JESUS AND PILATE

"Jesus' Witness to Pilate"

Lenten Devotion

"... (Jesus said) 'Everyone who is of the truth listens to
My voice'" (John 18:37b).

Read John 18:33-38a.

The true significance of Christ's comments to Pilate is
simply lost on Pilate. He has other things on his mind.
They are things he thinks are far more important like
saving his career. His attention is squarely on himself
and what impact this trial will make on his future.

But God does two things to turn Pilate's attention to
the innocent man standing before him. First, Pilate's
wife sends him a message, "Have nothing to do with
that righteous man, for I have suffered much because
of Him today in a dream" (Matthew 27:19). Second,
God sends His Son to speak to Pilate directly.

Jesus says, "Everyone who is of the truth listens to My
voice." This is a challenge to Pilate: is truth important
to him? Obviously, he is taking great risks to set an
innocent man free, but does he want to hear the truth
Jesus came to bring?

Many times in our lives Jesus' still, small voice speaks
to us through the clamor and clatter of our daily lives.
Are we willing to put it all aside to listen to the One
who offers us eternal life?

Pilate gives his famous reply, "What is truth?" Sadly,
he isn't interested in what Jesus has to say, he just
wants to end the discussion.

Jesus offers you and me words of truth and eternal life.
But how often do we dismiss Him and cut Him off like
Pilate did? How often are we distracted by earthly
things we think are more important?

THE PRAYER:

Lord, thank You for speaking words of truth to me.
Forgive me for cutting You short. Please speak, for
Your servant is now listening. Amen.

Written by Rev. Wayne Palmer

POWER STRUGGLE

Lenten Devotion

"Pilate said to them, 'Take Him yourselves and judge Him by
your own law.' ..." (John 18:31a).

Read John 18:28-32.

Only John's Gospel shows us Jesus' trial before Annas the former
high priest. Then John leaves out Jesus' official trial before
Caiaphas the high priest. Instead, he jumps straight to Jesus' trial
before Pontius Pilate.

This trial is very strange. Jesus is brought into the official residence
of the Roman military governor, but the Jewish authorities refuse to
enter. Though they have no problem railroading the innocent Son of
God to His death, they are careful not to defile themselves by
entering the home of a Gentile. So Pilate is forced to go back and
forth between Jesus and them.

The trial is a bitter power struggle between Pilate and the Jewish
authorities. Pilate quickly concludes Jesus is innocent and wants to
set Him free. But finding himself in a very precarious position with the
emperor, Pilate must handle this case very delicately; he especially
cannot afford to lose control and see a riot start.

On the other side, the Jewish authorities are desperate to have Jesus
executed, but they are not in the position where they can do it
themselves. Years before the Roman governor had removed the right
for the Jewish authorities to inflict capital punishment. So if they want
Jesus dead, they have to convince Pilate one way or another. So we
see the battle begin -- with Jesus' life hanging in the balance.

The truth is that God is in control of what He is doing for each of us by
Christ's crucifixion, as we shall see in the coming days

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, all around us people are plotting and scheming for control.
Many times we too want to find some way to control events happening
in our own lives. Remind us that You are firmly in control so we may
rest in Your hands and watch You work for our good. Amen. 

Written by Rev. Wayne Palmer

THE HIGH PRIEST

"Before the High Priest"

Lenten Devotion

"When He had said these things, one of the officers standing
 by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, 'Is that how you answer
the high priest?'" (John 18:22).

Read John 18:13-14, 19-24.

After His arrest, the guards bring Jesus to Annas. This former
Jewish high priest had been deposed by the Roman governor in
AD 15. His five sons had each taken a turn succeeding him
and now his son-in-law Caiaphas is high priest.

Annas questions Jesus about His disciples and His teaching, but
Jesus' silence protects them. So Annas turns to Jesus' teachings.
The high priest hopes he can trip up the Son of God and find a
basis for a charge against Him.

Jesus will have nothing to do with this. He has always been honest
with the Jewish authorities, never saying anything in private He
didn't say in public. He tells the high priest, "Ask those who have
heard Me." That leads an officer of the high priest to strike Him with
his hand.

At this point you might expect Jesus to meekly take the abuse, but
He doesn't. He turns to the officer and confronts him, "Why did you
strike Me?" Again, we see Jesus completely in control. He stops the
proceedings to call the officer to explain why he struck Him.

Annas showed he was willing to ignore the truth and twist it against
Jesus. Is integrity and truth important to you like it was to Jesus?
Or are we willing to distort the truth if it goes to our advantage?

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, You humbled Yourself to be struck by an officer when
You had only told the truth. Forgive us for setting aside Your truth
when we don't think it is convenient. Give us faith, courage and trust
to do what is right in Your eyes. Amen.

Written by Rev. Wayne Palmer

PETER'S DENIAL

Lenten Devotion

"The servant girl at the door said to Peter, 'You also are not one
of this Man's disciples, are you? ..." (John 18:17a).

Read John 18:15-18, 25-27.

Peter has no reason to be in the high priest's courtyard. Jesus
already told the disciples what the outcome of His trial would be.
But Peter wants to see for himself, so he enters the courtyard
and waits with the guards in the darkness to learn the outcome
of the trial.

But Peter can't hide. He is recognized at the door by a servant
girl, near the fire started by the guards to warm themselves, and
finally by a relative of the soldier whose ear Peter had cut off.
With his life in peril and no way of escape, Peter's courage melts
away and he swears oaths and calls down curses on himself as
he tries to distance himself from Jesus of Nazareth.

How often are we guilty of Peter's sin? One moment we profess
our loyalty to Jesus, the next we deny Him by what we say and
do. We forget the price He paid to set us free.

The crow of the rooster brought Peter back to Jesus' words. With
shame and pain he recalled the prophecy Jesus had made, "The
rooster will not crow till you have denied Me three times." He went
out and wept bitterly.

We share Peter's weakness. We are so confident in our strength,
yet we stumble for the least reason into fear, unbelief and self-
preservation. But Jesus paid the full price for our sins of denial,
and for His sake we are free.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, with shame I admit the countless times I have denied
You. Forgive my sin and strengthen me in true faith, that rejoicing
in Your salvation, I may fearlessly tell others of Your great salvation.
Amen.

Written by Rev. Wayne Palmer

JESUS' ARREST

Lenten Devotion

"Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to Him, came forward
and said to them, 'Whom do you seek?'" (John 18:4).

Read John 18:1-12.

Jesus has led His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane. Out of
the darkness we see lanterns and torches winding their way across
the Mount of Olives toward the Garden. Judas leads Roman soldiers
and Jewish officers. Jesus knows what is about to happen. But He
doesn't cower in the corner; He goes out to them and asks whom
they are seeking. They reply, "Jesus of Nazareth."

Jesus answers with three short words, "I am He," and the power of
His words knock Judas, the soldiers and the officers backward.
Firmly in control of the situation, Jesus orders the guards to let His
disciples go. The soldiers obey, and they flee away into the dark.

Not only did Jesus protect His disciples, He also made one last
attempt to reach Judas. In the dark hour to come, when Judas
would be overwhelmed with guilt, Jesus wanted him to remember
this moment. Jesus was not a helpless victim swept away by Judas'
kiss. Jesus was in complete control. He permitted Himself to be
arrested, tried, condemned and crucified. He could have stopped it
at any time. But because of His love for the Father and for each of
us, He will not end it but carry it through to its completion-and our
ultimate salvation.

Because He loves us so much when those powers of darkness
were trying their worst, so He also loves us when those powers of
darkness come after you in your life.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, thank You for stepping forward to suffer death for our
sins, even death by crucifixion. Give us courage and confidence in
the dark hours of our lives to remember that You are still completely
in control. Amen.

Written by Rev. Wayne Palmer

THE PRAYER

"The High Priestly Prayer"

Lenten Devotion

"When Jesus had spoken these words, He lifted up His eyes
to heaven, and said, 'Father, the hour has come; glorify Your
Son that the Son may glorify You'" (John 17:1).

Read John 17.

Jesus has finished His Last Supper and offers a special prayer
before leading His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane. We
call it the High Priestly Prayer because Jesus our great High
Priest offers prayers for Himself, His apostles, and all who
believe in Him.

Jesus first prays that God the Father would glorify Himself
through Jesus' coming death. The Roman cross was never
connected with glory; it was a symbol of shame and dishonor.
St. Paul would call it a "stumbling block to the Jews" and
"foolishness to the Gentiles" (1 Corinthians 1:22). The Jews
stumbled over the idea that God would let His own Son suffer
and die on a cross, rather than sit in glory on a throne. The
Gentiles thought it foolishness that you could receive salvation
through someone else's execution.

Jesus prays to His Father to keep His eleven disciples in His
Name. He is about to leave this world, so He asks the Father to
keep them in faith, that believing they may share the one true
Gospel, which brings salvation by God's grace through faith for
Jesus' sake.

The final part of Jesus' prayer touches us, and all who have
heard and believed the words of the apostles. May we glorify Him
by trusting in Jesus as our only Savior from our sin and death,
and tell others of His great and incomparable love.

THE PRAYER:

Lord God, as You glorified Your Son Jesus Christ through His
death and resurrection, keep us in Your Name through this true
faith, and bless us to share it with all those around us. In Jesus'
Name. Amen.

Written by Rev. Wayne Palmer

END OF THE TUNNEL

"The Light at the End of the Tunnel"

Lenten Devotion

(Jesus said) "... 'You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn
into joy'" (John 16:20b).

Read John 16:16-24.

The disciples' heads are spinning at everything Jesus has said
to them at His Last Supper. Now He tells them, "A little while,
and you will see Me no longer; and again a little while, and you
will see Me." They want to know what He means, but are afraid
to ask; maybe they're more afraid to hear the answer He would
give.

But it shouldn't be a mystery. For months Jesus has told them
what will happen in Jerusalem. He warned them He would be
handed over, beaten, scourged and crucified. He told them He
would die and on the third day rise again. Now all His predictions
are about to come true. They will be sorrowful, but their sorrow
will turn to joy.

The disciples aren't all that different from us. All of us would
prefer to see joy and happiness all through our earthly lives, and
none of us is too happy when sorrow, grief, weeping and
lamenting come around. We try so hard to deny those things
will happen to us, that we miss the tremendous comfort in Jesus'
promise of the resurrection.

Jesus has died and risen again. He promises to come again to
restore this fallen creation, and to change our mortal bodies so
they will be glorious, immortal and eternally perfect. That fact of
Jesus' resurrection coupled with His promise to give us new
eternal life at His return can give us a lasting joy that no one can
take away-no matter what sorrow and loss we suffer in this our
earthly life.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your victory over our sin, death and
hell. Thank You for the promise Your resurrection brings-eternal l
ife with You. Amen.

Written by Rev. Wayne Palmer

TROUBLED HEARTS

Lenten Devotion

(Jesus said) "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in
God, believe also in Me" (John 14:1).

Read John 13:36-14:7.

What a confusing, depressing night! Their Lord and Master
washes their feet like a slave; He tells them the unthinkable
that one of them will betray Him. Then Jesus tells Peter,
the boldest of the Twelve, that this very night, before the
rooster crows at sunrise, Peter will deny knowing Him. What
a confusing, depressing night! Looking around at His
disciples, Jesus knows just how troubled and shaken they
are.

He knows how we get shaken up too. He knows the
circumstances that crush us, problems that confound us,
and the pressures that weigh on us. Yet through it all He is
always at our side. Jesus tells us to turn our eyes away from
our problems and focus our attention on Him. Believe in God
the Father and believe also in Jesus. He assures us that we
will not always live in this world of hurt, pain and sorrow, but
He is preparing a safe, joyous and wonderful place for us to
live with Him forever.

We know where we are going because Jesus is the Way to
heaven. He came to this earth not to be our example to guide
us to heaven by our good living, but to earn heaven for us by
His perfect life, innocent death and glorious resurrection. He
is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Perhaps these devotions find you or someone you love
drawing near to death. In the midst of our sorrows, fears and
anxieties when we focus on Jesus His mighty word calms our
fears and stills our hearts.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, bring peace to my troubled heart and mind, and
give me the Spirit that I may believe in You always. Amen.

Written by Rev. Wayne Palmer

THE BETRAYER

Lenten Devotion

(Jesus said) "... 'Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me'"
(John 13:21b). 

Read John 13:21-30.

"One of you will betray Me." Judas must be totally shocked by Jesus'
words. One by one the disciples ask a question that floats around the
table. With rising suspense Judas watches the question work its way
around the table to him -- and he even joins his voice to theirs: "Is it I,
Lord?"

If Judas' voice didn't give him away, what Jesus does next will make it
crystal clear. He dips the morsel of bread and hands it directly to Judas.

Have you ever stopped to think about how Jesus turned the tables on
Judas? At this moment the betrayer is at the mercy of the One he was
going to betray. Jesus holds Judas in the palm of His hand. With a word
Jesus can betray Judas to the other disciples, who are armed with a few
swords. Jesus is in complete control; He can betray Judas. Instead, our
Lord sends His betrayer on his way: "What you are going to do, do
quickly." As Judas rushes out from the danger, the other disciples have
no idea what Jesus means.

Which one of us hasn't betrayed another -- gossiping secrets that
should never have been shared or exposing another's shame just to
flatter our own self-righteous pride? How often have we in effect handed
Jesus' over to His enemies by our sinful actions or our silence?

Judas walked out into the darkness. But in this same darkness Jesus will
still reach out to him one last time when Judas leads the soldiers into the
Garden of Gethsemane to arrest Him. Jesus still reaches out to you and
me with hands that bear the mark of the nails.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, Your steadfast love is amazing to me. Keep reaching out to
bring me back from my sins. Amen. 

Written by Rev. Wayne Palmer

WASHING

"Washing an Unclean Disciple"

Lenten Devotion

"... (Jesus said) 'You are clean, but not every one of you.'
..." (John 13:10b).

Read John 13:1-20. 

Jesus has preached His last message to the crowds. Now
He spends one final night before His suffering and death with
His disciples in the upper room, preparing them for what is
about to happen.

In the middle of supper Jesus does something totally
unexpected. Taking off His outer garments He goes around the
table washing the disciples' feet one by one, the way the
lowliest slave in the household would. It is a demonstration of
His absolute humility, love and care -- a demonstration He will
repeat for the whole world the next day on the cross.

For Peter it is too much. He objects and receives a firm
correction from Jesus: "If I do not wash you, you have no share
with Me." Then Peter goes to the other extreme asking Jesus to
wash all of him. Jesus points out that the one who has had a
bath does not need to bathe again, only to wash the part of him
that is unclean.

Jesus is pointing to Judas, the one who has abandoned his Lord
and become unclean and is even now awaiting the chance to
betray Him. The other eleven are forgiven, cleansed of their sins
because they still walk in the light by faith; Judas has rejected
that light and walks in darkness. Very gently Jesus reaches out
to His lost disciple in an unforgettable demonstration of His love,
 forgiveness and acceptance. It's a demonstration He wants Judas
to remember when he is gripped by guilt and remorse for what he
is about to do.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, forgive my wandering heart. Help me to see Your great
love for me and remember what You have done to save me. Amen. 

Written by Rev. Wayne Palmer

LIFTED UF

"How Can the Christ be Lifted Up?"

Lenten Devotion

(Jesus said) "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw
all people to Myself" (John 12:32). 

Read John 12:33-50.

The crowds are confused. Jesus has told them He will be
"lifted up," and they know exactly what He means. Being "lifted
up from the earth" was a familiar phrase describing death on a
cross. But they all know the Christ remains forever, so how can
Jesus be the Christ if He will die on a cross?

It's easy for us to share that confusion too. God's light doesn't
always make sense to our sin-darkened minds. Jesus simply
tells them, "The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk
while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you." Satan is
always trying to overtake us, trying to snatch away the light from
us.

One of the tools he uses is the confusing things that happen in
this life, things that don't always make sense to us. Often our
search for answers leads us to question God and doubt His love.
Jesus just encourages us to walk in Him. He invites us to lay
those questions at the foot of His cross, to focus instead on the
extent of His love for us. It's a love that moved Him to lay down
His life in terrible suffering that we might be forgiven.

We don't understand every reason for everything that happens to
us. And we won't always find all the answers to all our questions,
but we don't have to. We only need to walk in Christ's light and
keep looking to Him. At the right time He will make everything
clear.

THE PRAYER:

Heavenly Father, I don't always understand the things I see around
me. Help me to come to Your Son's cross, that there I may know
Your love and receive Your strength. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Written by Rev. Wayne Palmer

TROUBLED SOUL

"My Soul is Troubled"

Lenten Devotion

"And (Jesus said) "'Now is My soul troubled. And what shall I say?
'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I have come
to this hour'" (John 12:27).

Read John 12:27-33.

Jesus has just told His disciples why He has come to Jerusalem:
He is to suffer and die for the world. But the thought is not easy for
Jesus to face. He says, "Now is My soul troubled." We see that
turmoil again when He falls on His face in agony in the Garden of
Gethsemane (see Luke 22).

Here He prays, "Father, glorify Your Name." He doesn't ask the
Father to save Him from the cross but to use His suffering and
death on the cross to glorify His Name. He wants people to look
at the cross and believe that "God so loved the world that He gave
His only-begotten Son." In Gethsemane God will send an angel to
strengthen His Son, but here He speaks to Jesus. "I have glorified
it, and I will glorify it again."

We all come face to face with overwhelming situations and
struggles in life -- heartbreak and loss, grief beyond telling, the
shadow of death -- whether our own or that of a loved one.

Jesus has come to this hour in His life to be the answer to the
overwhelming situations in each of our lives. He will be raised up
to draw all men to Himself. This was done so that in Jesus Christ
each of us might find the answer to our problems, the courage for
the trials we face and the victory over Satan who brought all these
situations upon us through his temptation.

THE PRAYER:

Heavenly Father, You glorified Your Name in the sufferings of Your
beloved Son Jesus Christ. Glorify Your Name through me as You
give me strength and courage to face the difficult times in my life.
I pray in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Written by Rev. Wayne Palmer

KEEP IT OR LOSE IT

"Keep this Life or Lose It?"

Lenten Devotion

"And Jesus answered them, 'The hour has come for the Son of
Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of
wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies,
it bears much fruit'" (John 12:23-24).

Read John 12:20-26.

Jesus entered Jerusalem in triumph. The disciples were
convinced He was about to establish His throne in Jerusalem,
so Jesus had to teach them a tough lesson.

Christ Jesus stood alone, the only man whose life on this earth
was perfect and worthy of earning heaven. But unless He died on
the cross in our place He would remain alone, and we would all
perish eternally in hell. By dying in our place, taking our sins on
Himself and paying the full price God's justice demanded, Jesus
would save us all, and open wide the gates of heaven.

Our earthly life is similar in many ways. If we wish to selfishly
save our earthly life, we will lose it. But if we hate our earthly life
in comparison, longing for that better, heavenly life, we will keep
it for eternity. Thankfully, Jesus leads the way for us. He did not
love His earthly life so much that He was not willing to lay it down
on the cross. No, He was looking forward to a better, eternal life
with us-a life made possible only through His suffering, death and
resurrection.

It's a good time for us as individuals to stop and examine our
attitudes toward our lives, as well as our willingness to leave them
all behind for Jesus and the eternal life He gives.

THE PRAYER:

Heavenly Father, thank You for offering us eternal life through Your
Son Jesus Christ. Help us all to hate this life in this dark, sinful
world that we may keep our lives eternally in Your light. In Jesus'
Name. Amen.

Written by Rev. Wayne Palmer

RUN AWAY

Scared and cold
first night on the streets
Your body hurts
from your head to your feet

You miss school,
not the work---it's the friends
Thinking what you'll say
when they ask
where you've been

Gotta dollar-fifty,
every penny gotta spend
Make a wrong move...Boom-
your life comes to an end.

      Daniel, 16
      a kid on the street

(from Sometimes God has a Kids Face)

OOUT OF CONTROL

Lenten Devotion

"So the Pharisees said to one another, 'You see that you are
gaining nothing. Look, the whole world has gone after Him'"
(John 12:19).

Read John 12:12-19.

The great Festival of Passover is near. Huge crowds make their
way across the countryside toward Jerusalem, and our Lord
Jesus enters Jerusalem in triumph, riding on a donkey.

The Pharisees throw up their hands in fear and frustration. They
say to each other "You see that you are gaining nothing." The
situation is totally out of control. But again they will not stop to
consider Jesus' claims. They only react in frustration and fear
of what Jesus might do with the huge Passover crowds
gathering around Him in Jerusalem.

It is fascinating to compare their reaction to that of the crowds.
The crowds cry out to Jesus, "Hosanna," which means "help"
or "save." And they are right. The Lord Jesus is the mighty
Son of God, who has come to battle Satan, sin, death and hell.
He alone can save us from our bitter enemies.

As we begin this week of Jesus' suffering and death for our sins,
we notice He is completely in control. We will notice He is in
control through this entire week-clear up to and including His
arrest, trials and crucifixion.

That's important to remember when we look at our own lives.
Often we are as fearful and frustrated as the Pharisees,
realizing situations in our lives are totally out of control. We
can throw up our hands like the Pharisees, or call upon Jesus
as the crowds do, remembering that Jesus is still in control,
sitting at the right hand of the Father and guiding all things for
our good.

THE PRAYER:

Lord, please help and save us, especially when circumstances
are at their worst and totally out of our control. Remind us that
they are never beyond Your control. Amen.

Written by Rev. Wayne Palmer

ANOINTED

"Anointed for Burial

Lenten Devotion

"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'" (John 12:7-8).

Read John 12:1-8.

Mary is very grateful to Jesus. She has heard His wonderful
words and received her brother Lazarus back from death. As
her family gathers around the table with Jesus and His
disciples for dinner, she pours an expensive ointment over
Jesus' feet and wipes it with her hair.

Her generosity should be an inspiration for Jesus' disciples.
But it only stirs the darkness in Judas. He complains how the
ointment was worth nearly a year's wages and that the money
should have gone to the poor instead. But Jesus stands up in
her defense. He boldly commands Judas to leave her alone.
She has done this to honor Him, and the scent of that perfume
will linger on His body throughout His trials, crucifixion and
burial in the coming days.

Do we have Mary's tremendous sense of gratitude and love for
our Lord? Do we really appreciate what He has done for us,
what He has given to us, and the promise of a glorious future
because of Him?

How striking to compare Mary's devotion with that of Judas-who
has replaced his devotion to Jesus with a love for money. For,
as John tells us, Judas had no intention of helping the poor with
that money. He only wanted to get his hands on it-as he had
stolen money from the disciples' moneybag many times before.
Sadly, in the next few days he will do far worse for a much
smaller amount of money.

THE PRAYER:

Holy Spirit, stir up in my heart true love, gratitude and
appreciation for all Jesus has done for me. I pray in Jesus'
Name. Amen.

ONE MAN MUST DIE

Lenten Devotion

"But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said
to them, 'You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it
is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that
the whole nation should perish.' ... So from that day on they
made plans to put Him to death" (John 11:49-50, 53).

Read John 11:45-57.

In Lazarus' resurrection on the fourth day, Jesus performed an
undeniable miracle greater and more widely known than healing a
man born blind. Since this miracle took place near Jerusalem
word spread quickly, which the Jewish leaders found to be
particularly troubling. But they never stopped to ask if they might
be wrong, if Jesus might possibly be the Christ.

They only knew many people were seeing Lazarus and believing
in Jesus. Gathering their Council together, they searched for some
kind of answer-something they could do to stop the madness.

Finally, the high priest broke through it all. He alone seemed to
realize there was only one solution: Jesus must die. If Jesus
continued living, the entire nation would be destroyed. And from
that moment on, the Jewish leaders sought Jesus' death.

But God had long ago reached that same decision. In fact, John
tells us that Caiaphas did not say this on his own, but the Holy
Spirit inspired him to say it. It was the truth. If Jesus would not
die on the cross for the sins of the world, then the entire Jewish
nation would be destroyed, and with it you and me and all people.
If this one man died, then all of us could live.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, what amazing humility You showed in being willing
to be put to death to save me and all people. Give Your Church
true faith and gratitude that we may tell Your story to all people.
Amen.

Written by Rev. Wayne Palmer

RESURRECTION

"Our Resurrection and Life"

Lenten Devotion

"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever
believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone
who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe
this?'"(John 11:25-26).

Read John 11:1-44.

Jesus is about to do one of His greatest miraculous signs.
He receives a frantic message to come to Lazarus who is
gravely ill. But Jesus remains where He is. His disciples
think Jesus is avoiding Jerusalem where the crowds had tried
to stone Him a short time ago. But Jesus waits two days
before finally heading out for Bethany, a small village near
Jerusalem. Thomas tells his fellow disciples, "Let us also go,
that we may die with Him."

Jesus finally arrives after Lazarus has been dead four days.
Martha says, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would
not have died." But Jesus had a reason for His delay. Jewish
rabbis believed a person's soul hovered over the body for three
days, and then finally departed when decomposition set in. By
waiting for the fourth day, Jesus would be performing a miracle
none of the Jewish leaders could deny.

Sometimes we get confused by the struggles in our life. Like
Martha we plead with the Lord to help, but when we need Him
most He seems to delay, or not to hear. But Jesus has a
purpose and a plan for everything He does for us.

Jesus told Martha "I am the resurrection and the life." Jesus
proved that by raising Lazarus from the dead-and by His own
resurrection on the third day. When we are discouraged, beaten
down and depressed, we can look to Jesus and know our future
is secure.

THE PRAYER:

Lord, give me confidence in Your victory during the dark days
when I need You the most. Amen.

Written by Rev. Wayne Palmer

MY OWN

Lenten Devotion

(Jesus said) "I am the Good Shepherd. I know My own and My own
know Me." ... "and I lay down My life for the sheep" (John 10:14, 15b).

Read John 10:11-39.

In today's reading Jesus identifies Himself as our Good Shepherd.
This, of course, means that we are like sheep. That automatically
says two things about us: we are helpless creatures, and we have
powerful enemies against which we are defenseless. But are the
crowds willing to admit this-that they need Jesus to be their shepherd?

Jesus tells them He will freely lay down His life to save them from their
enemies. He will lay it down on Good Friday when He is nailed to the
cross and gives up His life for the sins of the world. But He will take it
up again on the third day when He rises in glorious victory.

The crowds hear this great news, and find themselves divided yet
again! Some say He has a demon, or He is insane. But others,
thinking how Jesus healed the man born blind, ask, "Can a demon
open the eyes of the blind?"

Jesus made some very bold statements about Himself and the work
He came to do. Few are as powerful or as comforting as these words.
Jesus Christ has been pleased to take us as His very own sheep, and
will guard us, protect us, lead us to good pasture, care for us in body
and soul and finally lead us through death to life everlasting.

Jesus stretches out His hand to you today. If you are His sheep, listen
to His voice, He will protect you from all enemies and guide you safely
home to paradise. He promises that nothing can snatch you out of His
hands.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, thank You for offering to hold me firmly and safely in Your
hands. Let me never wander away in unbelief. Amen.

Written by Rev. Wayne Palmer

SELMA

Welcoming the Stranger

Last weekend marked the 50th anniversary of the “Bloody Sunday”
Selma to Montgomery march, a historic moment for our country
as brave individuals marched toward the Alabama capital to fight
for the civil rights of African Americans to vote in the South. This
effort was met with violent resistance at the Edmund Pettus
Bridge as state troopers used teargas and nightsticks to beat
back the marchers.

This moment caught national attention and was instrumental in
passing the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which banned racial
discrimination in voting, and also helped pave the path for many
justice movements that continue to this day.

Whether our fight is for racial, economic ,or environmental justice,
we are committed for the long haul to resisting the forces that
disenfranchise communities and seek to limit the rights of people.
As we remember Selma and continue our march for immigration
reform facing the resistant forces of today, we must remember
the words of Martin Luther King Jr., “The arc of the moral universe
is long, but it bends towards justice.”

In faith,

The Sojourners Immigration Team

AM I BLIND

Lenten Devotion

"Jesus said, 'For judgment I came into this world, that those
who do not see may see, and those who see may become
blind'" (John 9:39).

Read John 9:24-41.

Over and over again Jesus' light shone over the people around
Him through His words and His countless miracles. But the
Jewish leaders refused to see. Despite a thorough investigation
into Jesus' healing of the man born blind, they can find no way
to disprove the miracle. Still, they refuse to believe the evidence
right before them.

But Jesus isn't ready to give up on them yet. If they won't accept
the evidence, maybe they will listen to the man who had been
healed. In eloquent testimony the man told them, "If this man
were not from God, He could do nothing." But again, they
stubbornly refuse to see the light and answer, "You were born
in utter sin, and would you teach us?" Then they threw out the
man born blind.

Hearing that he had been thrown out, Jesus found him and
revealed Himself to him. Jesus told those around Him that He
came to give sight to the blind, and blindness to those who see.
Some Pharisees heard Him say this and asked if they were blind.
Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now
that you say, 'We see,' your guilt remains."

That is a terrifying thought. These Jewish leaders had seen
overwhelming evidence time and again that Jesus is the promised
Savior, God's Son, yet they refused to believe. How much evidence
have we seen? How many Bible readings have we heard in services?
How many times have we received Holy Communion? Do we believe?

THE PRAYER:

Lord, You know the darkness within each of us, take away my
blindness and help me see Jesus clearly through the eyes of faith.
Amen.

Written by Rev. Wayne Palmer

RELUCTANT WITNESSES

Lenten Devotion

"... For the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should
confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the
synagogue" (John 9:22b).

Read John 9:13, 18-23.

"We don't know!" What a puzzling response! Have these
parents forgotten their disappointment when they first
learned their son could not see? Now he stands before
them seeing perfectly! But when they are asked to testify
they refuse. It seems they would have preferred for their son
to have remained blind than for Jesus to have given him sight.

What caused this silence? Mom and dad felt more fear of the
threats of the Jewish leaders than gratitude for what Jesus
had given their son. They wanted to keep their place in the
synagogue and knew they risked being thrown out if they
spoke up about Jesus. So they pushed their son back into
the witness stand and refused to speak up.

How often are we ruled by fear-fear of the condemnation of
our enemies, of the judgment of acquaintances, of the
rejection of our friends or family members? How often do we
fear being excluded, ridiculed or worse?

How can we stand up to those fears? It is possible only by
the power of the Holy Spirit strengthening us and shoring us
up against these pressures. That is why God has given you
a church family, to encourage and strengthen you, to build
you up in His Word and Sacrament.

The opposition we face is just as real as that which they
faced. Jesus would continue to stand up to that opposition
and hatred-all the way to the cross and the empty tomb. He
suffered and died at the hands of His enemies and rose again
in victory that we might live with Him forever.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, give me courage and strength to stand up against
Your enemies and boldly declare my faith in a hostile world.
Amen.

Written by Rev. Wayne Palmer

DIVIDED

Lenten Devotion

"Some of the Pharisees said, 'This man is not from God,
for He does not keep the Sabbath.' But others said, 'How
can a man who is a sinner do such things?' And there was
a division among them" (John 9:16).

Read John 9:1-16.

Leaving the temple grounds Jesus passes through
Jerusalem. Along the way His disciples point out a man
born blind. They ask if his blindness is a result of his
parents' sin or his own. Jesus rejects both claims, and says
this man was born blind so the works of God may be
displayed in him. Then Jesus gave the man sight.

When word reaches the Pharisees there is a sharp division
among them. Some immediately reject Jesus because He
healed on the Sabbath day. Blinded by their tradition they are
unable to see God's great purpose for the Sabbath-to let
people rest from their labors and let God work in their lives.
Others realize the magnitude of the work Jesus has done.
Like Nicodemus before (see John 3), they know no sinful man
could perform such a mighty miracle. So a division arises
among the Pharisees.

Jesus continues to divide people today. Some listen to His
words, consider His miracles and are led by the Holy Spirit
to the certain faith that He is God's Son, the Savior of the
world. Others ignore the plain truth and take issue with the way
Jesus taught and the demands they think He makes on their
lives. They doubt His relevance and prefer to live their lives their
own way.

God grant us His Holy Spirit to know Jesus as God's Son, our
only Savior and Lord, and to follow Him through all.

THE PRAYER:

Spirit of God, strengthen my faith in Jesus Christ my Lord, and
give me firm confidence when others are divided over Him. In
Jesus' Name. Amen.

Written by Rev. Wayne Palmer

WHOSE CHILDREN ARE WE?

Lenten Devotion

"So they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid
Himself and went out of the temple" (John 8:59).

Read John 8:45-59.

Now the crowd could prove whether they were truly children
of God as they claimed, or children of the devil as Jesus had
said. Would they come running to the Savior for forgiveness
and life, or cling to the dark lies of Satan? John tells us their
grim decision: "they picked up stones to throw at Him."

You and I go to church and in Baptism God made us His
very own children. But how often do we live as if we weren't?
How attentive are we when we hear or read Jesus' words?
How closely do we follow Him in our words and actions? Are
we willing to pray "Your will be done?" or do we only want to
accept Jesus on our own terms? Are we as quick to turn on
Him as the crowds were?

Jesus miraculously hides Himself and leaves the temple
grounds. The time for His death is drawing near, but He will
not die at the hands of an angry mob under a pile of rocks at
the temple. He will be dragged outside of the city at the hands
of the Roman soldiers and nailed to a cross.

Even today Jesus' words often bring a violent reaction. If we
are walking in darkness we are not always excited to hear the
truth. But Christ promises to wash away our sins and restore
us in faith. He will guard and protect us and finally bring us to
our eternal home where we will always walk in His light.

THE PRAYER:

Lord, give courage to all Your faithful people who bring Your
light into our dark world. Empower me to turn from the
darkness and share my faith as You guide and protect me.
In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Written by Rev. Wayne Palmer

TIGHTENING THE SCREWS

Lenten Devotion

(Jesus said) "'You are of your father the devil.' ..."
(John 8:44a).

Read John 8:31-45.

Jesus stands firm. But His enemies are standing firm
too. The only way He can save them is by bringing them
out of their darkness into His light. So Jesus first offers
a promise, then He tightens the screws.

He begins with the promise, "If you abide in My word,
you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth,
and the truth will set you free." But in pride and arrogance
they claim they are already free. So Jesus explains their
true condition, "Everyone who sins is a slave to sin." They
just aren't getting it. So, slowly, Jesus knocks each prop
of self-righteousness out from under them.

They claim to be Abraham's children, but they are not
because Abraham would have welcomed Him, not seek to
kill Him as they are.

They claim God is their father, but if they were God's children
they would love Him and receive Him as God's Son.

There is only one reason why they cannot stomach what
Jesus is saying: their father isn't God; their father is the devil!
Just as he murdered Adam and Eve by his lies, and brought
darkness and death on all God's good creation, so are they
now seeking to murder Jesus- God's only begotten Son.

How could Jesus have been any more clear and to the point?
Their thoughts and desires, their words and their deeds were
making that very clear. And what about us? Jesus asks you
and me to examine our thoughts, attitudes, words and actions.
Do they look more like God or like Satan? Who is your father?

THE PRAYER:

Heavenly Father, I was born a child of Satan through my sinful
nature, but You gave me new birth as Your child in Baptism. By
Your Spirit empower me to live as Your child and love what You
command. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

DIE

"Die in Your Sins"

Lenten Devotion

"Again Jesus spoke to them saying, 'I am the Light of the world.'
 ..." (John 8:12a).

 Read John 8:12-30.

Jesus' enemies want Him dead. Has He pressed too hard? Is it
time to lighten up or compromise to find common ground? No!
Jesus knows there is only one way for them to be saved. So
He presses even harder. He declares, "I am the Light of the
world."

Instead of backing down Jesus draws a line in the sand and
says, "Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will
have the light of life." But to those who reject Him, He says,
"I am going away, and you will seek Me, and you will die in
your sin."

Their hearts should be stirred, but instead they stubbornly
refuse to listen. In idle curiosity they ask each other if Jesus'
talk of "going away" means He will kill Himself. Jesus answers,
"When you have lifted up the Son of Man, you will know that
I am He."

When they lift Him up and nail Him to the cross, they will
know who He is. The miraculous signs at His death: the
darkness, the earthquake, the torn curtain in the temple and
His glorious resurrection will make it clear to them that Jesus
is the mighty Son of God, the promised Messiah.

Which side of the line are you walking on? Are you truly
walking in the light of Christ or the darkness of this unbelieving
world? Jesus warns all of us that our time is short. Don't wait
for tomorrow. Today is the day to live in Christ through faith,
rather than die in your sins.

THE PRAYER:

Heavenly Father, bring me out of the darkness of my sin to
the light of Your Son Jesus Christ. I pray in His Name. Amen.

Written by Rev. Wayne Palmer

CAUGHT

"Caught in the Act"
By Rev. Wayne Palmer


Lenten Devotion

"... 'Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of
adultery. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone
such women. So what do You say?'" (John 8:4b-5)

Read John 8:1-11.

Unable to arrest Jesus in front of the crowds, His enemies
look for a chance to turn those crowds against Him. They
bring a woman caught in adultery and set their trap,
"Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what
do You say?" Certainly the crowd is ready for a stoning.
Jesus will lose popularity if He stands in the way.

Jesus answers them. "Let him who is without sin among
you be the first to throw a stone at her." He was the only
one qualified to be her Judge, the only one who has the
right to throw that first stone. One by one they drop their
stones and walk away.

Jesus tells her, "Go and from now on sin no more." She
can walk away unpunished because He has taken her
guilt and sin upon Himself, along with the punishment she
 deserves from God for that sin. She goes away free while
He prepares to suffer in her place on the cross.

We don't like to admit it, but each of us is a sinner like
that woman. God catches us in every single one of our
sins, and we deserve something far worse than being
stoned to death. We deserve the fires of hell under the
wrath of God.

But Jesus Christ steps forward to take our condemnation
on Himself and pay the full price for our sins as He suffers
and dies on the cross. On Judgment Day we will walk away
free. He will not condemn us either.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, You set me free by being condemned in my
place. Help me show true gratitude by forgiving others and
sharing Your salvation with them. Amen.

CAN'T TAKE A HINT

By Rev. Wayne Palmer

Lenten Devotion

"They (the Pharisees) replied, 'Are You from Galilee too? Search and
see that no prophet arises from Galilee'" (John 7:52).

Read John 7:32, 45-52.

The Jewish leaders hear the crowds wondering if Jesus might be the
Messiah. They decide it's time to act. So they send the temple guards
to arrest Him. But it isn't Jesus' time yet. Impressed by the authority
of Jesus' words the guards return empty handed. The Light will keep
shining a little while longer in the darkness.

Jesus is trying to break through the darkness of the Jewish authorities
through their temple guard. If these men are willing to listen to Jesus,
perhaps the chief priests and Pharisees will follow their example. But
the leaders harden their hearts and accuse the guard of being deceived
like the crowds who must be under a curse.

If they won't listen to the guards, perhaps they will listen to one of their
own. Nicodemus speaks up. He suggests they give Jesus a fair hearing
rather than blindly condemning Him. Instead, they turn on him with two
exaggerations. First, they claim none of the authorities believe in
Him-though at least Nicodemus does. Second, they claim no prophet
ever came from Galilee, but they overlook Jonah who was from Galilee.
They attempt to close ranks against Jesus through intimidation and lies.

We often plant our heels in the sand and refuse to budge no matter
what anyone might say, no matter what the church might say, no matter
what God's Word might say. But Jesus suffered and died for our
stubbornness just as He did for all our other sins.

God continues to work through His Word and Sacrament to break
through our persistent unbelief and move us to understand and accept
the truth.

THE PRAYER:

Lord, forgive my stubborn pride, and move me to true, sincere faith.
Amen.

TIME IS RUNNING OUT

By Rev. Wayne Palmer

"Jesus said, 'I will be with you a little longer. ..
.'" (John 7:33a).

Read John 7:33-44.

People are divided over Jesus. Some believe in Him. Others
don't. Many are undecided. Jesus warns them to make up
their mind: "I will be with you a little longer."

I learned that lesson the hard way when I was 19. One Friday
afternoon my boss handed me my paycheck on the way
home. A couple hours later he collapsed at his bowling alley
and died. My chance to talk to him, learn from him, and
reach out to him was gone forever.

Soon Jesus will be gone. He will die on a cross and be
buried. After three days He will rise again, but the vast
majority will never see Him again-only a few select believers
God will choose to be witnesses of His resurrection to the
world.

The clock is ticking for us too. Each of us has only a limited
amount of time before we die and our chance to find salvation
through faith in Jesus Christ ends forever. But often we are
content with the way life is going. Or we think it doesn't matter
what you believe, God will be satisfied if you just try to live a
good life.

But that is a false hope and a false comfort. God has provided
only one way to save us, and that is through His Son Jesus
Christ. Jesus satisfied God's holiness and justice by taking
our sins on Himself and suffering and dying in our place on
the cross. No one else could do it. Now is the time to come
to Him and walk in His light.

THE PRAYER:

Lord, draw me to You while there is still time. Shine in my life
that others may turn to the Light of the world, while they still
have time. Amen.

A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE

By Rev. Wayne Palmer

Lenten Devotion-... When the Christ appears, no one will know
where He comes from" (John 7:27b). John 7:25-32.

Some of the Jerusalem folks think Jesus is paranoid. Others
won't even consider whether He might be the promised Messiah.
Why? Because He is from Nazareth, and no one is supposed to
know where the Messiah comes from. The funny thing is this:
they don't know. Jesus only grew up in Nazareth; He was born
in Bethlehem. But Jesus is the eternal Son of God who came
down from heaven and was born in Bethlehem to save us. Using
their little knowledge, they are content to write Jesus off and live
in the darkness of their thinking.

Being content with a little knowledge is dangerous. Consider
those who are content to know Jesus was born at Christmas
and died on a cross, but that's all they care to know. They don't
know that He lived and died to save them from God's wrath and
rose again to give them eternal life.

We live in a time where people believe-and try hard to persuade
us to believe-that reality is what we think it is. And what may be
true for you isn't necessarily true for me. Once I am satisfied with
my sense of reality I don't have to dig any deeper.

Being content with a little knowledge is not just a dangerous
thing-it's deadly! Each of us is a sinner who needs God's
salvation through Jesus Christ. He is the only Savior, the only
way we can escape God's eternal wrath and live forever in heaven.
This Lent God calls us to keep digging deeper and see the whole
story of Jesus' suffering and death for our salvation.

THE PRAYER:

Lord, forgive my being content with a shallow knowledge of My
Savior. Open my mind to want to learn more. In Jesus' Name.
Amen.

JUDGING BY APPEARANCE

By Rev. Wayne Palmer

Read John 7:14-24.
(Jesus said) "... 'Why do you seek to kill Me?'" (John 7:19b)

Lenten Devotion- The darkness of unbelief hangs like a thick
blanket over the temple grounds. For the first half of the
festival it looks as though the darkness has driven away the
Light -- Jesus is nowhere to be seen. But midway through
the festival He steps into the temple courts and begins
shining His light for all to see. Jesus immediately addresses
the reason He stayed away for the first half of the festival. He
asks the religious leaders why they want to kill Him for doing
a good deed.

Unaware that Jesus is talking to the Jewish leaders, the
crowd thinks He is talking to them. Since they aren't seeking
His death and are unaware of their leaders' thoughts, they
reach a false conclusion: they accuse Him of being demon
possessed!

When He hangs from the cross they will reach another false
conclusion: Jesus was a fake and God is using the cross to
show the world Jesus of Nazareth is not His Son. They will
have no idea God is giving His only-begotten Son to die for
the sins of the whole world.

Judging by appearances and jumping to conclusions is
something we often do too. We are offended by our neighbor,
so we condemn him before we even learn his reasons. Jesus
warns, "Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right
judgment."

Stop a moment and reconsider Jesus Christ. Did you start
this Lenten season thinking of Jesus as only being meek and
humble? Have you begun to see His strength, commitment
and courage? Stick around, because as Jesus once told
Nathanael,"... You will see greater things than these"
(John 1:50b).

THE PRAYER:
 Father, forgive me for judging by appearances. Open my eyes
to see Your Son as He is -- my powerful Lord and Savior. In
Jesus' Name. Amen.

SILENT FEAR

By Rev. Wayne Palmer

Read John 7:1-13.
"After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about
in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill Him" (John 7:1). 

Lenten Devotion- Even though the crowds thin around Jesus,
He won't stop preaching and sharing the Gospel. He remains in
the north in Galilee, avoiding the southern region and Jerusalem
where the Jewish leaders are waiting to kill Him.

But His brothers notice this and think He is being unwise. If He
wants to make a name for Himself He needs to go to Jerusalem
where He will actually have an audience. At first glance it sounds
like they are really interested in His ministry and want Him to
succeed. But then we read John's comment, "Not even His
brothers believed in Him."

Jesus remains behind when they leave for the festival. It must be
surprising to the crowds when Jesus doesn't show up at the Feast
of Tabernacles. Each day they come to the temple expecting Him,
but He is nowhere to be seen. The people wonder and whisper
about Him. Some say He is a good man; others think He is
misleading the people. But no one speaks openly for fear of the
Jewish religious authorities.

Do you have the courage to speak of Jesus in your family and
among your friends and coworkers? As we will see, many of the
people who saw Jesus' great miracles and heard His powerful
words were more afraid of losing their place in society than of
displeasing the God who will be their Judge on the Last Day.
For this sin, too, Jesus is on His way to the cross for our
salvation.

THE PRAYER:

Lord, help me to see You with new eyes this Lent so that Your
light may shine through the darkness of my mind. Give me
courage to speak of Your great salvation with boldness, joy and
confidence. Amen.

HIDDEN DARKNESS

By Rev. Wayne Palmer

Read John 6:66-71.
"Jesus answered them, 'Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet
one of you is a devil'" (John 6:70). 

Lenten Devotion- In sadness Jesus watched the crowds turn and
walk away. Now He turns to His twelve chosen disciples and asks
if they want to leave too. The Lord won't force them to stay at His
side; He won't force you and me to stay either.

Peter answers, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of
eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that You
are the Holy One of God." The Holy Spirit led Peter to this great
confession.

But Jesus knew Peter wasn't speaking for every one of the disciples.
He knew all too well that one of them had turned away, even though
he was still standing by Jesus' side. None of the other disciples was
aware, but Judas had secretly rejected Jesus' Kingdom of light and
allied himself with the prince of darkness. The darkness had so
deceived Judas he thought Jesus would never know what was in his
heart.

Judas' darkness is in each of us too and can deceive us as
thoroughly as it deceived him. On the outside we can be active in
our churches. Yet deep in our hearts we may have grown cold to
Jesus. It's so easy to go through the motions of faith, while our
hearts turn away to the darkness like Judas.

Jesus calls us to stop and examine the depths of our soul. Are we
sincere in our faith, or are we servants of darkness going through
the motions? It's a matter of life and death and heaven and hell for
us just as it was for Judas.

THE PRAYER:

Holy Spirit, remove all that is false and impure from my heart, and fill
me with the fire of faith in Jesus Christ my Savior. In Jesus' Name.
Amen.