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reading for: 30 March

John 12:1-8

Giving our All to the Son

• READ

John 12:1-8 starts with the following words, "Six days before the Passover", signifying the time that this story is taking place. What is the Passover? It is a time when the Jews will gather in their homes and feast on a lamb roasted in the fire to remember their deliverance from slavery. Jews will celebrate Passover annually, and this is a major festival in the Jewish calendar. (Refer to Exodus 12) Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany. The text specifically mentions that this was where Lazarus was. This is the Lazarus that Jesus had raised from the dead. (V1) The mention of the Passover and Lazarus provides the backdrop that the death and resurrection of Jesus are likely what is in view here.

The hosts gave a dinner for Jesus in Bethany, with Martha serving at the table, and Lazarus was one of those having dinner with Jesus at the table. (V2) Mary then took expensive ointment made from pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus, wiping his feet with her hair. (V3) This ointment is very expensive, and it is likely meant to be kept for her wedding day. This ointment is not something that can be easily replaced.

When Judas rebuked Mary, Jesus rebuked Judas with these words "Jesus said, "Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me." (V7-8) Jesus made clear what Mary was doing, that Mary was anointing him for his burial which was about to take place. Mary gave her all to Jesus and did not withhold even the most precious things to her.

We know what happened six days later at the Passover, where Jesus was the true lamb of God that died on the cross. (See John 19) Mary's act of service and dedication was her act of service to the Lord at the right time because she knew that the Lord was the one that gave his all for her.

• REFLECT

  Mary gave her all to Jesus and did not withhold anything from her Lord. She recognised the time and season that Jesus was in. Let us, like Mary give our all to him because he is the one that gave his all for us. He is the one that died on the cross for us, rose from the dead to reconcile us to him and his Father.

  Reflect and consider what are some things that you have not given to the Lord and pray that the Lord will give you the strength to give and surrender those things to him.

reading for: 31 March

Isaiah 43:16-21

Praising the Lord who is doing new and great things for us

• READ

Isaiah 43 contains the words of the Lord spoken through Isaiah. The chapter starts with the Lord, the creator and former of Israel, announcing that he was their redeemer, and they were not to fear.

Verse 16 and 17 speaks of the Lord making a way in the sea for his people, providing a path in the mighty waters. He is the Lord who causes the chariot and the horse to perish in the sea. What is the Lord referring to? This is likely referring to the story of Israel crossing the red sea. (Refer to Exodus 14) Israel at the red sea passed through the sea on dry ground on the way to the promised land, and the entire army of Pharaoh who was chasing the Israelites drowned in the sea.

When the Lord says in verse 18, "Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. ", what was the Lord trying to say. Was he saying that the Israelites were not to commemorate the past event? Was he asking the Israelites to be forgetful people and not remember what he has done in the past? If that were the case, the Lord need not have brought up this past event. He need not have brought this event to their remembrance and then tell them not to remember this old thing. The Lord is saying that the new thing that he is doing for them will be so great that they will prioritise the remembrance of this new thing from then on.

What was this new thing that the Lord was doing for them? Verse 19 speaks of the Lord making a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Verse 20 speaks of the wild beasts, jackals and ostriches honouring him because he gives water in the desert to his people. He is the one that delivers and provides for his people in the desert. No matter what situation his people would find themselves in, the Lord wants them to know that he will deliver and provide for them.

How were the people to respond to this new thing? The Lord does not leave us guessing but tells us that he wants them to declare praises to him for the great and new things that he has done for them.

• REFLECT

  The Lord that we serve is a God that is not far away, but he is a God that redeems and provides for us. He is a God that cares and is concerned for us. He is doing great and new things for us. He is the one that gives us water to drink in the wilderness. Do we perceive the new things that he is doing for us and give him praise? Or are our hearts so hardened that we fail to recognise the new and great things that he is doing for us?

reading for: 1 April

Philippians 3:4b-14

Counting All as loss for the sake of the Son

• READ

Paul recounts his heritage that he is a faithful Jew, circumcised on the eighth day of the tribe of Benjamin, a Pharisee, a persecutor of the church, blameless under the law. Paul was a very zealous and committed Jew, and if any Jew had confidence in the flesh, it would be Paul. However, he exhorts his hearers to put no confidence in the flesh but to worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus. (V3-6) For Paul, Christ was his overwhelming pursuit. Paul writes in verse 7, "But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ."

Paul explains why he counted all as loss in verses 8-11.

Philippians 4:8-11

"Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. "

This is the pearl of great price for Paul, he wanted to know Christ and his resurrection power. He wanted to be like him in death so that Paul could attain the resurrection from the dead. This was the goal and life pursuit of Paul. For this, he was willing to lose everything. Paul was willing to press on and make it his own for this goal. He is willing to forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead. (V12-14)

• REFLECT

  Paul's life pursuit and goal is to know Christ and his resurrection power. For this, he was willing to give up everything. This was his pearl of great price.

  What is our goal in life? What is the thing that we want over all else? Do we see knowing Christ as having surpassing worth in our life? Pray and take it to the Lord in prayer, ask him for wisdom and strength so that we can make it our pursuit and goal to know him.

reading for: 2 April

Psalm 126

Crying out to the Lord for restoration

• READ

Psalm 126 can be divided into three stanzas. Verse 1 to 3 speaks of times that the Lord has restored them in the past. It speaks of the good times that Israel went through. Verse 4 contains a petition from Israel to the Lord for restoration. Verse 5 and 6 show us the effects of God's restoration on the people of Israel.

In Verse 1 to 3, the psalmist recounts the past when the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion. They were like those who dream, and they were filled with laughter and shouts of joy. They could boast in front of the nations of the great things that God has done and how they are glad. We can remember the great things that God has done for them, how he delivered them from the hands of the Egyptians, how he led them into the promised land. Remember the numerous times when he delivered them from the hands of their enemies and gave them prosperity in the land.

Verse 4 is the heart of this psalm, and it contains what they wanted from the Lord. They wanted the Lord to restore and deliver them from their present trouble. They wanted the restorative power of God to water the parched land. This is their cry to the Lord for restoration.

Verse 5 and 6 speak about the positive effects of their cry for restoration. It speaks about how those who sow in tears will reap shouts of joy. The one who goes out weeping with the seed for sowing will come back with shouts of joy bring the sheaves with him.

• REFLECT

  When we face trouble, do we call out to the Lord to restore and deliver us? Do we seek to solve our own problems in our own strength? Will we cry out to the Lord and recognise our need for him? The Lord is willing to deliver and restore us and turn our sorrow into shouts of joy.