Reflections Through The Passion - Day 1
by Peter Blount and Andy Cokayne 26 March 2021
Introduction
Andy and I have worked together to use these next 10 days, up to and including Easter Sunday to focus our thoughts on the suffering of Jesus as he endured these last few days of His earthly life, that in doing so He would open the gates to eternal life for each and every person who subsequently accepted salvation through Him.
We are using a diagram from my bible which outlines these ten days in terms of events, location, scripture reference and title.
Each reflection will include a thought based on the scripture, a map to more easily follow the events geographically, and a daily ‘Prayer Through the Passion’ which is designed to reflect how Jesus may have been thinking and feeling on each day.
We will also include items which have been very kindly supplied by yourselves as we each, privately, mark these momentous events in history.
So our reflections begin with a Hymn, which in these still difficult times, reminds us that God's Faithfulness to us is unchallenged and unchanging -
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Arrival at Bethany
Reading: John Ch 12 : 1–8
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So, as Jesus begins the last but one chapter of His short earthly life and His dramatic ministry, his first thought and desire is to be with His friends.
So He travels to, and arrives in, Bethany a short distance to the east of Jerusalem, the place where Mary, Martha and Lazarus lived. The scripture suggests that this was a short journey as Jesus was already in the vicinity, because only in the previous chapter John records Jesus' earlier visit to this same house when the sisters were in great distress mourning the death of Lazarus. Jesus was so moved that He wept of Lazarus and the suffering of Mary and Martha prior to raising Lazarus from the dead.
But now, Jesus eats with His friends at a meal given in His honour during which, Mary, as an act of gratitude and devotion uses expensive oil to anoint His feet. This tender expression indicates Mary’s devotion to Jesus and her willingness to serve Him.
During these ten days we will reflect at length on what Jesus did for us, but, like Mary how much are we prepared to give in demonstrating our devotion to Him and our willingness to serve.
Prayers Through The Passion
Heavenly Father, like Jesus and his companions, who knew that they were on a journey. As they arrived at Bethany, knowing that it was only a place on the way and not the final destination. May we too remember that we are on a journey and look forward with confident faith to our final destination made possible through Jesus’ sacrifice. In His name and to His glory we pray.
Amen