Christ Church Daily Devotion March 26 2024

Jesus predicts Peter's denial, instructs disciples to carry a sword, prays in anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane, disciples fall asleep, Jesus willingly goes to the cross out of love for humanity. Welcome to Christchurch's Daily Devotion for March 26, 2024. Today we will be reading from Luke, Chapter 22, Verses 31-46. 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. But he replied, Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death. Jesus answered, I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me. Then Jesus asked them, When I sent you without purse, bag, or sandals, did you lack anything? Nothing, they answered. He asked to them, he said to them, But now, if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag, and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. It is written, And he was numbered with the transgressors. And I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment. The disciples said, See, Lord, here are two swords. That's enough, he replied. Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, Pray that you will not fall into temptation. He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, and knelt down and prayed, Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me, yet not my will, but yours be done. An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. When he rose from prayer and went back to his disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. Why are you sleeping, he asked them. Get up and pray, so that you will not fall into temptation. Praying in anguish, Jesus asked his Father to take away the suffering that he would soon be facing on the cross for our sake. Jesus prayed so earnestly that his sweat fell like drops of blood to the ground. And as he raised his tearful cry to heaven, Jesus' disciples fell asleep. Yet he said to the Father, not my will, but yours be done. On that dreadful night, the religious leaders were plotting against Jesus as he prayed in Gethsemane. Led by Judas Iscariot, the temple soldiers marched into the garden to arrest Jesus forcefully. But Jesus, now ready to lay down his life for us, proceeded willingly. Jesus knew that on the cross he would take our place, carry the weight of all our sins, and take on the curse that we all deserve, so that he could rescue us from sin and death. Jesus went to the cross not because Judas betrayed him out of greed, we see that in Luke 22, 1-6, nor because the religious rulers handed him over out of envy, nor even because the Roman governor Pilate sentenced him out of cowardice, we see that in Luke 23, 1-25, John 11, 45-53, 19, 1-16, but because Jesus went to the cross out of his love for us. Your personal worship option today is, Blessed Lord and Savior, we know that what moved you to face the cross for our sake was your eternal love alone. May this love fill our hearts today and move us to serve you faithfully. Amen.