and proceeded to Golgotha to take the body of Jesus down from the cross. There, Joseph and Nicodemus took the body and bound it in linen cloths with the spices (myrrh and aloes) that Nicodemus had brought (cf. Luke 23:55-56). We also see that the women "who had come with him from Galilee" prepared the spices and ointments. This attention to the body of Jesus was more than what was typically done. It is significant that it gives credence to the death of Jesus. Some have proffered that Jesus was merely unconscious and the herds and spices combined with the coolness of the tomb revived him. None of this could be true. What was done to the body of Jesus would not have happened had multiple people not made sure He was truly dead. The disciples then conveyed the prepared corpse to a man-made cave hewn from rock in a garden nearby. The Gospel of Matthew alone suggests that this was Joseph's own tomb. The burial was undertaken speedily, "for the Sabbath was drawing on". Of course, this necessitated the visitation to the tomb later by the women.

 

But what should this part of the story mean to us? The answer centers around the identity of Joseph of Arimathea. John gives us the answer in his gospel account (cf. John 19.38): Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. He was one of those described in John 12.42-3: “…many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.” Calvin had something to say about Joseph’s part in the burial:

 

 

If Joseph summoned up his confidence when Christ hung dead on the cross, in his holy desire to do him honor, and we today, after his resurrection from the dead, have not at least the same flourishing zeal for his glory in our hearts—then woe to our idle ways!

 

Can we shrink from the privilege of telling others this great news of redemption? If those who feared so much found their way to tell it, we must be as courageous in sharing our faith! Jesus died for us, was buried, and rose on the third day to proves His work of grace! 

Making Our Way to Calvary - Pt 9

 

Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.” (John 19:31–37 ESV).

 

The Reformers, such as Martin Luther and John Calvin, viewed our reading today as a profound confirmation of Christ’s dual nature and the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan. They focused on the "blood and water" as symbols of the two central sacraments and the "unbroken bones" as proof of Jesus as the ultimate Passover Lamb. Calvin’s commentary focuses on the sovereignty of God and the meticulous fulfillment of prophecy. Calvin argued that the Roman soldiers’ decision not to break Jesus' legs was not an accident but a "divine restraint." He saw this as the literal fulfillment of the Law regarding the Passover Lamb (cf. Exodus 12:46), proving Jesus was the true sacrifice that ends all others. Further he wrote the soldier's spear was a "witness" to the world. He noted that even the enemies of Christ were used by God to fulfill the prophecy of Zechariah 12:10 ("They will look on him whom they have pierced"). He interpreted the water and blood as a "double cure"—one to justify (blood) and one to sanctify (water) the believer.

 

Until that day, though, we continue to look upon Jesus on the cross, not just for our salvation as the Passover lamb, and not just for our continual forgiveness as our cleansing fountain, but also for our perseverance. So until that day, let us remember Jesus’ death on the cross, proclaiming him as our Passover Lamb and inviting all to cleanse in the fountain of forgiveness whenever we gather as a church. Until that day, let us meditate on Jesus’ death as we sit down together at the Lord’s Table, remembering his human body (bread) broken for us and his blood (wine) spilled for us for the forgiveness of sin. Until that day, let us sing of Jesus’ sacrifice, as so many have done before us and as we will all do for all eternity. Until that day, let us sing “Rock of Ages” by Augustus Toplady:

 

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,

Let me hide myself in Thee;

Let the water and the blood,

From Thy riven side which flowed,

Be of sin the double cure,

Save me from its guilt and power.

 

 

Making Our Way to Calvary - Pt 8

 

After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (John 19:28–30 ESV).

 

Today we come to the last two “statements on the Cross” as John records Jesus’ words. It should be remembered that John was the only disciple actually present at the crucifixion. While he was the last to write about the events of Jesus’ ministry, his recollection certainly had great influence in the early church. James Russell Miller (1840–1912), was a prolific American Presbyterian author and pastor renowned for his devotional writings. He authored some 60 to 80 books, including bestsellers like In Green Pastures and Silent Times. His works sold over two million copies during his lifetime. He also pastored several influential churches in Pennsylvania and Illinois, notably growing Bethany Presbyterian in Philadelphia from 75 to 1,200 members during his tenure. As we turn our attention to Jesus’ last utterance, it would do well to hear Miller on this topic:

 

The three hours of darkness was ending. The light was breaking. The Scripture tells us that Jesus then cried out in a loud, strong voice. It was not the cry of exhaustion and faintness; it was the shout of a victor. The cross seemed like defeat. Those who understood nothing of the meaning of the life and death of Christ, would think of Him as a man who had failed, all of whose dreams and hopes had perished. But we who understand something at least of the meaning of His mission and of the great purpose of His life, know that nothing failed. "It is finished," was the shout of a victor in the hour of His glorious success. It told of the completion of His work. All had been accomplished that He set out to do. His work was done. He had nothing more to do. There was no reason why He should live an hour longer, for the last task had now been done. A little while before, He said in His prayer in the upper room, "I have glorified you on the earth: I have finished the work which you gave me to do." When He said in dying, "It is finished!" He meant that there was nothing whatever left now for Him to do.

 

The phrase “it is finished” in the original language is τετέλεσται (tetelestai). It is from the root telos; which means to end (i.e. complete, execute, conclude, discharge (a debt), accomplish, make an end, expire, fill up, finish, go over, pay, perform). The root means "reaching the end (aim)." It is well-illustrated with the old pirate's telescope, unfolding (extending out) one stage at a time to function at full-strength achieving the full capacity of effectiveness). Perhaps the most amazing thing about all of Jesus’ death is how the plan of God was completed in that very moment. It was revealed in the moments after Adam and Eve sinned (cf. Genesis 3:15).

 

The is much left to discover about the Cross Event; however, this we can know now. Jesus’ work of atonement was completed in that moment. There is nothing that remains for our debt of sin to be forgiven. That gives me such relief and hope. Even when I wildly succeed in doing a good thing, it would never be enough to pay the debt I owe. It would never be enough to prevent the death I deserve. Only Jesus’ act of sacrifice could do that. And now it is utterly finished! Hallelujah!

 

Making Our Way to Calvary - Pt 7

 

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says, “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” So the soldiers did these things, but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. (John 19:23–25 ESV).

 

Today as we continue the journey of making our way to the cross, I have come to this portion of the Gospel of John. It is a poignant look at the crass cruelty of Jesus’ execution. The soldiers assigned the task of performing the execution efficiently did their job. They had evidently done it many times before and approached the gruesome task with little or no attention given to either the victim of the bystanders. In fact, they see the clothes that were no doubt taken off Jesus before the scourging and began to divide them among themselves as “spoils” of their duty. The pain and horror must have been unbearable as Mary, her sister, and Mary Magdalene stood by powerless to intervene.

 

I hope you notice the significance of not tearing Jesus’ robe. Arthur Pink, one of the great preachers and writers of the 19^th Century wrote the following:

 

“The deeper significance of this is not difficult to perceive. Garments in Scripture, speak of conduct, as a display of character (cf. Psalms 109:18; 1 Peter 5:5). Now, the Savior’s "coat," His outer garment, was of one piece intimating the unity, the unbroken perfection of His ways. Unlike our "garments," which are, at best, so much patchwork, His robe was "without seam." Moreover, it was "woven from the top throughout" the mind of Him above controlled His every action! This "coat" or "robe" was a costly one, so owned even by the soldiers, for they declined to tear it to pieces. It spoke of the righteousness of Christ, the "robe of righteousness" (cf. Isaiah 61:10 ), the "best robe" (cf. Luke 15) with which the Father clothes each prodigal son. For this "robe" the soldiers cast lots, and we are told in Proverbs 16:33 that "The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord." Thus the action of these soldiers declares that the "best robe" is not left to the caprice of man’s will, but the Lord Himself has determined whose it shall be! Note another contrast; the sinful first Adam was clothed by God; the sinless last Adam was unclothed by wicked men.” – Arthur Pink

 

Humanity has been trying make for themselves “the best robes” since the sin of Adam and Eve. The only clothing that will do is the righteousness of Jesus! And, we do not “cast lots” for that privilege; it is freely given to all those who are the called according to the grace and mercy of God. Turn your thoughts with gratitude for being the child of God and having the best of robes to wear into eternity!

 

Making Our Way to Calvary - Pt 6

 

One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:39–43 ESV).

 

As I mentioned in yesterday’s devotional, today we take up the two thieves that were crucified on either side of Jesus. These two thieves, often called the "Good Thief" and the "Bad Thief," are not named in the New Testament but are identified in early Christian tradition—specifically the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus—as Dismas (or Dysmas) and Gestas (or Gesmas). Dismas asked for forgiveness and was promised paradise, while Gestas mocked Jesus, dying without grace. St. Gregory the Great, who lived from approximately 540 to March 12, 604 was a pivotal figure in early medieval history, and served as the 64th Pope of the Catholic Church from 590 to 604. In his work, Moralia in Job, he wrote:

 

“On the cross nails had fastened his hands and feet, and nothing remained free from torture, but his heart and tongue. By the inspiration of God, the thief offered to Him the whole which he found free, that as it is written, With the heart he might believe unto righteousness, with the mouth he might confess unto salvation. (Romans 10:10.) But the three virtues which the Apostle speaks of, (1 Corinthians 13:13.) the thief suddenly filled with grace both received and preserved on the cross. He had faith, for example, who believed that God would reign whom he saw dying equally with himself. He had hope who asked for an entrance into His kingdom. He preserved charity also zealously in his death, who for his iniquity reproved his brother and fellow-thief, dying for a like crime to his own.”

 

As we journey through this Lenten season, I pray that we would understand the wholeness of this work of Christ. Nothing needs to be added; it is a completed work. No wonder Jesus told the “good thief” his entrance into paradise would be “that day.” Anatoly of Optina relates a story that when the thief of the Gospel came to the gates of the Kingdom, the Archangel with the flaming sword wanted to chase him away, but he showed him the Cross. Immediately the fire-bearing Archangel himself withdrew and permitted the thief to enter. This was not the wooden cross on which he died; but the Cross of the Lord Jesus. We need no other identification or authentication than that! What will your confession be at that moment? Only faith in Jesus will gain us an open door!     

 

Making Our Way to Calvary - Pt 5

Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.” (Luke 23:32–38 ESV).

 

In today’s devotional I’ve chosen St. John Chrysostom (c. 347–407) to quote as we make our way to the Cross. He is renowned as one of the greatest preachers in Christian history, earning the moniker "golden-mouthed" (Chrysostom) for his immense eloquence. A Church Father and Archbishop of Constantinople, he is best known for his powerful sermons, commitment to serving the poor, and for composing the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom used in Eastern Christianity. His preaching on the Cross and the love of God expressed in the Cross is incredibly impactful as we consider our own response to Calvary:

 

“But we are able to see Christ’s inexpressible love for man not only from the cross itself but also from the words which He spoke while upon the cross. At the very time when He was nailed and they were mocking Him, deriding Him and spitting upon Him, He said: “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34)… At the same time that they were saying, “If You are the Son of God save Yourself,” He was accomplishing everything necessary to save these same ones who were reproaching Him. …He did forgive them, if they wished to repent, because if He had not forgiven them this sin, Paul would not have become an apostle;’ if He had not forgiven them this sin, the three thousand and the five thousand, and the many other thousands, would not have immediately believed.”

 

St. John Chrysostom famously declared the Cross a triumphant weapon and symbol of salvation, noting it turned the earth into heaven and served as a "trophy against the devil". He emphasized it as the ultimate proof of God's love and the source of human resurrection, transforming a symbol of death into a crown.

 

While there is much more to be seen in our reading today and we will look further at the two thieves crucified on either side of Jesus tomorrow; however, for today, I hope you will focus your attention on that center cross. There Jesus, the King of all kings proffered all that was necessary for every person ever created to be forgiven. It was a complete and perfect sacrifice. He paid the debt we could never pay and died the death we deserved!

 

Turn aside, even for just a moment, and recognize how great a love the Father has for you. The Apostle Paul said it this way:

 

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).

  

Making Our Way to Calvary - Pt 4

 

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (1 Corinthians 1:18–25 ESV).

 

Continuing our walk to Calvary, I would not do well to omit a brief look at today’s reading. John Calvin emphasized that these verses highlight the stark contrast between human wisdom and divine salvation through the cross. He reminds us that the early disciples focused on how God deliberately uses the "foolishness" of a crucified Savior to destroy human pride and demonstrate true power. In fact, Calvin issued a warning against “… letting preaching eloquence obscure the cross,” stating we must not let it "lead Christians to be taken up with an outward glitter of words... or cover over the cross of Christ with its empty show as with a veil".

 

The sterility of a message of the cross as mere doctrine denies the active, saving power of God, which seems foolish only to those who are perishing. God’s methods are purposefully designed to humble human intellect, as even the "foolishness" of God surpasses human wisdom (cf. v. 25). One of the central themes for the Reformers was that because salvation is entirely God's work through the cross, "no human being might boast in the presence of God" (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:29).

 

The Apostle Paul says the message of a crucified Messiah is a "stumbling block.” He uses the Greek word σκάνδαλον (skandalon), which literally translates “a stick for bait (of a trap), generally a snare.” This ought to give us pause when we use methods that do not directly point to the horror of the Cross. Jesus, the King of kings, the Creator of all things, the Lord above all, was executed in man’s most detestable way; and, He was innocent of any sin or transgression. It cannot be understood by anyone without faith as anything but foolishness. We cannot mask the true nature of Jesus’ sacrifice with any sort of human explanation. Only the declaration of the Scripture in all of its simplicity will do:

 

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. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. (Romans 5:6–10 ESV).

 

No wonder the reformers utilized our reading to support Sola Fide (faith alone) and Soli Deo Gloria (glory to God alone), reinforcing that salvation is not attained through human philosophical wisdom; it can only be given by God, Himself! Thank God for such a gift!

 

Making Our Way to Calvary - Pt 3

 

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:16–21 ESV).

 

It is essential to understand which came first of grace and free will. Reformers, following Paul in our reading today, emphasize that believers are a "new creation" in Christ, having transitioned from a worldly view to a spiritual one. Central to this is the doctrine of justification, where Christ takes on human sin in His death on the cross, allowing believers to receive his righteousness. It is a foundational text for the ministry of reconciliation, emphasizing the imputation of righteousness and God's initiative in reconciliation. In a famous sermon on Romans 8 that John Calvin later quoted, Augustine once preached:

 

“Yes, you act and are acted upon. And if you are acted upon by one who is good, then you act well. The Spirit of God who acts upon you is the helper of those who act. The name ‘helper’ indicates that you also do something… Grace does not destroy the will but rather restores it” (Sermon 156, on Romans 8:12–17, discussed memorably in Calvin’s Institutes II.V.15).

 

I have often used this principle when I teach people the difference between “I’ve got to do…” and “I get to do…” the will of God. Augustine again wrote: "To will is of nature, but to will aright is of grace". He emphasized that grace is essential for salvation and precedes all human initiative. The cross made this a possibility. Without the atonement Jesus made and thereby imputing His righteousness on to us, we would be as lost as Adam and Eve were after eating the forbidden fruit.

 

Still today we find ourselves wandering  through this great creation of our heavenly Father sewing together fig leaves to cover our nakedness and not realizing we have Jesus’ robe of righteousness that covers completely and perfectly. Listen to Augustine again: "O Lord, everything good in me is due to you. The rest is my fault …No greater gift has been bestowed by God". Dwell on that as we continue our walk to Calvary!

 

Making Our Way to Calvary - Pt 2

 

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith—just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. (Galatians 3:1–9 ESV).

 

It is easy to be lulled into complacency when we think of the Cross of Christ. However, the Reformers, particularly Martin Luther, thought much differently. He viewed our reading today as a critical defense of justification by faith alone, highlighting that the Spirit is received through hearing the Gospel, not by works of the law. Luther argued that believers are justified through faith and that true spiritual life begins and continues by trusting in Christ’s finished work in His death on the cross. In his Lectures on Galatians (1535), he wrote:

 

“Therefore a man becomes a Christian, not by working but by listening. And so anyone who wants to exert himself toward righteousness must first exert himself in listening to the Gospel. Now when he has heard and accepted this, let him joyfully give thanks to God, and then let him exert himself in good works that are commanded in the Law; thus the Law and works will follow hearing with faith.”

 

The Christian faith has a central event that connects heaven and earth. That event is the cross of Jesus Christ. Paul says, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul understood the significance of the cross as being the main thing. The cross shows victory, forgiveness, power, and freedom. The Galatians had lost sight of the cross, so Paul reminded them “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.” He then asked, “Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard?” (Galatians 3:1-2). The Galatians’ focus was on what they could do instead of what Christ had already done for them on the cross, and how the Holy Spirit could now guide them.

 

We must reassert our focus on what God has done on our behalf. The Gospel is of no effect if we are not both preaching it and listening to it. This is the only means of life!

Making Our Way to Calvary - Pt. 1

 

Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. (1 Peter 1:10–12 ESV).

 

We are but three weeks away from Easter. In these days I pray that looking through the lens of some of the great reformers we may be able to see the glory of this great gift God has given us through the work of Christ. The first of these takes us to our reading today and a quote from Thomas Brooks, who lived from 1608 to 1680. He was a prominent English non-conformist Puritan preacher and author known for his vivid, practical, and highly illustrative writing style. Often referred to as a "doctor of the soul," his works are celebrated for their deep spiritual insight and simple, accessible language that continues to influence Reformed thought today. He wrote in A String of Pearls the following:

 

“A believer’s inheritance, his glory, his happiness, his blessedness, shall be as fresh and flourishing after he hath been many thousand thousands of years in heaven as it was at his first entrance into it… There is a worm at the root of all earthly inheritances that will consume them in time. All earthly comforts and contents are but like a fair picture that is drawn upon the ice, which continues not; or like the morning cloud, that soon passes away. But a believer’s inheritance endures forever. When this world shall be no more , the inheritance of the saints shall be fresh, flourishing, and continuing.”

 

The Apostle Peter speaks of the things that await us as a result of our redemption as “things into which angels long to look” (v. 12). Can you imagine? That which is our gift because of the work of Christ are things the angels long to look at. These great celestial creatures who surround the throne of God have a desire to see these things because of their greatness. The Greek language is especially helpful here. Literally Peter writes the “eagerly peer into or study” the mysteries of the Gospel, specifically the salvation of humanity, the sufferings of Christ, and the subsequent glories. This signifies an intense angelic interest in God's grace, mercy, and wisdom in redemption, which they witness from an outside perspective. We have been given all of the benefits of that work of grace! That is the measure of God’s love toward us.

As your journey seems to be filled with difficulties and challenges, spend a moment and remember that which awaits you. It is so incredible, even the angels long to see it!

 

Joseph's Bones - Our Eternal Hope

 

So Joseph remained in Egypt, he and his father’s house. Joseph lived 110 years. And Joseph saw Ephraim’s children of the third generation. The children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were counted as Joseph’s own. And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt. (Genesis 50:22–26 ESV).

 

At the end of his life, Jospeh makes his brothers swear an oath to “carry” his bones with them when they leave Egypt and return to the land God had given them. For many readers of this story this verse (v. 25) is almost ignored. Yet it carries with it one of most incredible examples of Joseph’s faith which gave him his unshakeable hope in the future. In fact, in Reformed theology, this verse is interpreted as a profound demonstration of faith in God's covenant promises and a rejection of settling in Egypt. John Calvin commented that this act signaled that the "eternal covenant" did not die with Joseph. It highlights that Joseph's hope was not in his position or comfort in Egypt, but in the future, greater fulfillment of God’s plan.

 

According to D. Martin Lloyd-Jones, Joseph's direction to “carry his bones home” was an incredible declaration of faith in the promise of God. Even after living in the luxury of Egypt for years, Joseph’s heart was never truly there. His request to have his bones moved was a final, physical witness to his belief in God's promise to Abraham. Lloyd-Jones also emphasizes that Joseph died with absolute certainty that God would "visit" His people and deliver them, even if it took centuries. It highlights God’s sovereign governance. Joseph trusted that even though he died in a foreign land (Egypt), God’s plan to bring His people to the Promised Land remained certain.

 

What this means for us today is that whatever this world is, it is not our home. As much as we may have, or as little as we may have, it is merely temporary. We are being prepared to be taken to our eternal home by Jesus Himself.

NOTE: Full essay of this study is available by request (please email request to oldag71@yahoo.com). 

 

Joseph - the Great Reunion with His Father

 

He had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to show the way before him in Goshen, and they came into the land of Goshen. Then Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to meet Israel his father in Goshen. He presented himself to him and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while. Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.” Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. (Genesis 46:28–31 ESV).

 

It’s strange, but at the worst or best of times in their lives, people sometimes say, like Jacob, that they are ready to die. Earlier in his life Jacob had said he would welcome death because he had lost his favorite son, Joseph (cf. Genesis 37:35). However, though he mourned and mourned and refused to be comforted, Jacob did not die out of grief.

 

Now, reunited with Joseph and ecstatic to have this dear son in his arms again, Jacob repeats that he is ready to die. But this time, rather than grief, he expresses joy at having been reconciled to his sons, both to his son lost in slavery and to his sons who betrayed their brother.

 

Let’s note this tender moment: Joseph, so eager to see his father, orders his chariot to be prepared and races out to meet Jacob in Goshen. As soon as he arrives, Joseph wraps his arms around his aged father and weeps “for a long time.” What delirious joy! In this way, over 20 years of aching separation comes to an end.

 

Many of us have also struggled with aching separation in our lives. And the worst kind is separation from God. But that ended with the work of Christ on the cross and in the resurrection. Jesus said it this way:

 

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14:1-7 ESV).