March 28 | Mark 15:1-15

---

DAILY READING

Mark 15:1-15

---

REFLECTION

Rejected and Victorious

by Judy Webb

"Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, made their plans. So, they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate." (Mark 15:1)

"Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged and handed Him over to be crucified." (Mark 15:15)

To save his own skin, Pilate gave the crowd what it wanted. One commentary put it this way: the guiltless one delivered to die in order that the guilty might go free. Pilate was a weak politician, yielding to the mob mentality. We certainly know about mob mentality, just remember the riots, burning, and looting of a few years ago. Even then, weak politicians did nothing to stop it.

A few wiser people attempted to advise Pilate against his actions. Even his own wife, as we read in Matthew 27:19. “While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: ‘Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream about him.' But Pilate did not listen, and he handed Jesus over to the crowd to be crucified."

There are several guilty parties here. “…but the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” (John 19:11) Caiaphas the high priest, Judas the betrayer, and the Jewish people all had the scriptures which predicted the coming of the Messiah. They should have known better, but they chose self-preservation and denial. They had a better plan.

This declaration was news to me. I had always thought there were no levels of sin…sin is sin…but this verse seems to contradict this and teaches there are degrees of sin.

"This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross." (Acts 2:23)

It all backfired, as we read in Acts 4:11. “Jesus is ‘the stone the builders rejected, which has become the Cornerstone." (Read these words also in Psalm 118:22.)

PRAYER

Dear Jesus, forgive us for we know not what we do. You are the Cornerstone, our firm foundation and we need you every hour. Come Holy Spirit, be a presence with us this day and forevermore. Amen.

March 27 | Luke 22:54-62

---

DAILY READING

Luke 22:54-62

---

REFLECTION

At A Distance

by Beth Voltmann

On the night Jesus was arrested, “Peter followed at a distance.”

Peter had been such a confident follower of Jesus. He was the one who spoke these words:

· “You are the Messiah.” (Mark 8:27)

· “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.” (Matthew 14:28)

· “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” (Luke 22:33)

And yet, Peter, so well-intentioned in his commitment to Christ, utterly failed in this moment of

fear. Having tried, at first, to defend Jesus by the sword, he was now helpless as the Messiah willingly surrendered to his accusers. The challenges came at Peter in the flickering firelight of the courtyard:

”This man was with him.”

“You also are one of them.”

“Certainly this fellow was with him.”

Peter responded to the charges,

“Woman, I don’t know him.”

“Man, I am not!”

“Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter.

Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: ‘Before the rooster crows today,

you will disown me three times.’ And he went outside and wept bitterly.” (Luke 22:60-62)

My heart aches for Peter as he recalled Jesus’ words of warning, but even more so as the Lord’s eyes met his. Was it perhaps a look of chastisement? Of “I told you so”? Of great sorrow? Of disappointment? I want to imagine otherwise.

Remember the rich young ruler who asked Jesus how to inherit eternal life, but was conflicted

because he was so attached to his wealth?

“Jesus looked at him and loved him.” (Mark 10:17-21)

If only Peter had remembered Jesus’ other words from earlier that evening:

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon,

that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke

22:31-32)

When in your life have you followed Jesus at a distance... and why? Pride? Anger? Sorrow?

Many believers fall away, lose hope, feel despair or discouragement. In those moments, we must lift our heads to see Jesus looking at us with eyes of love. Through tears of repentance,

may we remember Christ’s words.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

PRAYER

Jesus, please forgive us when we fail to follow you closely. Look upon us, strengthen us, restore us with your unfailing love. Amen.

March 26 | Mark 14:66-72

---

DAILY READING

Mark 14:66-72

---

REFLECTION

Denial

by Dan Kidd

Have you ever found yourself utterly embarrassed by someone else? There aren't too many TV shows I've re-watched more frequently than "The Office." Somewhere around season three, I started watching the show as it aired, and then proceeded to buy box sets of the seasons for rewatching. Since then, the whole series is available for streaming, and they've even released several seasons of "Superfan," extended cuts of the show. I've watched them all, several times. One hallmark of the show is that the characters are either put into, or act out, incredibly embarrassing scenes. This is so effective that there are episodes that are so uncomfortable that I squirm and even look away. Routinely I simply want to enter the situation and shut it down or smooth the whole thing over. It is equal parts funny and excruciating.

Similarly, and I suspect you may have experienced this too, I have been embarrassed by others in my encounters. I have sometimes heard friends, loved ones, leaders of "my group" that have said or done something that I cannot, for the life of me, understand or condone. I once worked with a young lady whose job it was to make sure shipments of books got to our company from another company. Sometimes when those books didn't arrive as they were supposed to, I would overhear her being stern and insistent with representatives of the other company. Those conversations would invariably raise my blood pressure and make me squirm for hours after the fact. And, honestly, I don't think she was wrong in what she said or how she said it. But it made me uncomfortable nonetheless. And how much worse is it when I've seen or heard someone do or say something that I know they shouldn't and I, by being somehow associated with them, would suffer an internal humiliation or regret because of them.

Which is all to say I understand Peter in this passage. Though I would love to believe that because it's Jesus he's denying—because of Jesus' righteousness, because of the signs and wonders I'd witnessed, because he'd predicted this very thing, and because I'd sworn my allegiance to him—that I would have done better. But if I'm honest, can I really believe that about myself? Would I truly, after Jesus was betrayed and arrested, and I was left alone without him, have had the integrity and courage to be honest that I knew him and loved him?

The evidence isn't promising. I have, at times, shied away from or "failed to mention" some of the things about my faith, about the Bible's witness to God, about my own faithlessness. It is, I must imagine, easier for me to claim my allegiance to Jesus after he rose from the grave and ascended to his throne. And even then, the consequences of being a professing Christian among certain crowds, in certain circumstances, isn't as natural or simple as I'd like. My willing heart is sometimes overcome by my weakly flesh.

But here's the good news. Not only does this story resume when Jesus restores Peter after the resurrection ("Do you love me?" "You know that I love you."), but Peter's story continues on, wherein he is the foundational rock on which the Church was built. Peter's story, this part included, was Jesus' story of meeting him in his failure and betrayal, and restoring him to the place the Lord had intended for him. Praise God that this is the character of Jesus!

PRAYER

Lord, we confess now that you are trustworthy and worthy of our praise. Worthy of our devotion. As we seek to live in your will and on your path for us, keep us near to you. We seek to be mindful and grateful for you who you are, and let your good news and your name be ever on our lips. Amen.