Taking Care of Business

it is thursday. Jesus is taking care of business. tying up loose ends so to speak. he spent most of the week with his followers, healing preaching, teaching, getting intoverbal mazes with his accusers. but now it was time to spend his last passover meal with his disciples.

i do not know if i could stand to be in the presence of Jesus during this intimate time with his disciples. like peter i would feel so unworthy. Jesus washes their feet. he promises peace, most importantly, he promises the Holy Spirit.

Jesus comforts them with some of the most beautiful words i have ever read:

"do not let your hearts be troubled. trust in God; trust also in me. in my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, i would have told you. i am going there to prepare a place for you. and if i go and prepare a place for you, i will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where i am. you know the way to the place where i am going." (john 14)

Jesus prays for himself knowing what will happen in the next few hours and over the weekend. he prays for himself and for his disciples.

then the most astounding thing happens...he prays for us! this whole scene depicts his deep compassion for all of humankind. the entire reason he came to earth has amounted to thursday night.

what would you do in his place? cry? scream? curse everyone around you? throw things? yell at the sky? only Jesus could do it with such grace and dignity.

Jesus passed a cup around.

"take this and divide it among you. for i tell you i will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."

Jesus took the unleavened bread and broke it.

"this is my body which is given for you..."

the disciples watched their leader intently. why was there a sadness surrounding him? the crowds had hailed him as king just four days earlier, why was he worried?

the meal ends with Jesus singing a hymn. then off to the kidron valley where there was an olive grove where they could pray all night. Jesus prays, but is frustrated that his disciples cannot pray all night with him. they fall asleep. fully human. but the dark forces of evil were stirring agaist all that is divine!

suddenly life as they knew it changed forever. judas appeared with a crowd. an odd kiss 'hello'...a scuffle...a man's bloody ear...Jesus healed the ear... Jesus is arrested!

the disciples scatter in fear...my Lord, what is happening to my Lord? the people hailed you as a King just days earlier!...Jesus is taken to annas a realative of caiaphas. caiaphas had decided that one man should die each year for the sake of the people...what an odd decision to make at a time like that! not even knowing that it was Jesus who made the decision to die not caiaphas...the high priest interrogates Jesus...it was a cold night...so cold....a fire was built... "hey! aren't you one of them too?" a girl asks peter... peter denied Jesus...he runs aimlessy into the night...a rooster crowed...peter wept bitterly...how could i do such a thing? he thinks to himself....don't hurt him! don't you understand he is a king? he's my king!...i'm too tired for this!...give us back our king!...already? is the day dawining?... where did everybody go?...it's friday morning.

questions
have you spent time with the King of Kings today to hear his voice and hang on to his every word? do you need to go back to the heart of worship?

read
john 12-18

song in my head
'i'm coming back to the heart of worship and it's all about you, it's all about you Jesus. i'm sorry Lord for the thing i've made it 'cause it's all about you, it's all about you Jesus.'