Today's reading: Mark 1:29-45, Mark 2:1-12

'And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.' - Mark 1:35 ESV

There are really two types of communication we use on any given day.

The first is what I would call "blip" communication. It is when we send the obligatory texts like brb or lol or jk or "on my way" or "almost there." We use this type to share in short bursts. It is helpful, but we wouldn't probably call it affectionate.

The second is what I would call "long-haul" communication. This is when we sit down over a meal and work through things in a relationship. Maybe we need to really speak the truth into someone's life. With this type, no time really seems like enough.

I'm sure Jesus had many "blip" prayers during his 33 years as he walked this earth. The kind that Nehemiah prayed as he approached the king (see Nehemiah 2:4). Yet the substance that he fed on most for strength was found in these early-morning (long-haul) prayer sessions (or late-night; see Matthew 14:23).

What about us? Do we make time for this kind of rich prayer? Or do we have too much going on to communicate with our Creator?

If Jesus found (or made) time during his frantic three-year earthly ministry, surely we can make time in our schedules as well.

As a mentor once told me, "We have time for what we make time for."

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." - Colossians 4:2

Today's reading: Mark 1:1-28

'And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”' - Mark 1:27 ESV

We have all met people who aren't shy about telling you how fantastic they are. It's almost as though they're, at the same time, trying to convince themselves of this as they drone on and on. We listen to what they are saying and notice that it isn't matching what they are doing.

What about Jesus? Did he only have clever sayings about forgiveness and Good News (Gospel), or did he back it up with the way he lived?

What stood out to me most in our reading for today is that what Jesus did confirmed what he said. This is why the people were saying he taught with "authority." Jesus had more rights than anyone else to be a top-down leader, barking commands to everyone in Israel while not engaging himself in earthly matters. Yet Jesus' whole life was a masterpiece of powerful words and unforgettable deeds.

May we ask God for the same kind of life. One that is rich in language and overflowing with faithfulness.

Today’s reading: Matthew 28:1-20

‘But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.”’ - Matthew‬ ‭28:5-6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

We live in a world that is in desperate need of this truth of the resurrection. Hate. Abuse. Injustice. Sexual sin. Racism. Poverty. Violence.  Division. We don’t have to live very long to start asking God the question, “When are you going to start doing something about all of this?” We pray with the martyrs from Revelation 6, “How long, O Lord?”

Yet God has already done the most significant work. He sent his Son to die and rise for the world, all the broken and dysfunctional. Jesus didn’t just rise from the dead to prove he was the Son of God, the long-expected Messiah. He also rose with a view to someday raise us. This happens initially when we first become Christians by faith, and it will again occur one day in the final resurrection of the dead.

We will be fitted with new bodies.

Bodies not prone to selfishness or pride or any wear and tear.

Until then, may we walk by faith in this life, living resurrected lives that dispense hope to a dark world in desperate need.

Today's reading: Matthew 27:32-66

'“He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”' - Matthew 27:42-43 ESV

To truly appreciate what is happening in our reading today, you have to go 33 years back to when the angel visited Joseph. He declared in Matthew 1:21 that the baby should be named Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. At this point, we learned that Jesus' name means "the Lord saves."

These onlookers mocked Jesus and all that he did for others during his earthly ministry. Couldn't he save himself?

They didn't realize that he performed his most significant act of saving others by not saving himself. He would get to saving himself on Sunday. Friday was about his blood being shed for all of us. His death would be our opportunity for life.

Another thing to note here is that they sing a Hebrew song at Jesus in mockery from Psalm 22. Jesus will back up into the same song for one of his seven sayings on the cross (see verse 46). This proves that they had no idea what was actually happening.

In light of all this, why wouldn't we want to take a moment to remember what Jesus did with bread and the fruit of the vine?

This never gets old.

Today's reading: Matthew 27:15-31

'...and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head.' - Matthew 27:29-30

Every day when I go through the One Year reading plan, I try to read through the New Testament portion two or three times. Doing this helps me get a good grasp on the passage, and it allows me to spend a comparable amount of time between the Old and New Testament readings.

But today? Today was a different story. I listened to it once and then really hesitated to go through it a second or third time. I was angry. I was feeling upset. I was hearing the crowd say, "Let him be crucified!" Chills.

Jesus' journey to the cross both enrages me and encourages me. It makes me fire mad because Jesus was unjustly tortured and mocked. It inspires me because I know he did it out of love and urgency to rescue all humanity from themselves.

I think I was also emotional as I read because I HATE being mocked. I believe the reason I despise it so much is that it is an act of devaluation. For someone to be treated as less than human is the ultimate form of injustice. And when we are talking about the King of Kings being mocked, we know it is wrong, but we know we needed it to make us right.

We have so much to be thankful for today!

Today's reading: Matthew 26:69-75, 27:1-14

'Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.”' - Matthew 27:3-4 ESV

When this Scripture says that Judas "changed his mind," it is one word in the original language (metamelomai). You may have guessed it, but the word is closely related to the word used most often for repentance in the New Testament (metanoeo). Metamelomai means that Judas "felt repentance," he just didn't let it take its full course.

Can't you relate to this?

We have all seen people get super convicted about something they've done, only to fall back into something even worse. Maybe we've seen this in our own lives from time to time. I've always noticed that what we do in the early moments of this "feeling of repentance" is so crucial to whether or not we will see lasting change.

May we let repentance have its full effect on us, and may we pray that the same is true for others.

Let's step into the best life possible.

Today's reading: Matthew 26:47-67

'Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?' - Matthew 26:53 ESV

We don't hear a lot of teaching about the night hours that led up to Jesus' crucifixion. Sure, we know Jesus was in the Garden, sweating blood, but we don't really dig into the time where he was falsely accused during the cloak of night.

Let's make one thing clear: Jesus was not apprehended because of the mob's force. He was forthright with his words above. The arrest was actually a surrender. The powers that were at his disposal would boggle our minds like they did when Elisha's servant got a glimpse of heaven's armies in 2 Kings 6:17:

'Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw that the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.'

What unseen angelic hosts were surrounding Jesus as he's being "captured" in the Garden?

Our Savior surrendered.

It would be a painful night of spitting, slapping, bleeding, mocking, sorrow, and intense pain even before he made it to the cross.

And he did it for you. He did it for me. It was the only way.

Today's reading: Matthew 26:14-46

'Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”' - Matthew 26:41 ESV

Jesus is on the cusp of suffering unimaginable torture, not only at the hands of the Romans (who were experts) but also because of you and me. The grief associated with something this massive was too much, even for Jesus. He cried for another way, just as any of us would have done.

Jesus took his top three; the three who seemed to be the most volatile. These fiery three were found to be asleep.

Even with heavy sorrow, Jesus still sees an opportunity to tell these three what it will take to make it through the next season they are about to walk through.

It will take watching.

It will require praying.

The temptation is too heavy otherwise.

To "watch" is to be "alert." To pray is to not rely on our own strength.

What is there in your life right now that is causing you to be distracted from prayer? Though it may often seem optional, it is not. It is essential to us becoming the people God desires.

Today's reading: Matthew 25:31-46, 26:1-13

'But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me."' - Matthew 26:10 ESV

I am a practical thinker. I get it from my Dad. He could almost be compared to a miser. Always looking for a cost-efficient way to do something. Yet when it comes to generosity, my Dad isn't like that. I tried to pin him down one time by asking what percentage he and Mom give to the church from their income (I know, super personal question). He actually said he had started at 10% when they were got married and climbed from there and wasn't quite sure what it was now.

My Dad? The miser? With unbridled generosity? Mind blown.

All of us, if we are honest, cringe a little bit (or a lot bit) when we see what this woman did to prepare Jesus for his burial. This ointment that she used is identified by Mark and John as 'nard', an extremely expensive luxury that was imported from India (used especially for anointing the dead).

With this extravagant gift, many believe she was also declaring to everyone that she believed that this man was the Messiah.

How about our generosity? Does it clip the bare minimum, or would others question our sanity to learn how much we are giving?

We will regret many things in this life, but being generous toward God is not one of them.

Today's reading: Matthew 25:1-30

“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’” - Matthew‬ ‭25:21‬ ‭ESV‬‬

We have two parables from Jesus in our reading today.

Don’t you feel a little sorry for the five virgins that didn’t come prepared and the one slave who, out of fear, buried his talent? We may feel this way because all of us have had moments where we didn’t take our faith in Jesus as seriously as we should have.

Another thing that you may have noticed was that there were firm boundaries in place between the five prepared virgins and the unprepared ones, and the two slaves who invested and the one who buried. Though you and I can spend hours sowing Gospel seeds into others’ lives, ultimately, it is their decision to take a step of faith. It is on them to take it from admiring Jesus to believing in him.

If we do genuinely follow Jesus, we will naturally throw ourselves into being prepared for His coming. We will be making investments with what he has already invested in us.

What will your move be today?