Day 3 reading is all done. It is hard to believe that 30+ pages have already been read. I am amazed (again) at how powerful the story of the Messiah, the Christ, the Savior, Jesus is. I am having zero problem completing my reading and am finding myself moved by it all over again. I hope you are also.
In fact, I hope you have taken the challenge to read along with me and my church. It really isn’t too late if you have not started yet. We are only reading Monday through Friday during the week, so on the weekend you can catch up! If you haven’t decided yet to join us, I hope that you will. Go to this site to download the eBook and any other materials you might want to use. cberesources.com/nt They are free! I think it will be a real blessing to you, as it is for me.
Here are my thoughts concerning today’s reading.
The reading today basically started with this line, “Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” The story goes on to show Him moving strategically toward His crucifixion, His burial and His resurrection. Traveling with His disciples He confronts the needs all around Him. He teaches. He leads. He rebukes, warns, heals, preaches and prophesizes. But He always is moving toward the great confrontation between sin and the grace of God.
Jesus confronts the casual followers with the call to total discipleship. You wont have a place to “lay your head.” You must focus on preaching the “kingdom of God.” Your family probably wont put up with your crazy new life. Following Jesus is going to cost somewhere and somehow. Yet, Jesus is worth it.
He confronts the wise guys of the time who knew the word and were the spiritual leaders of the people. Rebuking them before their very own faces (and not behind their backs, like so often happens in church settings today), to see the hypocrisy of their lives in the light of their teaching. Ouch!
I saw an increasing sense of urgency and expression, in Jesus, of the need of the world for a savior. Religion didn’t do it for the folks. Great bands of followers looking for “signs” weren’t going to get it. Just the truth…”this is a wicked generation.” They built memorials to the messengers of God, killed by their ancestors, and according to Jesus, made themselves co-murderers in spirit of those same messengers. The need for a savior is clear. We have not changed as people, as they had not changed.
The fruitless fig tree, left for another year, assaulted me. Are we, as a church and followers of Christ, fruitless. Is He waiting one more year for us? Is He calling us to the same resolute stance that He has taken, moving toward Jerusalem?
I hope you will continue to read along with me. May His blessing be upon our reading and living the kingdom.
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