To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. Judas, who would betray him, answered, "Is it I, Rabbi?" In the midst of these signs, from generation to generation, followers of Christ are called to wait patiently. Good Friday, April 10, 2020. Thank you for sharing your free Lessons. The realities of tribulation, deception, temptation, and persecution create anticipation. Spending these days in prayerful preparation can help enrich your celebration of Jesus' resurrection on Easter Sunday. Each of these devotions was written in Spanish. Wednesday Jesus is Betrayed ~~~ Lectionary Readings. Lest we think these were just innocent questions by the religious leaders, remember that they had already rejected John the Baptists message (v. 32); these questions often come from unbelief. THE FREE YOUTH SERIES ON EASTER INCLUDES: Sermon Series: 'Easter: The King has Come' includes 3 sermon scripts to help students apply lessons from the Easter story to their every day lives. It would have been better for that man if he had not been born." Jesus was given the full recompense of our disobedience. Jesus closes this chapter and the Gospel as a whole by claiming, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth (v. 18). In Galatians 2:20 Paul speaks of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me. Believers should rejoice in Jesus love demonstrated in both His cross and His resurrection. Indeed, He is Lord of the temple, and He has the right to do in it whatever He desires, including throwing it into disarray. And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, "Why this waste? He was given authority to rule, and glory, and a kingdom; so that those of every people, nation, and language should serve Him. Help us to trust in you like little children. Many times Christians say, Ive decided to make Jesus the Lord of my life. I hate to break it to you, but you didnt have a choice in the matter. Jesus died for our sins, in our place (1 Peter 2:24). In verse 34, Jesus says, I assure you: This generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take place. This verse has been particularly confusing, because it seems that Jesus is saying that the generation He was speaking to would see His second coming. If they give up their candy and win the quiz game, then they get their piece back plus two more. When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, saying, "Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. It was a pillar of cloud that led Gods people in the exodus from Egypt (Exodus 13:21). Follow directions to fold your palms from Palm Sunday into a cross or another decorative shape. Psalms 85:10 sings of a day when righteousness and peace will kiss each other. The cross of Jesus is where that occurred, where Gods demands, his righteousness, coincided with his mercy. Give us the grace to endure our troubles, And reveal to us the glory of your kingdom, Through your son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. On Holy Saturday Christians today can take this a step further in resting or abiding in what the Lord is doing today. When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples, "You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified." My strength is dried up like baked clay; my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. What is Maundy Thursday?What Is Good Friday? "You'll find spiritual trail markers in many places friends and families . Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Much could be said about the themes in this psalm and their relation to the crucifixion, but for now we should note that this was a cry of physical agony as Jesus physically hung on the cross. Downloadable compilation and podcast available now. What Lent and Why is it Celebrated?What is the Holy Week? Lent is a time of self-reflection and self-denial in preparation for the celebration of Christs death and resurrection during Holy Week. Faithful to original manuscripts. The world will know we are his disciples If we love one another. Holy Week is an important time in the Church. O God, Son of God, you took on yourself our nature and suffered death on the cross for us. The Passover meal must be prepared with all new and fresh ingredients. Hosanna in the highest heaven! Just as surely as He came the first time in humility to provide salvation, so He will come the second time in glory to execute judgment. This article is part of our larger Holy Week and Easter resource library centered around the events leading up to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Thank you that you make all things new. . The way this works is that students (or teams) start out with a prize (candy works well) and, with each new game, have the option of giving up their prize for the opportunity to win extra candy or prizes if they win the next game. We see in this passage that genuine compassion for the crowd leads Jesus to action. Required fields are marked *. Each daily devotion is about five minutes in duration. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. Throughout the Old Testament, God reveals His glory in the image of a cloud. And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, "Is it I, Lord?" Amen. Do you see now why the cross is so significant? Have students (individually, or a representative from each team) take turns playing the game. 2. Download our week-long guide to help you walk daily with your children through the Holy Week leading up to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Dont forget to Invite your youth to share their completed Challenges from the devotional in the comments or using a hashtag you create! Exodus 20:8 is the original verse explaining to Gods people how to observe this law, Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Excerpts from Exalting Jesus in Matthew from the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series. For the joy set before him (Hebrews 12:2) Jesus endured the cross on Good Friday, knowing it led to his resurrection, our salvation, and the beginning of Gods reign of righteousness and peace. Psalm 104:3 says that God makes the clouds His chariot, and Isaiah 19:1 depicts the Lord riding on a swift cloud. The picture we get in Matthew 24 is of the glory of God revealed in the glorious Son of God, who will come on the clouds in power to execute judgment. Scripture says that one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11). Devotions for Teenagers and Youth - Daily devotions for youth, teens and discipleship tools Daily Bible Verse and Devotion - Isaiah 42:16 Posted on March 2, 2023 I will lead the blind by a way they did not know; I will guide them on paths they have not known. Based on the prophecy in Malachi 3:1-4, the Jewish people expected the Messiah to come and purify the temple and the people of Jerusalem. For dogs have surrounded me; a gang of evildoers has closed in on me; they pierced my hands and my feet. Raised With Christ: Holy Week 2021 Each year, we love to offer a free holy week devotional to our community. April 10, 2022 / Articles / By Bryan Wolfmueller / Leave a Comment. These sermons will encourage your students to develop a real burden for those who don't know Christ, understand that worship is . Thank you that your ways are far greater than our ways, your thoughts far deeper than our thoughts. So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. Here's an insider's guide to some of our best one-off resources for Lent, Holy Week, and Easter, including: liturgies, Stations of the Cross, worship films, visual art, banner art, and more! Pilate said to them, "You have a guard of soldiers. Luke 2:42. Let everyone know that the Son of God came to save sinners, and that He has given His life on the cross for those who deserve His wrath. This is what Paul speaks to in 2 Corinthians 5:21: He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Martin Luther spoke of this exchange: Our most merciful Father, seeing us to be oppressed and overwhelmed with the curse of the law [so that] we could never be delivered from it by our own power, sent his only Son in the world and laid upon him all the sins of all men, saying: Be thou Peter that denier; Paul that persecutor, blasphemer and cruel oppressor; David that adulterer; that sinner which did eat the apple in Paradise; that thief which hanged upon the cross; and briefly, be thou the person which hath committed the sins of all men; see therefore that thou pay and satisfy for them [all]. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and the Holy Spirit who inspired their writing are all interested in the last seven days of Jesus' earthly ministry. While we cant physically be with our youth and families, we can still resource them on their personal spiritual journeys as we all journey toward the Cross this Easter. Todd Outcalt is the lead pastor of Calvary United Methodist Church in Brownsburg, Indiana and is a thirty-year youth ministry veteran. Who gave You this authority? (v. 23). A devotional guide for use from Ash Wednesday through Easter, looking at ten ordinary objects that Jesus would have encountered on his way to Jerusalem: dust, bread, the cross, coins, shoes, oil, coats, towels, thorns, and stones. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will not be destroyed. It takes two minutes to read a daily Reflection full of the Gospel of Christ crucified for you. The 25 Advent devotions, one for every day December 1-25, can accompany the lighting of the candles in a traditional Advent wreath. The first player to get all their candy from one bowl to the other is the winner. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "ae061dd0a1adfbed9a6220aa689c5620" );document.getElementById("i94c344953").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Enter your email address below to subscribe to the church newsletter. CRS Rice Bowl Activities for Grades 1-8 Jesus walked into a similar situation in Matthew 21, and as a holy King, He came to cleanse and to purify Gods temple. Holy Monday Devotional Holy Monday is the second day of Holy Week, right after Palm Sunday. By your Passion, you have set us free from eternal death. As adults accompanying our youth, this is an important week to live into what we say we believe. Translate into 100+ languages! Easter Week Devotional. The question is not whether or not Jesus is Lord; the question is, Will you submit to Him as Lord now or when it is too late?. In Jesus name, Amen. Instead of fearing God, which the Bible says is the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7), these leaders had an unhealthy fear of man. . This is to remind us of the great sacrifice that Christ made for us. Using a similar set-up as the first game, put about ten M&Ms or Skittles in a bowl on one table and an empty bowl on the other table. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, "Why are you untying the colt?" An overview of LifeWay's Easter season services, devotionals, and events As we prepare for Easter and the week leading up to it, we want our entire church family to grow in the understanding of all that the Holy Week and Easter / Resurrection Sunday are, as a focus for our worship. The cry on the cross is. Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, saying, "What do you think about the Christ? (Give up something small to achieve a greater good). Thank you. The intention of these Passion week devotions is to help you create space in your heart and mind for God to meet you and take you deeper in your walk with Him. In addition, each day on Facebook and on this page, we are posting video reflections from members of our pastoral staff to encourage us to pray, reflect and journey through Holy Week as a congregation. And the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will please the Lord as in days of old and years gone by. 7 Things I Would Do Differently if I Were Raising My Children California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out. Jeremiahs wider context is worth quoting here: Do you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and follow other gods that you have not known? (Daniel 7:13-14). 33: Fostering Social Justice in Your Youth Ministry Would I be ready? If not, then repent and believe in Christ today. This offer is available to pastors and ministry leaders (while supplies last). "Please look with eyes to see," the Apostle invited. (Matthew 24:36-51). This is intended to be used as a daily devotion for families as they prepare to celebrate Easter. The player who knocks over the most markers is the winner. Holy week is an opportunity for youth leaders to reacquaint teenagers with these deep truths. Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why do you trouble the woman? But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! Palm Sunday. 2. Following Jesus description of His second coming in verses 29-31, He tells the parable of the fig tree in verses 32-33. Check out the. Jesus experienced the wrath of God, and not just for a moment, but for hours. What happened on the cross was so much more than a naked man dying on a wooden post on the side of the road in a non-descript part of the world. But once again, Jesus fulfills these expectations in a way the people never could have expected. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Weve seen in Matthew 24 that we are to trust in the authority of Christ and persevere in the power of Christ. Christianity stands or falls on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (on version one) Attend at least one weekday or special Mass during Holy Week. His soul was stirred into action. Discipleship Bible Study Lessons for youth: Ministry to Youth offers 54 engaging discipleship lessons including such topics as: Grace, Priorities, Evangelism, Prayer and Faith. Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, 'He has risen from the dead,' and the last fraud will be worse than the first." But those things would not be the end. And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover. This site is a proud member of the Salem Web Network, a subsidiary of, Copyright 2023, Crosswalk.com. (Christs 40 days in the desert), What is the purpose of Lent? He said to them, It is written, My house will be called a house of prayer. But you are making it a den of thieves! In Isaiah 56:7, God says that His house will be called a house of prayer for all nations. Yet here in Matthew 21, the people of God were preventing the nations from praying. Is He in charge of this place? You can also send out the devotionals in a group text or app and ask students to respond with their completed Challenge!! The people came with questions. Over one fourth of the book of Matthew is devoted to the last week before Jesus death. It helps students to understand that Lent is not just about self-denial for its own sake, but that it can be a time of meaningful sacrifice, service, and self-reflection. Passion Week also helps illuminate what God has to teach us through this very historical moment in time. For larger groups, divide students into teams and have them send a representative up for each of the games. As Jesus rode a donkey into the town of Jerusalem a large crowd gathered and laid palm branches and their cloaks across the road, giving Jesus royal treatment. The object of the game is for students to get all the cotton balls from the bowl on the table into the bowl on the other table. All glory be to him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. What Is Palm Sunday? April 8, 2020 | Wednesday of Passion Week, April 9, 2020 | Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday), Surprise Bonus April 13, 2020 | Easter Monday. Lord God, the message of the cross is difficult to take. ThisFREE podcast provides a fresh approach to the Lenten season and can be used as a devotional or study for individuals and groups. April 2 at 8:30 am in the Chapel, & 10:30 am in the Sanctuary. And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. There are many things we could say about him, but first and foremost He is the holy King. In the second part of verse 13, Jesus says that Gods house has been made into a den of thieves. This is likely a reference to Jeremiah 7:10, a temple address in which God disciplined His people for offering ritual sacrifices while living in total disobedience to Him. Amen. By Doug Franklin April 13, 2021. (Matthew 26:26-29). They may not use their hands in any of this. The goal of Life Teen and Edge is to provide a safe and fun place for youth to find a solid Catholic community, get answers to their questions, and, most importantly, to experience Jesus in a profound and personal way. Give students a piece of paper or whiteboard and a writing utensil. Todd Outcalt, Creating a Life of Meaningful Prayer Remind them that whatever they choose should be meaningful to them and beneficial to others. All men die because they sin, for death is the payment for sin (Genesis 2:17; Romans 6:23). This was the holy God of the universe giving His Son to die our death, endure our condemnation, and suffer our separation so that we could be declared righteous and welcomed into His presence. Jesus is alluding to Exodus 24, when the law-covenant that God had given His people at Mount Sinai was confirmed. 4 o Matthew 26:1-5 (NIV) 1 When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, 2 "As you know, the Passover is two days away--and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified." 3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, 4 and they plotted to arrest Jesus in some sly way and