Jesus was going up to Jerusalem …
Matthew 20:17
One day as I was visiting with a seriously ill gentleman, I asked him to share with me one of his most life-changing memories. He told me how his father had gathered his children around him the day before he died. As each child knelt at his bedside, the father offered a parting prayer of blessing. With eyes brimming with tears, the man I was visiting shared how he had never forgotten his father’s parting words.
What would you say to your loved ones if you knew you had only a short time left on this earth?
This month we will focus significantly on the last week in the life of Jesus. Together we will walk with him and listen to what he said in the final days before his crucifixion. What did Jesus feel was most important to show and tell his followers in those final days?
The importance of this period in Jesus’ ministry is reflected in the amount of space the gospel writers give it. For example, more than half of the Gospel of John concentrates on the last week of Jesus’ life. Large portions of Matthew, Mark, and Luke do that too.
Let’s walk together with Jesus during those final days and beyond. Let’s see what is most important for him to share with his followers—and with us. May his words and actions lead us to faith in him or help us to grow stronger in the faith we have been given.
Lord God, as we walk with Jesus this month, may these meditations touch our hearts and bring us closer to Jesus, the Savior, in whose name we pray. Amen.
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