SONGS FOR PRAYER

reading for: Tuesday Night, 4 april

John 20:1-18

Understanding Jesus the Crucified and Risen King

• READ

  Today’s reading is John 20:1-18 and this is a post crucifixion scene in the life of Jesus. We pick up the account with John telling us that it is on the first day of the week that Mary Magdalene comes to the tomb.

  Jesus was crucified in the Gospel of John on the day of preparation (Friday morning to afternoon, the Jewish day begins in the evening, John 19:38-42), at the end of that day just as the Passover was about to start, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus lay him in the tomb.

  John 20:1–10 (ESV)

  1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.

  The account tells us that it was early in the morning on the first day of the week that Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw the stone taken away from the tomb. This must have been a strange sight for her. For the stone was a large stone that closed the tomb. This strange sight might have led her to go and call for help from Simon Peter and John. Mary exclaimed to the two disciples that “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid him”. She was puzzled that the stone had been taken away and that Jesus was not at the tomb.

  Peter and John went running towards the tomb. John was a faster runner so he reached the tomb first. He saw the linen cloths but did not go in. Peter then came and went into the tomb seeing the linen cloths and the face cloths. This must have been a strange sight for them because Jesus was crucified and laid in a tomb only a few days earlier. This was undeniable, and they could not have remembered wrongly. But yet, they now saw an empty tomb. It would be safe to say that Mary, Peter, and John were puzzled by this strange empty tomb.

  There is no question that this empty tomb was not an everyday occurrence. How then did they respond? The text tells us how the disciples responded and how Mary Magdalene responded.

  Looking first at how Peter and John responded, John is clear that he saw and believed. This is an eyewitness account from the words of John himself that he believed. John does not stop there but pointed out that “for as yet they did not understand the Scripture , that he must rise from the dead”. Perhaps what John is saying for himself and Peter is that they saw and believed but this faith and belief was a faith that sought understanding. This is a faith that they had to grow by reading and understanding the Scripture to see how it speaks of Jesus rising from the dead.

  John 20:11–18 (ESV)

  11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.

  When Peter and John left the tomb, Mary Magdalene remained outside the tomb and was weeping. She saw two angels in white seating where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and the other at the feet. When the angels asked her why she was weeping, Mary replied in words similar to the start of the passage signifying that she was still puzzled. She turned around and saw Jesus standing without knowing that it was Him. When Jesus asked her why she was weeping and whom she was seeking, she thought that Jesus was the gardener. Jesus then said to her, “Mary” and then she recognised him.  Jesus told her then to pass these words to his disciples, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” And that is what she did. Mary only believed when she heard Jesus call her name and believed in him to do what he says.

• REFLECT

  Even today, we understand that an empty tomb after someone who has been laid there is a strange sight. We can empathise with Mary, Peter and John that what they saw was strange and puzzling. It was normal for them to wrestle with they saw.  However, all three believed in Jesus. They believed that Jesus was the one who died and rose from the dead. Will we believe in this Jesus who died and rose from the dead?

  Peter and John also showed us that this belief in Jesus is a faith that seeks understanding. It is a faith that led them to the Scriptures. Will we be like Peter and John, searching the Scriptures so that we may also see Jesus from the Scriptures?

reading for: Wednesday Night, 5 april

Acts 10:34-43

Jesus is the judge of the living and the dead

• READ

  The reading for today is from Acts 10 and we will be reading Peter’s sermon to the Gentiles at Cornelius house. This sermon is monumental because it is the first sermon to a Gentile audience.

  Acts 10:34–43 (ESV)

  34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43 To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

  Peter starts his sermon with “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality…”. Its a reference to his reluctance to preach this sermon. He was a Jew and had to see a vision with a voice repeating three times, “What God has made clean, do not call common.”(Acts 10:15) before he could preach this sermon to the Gentiles. Peter understood that God shows no partiality by enabling the Gentiles to hear the words of Jesus.

  God first anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit to do good and heal all people. Jesus then died but was raised again from the dead and appeared to his disciples. These disciples were commanded to preach and testify that Jesus was appointed by God to be the judge of the living and the dead. He was the one that the prophets bore witness about that whoever believes in him would receive forgiveness of sins through him.

  The text continues with the Holy Spirit falling on all who heard the word of Peter. This was a rare occurrence, in many other cases in Acts, the people were baptized in water first and then they received the Spirit. But in this case, the Holy Spirit decided to fall on the people first.  Peter baptized them in water only after they were baptized in the Spirit.

• REFLECT

  What is our picture of Jesus? Do we see and describe Jesus as Peter described him? Do we know that the prophets bear witness that whoever believes in him receives forgiveness of sins?

  The Jesus that Peter described was a Jesus who was anointed by the Holy Spirit, doing great works, but more importantly is the one who died and rose again and appeared to many witnesses. This Jesus was the judge of the living and the dead. He is the one that whoever believes in would receive forgiveness of sins as spoken by the prophets.

  May we continue to search the scriptures to see the brilliance and beauty of Jesus, the one who died and rose again.

reading for: Thursday Night, 6 april

Colossians 3:1-4

Focusing on Jesus Seated at the right hand of God

• READ

  Today we see how Paul describes Jesus by looking at the first few verses of Colossians 3.

  Colossians 3:1–4 (ESV)

  1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

  The passage starts with “If then you have been raised with Christ”. We are the people who have been raised with Christ. Who is Paul talking to? Paul is talking to the people who have died with Christ and are being raised with Christ. (See Colossians 2:11-14)

  Paul points out one detail about who Christ is in his exhortation. He points out that Christ is seated at the right hand of God. To be seated at the right hand of God is to be in a position of power and authority.  We are to seek the things above and not the things on earth because Christ is our king, and he is ruling and reigning.

  Paul again reminds us that we have died, and our life is hidden with Christ in God. It is only when Christ appears that we will appear with him in glory. We are the people who have died with Christ and are raised with Christ. However, what that life entails has not been revealed fully and we only experience that life in part now. 

  In this world, we will experience suffering, pain, and disappointment. In the midst of this pain, we have to learn to put to death the old self, dying with Christ. We are then to seek the things above, putting on the new self. This is what it means to die with Christ and be raised with Christ.

• REFLECT

  Paul reminds us that we are the people who have died with Christ and have been raised with Christ.  Let us seek the things that are above and not the things on the earth. What is one thing that we can do this week to seek the things that are above? What is one earthly distraction that you can put aside to better focus on Jesus?

reading for: Friday Night, 7 april

Psalm 118:1-2,14-24

Giving Thanks that Jesus is our Saviour

• READ

  This psalm is commonly read during the Holy Week by much of the church. The psalm starts with a call to give thanks to the Lord.

  Psalm 118:1–2 (ESV)

  1 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! 2 Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”

  The psalmist calls on Israel to give thanks to the Lord for the Lord is good and his love endures forever. The psalmist then continues in the subsequent verses to call on the house of Aaron and those who fear the Lord to give thanks to the Lord. (V3-4)

  The psalmist proceeds to describe how the Lord is on his side and helped him in the midst of trouble. (V5-13) In verse 14, the psalmist declares that the Lord is his strength and song.

  Psalm 118:14–24 (ESV)

  14 The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. 15 Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous: “The right hand of the Lord does valiantly, 16 the right hand of the Lord exalts, the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!” 17 I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord. 18 The Lord has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death. 19 Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord. 20 This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it. 21 I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. 22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 23 This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. 24 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

  The psalmist celebrates having been saved from his enemy with words echoing what the children of Israel sang after they crossed the red sea on dry ground.  The psalmist praises the Lord for helping him and delivering him from the enemy. The psalmist calls the gates of righteousness to open so that he can enter through the gates and give thanks to the Lord. The psalmist sees himself as the one that the builders rejected which has become the cornerstone.

  This psalm applies to the psalmist, but it applies in a greater way to Jesus.  Verse 22 is quoted in numerous places in the NT and is taken explicitly by many NT writers as referring to Jesus. (See Mark 12:10–11; Acts 4:11; Eph. 2:20–21; 1 Pet. 2:4–8) Jesus is the one who died and rose again. He is the one that endured the discipline of God, dying on the cross but rose again. He is the cornerstone that the builders rejected. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good and his love endures forever! Give thanks because Jesus is our helper, saviour and king!

• REFLECT

  Give thanks to the Lord for he is good! We give thanks because Jesus is our saviour. He is the one who endured the cross, dying on our behalf so that we can live. He is worthy of our praise. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, and his love endures forever!