DAVID’S LAMENT FOR SAUL AND JONATHAN

2 Samuel 1:1-27 / Keywords 1:17

David took up this lament concerning Saul and his son Jonathan,

 

David Hears of Saul’s Death

1:1 After the death of Saul, David returned from striking down the Amalekites and stayed in Ziklag two days. 2 On the third day a man arrived from Saul’s camp with his clothes torn and dust on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground to pay him honor.

3 “Where have you come from?” David asked him.

He answered, “I have escaped from the Israelite camp.”

4 “What happened?” David asked. “Tell me.”

“The men fled from the battle,” he replied. “Many of them fell and died. And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead.”

5 Then David said to the young man who brought him the report, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?”

6 “I happened to be on Mount Gilboa,” the young man said, “and there was Saul, leaning on his spear, with the chariots and their drivers in hot pursuit. 7 When he turned around and saw me, he called out to me, and I said, ‘What can I do?’

8 “He asked me, ‘Who are you?’

“‘An Amalekite,’ I answered.

9 “Then he said to me, ‘Stand here by me and kill me! I’m in the throes of death, but I’m still alive.’

10 “So I stood beside him and killed him, because I knew that after he had fallen he could not survive. And I took the crown that was on his head and the band on his arm and have brought them here to my lord.”

11 Then David and all the men with him took hold of their clothes and tore them. 12 They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the Lord and for the nation of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.

13 David said to the young man who brought him the report, “Where are you from?”

“I am the son of a foreigner, an Amalekite,” he answered.

14 David asked him, “Why weren’t you afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?”

15 Then David called one of his men and said, “Go, strike him down!” So he struck him down, and he died. 16 For David had said to him, “Your blood be on your own head. Your own mouth testified against you when you said, ‘I killed the Lord’s anointed.’”

David’s Lament for Saul and Jonathan

17 David took up this lament concerning Saul and his son Jonathan, 18 and he ordered that the people of Judah be taught this lament of the bow (it is written in the Book of Jashar):

19 “A gazelle[a] lies slain on your heights, Israel.

    How the mighty have fallen!

20 “Tell it not in Gath,

    proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon,

lest the daughters of the Philistines be glad,

    lest the daughters of the uncircumcised rejoice.

21 “Mountains of Gilboa,

    may you have neither dew nor rain,

    may no showers fall on your terraced fields.[b]

For there the shield of the mighty was despised,

    the shield of Saul—no longer rubbed with oil.

22 “From the blood of the slain,

    from the flesh of the mighty,

the bow of Jonathan did not turn back,

    the sword of Saul did not return unsatisfied.

23 Saul and Jonathan—

    in life they were loved and admired,

    and in death they were not parted.

They were swifter than eagles,

    they were stronger than lions.

24 “Daughters of Israel,

    weep for Saul,

who clothed you in scarlet and finery,

    who adorned your garments with ornaments of gold.

25 “How the mighty have fallen in battle!

    Jonathan lies slain on your heights.

26 I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother;

    you were very dear to me.

Your love for me was wonderful,

    more wonderful than that of women.

27 “How the mighty have fallen!

    The weapons of war have perished!”

Footnotes

a. 2 Samuel 1:19 Gazelle here symbolizes a human dignitary.

b. 2 Samuel 1:21 Or / nor fields that yield grain for offerings

1. The armies of Israel, along with Saul and Jonathan had been defeated by the Philistines. Both had been struck down in the fighting. Three days later an Amalekite came into David’s camp with the sad news of the rout of the army and of the tragic deaths of Saul and Jonathan. The Amalekite lied to David, telling him he killed Saul. He also brought Saul’s crown and arm band to give to David, thinking that David would reward him for his role in Saul’s death and would be grateful for what he brought David. After all, Saul had tormented David for a long time. But David was not grateful at all. He honored and respected Saul as God’s anointed. David sentenced the Amalekite to death, saying, “Why weren’t you afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?” We should always respect and honor those the Lord has put over us.

 

2. David took up a lament for Saul and Jonathan and ordered that the people of Judah learn it. He was sorry that the Philistines would hear of the victory and rejoice. Mt Gilboa was the place of defeat. It would be a place of shame. He grieved for Saul, saying, “How the mighty have fallen!” And he grieved for his friend Jonathan, whom he loved as his brother.

 

Prayer Father, help us to honor and respect our leaders, for they are the ones chosen by you to govern and lead us.

One Word Respect the Lord’s anointed

Feed my sheep

John 21:15-25 / Keywords 21:15

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

 

Jesus Reinstates Peter

21:15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”) 21 When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”

22 Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” 23 Because of this, the rumor spread among the believers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”

24 This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.

25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

1. Jesus asked Peter three times, “Do you love me?” He followed it up with, “Feed my sheep”. Jesus was not trying to have Peter prove his love for him. Jesus wants us to know that the way of loving him is not just through being with him, but through practicing the way of love that Jesus demonstrated. The more we love like Jesus did, the more we can experience Jesus’ presence and grow in deeper communion with God.

 

2. As a shepherd cares for a sheep, we have a duty to love and care for the lost and weary. We can do this not with a sense of superiority, but as one who was lost and found by Jesus; one who was extended mercy and given a love that wells up inside our souls and overflows to others around us. This love cries with those who are lost and rejoices with those who find new life. This love washes one another’s feet. This love finds meaning not through personal achievement, but through serving the least of those among us. Jesus came to love us that we may love one another. What a beautiful life that extends beyond the shadow of death!

 

Prayer Lord, you gave your life for me while I was still lost in my sin. May I believe in you and practice the love you displayed so beautifully.

One Word Feed my sheep

COME AND HAVE BREAKFAST

John 21:1-14 / Keywords 21:12

Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.

 

Jesus and the Miraculous Catch of Fish

21:1 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee.[a] It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus[b]), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

5 He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”

“No,” they answered.

6 He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.[c] 9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Footnotes

a. John 21:1 Greek Tiberias

b. John 21:2 Thomas (Aramaic) and Didymus (Greek) both mean twin.

c. John 21:8 Or about 90 meters

1. Risen Jesus had already visited the disciples twice. The sting of death was fading away, yet a full recovery was still a work in progress.

 

2. After a night of unsuccessful fishing, Jesus reached out to the disciples a third time. Jesus offered them some good advice and invited them to a hearty breakfast. Jesus didn’t try to prove himself to them; his presence couldn’t be more real. It was a breath of fresh air, a reminder of Jesus who plants hope amid failures and sustenance in our time of hunger and weariness.

 

3. The power of the gospel and of risen Jesus is not so much in trying to prove his resurrection to doubters but in embodying the love and care that Jesus always offers to those in need. Believing in Jesus is a relationship of love and healing. Jesus lives in each of us when we receive and offer this to others.

 

Prayer Lord, thank you for coming to me when I was lost and weary. You offered me a word of encouragement, a meal, your warm embrace.

One Word Jesus still lives

Stop doubting and believe

John 20:19-31 / Keywords 20:27

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

 

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

20:19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Jesus Appears to Thomas

24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus[a]), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

The Purpose of John’s Gospel

30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe[b] that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Footnotes

a. John 20:24 Thomas (Aramaic) and Didymus (Greek) both mean twin.

b. John 20:31 Or may continue to believe

1. Risen Jesus appeared to his disciples while they were hiding in fear and doubt. He showed his disciples his nail pierced hands and the place the soldier pierced his side. The scars of torture and death remained on his body. When the disciples saw it, they were overjoyed. It was really Jesus.

 

2. Resurrection bodies are not the perfect images we see in fashion or sports magazines. If there was a resurrection magazine, it would show the scars, the hardships and the stories of death on the bodies. God’s glory is seen not through covering up, but through our scars. Christians are resurrection people who tell stories of truth that are sometimes ugly, shameful, or traumatic, but we come forth displaying the grace and power of God who overcomes all our sins, weaknesses and even death. Risen Jesus gives us true peace and the spirit to forgive sins.

 

Prayer Lord, you bore the suffering of us all and have risen to give us true peace and power to live as resurrection witnesses.

One Word Believe

I HAVE SEEN THE LORD!

John 20:11-18 / Keywords 20:18

Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

 

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

20:11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

1. Mary Magdalene lingered after the disciples left and wept outside the tomb. While she was crying Jesus appeared, but she didn’t recognize him. Thinking he was the gardener, Mary asked about Jesus’ body. It wasn’t until Jesus called her by name that she knew it was Jesus who found her.

 

2. Meeting risen Jesus can be unexpected, maybe even unbelievable, but we can meet him knowing that he lives to find us in our darkness, to give us renewed hope and meaning. Things may not be the same as they were before, but risen Jesus reveals to us that death is not the end and that darkness shall not prevail.

 

3. It is notable that John records the importance of women among Jesus’ followers. Mary was the first witness of risen Jesus, and she was also entrusted to be the first to share the message of the resurrection. That is why Mary is called the Apostle to the Apostles.

 

Prayer Lord, thank you for not leaving us in our despair. You have risen to give us new life. Help us to hear your voice calling out our name and to believe.

One Word Risen Jesus calls you by name

WHILE IT WAS STILL DARK

John 20:1-10 / Keywords 20:1

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.

 

The Empty Tomb

20:1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) 10 Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.

1. In the aftermath of Jesus’ crucifixion, to those who followed Jesus and loved him dearly, the world must have felt like a dark and tragic affair. Mary Magdalene loved Jesus deeply. She was a follower of Jesus and financial supporter (Lk 8:3) and was with Jesus at the cross along with other women (Jn 19:25). Perhaps she knew this day would come but was still unprepared for the devastation and heartache. Of course, it was she who was at his tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark.

 

2. She saw that the stone was rolled away, and the tomb was empty. She alerted two of the disciples and they saw it with their own eyes. They could not imagine the world could be any darker. Where was God in all of this?

 

3. Sometimes it is hard to understand tragedy, or things may get worse before getting better. Sometimes the darkest times are right before the dawn.

 

Prayer Lord, sometimes I just don’t know what to think or am overwhelmed by darkness. Have mercy on me and somehow bring the light of dawn.

One Word Hope for light

JESUS WAS BURIED

John 19:31-42 / Keywords 19:38

Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away.

19:31 Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. 32 The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. 35 The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. 36 These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,”[c] 37 and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”[d]


The Burial of Jesus

38 Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. 39 He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.[e] 40 Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. 41 At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. 42 Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

Footnotes
c. John 19:36 Exodus 12:46; Num. 9:12; Psalm 34:20
d. John 19:37 Zech. 12:10
e. John 19:39 Or about 34 kilograms

1. As much as the Pharisees wanted Jesus crucified, they didn’t want him left there on the Sabbath. He was already dead, so no bones were broken, but the soldiers pierced his side. These were noted to show fulfillment of Scripture regarding the Messiah.

 

2. Later, we see that two prominent religious figures, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, took Jesus’ body. They gave Jesus a proper burial according to the Jewish customs. They were secret disciples of Jesus, coming out of their shells.

 

3. Even when it seems hopeless, God helps us find the strength to do something. Jesus’ death and burial were already leading to a resurrection in the lives of those who may have felt that they failed Jesus. It is never too late to do good and to seize the opportunity to do the right thing.

 

Prayer Lord, you died that we may find new life, even in the face of impenetrable darkness. May we not give in to the darkness.

One Word There is still hope

JESUS DIED

John 19:17-30 / Keywords 19:30

When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

 

19:17 Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

19 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: jesus of nazareth, the king of the jews. 20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. 21 The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”

22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

23 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.

24 “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”

This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said,

“They divided my clothes among them

    and cast lots for my garment.”[a]

So this is what the soldiers did.

25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman,[b] here is your son,” 27 and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

The Death of Jesus

28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Footnotes

a. John 19:24 Psalm 22:18

b. John 19:26 The Greek for Woman does not denote any disrespect.

1. Avoiding suffering and death is probably high on most of our agendas. We exercise, take our medicine and try to play it safe to live a healthier and longer life. But, sooner or later, we all must face the prospect of death. Jesus certainly knew the value of life, but he was peculiarly familiar with suffering and death. Jesus was hunted down from his birth (Mt 2:16) and now finally faced death through the due process of a corrupt law system. Although he could have saved himself, he chose to take up his cross, suffer, and die. He entrusted his life and spirit to God.

 

2. That God did not spare his one and only son from death reveals that God is with us in both life and death. Jesus’ mercy and love saves us from our self-condemnation and shame. Jesus’ death shows that he was fully committed to redeeming us from the depth of our sin and darkness, and from the fear of death itself. Jesus came to be with us in these very moments so that we may find true comfort, mercy, and hope that arises from the depths of sin and despair. As a kernel of wheat dies and bears much fruit, so do our lives when we look to the cross of Jesus.

 

Prayer Lord, you died that we may have life. You are with us in our own suffering and death. You will see us through.

One Word It is finished

FREE OR CRUCIFY?

John 19:1-16 / Keywords 19:10

“Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”

 

Jesus Sentenced to Be Crucified

19:1 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. 2 The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe 3 and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they slapped him in the face.

4 Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews gathered there, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.” 5 When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”

6 As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!”

But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.”

7 The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.”

8 When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, 9 and he went back inside the palace. “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”

11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”

12 From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.”

13 When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). 14 It was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about noon.

“Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews.

15 But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”

“Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked.

“We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered.

16 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.

The Crucifixion of Jesus

So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. 

1. Jesus didn’t exactly fit the picture of a king by any earthly standards. Jesus never demanded to be treated with special privileges or attempted to overthrow the authorities. Yet, even in his humble nature, Jesus found himself in the hands of earthly powers that sought to silence, humiliate and destroy him.

 

2. Pilate had Jesus flogged. A crown of thorns and a purple robe was put on to mock Jesus as he was brought out before the leaders. Although Pilate found no basis for a charge against him, the leaders demanded that Jesus not just be beaten, and humiliated, but be crucified. They tried to convince Pilate that Jesus was a threat to authority. Ultimately, Pilate gave in to their demands.

 

3. We still live in a culture of shame and cruelty that seeks to break the spirits of social or religious misfits. Jesus subjected himself to the worst bullies so that he could shine a light on the wickedness of power and reveal a grace that outshines all wickedness.

 

Prayer Lord, we live in a world that chooses to crucify, but you came to free us from sin and shame. May we choose your ways .

One Word Jesus sets us free

DOING GOOD AND PLEASING GOD BY HIS SPIRIT

Galatians 6:1-18 / Keywords 6:8

The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

 

Doing Good to All

6:1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. 4 Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, 5 for each one should carry their own load. 6 Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.

7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Not Circumcision but the New Creation

11 See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!

12 Those who want to impress people by means of the flesh are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 Not even those who are circumcised keep the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh. 14 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which[a] the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation. 16 Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule—to[b] the Israel of God.

17 From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

Footnotes

a. Galatians 6:14 Or whom

b. Galatians 6:16 Or rule and to

1. When we see someone commit a sin, it is easy to judge. But instead, we are to fulfill the law of Christ by carrying their burdens and restoring them gently, all while being on guard for ourselves. We must test our own actions to keep us humble, ensuring that we are not sowing to please our flesh, but to live to please the Spirit. Because we are weak, it can be very hard to do this, and sometimes we feel weary. But God has given us His great promise that for those who do not give up, they will reap a harvest. May we therefore not stop doing good to all, especially those in the family of God.

 

2. There were those circumcised who were looking for a reason to make a good impression. However, Paul stood firm in the gospel and made his boast in no other source but the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. It was through the cross, and not his own will or law-keeping, that he had been crucified to the world and the world to him. What truly matters, then, is not the outward activity, but becoming a new creation in Christ.

 

Prayer Lord Jesus, thank you for the cross and making us to be new creations in You. May I live to do good and to please You all the days of my life.

One Word Those who do good and sow to please the Spirit will reap a harvest

WALK BY THE SPIRIT

Galatians 5:16-26 / Keywords 5:16

So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

 

5:16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Footnotes

c. Galatians 5:17 Or you do not do what

1. When we live by the law, we are still in our flesh. How can we overcome the desires of our flesh when we are in Christ? Paul tells us that when we live by the Spirit, we will not gratify the desires of our flesh. God’s Spirit is His gift to us. When we live by the Spirit, we are no longer under the law. But when we live by the flesh, our deeds and lives are destructive. We hurt God, others, and ourselves. Those who live as such cannot inherit the kingdom of God, no matter their religious activities.

 

2. A life led by the Spirit is keenly different. It is marked by fruit. It is filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control. Do we have these fruits in our lives? We can learn to crucify our flesh by keeping in step with the Spirit every moment of each day. He will transform us to bear good fruit that reflects God’s kingdom and love on earth.

 

Prayer Father, thank you for giving us the Holy Spirit. Help me to walk by the Spirit and bear good fruit in my life.

One Word Live by the Spirit

CHRIST SET US FREE

Galatians 5:1-15 / Keywords 5:13

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

 

Freedom in Christ

5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

7 You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? 8 That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9 “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” 10 I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. 11 Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. 12 As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!

Life by the Spirit

13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[b] 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

Footnotes

a. Galatians 5:13 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit; also in verses 16, 17, 19 and 24; and in 6:8.

b. Galatians 5:14 Lev. 19:18

1. Paul emphasized that Christ set us free to be free. Rather than be yoked again by the slavery of the law, instead, we should stand firm in the freedom purchased for us on the cross. Should we try to earn our own righteousness or become legalistic, we’d have to fall away from grace. Instead of striving to abide by the law, we can now live a life of faith that is expressed through loving God and others. This is the freedom Christ died for. As Paul also corrected the Galatians, we must be attentive to the words we hear and make sure we remain in the gospel faith.

 

2. Does being free in Christ mean we can do whatever we want? Absolutely not! We should not live to indulge our flesh as the world does, but live a life to love others, just as Christ did for us. He made us free so that we can love and serve God and others wholeheartedly. Love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:10).

 

Prayer Father, forgive me for legalism and not living by the realities of the gospel and what you did for me on the cross. Teach me how to love others, just as you have so loved me.

One Word Serve one another in love

HAGAR AND SARAH

Galatians 4:21-31 / Keywords 4:31

Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.

 

Hagar and Sarah

4:21 Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. 23 His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.

24 These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written:

“Be glad, barren woman,

    you who never bore a child;

shout for joy and cry aloud,

    you who were never in labor;

because more are the children of the desolate woman

    than of her who has a husband.”[e]

28 Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 At that time the son born according to the flesh persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. 30 But what does Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”[f] 31 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.

Footnotes

e. Galatians 4:27 Isaiah 54:1

f. Galatians 4:30 Gen. 21:10

1. Paul used the story of Hagar and Sarah to help the Galatians understand their inheritance in Christ, which came by faith. When Abraham’s wife, Sarah, was unable to conceive, he took her maidservant, Hagar, who was a slave, and she bore him a son. This son was born according to the flesh. But in His time, God blessed Sarah with her son Isaac who was born as the result of His gracious promise. Paul uses these two women to compare the two covenants. Just Hagar’s children were born out of slavery, so are we who are bound by the law. But just like Isaac, we are children of promise through God’s covenant to us in Christ.

 

2. Sarah was once barren and unable to conceive. But God fulfilled His promise to her husband Abraham that he would have descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky. We are children of that promise. The Galatians were being persecuted by those enslaved by the law, just as Isaac was persecuted by Ishmael. However, just as the Scripture said to get rid of the slave woman and her son, so the Galatians needed to be separated from these false believers. They needed to know their identity as children, not of the slave woman, but of the free woman. We are made free in Christ and through God’s promise.

 

Prayer Father, thank you for setting us free by your grace and promise to us. Forgive me for compromising and trying to go back to the law. May I live as your child who has been set free through faith.

One Word Children of God’s promise

PAUL’S CONCERN FOR THE GALATIANS

Galatians 4:8-20 / Keywords 4:19

My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you,

Paul’s Concern for the Galatians

4:8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces[d]? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? 10 You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! 11 I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.

12 I plead with you, brothers and sisters, become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong. 13 As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you, 14 and even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. 15 Where, then, is your blessing of me now? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?

17 Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may have zeal for them. 18 It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you. 19 My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, 20 how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!

Footnotes

d. Galatians 4:9 Or principles

1. Paul was like a father to the Galatians and cared for them deeply. He pleaded with them not to return to their former practices of trying to earn their righteousness through the law. Even though the Galatians knew God and were known by Him, they were returning to the very lives of bondage. 

2. Those who tried to persuade the Galatians were zealous to win them over, not to God, but to themselves. Even as believers, we also must be careful that our faith is built on Christ alone and nothing else (1 Cor 16:13). Our own efforts cannot save us, but it is only the finished work of the cross that saves. Paul was in pain, like a mother in childbearing, out of his deep concern for the Galatians. May we be prayerful for the church to be on guard against false teachers and rooted in the true life and freedom we have in Jesus. 

Prayer Father, help me to be on guard and watchful in my walk with you. Thank you for your work for us on the cross. May my zeal be for you alone! 

One Word Be zealous for the good and on guard

NO LONGER A SLAVE, BUT GOD’S CHILD

Galatians 4:1-7 / Keywords 4:7

So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

4:1 What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. 2 The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. 3 So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces[a] of the world. 4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.[b] 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,[c]Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

Footnotes

a. Galatians 4:3 Or under the basic principles
b. Galatians 4:5 The Greek word for adoption to sonship is a legal term referring to the full legal standing of an adopted male heir in Roman culture.
c. Galatians 4:6 Aramaic for Father

 

1. An heir who is not of age does not receive his or her inheritance until an appointed time. Before then, one is no different than a slave, being kept under the rules and regulations of one’s guardians and trustees. In the same way, like slaves, we were once subject to the laws and principles of this world. But when the set time had come, God redeemed us from the law so that we receive the rights of sons and daughters as our inheritance!

 

2. We must know our identity as sons and daughters of God. Under the law, we used to live in fear. Fear causes separation, and we must strive constantly to please our master. But God redeemed us so that we would no longer live as slaves but live in sonship. Jesus also lived and knew his identity as a Son of God. By His Spirit, we can now cry out, “Abba, Father!” to the Living God.

 

Prayer Lord Jesus, thank you so much for breaking the curse and making me your beloved child. Forgive me for living in fear and allow me to receive the inheritance of being your child.

One Word We are children of God and heirs to His kingdom

 CHILDREN OF GOD THROUGH CHRIST JESUS

Galatians 3:15-29 / Keywords 3:26

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus,

The Law and the Promise

3:15 Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. 16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,”[i]meaning one person, who is Christ. 17 What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 yearslater, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. 18 For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.

19 Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator. 20 A mediator,however, implies more than one party; but God is one.

21 Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. 22 But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.
Children of God

23 Before the coming of this faith,[j] we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed.24 So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of Godthrough faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Footnotes

i. Galatians 3:16 Gen. 12:7; 13:15; 24:7
j. Galatians 3:23 Or through the faithfulness of Jesus … 23 Before faith came

1. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant once it has been made, so it is with God’s covenant with us. The Lord made a covenant with Abraham regarding his inheritance by promises. And once the law came along centuries later, God’s word and promises were not set aside by any means. The law did not result in inheritance. Only by faith alone in the promise of undeserved grace was Abraham’s covenant fulfilled. This means that our salvation and eternal inheritance are not based on fulfilling the law but on believing God fulfills His eternal covenant with us—which He does through His son Jesus Christ. Why, then, was the law given to us? To make us feel condemned or ashamed? It was because of our own sins. The Law acted as a guardian for us helpless transgressors until Jesus Christ came to justify us by faith.

 

2. How, then, does this change our lives? Because of Christ, we are set free from the law and are now children of God! It does not matter if we are Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female. In Christ, we are one and are his heirs. What an amazing blessing we have through Him!

 

Prayer Father, thank you for giving us Your Son so we can become your children and no longer be slaves. May our hearts be full of praise.

One Word Children of God through faith in Christ Jesus