BREATHE a reader for lent
INTRODUCTION
HOW TO USE THIS READER Inhale - Read the Text In this reader, we invite you to encounter God through each daily text. Each week has a theme that is structured around an instance of God’s revelation in the Old Testament. The chosen passages illuminate how Jesus breathes new life into these promises.
Week 1 – God’s Breath of Life Week 2 – The Noah Covenant Week 3 – The Abraham Covenant Week 4 – The Gift of the Law Week 5 – The Gift of the Priesthood Week 6 – The David Covenant Week 7 – Holy Week
Take your time reading, or “inhaling,” each day’s text; it’s not a race to “get through” each day. Read to become immersed in what God is saying to you through his God- breathed Word. If you find yourself behind, give yourself grace. Instead of backtracking and reading missed texts, continue with that day’s reading. Reading Scripture each day is a practice that requires intentionality, patience, and perseverance.
Traditionally, Sundays during Lent are considered “feast days.” Although they are certainly a part of Lent, they are not included in the 40 days of Lent. For this reason, consider taking a break from using this reader on Sundays. Reserve Sundays for a time of celebration with your family and friends. Exhale – Respond to the Text After each Scripture reading is an opportunity for you as the reader to respond, or to “exhale.” Each day has a suggested prayer called a “breath prayer.” This kind of prayer is an ancient Christian practice that utilizes the rhythm of our breathing to focus our thoughts on God’s presence. To practice this prayer, inhale when you think about the name of God, then exhale when you utter the plea or petition. In Hebrew, the word for “breath” is hevel, which also means “meaningless” or “fleeting” (see Ecclesiastes 1:2). Breath prayers remind us of how fleeting our lives are. As we employ this practice, we’re reminded that our breaths are numbered. Breath prayers also center our thoughts on God’s continual presence. Since breath prayers are short and easy to remember, we can carry them with us throughout the day and frequently repeat them. It’s an easy way to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). We encourage you to use the examples provided or to write your own. Resources - You Are Not Alone Wrestling with suffering and death is difficult. We know that the themes in this reader might conjure complex emotions and thoughts. If at any point you would like to speak to someone, we want you to know that we are here for you. Please visit our care page for resources and contact information.
Above all, we hope that this reader invites you to meditate on Christ’s presence. May you be reminded of Christ’s triumph over sin and death, and may you welcome Christ’s new breath in you. BREATHE
A READER FOR LENT
The meaningful moments of our lives are often measured in breaths. When life is so beautiful, it’s as though our lungs can’t inhale deeply enough: the satisfied sigh after finishing a rewarding book; the deep inhalation when we first learn how to swim; the gasp of surprise at a breathtaking sunrise; the awed breath we loose when our child breathes her very first breath. But when life is painful, our breathing takes on a different dynamic: the sharp intake of breath at the prick of a needle; the labored breaths after a terrible accident; the gasp at a horrific news headline; the slow exhale when a family member breathes his very last breath.
Inhale. Exhale.
For the Church, Easter is the time of the year for new breath. When sin and death threaten to stifle us, Easter reminds us to breathe again. At this climactic point in the Biblical narrative, God’s people loose a breath they didn’t even realize they were holding. The first breath that Jesus breathed upon his resurrection is the adamant declaration that death couldn’t win. Easter is the celebration of the breath of life that Jesus has given us. However, in a rush to arrive at this part about Jesus’ breath of life after death, we tend to skip over the painful breaths Jesus breathed before death. In order to fully understand and celebrate Easter, we must confront the truth that death came before new life. Pain came before the joy of resurrection. Jesus, fully God but also fully human, had a limited number of breaths. They were counted.
Crucifixion was a slow, excruciating process, and the final cause of death would inevitably be suffocation. As Jesus hung on the cross, in terrible agony, we can imagine the disciples anxiously counting the seconds in between Jesus’ breaths. Which exhale wouldn’t follow with another inhale? Finally, after hours and hours of this heightened dread, “with a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last” (Mark 15:37). There were no more breaths to count.
There is no greater trauma than death. Because of this, we have the tendency to avoid thoughts about suffering at all costs. We fall into a routine of paying bills, doing laundry, and changing diapers, and anytime death so much as enters our minds, we quickly shove it away. Suffering of any kind makes us uncomfortable. We avoid counting our own breaths.
Inhale. Exhale.
But there is beauty when we acknowledge the fact that our breaths will one day cease. When we stare death in the eye, we confront the wrongness we all innately feel toward it. We recognize that death, while real, should not have the final say. In the Christian calendar, Lent is a declaration that you are going to die. During this season, believers all over the world confront death personally. We choose to acknowledge and accept the brevity of our lives. It is a time when we recognize that the fact that our breaths are numbered is all our fault. “The wages of sin is death,” writes Paul (Romans 6:23). Because we have all sinned, we have brought death upon ourselves. We were made from the dust of the earth, and God breathed life into our lungs. But one day we will be reduced to ashes and our breathing will cease (Gen. 3:19). It is for this reason that many believers put ashes on their foreheads on Ash Wednesday. The ashes remind us of our sins and their devastating consequences.
Because of your sin, you are going to die. Nobody gets out of here alive.
Inhale. Exhale.
But Lent also reminds us of the hope we all have in Christ. Lent concludes with Easter Sunday, a powerful reminder that God’s “yes” to life is louder than death’s “no.” Easter is about God’s vindication. It’s about God’s triumph over death and our subsequent triumph that will occur in the future. Christ is the first fruit of the resurrection, and we are promised to follow (1 Cor. 15). The wages of sin is both spiritual and physical death, and in order to fully conquer death, God will reverse both of sin’s dire consequences in our lives. It is through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross that our spiritual death is reversed; it is through Christ’s resurrection that our physical death will one day be reversed. Christ’s past is our future.
Inhale. Exhale.
During this Lenten season, inhale God’s promises. Reflect on the beautiful, albeit short, life that God has given you. As you exhale, think about how fleeting your life is. Someday a breath will not follow. You are going to die.
Then remember Easter. Remember that Christ’s resurrection is your resurrection. Think about how God’s life will one day fill your lungs when you are brought back to life. That long-awaited breath declares that the crucified and resurrected Jesus will never leave us nor forsake us, not even in death.
Christ has died. Christ has risen. Christ will come again. DAY 1 Ash Wednesday
Isaiah 58:1-14 (The Voice) Eternal One: Tell My people about their wrongdoing; shout with a voice like a trumpet; Hold nothing back: say this people of Jacob’s line and heritage have failed to do what is right.
And yet they look for Me every day. They pretend to want to learn what I teach, as if they are indeed a nation good and true, as if they hadn’t really turned their backs on My directives. They even ask Me, as though they care, about what I want them to be and do, as if they really want Me in their lives.
People: Why didn’t You notice how diligently we fasted before You? We humbled ourselves with pious practices and You paid no attention.
Eternal One: I have to tell you, on those fasting days, all you were really seeking was your own pleasure; Besides, you were busy defrauding people and abusing your workers.
Your kind of fasting is pointless, for it only leads to bitter quarrels, contentious backbiting, and vicious fighting. You are not fasting today because you want Me to hear your voice.
What kind of a fast do I choose? Is a true fast simply some religious exercise for making a person feel miserable and woeful? Is it about how you bow your head (like a bent reed), how you dress (in sackcloth), and where you sit (in a bed of ashes)? Is this what you call a fast, a day the Eternal One finds good and proper?
No, what I want in a fast is this: to liberate those tied down and held back by injustice, to lighten the load of those heavily burdened, to free the oppressed and shatter every type of oppression.
A fast for Me involves sharing your food with people who have none, giving those who are homeless a space in your home, giving clothes to those who need them, and not neglecting your own family.
Then, oh then, your light will break out like the warm, golden rays of a rising sun; in an instant, you will be healed. Your rightness will precede and protect you; the glory of the Eternal will follow and defend you. Then when you do call out, “My God, Where are You?” The Eternal One will answer, “I am here, I am here.”
If you remove the yoke of oppression from the downtrodden among you, stop accusing others, and do away with mean and inflammatory speech, If you make sure that the hungry and oppressed have all that they need, then your light will shine in the darkness, and even your bleakest moments will be bright as a clear day. The Eternal One will never leave you; He will lead you in the way that you should go. When you feel dried up and worthless, God will nourish you and give you strength. And you will grow like a garden lovingly tended; you will be like a spring whose water never runs out. You will discover there are people among your own who can rebuild this broken-down city out of the ancient ruins; you will firm up its ancient foundations. And all around, others will call you “Repairer of Broken Down Walls” and “Rebuilder of Livable Streets.”
If because of the Sabbath you set aside your own pursuits and pleasure, and you honor the Sabbath and sanctify that day by leaving it to and for the Eternal— If you speak of Sabbath-delight but avoid speaking idle words, and refuse to get caught up and busy with your interests and concerns— Then you will discover joy such as only the Eternal can give. And I will raise you high and make your reach as wide as the earth, And you will live on all that I promised to Jacob, your ancestor, the heart of Israel.
The Eternal One said these very things.
Lent is a reminder of what Christ gave up for us. It is a time to mourn over our sins and realize how dependent we are on God’s mercy. It is a time of repentance, reflection, and humbleness. For this reason, many choose to fast from something for the 40 days of Lent, much like Jesus fasted for 40 days (Matt. 4:1-2).
As the prophet reminds us in this passage, however, fasting is not an end in itself; it is a means to an end. Our goal should be to draw closer to Christ, not to appear holier on the outside by shedding x-many pounds or abstaining from x-many cups of coffee. While fasting certainly can become instruments whereby we better experience God’s presence, the goal should not be to just complete these tasks and check them off of our list of things to do. This is the pattern of thinking of which the prophet Isaiah accuses the Israelites.
God calls us from this old, broken, “religious” way of fasting to a new, living way of fasting. This new kind of fasting urges us to examine our hearts and motives. It urges us to examine our habits and ask: Are our practices causing us to love God more and more? Are we falling in love with God’s people? Are we becoming more gracious, more compassionate, more generous? Are we becoming the people God created us to be?
Perhaps instead of giving something up we could add something to our lives. Sometimes, the presence of something new can invoke a sense of God’s presence that the absence of something cannot.
Breath Prayer: Eternal One, where are you?
WEEK 1 – GOD’S BREATH OF LIFE DAY 2
Genesis 2:4-7; 3:19 (NIV) Act 1: Creation This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens. Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
Act 2: The Fall By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.
The pinnacle of God’s creation was humankind, whom he formed from the dust of the earth. The description of God breathing life into humankind was significant, especially in this ancient Near Eastern context. In fact, this passage is notably similar to an ancient Mesopotamian ritual that involved vivifying a statue of a deity. This ritual often took place by a river in a sacred garden, and once complete, the idol was thought to become a living, breathing image of a god.
As bearers of God’s image, God’s breath gives us this unique identity (Genesis 1:26-27). Although we are dust, this divinely ordained distinctiveness gives us intrinsic value. We are called to serve as God’s representatives in this world, reflecting God’s love and justice.
But then comes the curse. Although the image of God is still present within us, sin mars our ability to perfectly reflect God’s characteristics. The consequences of our broken image are dire: dust we are, and to dust we will return. God’s desire is for us to restored into his image, and it is only by being filled with God’s Spirit that this is possible.
Breathe deeply. Invite God’s Spirit to dwell within you. Remember that you are dust, and to dust you will ultimately return. But, because of God’s breath in your lungs, you are more valuable than the dust of which you are comprised.
Breath Prayer: Breath of Life, breathe into me. DAY 3
Ezekiel 37:1-14 (The Voice) The Eternal had a hold on me, and I couldn’t escape it. The divine wind of the Eternal One picked me up and set me down in the middle of the valley, but this time it was full of bones. God led me through the bones. There were piles of bones everywhere in the valley—dry bones left unburied.
Eternal One (to Ezekiel): Son of man, do you think these bones can live?
Ezekiel: Eternal Lord, certainly You know the answer better than I do.
Eternal One: Actually, I do. Prophesy to these bones. Tell them to listen to what the Eternal Lord says to them: “Dry bones, I will breathe breath into you, and you will come alive. I will attach muscles and tendons to you, cause flesh to grow over them, and cover you with skin. I will breathe breath into you, and you will come alive. After this happens, you will know that I am the Eternal.”
So I did what God told me to do: I prophesied to the bones. As I was speaking, I heard a loud noise—a rattling sound—and all the bones began to come together and form complete skeletons. I watched and saw muscles and tendons attach to the bones, flesh grow over them, and skin wrap itself around the reforming bodies. But there was still no breath in them.
Eternal One: Prophesy to the breath. Speak, son of man, and tell them what the Eternal Lord has to say: “O sweet breath, come from the four winds and breathe into these who have been killed. Make these corpses come alive.”
So I did what God told me to do: I prophesied to the breath. As I was speaking, breath invaded the lifeless. The bodies came alive and stood on their feet. I realized then I was looking at a great army.
Eternal One: Son of man, these bones are the entire community of Israel. They keep saying, “Our bones are dry now, picked clean by scavengers. All hope is gone. Our nation is lost.”
He told me to prophesy and tell them what He said.
Eternal One: Pay attention, My people! I am going to open your graves and bring you back to life! I will carry you straight back to the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Eternal One. I will breathe My Spirit into you, and you will be alive once again. I will place you back in your own land. After that you will know I, the Eternal, have done what I said I would do.
So said the Eternal One.
WEEK 1 – GOD’S BREATH OF LIFE DAY 3 continued
Ezekiel’s vision reveals the dismal physical and spiritual state of the nation of Israel. Conquered by the Babylonian Empire and exiled from their land, any prospect of hope seemed too idealistic. Even worse, the Israelites knew that this exile was all their fault. As God’s covenant people, they were called to be a witness to the nations around them by bearing God’s image. Because they refused to worship God only and bear his image, this empty field of bones was the disastrous result. Their cities were in shambles, their temple was ransacked, their king was overthrown… Even if God somehow redeemed them, how could they possibly be even a shadow of their former self?
Ezekiel’s message of hope reminds us that God can bring good things out of even the bleakest circumstances. He can restore what was destroyed; he can replenish that which was taken away. In this vision, God breathes life into the Israelites. He promises to restore them physically back to their land, but, perhaps more importantly, he promises to make them spiritually alive again. Their image of God was marred, but through God’s breath they could be renewed.
Breath Prayer: Deliverer, do something new in me.
DAY 4
John 20:19-22 (NLT) That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
This instance of Jesus breathing on his followers makes us remember the first time that God breathed life into his creations (Genesis 2:7). This initial breath designated humanity as his image bearers, but humanity rejected this responsibility, choosing a life of sin and death instead. But here Jesus breathes new life into his followers. He reanimates them with his Spirit, establishing them once again as the bearers of his image. Now, through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ followers can fully live as the people God created them to be.
Breath Prayer: Holy One, I receive your Spirit.
WEEK 1 – GOD’S BREATH OF LIFE DAY 5
Genesis 1:1-10 (NRSV) In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
And God said, “Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
In the ancient world, this opening would have been something akin to a horror story. Darkness, emptiness, and water were seen as unconquerable forces of chaos. According to other Mesopotamian creation accounts, not even the gods could control these entities. Israel’s manifesto claimed otherwise. Their God was neither threatened nor limited by chaos; in fact, he beckoned it to his will and created a system of order from it. Darkness and water responded without the slightest bit of resistance.
When we feel like the waters of chaos are swallowing us whole, we can be reassured that there is no circumstance too overwhelming or situation too menacing for God’s sovereignty. There is no sin in our life too destructive or secret too dark that God can’t handle.
Breath Prayer: Sovereign God, calm my chaos.
WEEK 2 - THE NOAH COVENANT DAY 6
Genesis 9:8-17 (NRSV) Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, “As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”
God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”
God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”
This is the first instance we have in the Biblical narrative of a covenant that God makes with his creations. An important feature of this covenant is the “sign” that God makes: a rainbow. The Hebrew word for “rainbow” (qeshet) is also the same word for a war bow. This is no coincidence. By putting a rainbow in the sky, God was symbolically hanging up his weapon. He was declaring that he would no longer wage war against what he had created. God’s weapon in the sky is a sign of God’s forgiveness. Creation’s sin after the flood did not magically disappear, but God nevertheless keeps his promise to exercise mercy.
Our sins justify God picking up his bow again, but God forgives us time and time again. Our sins sentence us to death, but God, “who is rich in mercy, makes us alive with Christ” (Ephesians 2:4-5).
Breath Prayer: Faithful One, have mercy on me, a sinner. DAY 7
Psalm 69:1-3; 13-18 (ESV) Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me. I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God.
But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness. Deliver me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters. Let not the flood sweep over me, or the deep swallow me up, or the pit close its mouth over me. Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me. Hide not your face from your servant, for I am in distress; make haste to answer me. Draw near to my soul, redeem me; ransom me because of my enemies!
How is God present in this text?
Breath Prayer: Save me, O God!
WEEK 2 - THE NOAH COVENANT DAY 8
1 Peter 3:18-22 (The Message) [Jesus] suffered because of others’ sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones. He went through it all—was put to death and then made alive—to bring us to God.
He went and proclaimed God’s salvation to earlier generations who ended up in the prison of judgment because they wouldn’t listen. You know, even though God waited patiently all the days that Noah built his ship, only a few were saved then, eight to be exact—saved from the water by the water. The waters of baptism do that for you, not by washing away dirt from your skin but by presenting you through Jesus’ resurrection before God with a clear conscience. Jesus has the last word on everything and everyone, from angels to armies. He’s standing right alongside God, and what he says goes.
In the Noah story, water was the vehicle through which God judged humanity’s sin. Through Jesus, this destructive force becomes the means by which we publicly declare that God’s Spirit is present in us. Through Jesus, punishment becomes grace; fear becomes trust.
Breath Prayer: Giver of life, wash me clean. DAY 9
Mark 4:35-41 (NIV) That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
The question the disciples ask Jesus is strange. They could have asked a number of questions, such as, “How are you still asleep?” Or “Why aren’t you helping us?” Instead, they poignantly ask, “Don’t you care if we drown?” In the midst of difficult times, this is often the question we ask God: “Don’t you care?” We know God is powerful enough to intervene. We don’t doubt his ability; we doubt his interest.
We fear that God’s care for us isn’t compelling enough for him to come to our rescue. We fear that God will abandon us in our greatest times of need. But Jesus speaks the same words over us as he spoke to the waters of chaos: Quiet. Be still. Do not be afraid. Have faith.
Breath Prayer: Jesus, give me faith instead of fear.
WEEK 2 - THE NOAH COVENANT DAY 10
Revelation 4:1-6a (NRSV) After this I looked, and there in heaven a door stood open! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the spirit, and there in heaven stood a throne, with one seated on the throne! And the one seated there looks like jasper and carnelian, and around the throne is a rainbow that looks like an emerald. Around the throne are twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones are twenty-four elders, dressed in white robes, with golden crowns on their heads. Coming from the throne are flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and in front of the throne burn seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God; and in front of the throne there is something like a sea of glass, like crystal.
In John’s dramatic vision, he saw a rainbow encircling God’s throne. Like the vision that his prophetic predecessor Ezekiel had, this rainbow connects with the Noah covenant (see Ezekiel 1:26-28). This rainbow causes us as readers to recall God’s loving faithfulness with his people (see comments from Day 6). God will exercise mercy as he judges from his throne. God is often more merciful than we as humans think he should be, and in this heavenly scene God will once again hang up his weapon.
The sea of glass in front of God’s throne reminds us of God’s control over chaos. The sea, a symbol of turmoil and destruction in the ancient Near East, is calm and clear. Chaos has been vanquished. In fact, in John’s final vision of the new heaven and new earth, there is no sea at all (Revelation 21:1). The source of destruction from the Noah story is no more; the only thing that remains is the rainbow.
Breath Prayer: Merciful God, I praise you.
WEEK 2 - THE NOAH COVENANT DAY 11
Genesis 17:1-16 (The Voice) When Abram was 99 years old, the Eternal One appeared to him again, assuring him of the promise of a child yet to come.
Eternal One: I am the God-All-Powerful. Walk before Me. Continue to trust and serve Me faithfully. Be blameless and true. If you are true and trust Me, then I will make certain the covenant with you that I promised. I will bless you with a throng of descendants.
Abram bowed low, his face and body flat on the ground.
Eternal One: Here is My covenant with you. I promise you will become the root of a huge family tree of multiple nations. To symbolize your foundational role in this covenant, I hereby change your name. You will no longer go by the name “Abram.” Your new name will be “Abraham,” which means “father of a great multitude of nations,” because that is exactly what I will make of you. Your descendants will be exceedingly fruitful. Nations and kings will descend from you. I hereby make this covenant—this sacred bond—between Me and you and all of your children and their children’s children throughout the coming generations. It will be an eternal covenant. I will be your God and the God to all who come after you! I will fulfill My promise to give you and your descendants the land of Canaan, where you now live as foreigners. I will place all of Canaan into your hands to be yours forever. I will be your God and their God forever.
As for your part in the agreement, you and your descendants must keep My covenant throughout the generations. The sign that you and your family keep My covenant is this: each male who lives among you shall be circumcised. The circumcised flesh of your foreskins constitutes a special “sign” of the covenant I made with you, a relationship bonded together by loyalty and love. From this point onward, throughout coming generations, each male child born to you should be circumcised when he is eight days old. You must circumcise all male members of your household, even the slaves born within your household or the servants purchased from foreigners who aren’t your flesh and blood; anyone and everyone within your household must carry this sign. This external mark on his body will be a sign of My everlasting covenant. Any male who is not separated from his foreskin will be cut off from his people and excluded from these covenant promises because he has broken My covenant.
As for Sarai, your wife, the covenant applies to her as well. No longer will she be known as Sarai; her new name will be Sarah. She will receive My special blessing, and she will conceive a son by you. With My blessing on her, she will become the founding princess of nations to come. Kings of many peoples will be counted among her children.
WEEK 3 – THE ABRAHAM COVENANT DAY 11 continued
This passage signifies God’s new plan to redeem the world back to himself. God chose to reveal himself to the family of Abraham, with the promise that he would make them into an influential nation. It is through this nation that God would continue to reveal himself to his sinful creation. He would teach them about what it means to be his image-bearers, thus reconciling the world back to himself.
Circumcision was the sign of faithfulness to this covenant. In this ancient context, circumcision was actually a common practice. In many cultures, it was seen as a rite of passage for puberty, marriage, or priesthood. In the Israelite culture, however, God uses this ritual as a theological rite of passage into the covenantal community. Unlike the rainbow in the Noah story, which was a reminder for God, circumcision was a reminder for the people involved in the covenant. All Israelite males were circumcised, and whenever someone outside of the covenantal community decided to follow God, they were also circumcised. Whenever the Israelite males saw the mark on their bodies, they recalled their duty in upholding the covenant. The physical mark served as a powerful reminder: they belonged to the God Almighty. The practice urged God’s people to remain faithful to the redemptive calling with which God had entrusted them.
As followers of Christ, we no longer observe this covenantal sign. Nevertheless, we are still part of the covenantal community. Through Christ, our hearts are “circumcised.” The evidence of what God is doing in and through us moves us to live as his people. The work of God’s Spirit in our hearts reminds us that we belong to God.
Breath Prayer: God Almighty, make me your own. DAY 12
Deuteronomy 10:12-22 (NIV) And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?
To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. Yet the Lord set his affection on your ancestors and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations—as it is today. Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt. Fear the Lord your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. He is the one you praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes. Your ancestors who went down into Egypt were seventy in all, and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky.
How is God present in this text?
Breath Prayer: Great God, circumcise my heart.
WEEK 3 – THE ABRAHAM COVENANT DAY 13
Mark 8:31-38 (NIV) He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
Although Peter chose to submit himself as a disciple under Jesus’ authority, he brought his own set of agenda with him. The majority of Israelites thought that the Messiah figure would be a military leader who would usurp the Roman rule, and Peter was no exception. Peter was so beguiled by this agenda that he had the audacity to correct Jesus, going so far as to “rebuke” his Master.
Jesus renounced Peter’s agenda and commanded, “Get behind me.” This simple directive was a signal for Peter to take the place of a disciple. Peter was no longer following Jesus; he was overstepping his boundary and trying to lead. Following Jesus means submitting ourselves to Jesus’ agenda and going the direction that Jesus is going. And Jesus’ route is to the cross.
Jesus’ message is clear: the mark of being one of his followers involves taking up our crosses. We must die to ourselves in order to be made alive in Christ. Just as Jesus laid himself down for us, so must we lay ourselves down for others (1 John 3:16). This is the mark of God’s “circumcision” upon our hearts.
Breath Prayer: Son of Man, I follow behind you. DAY 14
Acts 15:1-11 (The Message) It wasn’t long before some Jews showed up from Judea insisting that everyone be circumcised: “If you’re not circumcised in the Mosaic fashion, you can’t be saved.” Paul and Barnabas were up on their feet at once in fierce protest. The church decided to resolve the matter by sending Paul, Barnabas, and a few others to put it before the apostles and leaders in Jerusalem.
After they were sent off and on their way, they told everyone they met as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria about the breakthrough to the non- Jewish outsiders. Everyone who heard the news cheered—it was terrific news! When they got to Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas were graciously received by the whole church, including the apostles and leaders. They reported on their recent journey and how God had used them to open things up to the outsiders. Some Pharisees stood up to say their piece. They had become believers, but continued to hold to the hard party line of the Pharisees. “You have to circumcise the pagan converts,” they said. “You must make them keep the Law of Moses.”
The apostles and leaders called a special meeting to consider the matter. The arguments went on and on, back and forth, getting more and more heated. Then Peter took the floor: “Friends, you well know that from early on God made it quite plain that he wanted the pagans to hear the Message of this good news and embrace it—and not in any secondhand or roundabout way, but firsthand, straight from my mouth. And God, who can’t be fooled by any pretense on our part but always knows a person’s thoughts, gave them the Holy Spirit exactly as he gave him to us. He treated the outsiders exactly as he treated us, beginning at the very center of who they were and working from that center outward, cleaning up their lives as they trusted and believed him.
“So why are you now trying to out-god God, loading these new believers down with rules that crushed our ancestors and crushed us, too? Don’t we believe that we are saved because the Master Jesus amazingly and out of sheer generosity moved to save us just as he did those from beyond our nation? So what are we arguing about?”
In this passage, we see quite a different Peter than the one from yesterday’s reading. Peter is no longer trying to enact his own agenda. Instead, he is attuned to the heart of his Master. He has put himself in the position of a disciple, following in the direction where Jesus is leading his people. Peter now understands that God sometimes leads his people down new paths, and we must be willing to let go of previously held ideas and beliefs.
This council seems to have little bearing on us in the 21st Century, but the ideas that Peter insisted upon in this passage pave the way for our faith today. Because of this meeting, God’s people finally confronted the fact that Gentiles did not need to become circumcised before God would accept them as part of his covenantal community. The early church realized that God had broken all the barriers that separated Jews from Gentiles. In response, the believers realized that they should not create unnecessary obstacles that would prevent others from encountering God’s life-giving presence.
WEEK 3 – THE ABRAHAM COVENANT DAY 14 continued
The temptation to add requirements, however, is certainly not limited to the first century church. Even today we often add on expectations for believers, insisting that we must do something in order to feel as though we deserve our new life in Christ. We amass prerequisites, deceiving ourselves into believing that we need to appear more like Christians. What we fail to realize is that outward appearances are meant to serve as a reminder for how we are to govern our internal disposition. Just as circumcision was designed to direct God’s people to invite God’s presence into their lives, so should any outward marks or practices redirect our attention to the work that God is doing within us. As Peter proclaimed, we should not try to “out-god God.” Through Jesus, God has made a new way for everyone to come to him.
Breath Prayer: Master Jesus, I accept your way. DAY 15
Romans 4:1-12 (NIRV) What should we say about these things? What did Abraham, the father of our people, discover about being right with God? Did he become right with God because of something he did? If so, he could brag about it. But he couldn’t brag to God. What do we find in Scripture? It says, “Abraham believed God. God accepted Abraham’s faith, and so his faith made him right with God.” (Genesis 15:6)
When a person works, their pay is not considered a gift. It is owed to them. But things are different with God. He makes ungodly people right with himself. If people trust in him, their faith is accepted even though they do not work. Their faith makes them right with God. King David says the same thing. He tells us how blessed people are when God makes them right with himself. They are blessed because they don’t have to do anything in return. David says, “Blessed are those whose lawless acts are forgiven. Blessed are those whose sins are taken away. Blessed is the person whose sin the Lord never counts against them.” (Psalm 32:1-2)
Is that blessing only for those who are circumcised? Or is it also for those who are not circumcised? We have been saying that God accepted Abraham’s faith. So his faith made him right with God. When did it happen? Was it after Abraham was circumcised, or before? It was before he was circumcised, not after! He was circumcised as a sign of the covenant God had made with him. It showed that his faith had made him right with God before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the father of all believers who have not been circumcised. God accepts their faith. So their faith makes them right with him. And Abraham is also the father of those who are circumcised and believe. So just being circumcised is not enough. Those who are circumcised must also follow the steps of our father Abraham. He had faith before he was circumcised.
How is God present in this text?
Breath Prayer: Just God, accept my faith.
WEEK 3 – THE ABRAHAM COVENANT DAY 16
Colossians 2:8-15 (NLT) Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.
When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature. For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.
You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.
Through Christ, what God began with the Abrahamic covenant is brought to completion. Now, in Christ, we are “spiritually circumcised.” Our sinful nature is cut away so that we can live lives that reflect God’s love, justice, and goodness.
Breath Prayer: Victorious One, make me alive in you.
WEEK 3 – THE ABRAHAM COVENANT DAY 17
Exodus 20:1-17 (NIV) And God spoke all these words: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
“You shall have no other gods before me.
“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
“You shall not murder.
“You shall not commit adultery.
“You shall not steal.
“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
WEEK 4 - THE GIFT OF THE LAW DAY 17 continued
Imagine that, after 400 years of living as slaves in Egypt, you become free overnight. As much as you embrace this newfound freedom, Egypt’s worldview is so ingrained within you that you cannot fathom another way of living, let alone thinking. God might have abruptly brought you out of Egypt, but it’s going to take a long time to get Egypt out of you.
The Law was God’s gift to his freed people. By accepting the Law, the Israelites were entering into a covenant with him. Agreeing to accept Yahweh as their one true God meant accepting his new policies. They needed to swear allegiance to a new social reality. As intuitive as these laws may seem to us today, these laws would have been foundational for a people group whose beliefs were captive to a culture that was vastly anti-God. The Law revealed God’s self to the Israelites and cast his vision for the world. It was only through the Law that these former slaves were able to conceive even a semblance of God’s goodness and justice.
Contrary to popular belief, the Israelites never believed that they would earn God’s merit by upholding the Law. They knew that keeping the Law perfectly was impossible, and they relied on God’s grace. It was only by God’s mercy actively working in their lives that they were capable of pleasing their holy God.
Like the Israelites, we, too, are a people group whose beliefs are captive to another culture. God’s Law reminds us of the world our Creator desires. It challenges us to become the kind of people who embrace his order and goodness. And when we fall short of keeping God’s Law, we are reassured that God will extend his mercy to us.
Breath Prayer: Lawgiver, teach me your way. DAY 18
Psalm 19:7-14 (NLT) The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living. Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever. The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair. They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb. They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them.
How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin.
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
Too often we think about laws and rules as being stifling and depleting. Not so for the psalmist. The psalmist is bursting with joyfulness as he reflects on the Law that God has given his people. He proclaims that God’s commands are sweeter than honey and revive the soul. Without the Law, the psalmist confesses that, because of the magnitude of his sin, he would not know what is pleasing to God.
Our sin makes us blind to the lives that God has for us. Jesus said that he came so we may have life to the fullest (John 10:10). Through his Law, God has given us boundaries, and when we live within his parameters, we thrive. There is freedom when we accept and embrace God’s perfect plan for lives unhindered by sin.
Breath Prayer: Redeemer, I want to please you.
WEEK 4 - THE GIFT OF THE LAW DAY 19
Jeremiah 31:31-34 (The Voice) Eternal One: Look, the days are coming when I will bring about a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors long ago when I took them by the hand and led them out of slavery in Egypt. They did not remain faithful to that covenant—even though I loved and cared for them as a husband. This is the kind of new covenant I will make with the people of Israel when those days are over. I will put My law within them. I will write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be My people. No longer will people have to teach each other or encourage their family members and say, “You must know the Eternal.” For all of them will know Me intimately themselves—from the least to the greatest of society. I will be merciful when they fail and forgive their wrongs. I will never call to mind or mention their sins again.
The prophet Jeremiah acknowledges that the people failed to keep the Law. They did not rely on God’s grace and mercy. This wasn’t because the Law was flawed, but because God’s people were hard-hearted toward the plan that God had for them. The Law was designed to change God’s people’s motives and behaviors. Its intentions were to point God’s people to the mercy that he had for them. But this was rarely accomplished. It wasn’t the Law’s fault; it was our fault.
Jeremiah assures the Israelites that God will not walk away from even those who broke their covenant with him. Instead, God promises their restoration. He enters into a new covenant relationship with them and promises to never recall their sins again. His Law would be within them, written on their hearts. When we allow God to change our hearts, we can obey his Law and know God personally.
It’s easy for us to see the connection that this new covenant has with Jesus. As recipients of the New Testament, we have the tendency to read this text in the context of our relationship with Jesus. We know that Jesus initiated a new covenant and made it possible for us as his people to know God intimately (see Luke 22:20). This promise was spoken to its Jewish recipients first and meant something significant within their own time and context. But it also speaks to us today. We are made full participants in this covenant through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.
Breath Prayer: My God, write your law on my heart. DAY 20
Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV) “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
In the first century, accepting a rabbi’s interpretation of the Law entailed becoming “yoked” with him. Just as farmer would harness a weaker animal to a stronger animal for plowing, a disciple would join himself with a rabbi and submit to his instruction. He would “go” wherever his teacher led him.
In order to appear holier, the rabbis in Jesus’ day added on additional stipulations to the Law. They interpreted the Law very strictly and created rigid social boundaries. They stripped the Law of God’s mercy and grace. This created legalism and choked out the life-giving intentions of God’s Law.
Rest. Easy. Light. These words are a stark contrast to the other Pharasaic and scribal interpretations of the Law (see Matt. 23:1-4). Jesus’ words are soothing. He assuages our anxieties and relieves our weariness. Jesus reassures us that his interpretation of the Law will not leave us tired and burdened. We are capable of following him. Through Jesus, the Law becomes a source of life for us again.
Breath Prayer: Jesus, my soul finds rest in you.
WEEK 4 - THE GIFT OF THE LAW DAY 21
Mark 12:28-34 (NIV) One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?”
Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’—this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question.
Jesus summarizes the entire Law into two commandments: Love God and love others. This encompasses the Law’s true intentions. All of our choices should be a reflection of these two commandments. Does the way we arrange our schedules create the time and space to love God and others? Do our habits cause us to love God more deeply? Do the things we choose to say and choose not to say show our neighbors that we love them? When we rearrange our priorities so that our lives fulfill these two commandments, we are “not far from the kingdom of God.”
Breath Prayer: Teacher, rearrange my priorities. DAY 22
Philippians 3:1-11 (NIRV) Further, my brothers and sisters, be joyful because you belong to the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write about some important matters to you again. If you know about them, you will have a safe path to follow. Watch out for those dogs. They are people who do evil things. When they circumcise, it is nothing more than a useless cutting of the body. But we have been truly circumcised. We serve God by the power of his Spirit. We boast about what Christ Jesus has done. We don’t put our trust in who we are or what we can do. I have many reasons to trust in who I am and what I have done. Someone else may think they have reasons to trust in these things. But I have even more.
I was circumcised on the eighth day. I am part of the people of Israel. I am from the tribe of Benjamin. I am a pure Hebrew. As far as the law is concerned, I am a Pharisee. As far as being committed is concerned, I opposed and attacked the church. As far as keeping the law is concerned, I kept it perfectly.
I thought things like that were really something great. But now I consider them to be nothing because of Christ. Even more, I consider everything to be nothing compared to knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. To know him is worth much more than anything else. Because of him I have lost everything. But I consider all of it to be garbage so I can know Christ better. I want to be joined to him. Being right with God does not come from my obeying the law. It comes because I believe in Christ. It comes from God because of faith. I want to know Christ better. Yes, I want to know the power that raised him from the dead. I want to join him in his sufferings. I want to become like him by sharing in his death. Then by God’s grace I will rise from the dead.
As Paul reflects on his faith journey, he recognizes that keeping the Law was not enough. He could keep the Law perfectly, but if it did not bring him into a fuller relationship with Christ, it was obsolete. Keeping the Law becomes inferior if it eliminates our need to know Christ and his grace.
Breath Prayer: Christ, I want to know you.
WEEK 4 - THE GIFT OF THE LAW DAY 23
Exodus 19:1-6 (ESV) On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain, while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”
This new initiative of God completely changes Israel’s identity. The repetition of their addressed names (“house of Jacob” and “people of Israel”) is a pointed reminder to them that they are no longer slaves. They have always had an innate identity as God’s people, no matter what their former slave owners had insisted on calling them. The lowliest people in Egypt’s society are God’s treasured possession.
Israel’s identity comes with a special responsibility. As God’s people, they are called to be a “kingdom of priests” and a “holy nation.” God’s people are a distinct presence in the world, working for the good of the world. It is their mission to be agents of God, mediating his presence to the nations around them. As a holy nation, they are to be set apart for God’s purposes and remain pure from sin. As a kingdom of priests, they are to point people to God and call them to repentance.
Notice the conditional “if” statement in this passage. The success of Israel maintaining this identity is contingent upon whether the people obey God and keep his covenant faithfully. The covenantal community can’t be holy people if they do not listen and obey; they can’t point others to God if they themselves are not humble people who have repentant hearts.
Like the Israelites, we as God’s people are called to be set apart. God calls us to be his presence in this world, and he who has called us will be faithful. He will equip us with his Spirit so that we can be live lives worthy of this unique calling.
Breath Prayer: Holy God, make me an agent of your presence. DAY 24
Nehemiah 9:16-38 (The Voice) Levites: “But our ancestors resisted following You. They were arrogant. They were proud. They refused to obey Your commands, plugging their ears. Knowing what You had done for them in the past, they willfully forgot it in the present. Stubborn. Rebellious. Instead of following You, they appointed their own leader to take them back to the land of their oppression—to Egypt!
But You are not like us, God. You are filled with love, compassion, and forgiveness. You endure much with your anger and display Your loyal love; You did not abandon them, even when they molded a cow out of gold for themselves, saying, ‘This is the god who rescued us from Egypt.’ They committed horrible atrocities. In Your incomprehensible compassion, You did not abandon them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud didn’t evaporate; day by day it guided them. The pillar of fire was not extinguished; night by night it led them along the right paths.
In Your generosity, You gave them Your good Spirit to teach them. Not once did You hold back manna for their mouths or drink for their thirst. In 40 years of living in the wilderness, You provided for every need they had: Their clothing did not wear out, nor did their feet swell from endless walking.
You gave them kingdoms and peoples that they could divide up to the corners of their territory: The country of Sihon (king of Hesbon) and the territory of Og (king of Bashan). The children of Israel multiplied and rivaled the stars in the sky. You brought them to the very land You promised Abraham’s descendants would come into and possess. Into the land they went, and it became theirs. For our forefathers You made sure even the Canaanites there were powerless. You subdued everything and everyone to their power—land, kings, and people—to do with as they pleased. They overwhelmed strong and secure cities. They overtook fertile, productive land. They claimed well-furnished houses, wells that were already dug, vineyards, olive groves, and orchards filled with fruit. They ate their fill. They grew fat. They basked in Your generosity and goodness.
Even so, again they chose to defy You. They rebelled. They abandoned Your law. They killed the prophets who spoke Your word, who pleaded with them to return to You, God. And again, atrocities multiplied on top of atrocities. So You surrendered them to their enemies, and Your people suffered at their hands. And in pain, they cried out to You. From heaven You listened, and in keeping with Your changeless and compassionate character, You sent them liberators, saviors who rescued them from their cruel adversaries.
As soon as they were at peace, they began to wander and abandoned You and did evil things, so You abandoned them to their enemies. Thus, once more, You allowed them to be conquered. Somehow Your mercy is inexhaustible. Once more You listened to them when they cried to You in heaven for help. Over and over and over You intervened and saved Your people. You also warned them to return to Your ways and follow the laws You have given. They arrogantly violated the very commands, which if they would obey them then they would live by them. Stubborn, they turned away from You, tensed their necks, and stopped listening.
WEEK 5 - THE GIFT OF THE PRIESTHOOD DAY 24 continued
Year after year, Your patience endured. Your Spirit animated prophets, and they spoke many warnings to them. In not listening and turning away from the prophets, they turned directly into their advancing enemies. It was because of Your great mercy that they were not completely annihilated or forsaken. You are a grace-filled and mercy-laden God.
Our True God—You who are great, majestic, and awesome, You who always keep Your covenant of loyal love— do not overlook the trouble we are facing here today. This trouble confronts us all: our kings and our princes, our priests and our prophets, our ancestors and all of Your people—from the time of the Assyrian kings until today. You are righteous in all that You have done to us. You have faithfully upheld Your part of the covenant, but we have acted with evil. None of our kings, princes, priests, or ancestors followed Your law. They actively rejected Your commands and ignored the many warnings You sent. Even when they had everything—when they ruled in their own land without worry according to Your great generosity, when they relaxed into the spacious and fertile land You set before them—even then they refused to serve You or turn away from their wicked ways.
And we are once again slaves in the bountiful land You gave to our ancestors for our pleasure and enjoyment—we are slaves in our own land! We have sown sin, and the labor we provide on this land feeds the kings You have placed over us. Our bodies and our beasts do not belong to us, but to them, and they do with us what they want. Our distress is great.
In light of it, we are writing a covenantal agreement. It is sealed with the names of our leaders, our Levites, and our priests.”
This review of Israel’s history recounts the people’s many failures to live as the holy nation that God had called them to be. After being conquered by foreign nations and dragged away to live in the nation of Babylon, the Israelites finally returned to their ruined land. There, the Levites, the tribe who was designated to serve as Israel’s priests, recount their shortcomings. Despite the people’s rejection of their priestly identity, God was nevertheless loyal. God’s loyalty propelled his people to repent of their sins and assume their responsibility as a “kingdom of priests” once again.
When we fail, it’s easy for us to admit defeat. The shame of our repeated actions is a steadfast companion, whispering to us in great detail our ineptness. We often fall into a pattern of thinking that God is constantly disappointed with us. And when we strive to change our actions on our own efforts, more failure and disappointment ensues. Is it worth even trying, we wonder? Should we accept our failure and chalk it up to “this is just who I am?” Our distress is great.
We cannot live faithfully to God’s covenant when we rely on our own efforts. Because of the work that Jesus does in and through us, we do not need to call it quits. Growing in God’s grace so that we reflect God’s love is a process. It requires repentance, humility, and perseverance. Ultimately, it is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that we can live lives that are free from sin. When we fail, God’s mercy covers us; when we feel inadequate, God gives us the power to overcome.
Breath Prayer: Loyal One, lead me to repentance. DAY 25
Psalm 51:1-12 (NLT) Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just. For I was born a sinner— yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. But you desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even there.
Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me— now let me rejoice. Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.
How is God present in this text?
Breath Prayer: Purifying Christ, blot out the stain of my sins.
WEEK 5 - THE GIFT OF THE PRIESTHOOD DAY 26
Mark 14:53-65 (NIV) They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the law came together. Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire.
The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any. Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree.
Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him: “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with human hands and in three days will build another, not made with hands.’” Yet even then their testimony did not agree.
Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.
Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”
“I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. “You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?”
They all condemned him as worthy of death. Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, “Prophesy!” And the guards took him and beat him.
This passage is extremely ironic: the priests, the ones who were especially tasked with representing God to the people, did not recognize God when he came to them. The very people who were charged with mediating God’s presence rejected God’s presence.
May we not fall into a similar pitfall as we embrace this same priestly calling. May we actively look for and find God around us so that we may reflect his presence fully.
Breath Prayer: Messiah, I recognize you. DAY 27
Hebrews 7:23-28 (The Message) Earlier there were a lot of priests, for they died and had to be replaced. But Jesus’ priesthood is permanent. He’s there from now to eternity to save everyone who comes to God through him, always on the job to speak up for them.
So now we have a high priest who perfectly fits our needs: completely holy, uncompromised by sin, with authority extending as high as God’s presence in heaven itself. Unlike the other high priests, he doesn’t have to offer sacrifices for his own sins every day before he can get around to us and our sins. He’s done it, once and for all: offered up himself as the sacrifice. The law appoints as high priests men who are never able to get the job done right. But this intervening command of God, which came later, appoints the Son, who is absolutely, eternally perfect.
Jesus, who is fully God and fully human, is the perfect mediator between God and humankind. Jesus knows the heart of God, yet he also understands the plight of humankind. Jesus endured temptation in every way and is capable of empathizing with our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15). In him, God draws humankind to him. Through him, humankind has access to God’s presence.
It is through the person of Jesus that we not only have a priest to advocate for us, but we also have the sacrifice that cleanses us of our sins. Because of Jesus, we are given a full picture of what God’s active presence looks like in our world. Jesus justifies us and makes us holy in his sight.
Breath Prayer: High Priest, be my advocate.
WEEK 5 - THE GIFT OF THE PRIESTHOOD DAY 28
1 Peter 2:9-12 (NIV) But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
This text echoes the very identity that God gave the Israelites in Exodus 19:1-6. Now this identity is given to us, who, through Jesus, are participants in God’s covenantal community. You (yes, you) are chosen. You are God’s special possession. He has made you part of his holy nation here on this earth. Accept this new identity in Christ and, with God’s mercy in hand, live a life worthy of this calling.
Breath Prayer: Glorified One, I receive your mercy.
WEEK 5 - THE GIFT OF THE PRIESTHOOD DAY 29
2 Samuel 7:11b-29 (NIRV) “I tell you that I, the Lord, will set up a royal house for you. Some day your life will come to an end. You will join the members of your family who have already died. Then I will make one of your own sons the next king after you. And I will make his kingdom secure. He is the one who will build a house where I will put my Name. I will set up the throne of his kingdom. It will last forever. I will be his father. And he will be my son. When he does what is wrong, I will use other men to beat him with rods and whips. I took my love away from Saul. I removed him from being king. You were there when I did it. But I will never take my love away from your son. Your royal house and your kingdom will last forever in my sight. Your throne will last forever.”
Nathan reported to David all the words that the Lord had spoken to him.
Then King David went into the holy tent. He sat down in front of the Lord. He said,
“Lord and King, who am I? My family isn’t important. So why have you brought me this far? I would have thought that you had already done more than enough for me. But now, Lord and King, you have also said what will happen to my royal house in days to come. And, my Lord and King, this promise is for a mere human being!
“What more can I say to you? Lord and King, you know all about me. You have done a wonderful thing. You have made it known to me. You have done it because that’s what you said you would do. It’s exactly what you wanted to do for me.
“Lord and King, how great you are! There isn’t anyone like you. There isn’t any God but you. We have heard about it with our own ears. Who is like your people Israel? God, we are the one nation on earth you have saved. You have set us free for yourself. Your name has become famous. You have done great and wonderful things. You have driven out nations and their gods to make room for your people. You saved us when you set us free from Egypt. You made Israel your very own people forever. Lord, you have become our God.
“And now, Lord God, keep forever the promise you have made to me and my royal house. Do exactly as you promised. Then your name will be honored forever. People will say, ‘The Lord rules over all. He is God over Israel.’ My royal house will be made secure in your sight.
“Lord who rules over all, you are the God of Israel. Here’s what you have shown me. You told me, ‘I will build you a royal house.’ So I can boldly pray this prayer to you. Lord and King, you are God! Your covenant can be trusted. You have promised many good things to me. Now please bless my royal house. Then it will continue forever in your sight. Lord and King, you have spoken. Because you have given my royal house your blessing, it will be blessed forever.”
WEEK 6 – THE DAVID COVENANT DAY 29 continued
At the height of King David’s rule over Israel, God issued a covenant with the king who was a “man after his own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14). God promised David that his legacy would live on through his sons. There would always be a king over Judah from his line, and his kingdom would last forever. As with the other covenants that God established with his people, this Davidic covenant was an act of grace. When we look at Israel’s history in 1 and 2 Kings, we quickly see that Judah’s kings did not always honor God and his law. Nevertheless, God remained faithful to the promise that he made with David.
David’s response to this promise was unguarded gratitude and awe. Notice how often David referred to God as “King” in his responsive prayer. Even though God had ordained David as king over Israel, David knew where the real authority lay.
In light of the New Testament’s witness, we know that Jesus brings this covenant to fruition. Jesus, a descendent of David from the tribe of Judah, is the uncontested reigning King. In fact, his lineage in Matthew 1:1-17 is implicitly saturated with details that guide us as readers to this conclusion. The genealogy concludes with this statement: “Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah” (Matt. 1:17). In the Jewish culture, fourteen was a symbolic number associated with King David. Even the arrangement of Jesus’ entire genealogy shouts “David, David, David.”
As our reigning King, Jesus’ dominion extends all over his creation. As his loyal subjects, it is our duty to recognize, seek, and welcome his reign. God’s reign in our hearts urges us to prepare spaces in this world for God’s kingdom to be realized. By submitting ourselves to his rule, God’s kingdom can be here on earth as it is in heaven (Matt. 6:9-10).
Breath Prayer: Lord and King, rule over all. DAY 30
Psalm 47 (NLT) Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.
For the Lord Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth. He subdued nations under us, peoples under our feet. He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.
God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets. Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise.
God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne. The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham, for the kings of the earth belong to God; he is greatly exalted.
How is God present in this text?
Breath Prayer: Lord Most High, I exalt you.
WEEK 6 – THE DAVID COVENANT DAY 31
Zechariah 9:9-10 (NIV) Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the warhorses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.
At the time that Zechariah was written, God’s people had been conquered by the Babylonian Empire. Peace seemed elusive, even unattainable to many. Because of this, the majority of Israelites believed that the only way to become free was through direct military intervention. But the Hebrew prophets claimed a different reality. They envisioned a time in the future when God would intervene in human history and implement peace (see Is. 2:4; also Micah 4:3). Here in Zechariah we have a vision of not a conquering King, but a humble initiator of peace. Israel’s humble King would not wage weapons of war; he would break weapons of war.
Today, the voices of peace are often muted. In a world torn apart by unspeakable violence, any prospect of peace seems like a pipe dream. As a culture, we idolize the actions of strong, conquering forces. We justify the corrupt decisions of the powerful. We ignore the insistent voices of the prophets and the dreamers. And yet Jesus, the King prophesied in this passage, proposes an alternative narrative. We must cling to his vision of justice and peace for the world that he has created. What the King decrees, his subjects must embrace and implement.
May our chariots be taken away. May our warhorses be sent to out to the pasture. May our battle bows be broken. And may we proclaim the King’s peace to all the nations.
Breath Prayer: Peaceful King, I welcome your rule. DAY 32
Matthew 21:1-11 (NRSV) When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately. This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying, “Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Immerse yourself in this story. Imagine the commotion in the streets over a lone figure making an entrance on a donkey. Hear the excited murmurs, rippling through the crowds. Feel the press of the people around you, straining to get a clearer view. Listen to the rustle of the palm branches as bystanders rush to cut them down from neighboring trees. Hear the boisterous shouts of reverence.
This dramatic entrance was a calculated move on Jesus’ part. It was also a very risky play. It was traditional for kings to ride donkeys at their royal coronation, and this action was a symbolic declaration of Jesus’ kingship. To make such a claim while under the political control of the Roman Empire was tantamount to treason.
A few hundred years before Jesus, the Israelites participated in a similar processional during the Maccabean Revolt. After successfully overthrowing Greek rule, Simon Maccabee was received in Jerusalem by people waving palm branches. In the ancient world, palm branches were a symbol of revolution, triumph, and freedom. The fact that the Israelites cut down palm trees for Jesus indicates that they expected Jesus to be the military leader that Simon was.
This Son of David would take the Israelites completely by surprise. The everlasting freedom he offers far outweighs a temporary military revolution. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free,” writes Paul (Gal. 5:1). Through Jesus’ Kingship, we are given freedom from sin and the consequences of sin. Because the King of the universe willfully laid down his life, we as believers have been granted freedom from death, the greatest enemy of all.
Breath Prayer: Son of David, set us free.
WEEK 6 – THE DAVID COVENANT DAY 33
John 18:28-40 (The Voice) Before the sun had risen, Jesus was taken from Caiaphas to the governor’s palace. The Jewish leaders would not enter the palace because their presence in a Roman office would defile them and cause them to miss the Passover feast. Pilate, the governor, met them outside.
Pilate: “What charges do you bring against this man?”
Priests and Officials: “If He weren’t a lawbreaker, we wouldn’t have brought Him to you.”
Pilate: “Then judge Him yourselves, by your own law.”
Jews: “Our authority does not allow us to give Him the death penalty.”
All these things were a fulfillment of the words Jesus had spoken indicating the way that He would die. So Pilate reentered the governor’s palace and called for Jesus to follow him.
Pilate: “Are You the King of the Jews?”
Jesus: “Are you asking Me because you believe this is true, or have others said this about Me?”
Pilate: “I’m not a Jew, am I? Your people, including the chief priests, have arrested You and placed You in my custody. What have You done?”
Jesus: “My kingdom is not recognized in this world. If this were My kingdom, My servants would be fighting for My freedom. But My kingdom is not in this physical realm.”
Pilate: “So You are a king?”
Jesus: “You say that I am king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the cosmos: to demonstrate the power of truth. Everyone who seeks truth hears My voice.”
Pilate (to Jesus): “What is truth?”
Pilate left Jesus to go and speak to the Jewish people.
Pilate (to the Jews): “I have not found any cause for charges to be brought against this man. Your custom is that I should release a prisoner to you each year in honor of the Passover celebration; shall I release the King of the Jews to you?”
Jews: “No, not this man! Give us Barabbas!”
You should know that Barabbas was a terrorist. It was widely accepted in the first century that a Messiah figure would appear to rid Israel of its political woes and establish a new kingdom. This Messiah would serve as a king figure, ushering in a new era of peace and stability. The Hebrew word for “Messiah,” mashiach, literally means “anointed one.” In the Greek New Testament, we translate this same word as “the Christ.” It was a title used for kings in the Old Testament, including King David.
Problem was, in Jesus’ day, no one knew who this Messiah would be. In fact, they thought that even the Messiah wouldn’t know whether he was the Messiah! His identity wouldn’t be fully realized until he stepped out in faith and overthrew Israel’s foreign rule. If he succeeded, he was the Messiah. If he failed, however, he met the same fate as Barabbas: imprisonment and a death sentence for sedition against the Roman Empire.
In this passage, we hear the Israelites’ frustrations because Jesus refused to even make an attempt at war. The Israelites decided they would rather have a prospective king who tried and failed than the King who wouldn’t even try. Barabbas was a failed Messiah, but at least he made an attempt.
Like the Israelites, we have the tendency to exchange the one true King for puppet kings who are more attractive to us. We want a king who does our bidding and conforms to our specifications. But Jesus is an uncontrollable King. He cannot be manipulated. If we seek the truth, we listen to the one true King’s voice.
Breath Prayer: King of All, speak your truth.
WEEK 6 – THE DAVID COVENANT DAY 34
Revelation 7:9-12 (NIV) After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”
All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”
This text anticipates the time in the future when Jesus’ Kingship is complete. The palm branches in this text echo the ones in Jesus’ “triumphal entry” in Matt. 21:1-11. This time, however, they take on a new meaning. Jesus does not rule with violence. He does not need to use force to enact his reign. Instead, Jesus conquers by offering up his own life (Revelation 5:9-10). Jesus, the Lamb of God, is victorious. All of creation welcomes and submits to his rule.
Breath Prayer: Lamb of God, claim your throne.
WEEK 6 – THE DAVID COVENANT DAY 35
John 13:1-17 (NIRV) It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world. It was time for him to go to the Father. Jesus loved his disciples who were in the world. So he now loved them to the very end.
They were having their evening meal. The devil had already tempted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot. He had urged Judas to hand Jesus over to his enemies. Jesus knew that the Father had put everything under his power. He also knew he had come from God and was returning to God. So he got up from the meal and took off his outer clothes. He wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a large bowl. Then he began to wash his disciples’ feet. He dried them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
He came to Simon Peter. “Lord,” Peter said to him, “are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You don’t realize now what I am doing. But later you will understand.”
“No,” said Peter. “You will never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you can’t share life with me.”
“Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet! Wash my hands and my head too!”
Jesus answered, “People who have had a bath need to wash only their feet. The rest of their body is clean. And you are clean. But not all of you are.” Jesus knew who was going to hand him over to his enemies. That was why he said not every one was clean.
When Jesus finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes. Then he returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord.’ You are right. That is what I am. I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet. So you also should wash one another’s feet. I have given you an example. You should do as I have done for you. What I’m about to tell you is true. A slave is not more important than his master. And a messenger is not more important than the one who sends him. Now you know these things. So you will be blessed if you do them.”
WEEK 7 – HOLY WEEK DAY 35 continued
If you knew you were going to die soon, what would be your top priorities? For Jesus, a major priority was serving his disciples. On the night of his greatest distress, Jesus thought not of himself, but of his closest friends.
As the host of the meal, it would have been completely counter-cultural for Jesus to take this task of washing feet upon himself. Washing filthy, sandaled feet coated with dust from traveling was not a pleasant task. In fact, it was so lowly of a task that rabbinic teaching instructed masters to delegate it to a Gentile servant rather than to a Jewish servant. Nevertheless, Jesus “made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant” (Philippians 2:7). The gospel writer repeatedly specifies that Jesus knew Judas was going to betray him, yet Jesus doesn’t hesitate to wash even his enemy’s feet.
It would be easier to watch Jesus wash others’ feet than it would be to allow Jesus to wash our own feet. It’s no wonder that Peter was so uncomfortable with this role reversal. But unless we submit to Jesus’ love and care for us, we can’t share life with him. We are incapable of serving others the way Jesus serves us if we do not first allow God to express his love for us.
Breath Prayer: Lord, love me to the end. DAY 36
Luke 22:7-20 (NLT) Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread arrived, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John ahead and said, “Go and prepare the Passover meal, so we can eat it together.”
“Where do you want us to prepare it?” they asked him.
He replied, “As soon as you enter Jerusalem, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him. At the house he enters, say to the owner, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?’ He will take you upstairs to a large room that is already set up. That is where you should prepare our meal.” They went off to the city and found everything just as Jesus had said, and they prepared the Passover meal there.
When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table. Jesus said, “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins. For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”
Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.”
He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.”
How is God present in this text?
Breath Prayer: Sacrificial Lamb, I’ll remember you.
WEEK 7 – HOLY WEEK DAY 37
Mark 14:32-42 (The Voice) They came at length to a garden called Gethsemane.
Jesus: Stay here. I’m going a little farther to pray and to think.
He took Peter, James, and John with Him; and as they left the larger group behind, He became distressed and filled with sorrow.
Jesus: My heart is so heavy; I feel as if I could die. Wait here for Me, and stay awake to keep watch.
He walked on a little farther. Then He threw Himself on the ground and prayed for deliverance from what was about to come.
Jesus: Abba, Father, I know that anything is possible for You. Please take this cup away so I don’t have to drink from it. But whatever happens, let Your will be done—not Mine.
He got up, went back to the three, and found them sleeping.
Jesus (waking Peter): Simon, are you sleeping? Couldn’t you wait with Me for just an hour? Stay awake, and pray that you aren’t led into a trial of your own. It’s true—even when the spirit is willing, the body can betray it.
He went away again, and prayed again the same prayer as before—pleading with God but surrendering to His will.
He came back and found the three asleep; and when He woke them, they didn’t know what to say to Him.
After He had gone away and prayed for a third time, He returned to find them slumbering.
Jesus: Again? Still sleeping and getting a good rest? Well, that’s enough sleep. The time has come; the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up now, and let’s go. The one who is going to betray Me is close by. This is one of the rare moments in the Gospel accounts where Jesus seems so vulnerable and fragile. Human. We can only imagine the depth of despair and fear that Jesus felt as he awaited his betrayal. The Greek word for “distressed” gives us some idea of the intensity of Jesus’ anguish. It is better translated as “terrified surprise,” and seems to indicate that Jesus, in his humanness, did not known the full extent of what was to come.
In the face of this incapacitating sorrow, Jesus could have sought a number of alternative options. He could have chosen to fight, becoming the Messiah the Israelites desperately sought. Jesus could have withdrawn with his disciples and created his own safe, little community, free from both Roman and Israelite pressure. Or he could have compromised and cut a deal with Rome, merging his movement with their political interests.
Instead, Jesus went to his Father in prayer. He pleaded, asking for a way out. It is hard for us to reconcile this Jesus with the powerful, authoritative Jesus we read about in previous stories. This Jesus doubts and questions. This Jesus succumbs to desperation. This Jesus asks for release from the very mission he was sent to do. It is worth noting that God doesn’t reprimand his Son for his fear. In fact, the Biblical narrative is full of people who question God, plead with God, and even accuse God. Not once does God silence their voices or condemn their pleas.
Despite how he may have thought or felt, Jesus nevertheless surrendered himself over to his Father’s plan. Jesus’ relationship with his Father serves as a model for us. When circumstances in our lives overwhelm us with “terrified surprise,” we can simultaneously question and trust. We can plead while submitting to God’s will. God, in his mercy, may grant us a way out. Anything is possible with God. But if there is no other way, we must be tenacious in our claim, “let Your will be done—not mine.”
Breath Prayer: Abba, Father, your will be done.
WEEK 7 – HOLY WEEK DAY 38
Matthew 26:47-56 (NRSV) While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; with him was a large crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him.” At once he came up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him. Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you are here to do.” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and arrested him. Suddenly, one of those with Jesus put his hand on his sword, drew it, and struck the slave of the high priest, cutting off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the scriptures be fulfilled, which say it must happen in this way?” At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as though I were a bandit? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me. But all this has taken place, so that the scriptures of the prophets may be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.
How is God present in this text?
Breath Prayer: Blameless One, forgive my desertion. DAY 39 Good Friday
Mark 15:21-39 (NRSV) They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. Then they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it. And they crucified him, and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take.
It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. The inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” And with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!” In the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also taunted him.
When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah.” And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”
The loud cry before Jesus’ last breath would have haunted the disciples. Imagine the days that followed for them, as that last cry reverberated through their minds, incapable of being blocked out. Imagine them recalling Jesus’ last words of agony and devastating sorrow, accusing God of abandoning him in his greatest time of need. The Messiah, the King, the Breath of Life, had breathed his last.
Remarkably, it’s a Roman centurion, not an Israelite, who recognizes Jesus’ true identity first. Jesus is not a failed messiah. He is not a fallen king. He is God’s Son. Even more alarming, this Roman official discovers that Jesus is God’s Son by the way that Jesus breathes his last breath. This revelation seems completely counterintuitive. Gods don’t run out breath; they definitely don’t die. Yet, Jesus’ identity as God’s Son can only be fully realized in light of his death. Without his death, and subsequent resurrection, we only have a partial revelation of who Jesus is.
Only God would choose to remain on a cross when he had the power to bring himself down from it. Only God would choose to endure such profound suffering for the sake of others. Only God would breathe his last breath in such a way that would stir the heart of one of his executioners. Breath Prayer: Crucified Christ, you are God’s Son.
WEEK 7 – HOLY WEEK DAY 40 Holy Saturday
Luke 24:1-12 (NIV) On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered his words.
When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.
Darkness. Silence. Despair. Hope strangled and life stifled. Then Sunday comes. Easter. Hope promised and life lavished.
Like Peter, we can’t help but be bewildered by the mystery of Easter. We wonder what happened. How is it possible for a dead body to start breathing again? How can the death and resurrection of one person atone for the sins of many? Why would God choose to redeem the world in such a strange way?
Not only does Easter make us wonder about what happened on that Sunday long ago, but it also makes us wonder what will happen in the future. Because Jesus physically rose from the grave, we are promised the same fate (1 Corinthians 15:12- 28). How is it possible that our bodies will be resurrected in this same way? How can we all be made alive by this strange, singular act? Easter defies all logic. We can relate with the disciples’ response to the women’s testimony: it’s nonsense.
And yet, deep down, Easter stirs the longing we have in our hearts for the impossible. Our weary souls cry out for God’s renewal; our dying bodies yearn for physical reconciliation. Christ’s resurrection, irrational as it may seem, challenges the “wrongness” we all sense in this world. It is a resounding promise that God has not abandoned his task of redeeming all of creation back to himself.
Sit by the empty tomb today and revel in the nonsense of Easter. Embrace the mystery of Christ’s resurrection. Celebrate God’s triumph of life over death. Dare to hope for the renewal that can happen today in your heart and the resurrection that will happen tomorrow in your body. Thank God for this sacrificial act that makes Christ’s past your present and your future.
Breath Prayer: Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
WEEK 7 – HOLY WEEK