priestly prayer

Good afternoon friends,
First, the nominating committee is meeting tonight; please keep us in prayer as we discern who God is calling to serve as elders in the coming years. Today's reading and the readings for the next couple of days are challenging. The fancy name scholars give this section of John is "the Great High Priestly prayer" because Jesus is our high priest who opens the way to God. This is a long prayer Jesus prays during the last supper with his disciples. It can be hard to follow because the language is repetitive. At the same time it is powerful because Jesus is expressing his hopes and concerns about his church to God. Take your time reading and feel free to read it more than once. For some people it may be easier to get out your Bible and read the whole prayer at once (John 17) rather than study it in pieces as we'll do in our reading together. Whatever works best for you, I hope Jesus' prayer will bless you in your discipleship.

God bless,
Sam

John 17:1-10

After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, ²since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. ³And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. ⁴I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. ⁵So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.

⁶”I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. ⁷Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; ⁸for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. ⁹I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. ¹⁰All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them.

witnesses

Good morning sisters and brothers,
Today's reading takes us to the chief priests home where Jesus is condemned and abused. After many attempts to present false witnesses the leaders can't get two to agree and without two witnesses there could be no condemnation. Finally Caiaphas, the Chief Priest gets what he needs from Jesus. Here we also see Peter come to the test. He claimed in the Garden that he would rather die than deny Jesus. How do we stay faithful to God when we're tempted to deny our faith?

Blessings on your day,
Sam

Matthew 26:57-75

57Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, in whose house the scribes and the elders had gathered. 58But Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest; and going inside, he sat with the guards in order to see how this would end. 59Now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for false testimony against Jesus so that they might put him to death, 60but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward 61and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’” 62The high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?” 63But Jesus was silent.


Then the high priest said to him, “I put you under oath before the living God, tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” 64Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, From now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” 65Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? You have now heard his blasphemy. 66What is your verdict?” They answered, “He deserves death.” 67Then they spat in his face and struck him; and some slapped him, 68saying, “Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who is it that struck you?”


69Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant-girl came to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” 70But he denied it before all of them, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.” 71When he went out to the porch, another servant-girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72Again he denied it with an oath, “I do not know the man.” 73After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you are also one of them, for your accent betrays you.” 74Then he began to curse, and he swore an oath, “I do not know the man!” At that moment the cock crowed. 75Then Peter remembered that Jesus had said: “Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

a merciful example

Good morning sisters and brothers,
Today's reading makes the case that since Christ came to save humanity from sin Christ had to be human. By taking on every part of human life, Jesus serves as our faithful high priest. Like the priests of the old temple Jesus offered a sacrifice to take away our sin. They offered lambs and goats and cattle; Christ offered himself. Because the sacrifice is perfect and the priest offering it doesn't need to offer sin offerings for himself, the one sacrifice frees us from sin forever.

Since Christ is our brother he shared the struggles of being human and understands our weakness. That means we can always bring our fears and struggles to Jesus in prayer because he understands us and can sympathize with human weakness. He also sets an example for us by living a perfect human life. Jesus brings us home to God and makes God understandable to us. Thanks be to God.
Enjoy your freedom in Christ today,

Sam


Hebrews 2:10-18

10It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, 12saying, "I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters, in the midst of the congregation I will praise you." 13And again, "I will put my trust in him." And again, "Here am I and the children whom God has given me."


14Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. 16For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. 17Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. 18Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.