Seven Degrees of Me

Thursday, April 9, 2020

Maundy Thursday

Today is known as Maundy Thursday.

"Maundy" is Latin for "command" and is associated with the command that Jesus gave His disciples at the Last Supper to love others as He loved them.

A new commandment I give to you,

that you love one another;

as I have loved you,

that you also love one another.

By this all will know that you are My disciples,

if you have love for one another.”

John 13:34 NKJV

"Maundy" also has to do with the ceremonial washing of feet which Jesus did for each of His disciples that evening. While I struggled to develop a servant's heart, I thought about this event many, many times. How could I justify having so much pride when Jesus Himself performed this lowly act twelve times.

So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

John 13:12-17

Can you imagine the Son of God washing your feet? I can't. What I really can't imagine is Judas continuing with his betrayal at this point, although John writes that Satan entered into Judas at that point:

Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him.

Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.”

John 13:27 NKJV

Jesus and His disciples were celebrating the Passover, the night in Egypt when God sent His angel throughout Egypt killing the firstborn of each family. Only those who had put lamb's blood (symbolizing the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God) on their lintels and doorposts were spared; those houses were Passed Over. This was the breaking point for Pharaoh and he released God's people out of bondage and Moses led them out of Egypt and into the Promised Land.
So it was fitting that this night, Maundy Thursday would be the night before the Lamb of God was sacrificed to save all of us from death. During the meal, Jesus offered His disciples bread and wine to create a new covenant.

And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it,

and gave it to them, saying,

“This is My body which is given for you;

do this in remembrance of Me.”

Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying,

“This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.

Luke 22:19-20

*********

Please join me in praying for our Lord and Savior, remembering what He did for us nearly 2000 years ago. Pray with thanksgiving. Testify what Jesus has done for you, what He continues to do for you, and what it means to have Him in your life.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Testing Jesus

On Wednesday before His death, Christ was in the temple. The chief priests and elders question Him as to His authority and He puts a question back to them that they can't answer that basically questions their authority.
The Sadduccees, Pharisees, Herodians, and Scribes all question Jesus about different topics hoping to catch Him saying something that will allow them to arrest Him but He answers each question with a parable that puts them in their place(s).
As you have the opportunity this week, I encourage you to read through at least one of the Gospels. I tend to favor Matthew although I've been going through each Gospel this week and reading the sections from each book that are the same. If you don't have a study Bible, you can search for "Harmony of the Gospels" so you can see how they compare on the events and the parables.

But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”

Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

Matthew 22:34-39 NKJV

*********

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

Tuesday, April 7, 2020

The fig tree

Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.

And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?”

So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

Matthew 21:18-22 NKJV

Jesus cleansed the Temple

Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”

Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?”

And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read,

‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants

You have perfected praise’?”

Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.

Matthew 21:12-17 NKJV

*********

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

Monday, April 6, 2020

Come out of the darkness

I have come as a light into the world,

that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.

John 12:46 NKJV

Read all of John 12:20-50 to put today's three verses in context.

While you have the light

Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them.

John 12:35-36 NKJV