The LORD God is the Creator of the ends of the earth. He has established laws in nature which govern all the processes of life–planting, growth, cultivation and harvest. These principles give us insight on how to conduct our lives, families, churches, and societies (to continue reading this essay, click on image above).
The Messiah is Crucified, John 18.1-19.42
In John’s Gospel covering the events of Jesus’ crucifixion, we witness the arrest, trials, crucifixion, and burial of Jesus Christ. Beginning with the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus is betrayed by Judas and arrested by Roman soldiers and Jewish officials, we see a series of sham trials and false accusations—first before Annas and Caiaphas, the Jewish high priests, and then before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor. Despite finding no basis for charges against Jesus, Pilate ultimately succumbs to political pressure from the Jewish authorities and the crowd, condemning Jesus to crucifixion. John’s account culminates with Jesus’s death on the cross, where he fulfills prophecy by declaring “It is finished,” followed by his burial in a new tomb by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus.
Invocation
Lord Jesus, suffering servant of God, for our sake and for our salvation, you were unjustly condemned to death, mocked, scourged and crowned with thorns, pierced with nails and scorned by unbelievers. By your holy and glorious wounds, shelter us under the shadow of your cross while we await in sure and certain hope for your victory over sin and death and hell. You live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
~ Roman Missal, ICEL, 1973 (Storey, p. 131) Storey, William G. A Prayer Book of Catholic Devotions: Praying the Seasons and Feasts of the Church Year. Chicago, IL: Loyola Press, 2004.
Gloria Patri
Glory be to the Father,
And to the Son and to the Holy Spirit:
As it was in the beginning,
Is now, and ever shall be,
World without end. Amen, amen.
Chronological Scripture Readings for Today
These Scriptures allow us to read through the entire Bible in one year in chronological order.
Thursday: Pss. 79-82
Lectionary Readings for Today
Our readings from the Psalms, the Old Testament, the Gospels and the Epistles are taken from the Revised Common Lectionary for this Feast Day.
Psalm: Psalm 22
Old Testament (or Acts [during Eastertide]): Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Gospel: John 18:1-19:42
New Testament: Hebrews 10:16-25
Click here for all of this week’s Scripture readings
Chronological Holy Week Readings for Today
Each year we read through the Holy Week Scriptures chronologically, tracking the events of Jesus’ final week leading up to death, burial and resurrection.
Friday: Matt. 27.1-61; Mark 15.1-47; Luke 22.66-23.56a; John 18.28-19.42
Click here for all of today’s Holy Week Scripture readings
Psalms and Proverb for Today
These Scriptures allow us to read through the Psalms and Proverbs each month.
Friday: Psalm 18, 48, 78, 108, 138 and Proverbs 18
The Messiah is Crucified.
Jesus endured a series of sham trials with the Jewish authorities and Pontius Pilate, resulting his crucifixion and death on the Cross at Golgotha, John 18.1-19.42.
Reflection
The crucifixion narrative reveals how human systems of power—both religious and political—can be corrupted to condemn even the innocent when their authority feels threatened, yet God’s sovereign purposes prevail through these very human failures. In Jesus’s willingness to endure false accusations, mockery, torture, and death, we see the ultimate demonstration of his sacrificial love that purchased our redemption and ended the tyranny of the devil over humankind. The crucifixion challenges us to consider whether, like Pilate, we compromise truth and justice under pressure, or whether, like Jesus, we remain faithful to God’s purposes even at great personal cost. Jesus’s words “It is finished,” invites us to trust in the completeness of his atoning work and to live with the confidence that God can bring redemption even through the darkest circumstances of human history and our personal lives.
Engaging God’s Word Today
How should Jesus’s response to his unjust trials and crucifixion transform the way we face our own moments of injustice, betrayal, or suffering in our lives? In what specific situation is God calling you to show the love of the Cross of Christ to others, even where it may be costly or difficult for us?
Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, The Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.
We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Begotten Son of God,
Begotten of the Father before all ages,
God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God,
Begotten not created, of the same essence as the Father,
through Whom all things were made.
Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary and became human.
Who for us too, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, suffered and was buried.
The third day He rose again according to the Scriptures, ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and His kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and life-giver,
Who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
Who together with the Father and Son is worshiped and glorified.
Who spoke by the prophets.
We believe in one holy, catholic, and apostolic church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sin,
and we look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the age to come. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever. Amen.
Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him all creatures here below;
Praise Him above ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Benediction
Gracious Lord, Almighty, Jesus Christ, let Thy sufferings aid us, and defend us from all pain and grief, all peril and misery, all uncleanness of heart, all sin, all scandal and infamy, from evil diseases of soul and body, from sudden and unforseen death, and from all persecution of our foes visible and invisible, For we know that in what day or hour we call to mind Thy Passion, we shall be safe. Therefore relying on Thine infinite tenderness, we beseech Thee, O most loving Saviour, by Thy most benignant and sacred sufferings to protect us with gracious aid, and in continual tenderness to preserve us from all evil. In Jesus’ name, amen.
~ Sarum Missal; a Prayer of Innocent III (Bright, p. 45-46) Bright, William. Ancient Collects and Other Prayers: Selected for Devotional Use from Various Rituals, 8th ed. Oxford and London: James Parker, 1908.
Scripture Memory for this season
John 15.1-5 (ESV):
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
Scripture Engagement
As disciples of Jesus, the Churches of Christ the King strongly seek to engage the Scriptures to discover the centrality of Christ and his Kingdom in the prophetic and apostolic writings. You will find a rich treasure of resources on engaging Scripture at the Center for Scripture Engagement of Taylor University.
Book Reading and Reflection
The implicit assumption behind any goal is this: “Once I reach my goal, then I’ll be happy.” The problem with a goals-first mentality is that you’re continually putting happiness off until the next milestone. I’ve slipped into this trap so many times I’ve lost count. For years, happiness was always something for my future self to enjoy. I promised myself that once I gained twenty pounds of muscle or after my business was featured in the New York Times, then I could finally relax. Furthermore, goals create an “either-or” conflict: either you achieve your goal and are successful or you fail and you are a disappointment. You mentally box yourself into a narrow version of happiness.
This is misguided. It is unlikely that your actual path through life will match the exact journey you had in mind when you set out. It makes no sense to restrict your satisfaction to one scenario when there are many paths to success. A systems-first mentality provides the antidote. When you fall in love with the process rather than the product, you don’t have to wait to give yourself permission to be happy. You can be satisfied anytime your system is running. And a system can be successful in many different forms, not just the one you first envision.
~ Clear, James, Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. Random House Business, London SW1V 2SA, 2018. Location 376.
Seedling Focus for the Season: The Vine and the Branches
Description: Pruning is a necessary part of growth, both in plans and in our spiritual lives. God’s discipline may seem painful, but it produces greater fruitfulness, John 15.1-5.
On Eagles Wings Prayer Focus: A Long Time Comin‘
But If It Dies: Die to bear fruit, John 12.20-36.
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