LENT • 5

Lent Season: Living the Baptised Life

In these six weeks leading up to Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, through the gospel readings, we fix our eyes on Jesus of Nazareth and his life of obedience to God the Father, especially the last few weeks of his ministry as he journeys to Jerusalem as Israel’s Servant-King. And through Him, we catch a sense of Our Creator’s deep concern to redeem and restoring his fallen first Creation and bring forth New Creation. The New Testament letters deepen our understanding of the significance of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and ascension, while the Old Testament readings and the Writings (mainly the Psalms), help us explore the journey of the people of God in finding and living out their place for the generations of their time as well as the tension of holy living in a fallen world. As for our personal reflections, we focus on what it means to live the baptised life - as sons and daughters of God, following Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit in our various spheres of life, living in a way that glorifies our Heavenly Father.

reading for: Tuesday Night, 19 march

Mark 11:1-11

  • READ

    Scripture Reading: Mark 11:1–11

    1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples 2 and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. 3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’ ” 4 And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. 5 And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6 And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. 7 And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. 8 And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. 9 And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” 11 And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

    Commentary

    In today’s reading we return to the Gospel of Mark. Mark 11 tells the story of Jesus and his disciples being near Jerusalem at the Mount of Olives where Jesus sent two of his disciples and asked that they go into the village in front of them and when they enter the village, they find a colt tied which no one has ever set on. They were to untie the colt and bring it to Jesus. If anyone asked them, why were they doing this, they were to say that the Lord has need of it and send it back to Jesus.

    The disciples did as Jesus commanded, they found the donkey and untied it. Some people asked them what they are doing untying the colt and they replied as per Jesus had commanded them. The crowd let the disciples go. The disciples brought the colt to Jesus, throwing their cloaks on the colt and Jesus sat on the colt. The crowds spread their cloaks on the road and leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. The crowds were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest.” This was a royal procession in which Jesus was welcomed into Jerusalem. He was seen as the one who comes in the name of the Lord. He was seen as the Son of David that will bring about the kingdom of David. They saw him as their king and welcomed him as king. Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when it was late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

    Imagine a king entering a city in a royal procession. Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem feels like a royal procession. The crowds welcomed him like a king. In some sense, the crowds were right, he was a king but the question to ask is what kind of king is he? The crowds saw him as the king that were to bring about the kingdom that God promised to David, but the question is how would Jesus bring that about? The crowds expected Jesus to come into Jerusalem, raise a great army and drive out the Romans. This is what they wanted their Messiah to do. This is how they imagined their king to be. However, Jesus was not that kind of king. Jesus was king but he was king as the one who would go to the cross and rise again three days later. Jesus was king that did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped but emptied himself as a servant, going to the cross and rising again. He brought about the kingdom of God not through force but through his own death and resurrection.

  • REFLECT

How do we imagine King Jesus? Do we see him like the crowds in Jerusalem see him? Do we see him as a king with a large army to solve all our problems and opponents? Or do we see him as the king who chooses to serve. He chooses to serve so much that he chooses to go to the cross, die and rise again for us and for our salvation.  Pray to Jesus and tell him how you see him. Ask him to show you how you can see him better.

As followers of Jesus, let us also be like him and serve others. Let us deny ourselves, take up the cross and follow him. As we conclude this season of lent, let us serve others in one small way this week. Maybe we can pray for others or write a note of encouragement for another person.

reading for: Wednesday Night, 20 march

No lectionary for today. Wake up Strong, Don’t go to bed Wrong, Pause in your day to pray!

reading for: Thursday Night, 21 march

No lectionary for today. Wake up Strong, Don’t go to bed Wrong, Pause in your day to pray!

reading for: FRIDAY Night, 22 march

Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29

  • READ
    118:1 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever!

    118:2 Let Israel say, "His steadfast love endures forever."

    118:19 Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD.

    118:20 This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it.

    118:21 I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.

    118:22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.

    118:23 This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.

    118:24 This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

    118:25 Save us, we beseech you, O LORD! O LORD, we beseech you, give us success!

    118:26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD. We bless you from the house of the LORD.

    118:27 The LORD is God, and he has given us light. Bind the festal procession with branches, up to the horns of the altar.

    118:28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God, I will extol you.

    118:29 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.

    Commentary

    Psalm 118 is the most frequently quoted Psalm in the New Testament. Rightly so as it emphasises God’s very character of steadfast love. What does God’s steadfast love look like?  “The Hebrew root of “steadfast love” is a mother’s womb—God’s strong, compassionate, fiercely steadfast love.”

    And it is this strong, compassionate and fiercely steadfast love that has been seen in the past. But also looks forward to more revelations of His steadfast love. His steadfast love that invites us to praise and give thanks (v.1-2).

    It is His steadfast love that provides us a gate of righteousness. That enables us to enter into His presence (v. 19). For only those who are holy are able to be in the presence of God who is Holy.

    In Jesus this gate of righteousness, this salvation, this answer has finally come (v. 20-21). In Jesus, we see the rejected stone become our very cornerstone (v. 22).

    Only God our Father can do something so marvelous and wonderful as this for us (v. 23).

    What joy and gladness we have as that day has already happened 2000 years ago (v.24). The Psalmist had to write in hope of that future revelation but we have tasted and experienced it.

    Yet this cry and prayer to see God’s steadfast love in our present circumstances still remains (v. 25). And how we long to see afresh and anew the arrival and revelation of Jesus in our circumstances (v. 26).

    Thats why we welcome Jesus our King once again like they did 2000 years ago in Mark 11 (v. 27).

    For this is the continuing revelation of God’s steadfast love that we want to see and give thanks for again today (v. 28).

  • REFLECT

    Psalms 118:4-18 recounts the past acts and revelations of God’s steadfast love. And while our verses this week speak mostly about the future hope of God’s steadfast love, its important to remember that our confidence in God’s character which has already been seen consistently in past.

    As we learn to pause in our day to pray for our prayer partners in our LG this week, what is the confidence and boldness that anchors our prayers?

    It is none other than God’s steadfast love. His steadfast love that we have seen in our own lives and His steadfast love which has been revealed and seen for 4000 years. Even before Jesus to the time of Abraham. Its no wonder that we can stand with such confidence and boldness to ask for God to reveal His steadfast love again for our brothers and sisters in Christ today.

Season of LentCNL