Thursday, March 29, 2018

Maundy Thursday

The significance of the holy week, specially the Tuesday and Friday is considered to be the most important days. Jesus' earthly ministry is coming to an end, but as a fully human the scripture says, "he loved then to the end". He didn't make big miracles, he didn't scream and shout, but humbly and calmly fulfilled the purpose for what he had come for. The Gospel of Mark is said to express Jesus as a servant of God, but it is on Gospel of John this incident of "Washing the Disciples Feet" that takes place when they were in the table.

It was the custom of Jews to wash the feet of the master, to the Guests by the servant. What Jesus did completely changed the way we look at the Masters and we congre the term "Servant Leadership". Jesus said, "I have not come to be served, but to serve", to serve is to do the work of God, we call those as "Servant of God". Jesus having washed the Disciples Feet taught few most important principles.

He broke the myth that only servant should serve.
He did this to show that we are to serve others who don't deserve it.


John 13:1-17 New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet

13 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them.13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Wednesday, March 28, 2018






It’s a matter of heart, All Marriages are the highest point of contract or agreement or promise each makes – stating “Only death can depart us”. Now there are possibilities of one of them leaving the other due to various reasons. In your assumption if one of them have died then it purely depends upon the other person’s choice – There are many who have not married even after the spouse have died just after marriage few other will get married since death has separated them and its not the end of life. What happens in life is so complicated. I shared that clip for this purpose, sometime we can’t find the truth – Whether that person was really died or not, “Sham tried his best to convince her that Arun has died, Believing that Radikha decided to marry Sham”. Here neither Arun was married nor Sham was remarried, but they had all almost the promise and love that is required for a marriage. It is legally wrong and morally wrong to marry if any of the one is alive and before getting the divorce.

Spy Wednesday

Then one of the twelve disciples—the one named Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, “What will you give me if I betray Jesus to you?” They counted out thirty silver coins and gave them to him. From then on Judas was looking for a good chance to hand Jesus over to them.



Why Did Judas betray Jesus?

1. He was deceived by Satan

2. He was looking for a Earthly King who can dethrone Rome, but as Jesus was telling about how he is going to suffer and die, he became skeptical.
3. He was deceived by money.



Jesus Anointed at Bethany
vNow when Jesus was at wBethany in the house of Simon the leper,1 a woman cameup to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on hishead as he reclined at table. And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying,“Why this waste? For this could have been sold for a large sum and xgiven to the poor.”10 But yJesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she hasdone a beautiful thing to me. 11 For zyou always have the poor with you, but ayou will notalways have me. 12 In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it bto prepare me forburial. 13 Truly, I say to you, wherever cthis gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, whatshe has done will also be told din memory of her.”

Jesus Anointed at Bethany
bAnd while he was at cBethany in the house of Simon the leper,1 as he was recliningat table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, andshe broke the flask and poured it over his head. There were some who said to themselvesindignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have beensold for more than three hundred denarii2 and dgiven to the poor.” And they escolded her.But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thingto me. For fyou always have the poor with you, and whenever gyou want, you can do goodfor them. But hyou will not always have me. iShe has done what she could; she hasanointed my body beforehand jfor burial. And truly, I say to you, wherever kthe gospel isproclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told lin memory of her.”

A Sinful Woman Forgiven
36 uOne of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee'shouse and reclined at table. 37 vAnd behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, whenshe learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabasterflask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet hisfeet with her tears and wwiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet andanointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him sawthis, he said to himself, “If xthis man were ya prophet, he zwould have known who andwhat sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” 40 And Jesusanswering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it,Teacher.”
41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred adenarii, and theother fifty. 42 bWhen they could not pay, he ccancelled the debt of both. Now which ofthem will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelledthe larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 Then turning toward thewoman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; dyou gave me nowater for my feet, but eshe has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.45 fYou gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to gkiss my feet.46 hYou did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, iwhich are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But hewho is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said to her, j“Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Thenthose who were at table with him began to say among1 themselves, k“Who is this, whoeven forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, l“Your faith has saved you; mgo inpeace.”

Mary Anoints Jesus at Bethany
12 Six days before ithe Passover, jJesus therefore came to Bethany, kwhereLazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner forhim there. lMartha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table.mMary therefore took a pound1 of expensive ointment made from pure nard, andanointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with thefragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about tobetray him), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii2 andngiven to the poor?” He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because hewas a thief, and nhaving charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was putinto it. Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it3 for the day of my burial.For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”
·          

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Why Jesus Cursed The Fig Tree?

Many would question and decide that Jesus being God why can't he predict if there was a fruit in the Fig Tree or not, why he just should not bring the fruits if he was hungry? (It would have been the same temptation when he was asked to make bread out of stone), Why should he curse it?


God's concern about his people - Israel related here as "Trees bearing fruits", but disappointed God by bearing sour fruit or by being fruitless.

Jesus told that he is the "True Vine" and we are the branches. To bear fruit the branch has to be with the True Vine, on alone it can't bear the fruit. This is the same with Salvation, it's not something that we can acheive ourselves, it has to be given by God for the faith that we have in him.

Jonah 4 NASB
Jonah’s Displeasure Rebuked
      1But it greatly displeased Jonah and he became angry. 2He prayed to the LORD and said, “Please LORD, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity. 3“Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life.” 4The LORD said, “Do you have good reason to be angry?”
      5Then Jonah went out from the city and sat east of it. There he made a shelter for himself and sat under it in the shade until he could see what would happen in the city. 6So the LORD God appointed a plant and it grew up over Jonah to be a shade over his head to deliver him from his discomfort. And Jonah was extremely happy about the plant. 7But God appointed a worm when dawn came the next day and it attacked the plant and it withered. 8When the sun came up God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he became faint and begged with all his soul to die, saying, “Death is better to me than life.”
      9Then God said to Jonah, “Do you have good reason to be angry about the plant?” And he said, “I have good reason to be angry, even to death.” 10Then the LORD said, “You had compassion on the plant for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight.11“Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?”


Mark 11:12-25 New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Curses a Fig Tree and Clears the Temple Courts

12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry.13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14 Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.
15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves,16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’[a]? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’[b]
18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.
19 When evening came, Jesus and his disciples[c] went out of the city.
20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”
22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “Truly[d] I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

Matthew 21:18-22 New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Curses a Fig Tree

18 Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.
20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.
21 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Monday, March 26, 2018

Why Jesus overthrow the Money Changers Table and whip out of cords?

Because that is not suppose to be the place for Money Exchange. It even leads people to be more concerned about money than God, Making it a place for robbers and thief. Also that place(outer place of the temple) is considered a place of worship for the gentiles, now these money changers and people who sold and bought there were very rich and had the power to push these gentiles away from even entering to their place of worship.

We have seen Jesus handling issues differently, but never seems to lose his control. Why would then he became angry in this situation? Jesus being God his anger is justified.

"Zeal for your house will consume me"


When we see this above verse from Psalm, we could see how much David Loved God's Temple, he says:

Psalm 26:8-10
Lord, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells. Do not sweep my soul away with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men, in whose hands are evil devices, and whose right hands are full of bribes.

Psalm 27:4
One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.


Psalm 84:10
Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.



It also shows Jesus' Love for his Church - As it is the Bride.

As Jesus said, nothing can hinder in the bringing the Church to this World.


John 2:13-22 New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Clears the Temple Courts

13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”[a]
18 The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”
19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”
20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.



Matthew 21:12-17 English Standard Version (ESV)

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

12 And Jesus entered the temple[a] and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”
14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and they 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 infants and nursing babies
    you have prepared praise’?”
17 And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.

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