Happy Thursday! This week we read on the woman who poured perfume over the head of Jesus. We also read on Judas Iscariot’s betrayal of Jesus. Both incidents were leading to Jesus’ death on the cross. Today we will continue our review of Matthew chapter 26. Enjoy your day.

BIBLE VERSE – Matthew 26:17-22 NLT
“¹⁷ On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?”

¹⁸ “As you go into the city,” he told them, “you will see a certain man. Tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My time has come, and I will eat the Passover meal with my disciples at your house.’” ¹⁹ So the disciples did as Jesus told them and prepared the Passover meal there.

²⁰ When it was evening, Jesus sat down at the table with the Twelve. ²¹ While they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.”

²² Greatly distressed, each one asked in turn, “Am I the one, Lord?””

Note a few things:

• The Feast of Unleavened Bread is celebrated for seven days. (Leviticus 23:6)
• Jewish people celebrate the Feast after Passover (24 hours). They follow instructions to remove leavened bread from their homes and only eat unleavened bread for seven days. Leavened bread represents sin, unleavened represents the removal of sin. (Exodus 12:17 and 12:20)
• While there are other scriptures to help us understand here are two from the New  Testament: 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 and John 6:47-59.

REFLECTION
Here in the disciples presence, they have the passover lamb (Jesus) and didn’t even know it. Yet, Jesus shares with the disciples there is one who would betray him. I find it interesting that the disciples would turn to Jesus and say “am I the one, Lord” (v.22)

Sisters and brothers, what a heavy burden the disciples had, a fear that they could possibly be the one who would betray Jesus. While Jesus already knew who it was, the question is are we above that fear? Maybe in our minds we are saying I would never betray Jesus, but if we are truthful sometimes we have. But praise God for the Passover lamb – Jesus Christ who came to take away the sins of the world.

I don’t know what your betrayal was or is, but today is another opportunity for us to repent of our sins/betrayals, ask the Lord for forgiveness, and turn away from it forevermore.

PRAYER
Lord God, thank you for the words in scripture that speak to our hearts and change us forever. Lord, you know the wickedness that is in the world, Lord we don’t want that wickedness in our hearts. Lord, strengthen our faith and our relationship with you.  Lord, keep us steady in your midst and while we are in this world. Lord, forgive us for the times when we fell short of following you and living our new life in Christ Jesus. Lord, since accepting Christ your word says that we are a new creation. Lord, make us new every day. Help us to embrace the love you have shown us and help us to love others the same way. Lord, where there is hatred may you/we be the light. Lord, where there is disunity let their be peace. Lord, where we don’t know the answers to the problems of this world, you do. Help us to be sincere about our love for you and our desire to follow you. Lord, help us to end racism in the world. Lord, help us to end human trafficking, child pornography, and rape. Lord, heal the victims of these crimes, mentally,  physically, emotionally and spiritually. Lord, change us and teach us how to serve you in this world. Help us to be bold and walk humbly with you. We pray for those who are ill and/or battling a medical condition and we ask for healing. Lord, we specifically ask for healing for the men in pain – for them to be relieved of their back, leg and nerve issues. Lord, we pray for the man with shoulder and preparing for surgery. Lord, we pray for woman seeking housing and we ask for your favor on her. Lord, we pray for families today and we ask for healing, reconciliation, and peace. In Jesus name, amen.

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