DAY 301 Read Matthew 26:17-35; Mark 14:12-31; Luke 22:7-39; John 13.
Today's reading: Apparently Jesus spent Wednesday and most of Thursday in quiet retirement somewhere outside the city. The record picks up the narrative on Thursday afternoon with preparation for the supper in the upper room.
Memory gem: "As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup ye do shew the Lord's death till he come" (1 Corinthians 11:26).
Thought for today:
Jesus is sitting at a table, a table in an upper room. Around this table with Him are gathered twelve men, young and old. The work of our Saviour is nearly finished. The next few hours will witness His betrayal, His condemnation, His crucifixion, His burial and resurrection. It is one of the greatest crisis hours of all the ages.
Look at the interesting mix, those disciples at the table. There is one class not represented among the twelve; as Alexander McGuire reminds us, no perfect people were among the apostles. Those pioneers of Christianity were not more wise, true, or noble, nor more worldly, false, or cowardly than are Christians generally today. They were like us. They were relatively obscure men and, as a lot, apparently not greatly gifted. They were mostly unlearned and weak in themselves; yet they could do all things through Christ who would strengthen them.
Someone has said that charcoal needs a rearrangement of its atoms to become a diamond. So it was with these men as they sat there around the table. Among them was the betrayer, the one with dark thoughts. He was present at this sacramental service. He partook of the bread and wine. He heard the words, "This do in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19). Sitting there in the very presence of the Saviour, the betrayer considered his own dark purpose.
Jesus had made every effort to save Judas. He had washed his feet in the ordinance of humility. He had broken bread with him and shared with him the wine, the symbols of His own broken body and shed blood. What an appeal the Saviour had made to him! Until Judas closed the door and went out into the darkness, he had not passed beyond the possibility of repentance. Now he had made the final decision. He had crossed the boundary line. He went out, "and it was night."
Today's reading: Apparently Jesus spent Wednesday and most of Thursday in quiet retirement somewhere outside the city. The record picks up the narrative on Thursday afternoon with preparation for the supper in the upper room.
Memory gem: "As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup ye do shew the Lord's death till he come" (1 Corinthians 11:26).
Thought for today:
Jesus is sitting at a table, a table in an upper room. Around this table with Him are gathered twelve men, young and old. The work of our Saviour is nearly finished. The next few hours will witness His betrayal, His condemnation, His crucifixion, His burial and resurrection. It is one of the greatest crisis hours of all the ages.
Look at the interesting mix, those disciples at the table. There is one class not represented among the twelve; as Alexander McGuire reminds us, no perfect people were among the apostles. Those pioneers of Christianity were not more wise, true, or noble, nor more worldly, false, or cowardly than are Christians generally today. They were like us. They were relatively obscure men and, as a lot, apparently not greatly gifted. They were mostly unlearned and weak in themselves; yet they could do all things through Christ who would strengthen them.
Someone has said that charcoal needs a rearrangement of its atoms to become a diamond. So it was with these men as they sat there around the table. Among them was the betrayer, the one with dark thoughts. He was present at this sacramental service. He partook of the bread and wine. He heard the words, "This do in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19). Sitting there in the very presence of the Saviour, the betrayer considered his own dark purpose.
Jesus had made every effort to save Judas. He had washed his feet in the ordinance of humility. He had broken bread with him and shared with him the wine, the symbols of His own broken body and shed blood. What an appeal the Saviour had made to him! Until Judas closed the door and went out into the darkness, he had not passed beyond the possibility of repentance. Now he had made the final decision. He had crossed the boundary line. He went out, "and it was night."
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