Holy Tuesday devotion - John 12:20-36

Holy Tuesday

Gospel Reading: John 12:20-36

John 12:21 The Greeks came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” (NIV)

            On Easter Sunday, many churches will be fuller than usual. Family and friends will come with regular members to church services to experience the joy that this holy day still brings. Our sanctuaries will be full of folks who are looking to be accepted, blessed, and loved by God. They will be seeking the assurance of the Gospel story and wanting to find Jesus in their lives again. They will expect churchgoers to be filled with the gladness of God and the jubilation of the Holy Spirit. They will look to us to see Jesus in our praise and prayers, our songs and sermons.

            Some of them will be struggling with personal issues and carrying heavy burdens. Others will feel anxious about their lives and be worried about the future. Still others may feel coerced into coming to church or out of place when they sit in the pews. Whatever the case, they are all expecting something meaningful, something different, something holy to happen during the worship service. In other words, they not only want to see Jesus is our lives, they want to know what He is all about.

            Our role on Sunday is to make these folks feel welcome. How we greet them at the door, or speak to them in the pew, or talk to them after worship, will affect how they experience Christ. If we truly want them to ‘see’ Jesus, then how we accept and respect them will be very important. In fact, this acceptance is not just something that we are willing to display at Easter, it’s an important facet of our faith which needs to be shown each week in church and each day of our lives.

Point to ponder

How do others actually see Jesus in me?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to be welcoming to the folks who will be at church this Sunday. We thank You for their willingness to come among us. Enable us to be authentic and caring, joyful and sincere. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come and join us for worship on Sundays at 11:00 AM. You’ll be made very welcome.

Today’s image is one of John’s drawings called “A New Earth.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: New Earth.

Daily Devotions: Face to Face - Hebrews 12 v2

Hebrews 12:2              Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Years ago, I visited a famous Roman Catholic Basilica in Spain. It sat on a high hill and there were many steps leading up to the church. It was a beautiful medieval building and I was impressed by the architecture on the outside. As I approached the vast wooden entrance doors, I wondered what it would look like on the inside.

When I stepped into the massive sanctuary, I was shocked. Instead of a high cathedral like structure, I suddenly realized that I was in a very dark ante-room, where I was confronted by a spot-lit statue of a bloody Christ on the Cross. I was almost face-to-face with the statue and because it was so totally unexpected, I was absolutely breathless. The image of Jesus was staring at me directly and I was stunned. I felt two things at the same time: an overwhelming pity for Christ’s suffering and complete shame for my sins which crucified Him. It was both an awe-full and wonderful spiritual moment. I will never forget it as long as I live.

When the writer of Hebrews encourages us to fix our eyes upon Jesus, he is trying to get us to focus on Christ as our Savior. The world has many distractions and when we lose our attention on Jesus, we empty our spirits and weaken our souls. The strength of our faith in Christ depends upon how much time we actually pray to Him and ponder on His ways. If we are too busy to do this as Christians, then we are just too busy. We need to shed some of the dross that distracts us from fixing our eyes upon Jesus and begin living our lives according to His Love.

So the challenge for us today is this: when am I going to make time to focus on Jesus?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we complicate our lives with trivial matters and miss many opportunities to increase our awareness of Your Spirit in the world. Help us to appreciate the time You grant us as a daily gift, and use it to draw closer to You, Your words, and Your ways. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is currently the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask questions of today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of my 2011 Easter drawings. It’s called “Passover.” You can view a larger version of the drawing at the following link: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5259/5394517049_ef741c1bdf_b.jpg