Dave Baker | As Jesus stands before the Sanhedrin, God’s glory and mankind’s sinfulness are on full display. The religious leaders of Israel hypocritically accuse the Righteous, while God’s sinless Savior-King meekly refuses to defend Himself. And when He does speak to affirm His true identity as Messiah, He’s rejected and condemned. Jesus chose to be rejected by men so that we could be accepted by God. And the Bible says He gave us an example for how we can trust and glorify God with integrity in a sinful world.

Joel McCarty | What does success look like for us as Christians? What do we want out of life, and how do we hope to gain it? Judas has switched allegiances, choosing the kingdom that’s more financially profitable for him. At first, Peter thought it was time to fight so Jesus could be enthroned as King. But then his hopes were dashed as Jesus shockingly gives himself over to the temple guards. Yet Jesus was powerfully establishing his Kingdom even as it looked like he was being conquered.

Joel McCarty | What does success look like for us as Christians? What do we want out of life, and how do we hope to gain it? Judas has switched allegiances, choosing the kingdom that’s more financially profitable for him. At first, Peter thought it was time to fight so Jesus could be enthroned as King. But then his hopes were dashed as Jesus shockingly gives himself over to the temple guards. Yet Jesus was powerfully establishing his Kingdom even as it looked like he was being conquered.

Joey Thompson | Jesus’s closest friends thought they could fearlessly stare down death for him, but they couldn’t even stay awake and pray for him. Jesus knew he’d be betrayed by one disciple and abandoned by all the others, yet he still willingly accepted this lonely, sorrowful path to the cross. The cross is not God’s stamp of approval on our strength, but his infinite mercy toward our weakness. Like the disciples, we’re less heroic than we think. We are weak, but He is strong.

Joey Thompson | Jesus’s closest friends thought they could fearlessly stare down death for him, but they couldn’t even stay awake and pray for him. Jesus knew he’d be betrayed by one disciple and abandoned by all the others, yet he still willingly accepted this lonely, sorrowful path to the cross. The cross is not God’s stamp of approval on our strength, but his infinite mercy toward our weakness. Like the disciples, we’re less heroic than we think. We are weak, but He is strong.

Joel McCarty | As Jesus sits down for His last meal with His disciples, He makes abundantly clear one more time that He is the fulfillment of all things. His body will be broken to make all things whole. His blood will be shed to bring healing to the nations. He is the one who will absorb the full wrath of God in Himself to free all those who trust in Him. And He is the true and better covenant who is worthy of all our trust.

Joel McCarty | As Jesus sits down for His last meal with His disciples, He makes abundantly clear one more time that He is the fulfillment of all things. His body will be broken to make all things whole. His blood will be shed to bring healing to the nations. He is the one who will absorb the full wrath of God in Himself to free all those who trust in Him. And He is the true and better covenant who is worthy of all our trust.

Jamey Nettles | What is the life of Jesus worth? Some, like Judas Iscariot, see value in the life of Jesus only when it can profit himself. But others, like this unnamed woman in Mark 14, see the life of Jesus as worth more than her most valuable earthly possession. This story should cause us to examine ourselves. Do we see Jesus as simply a tool to get what we really want? Or do we understand that Jesus Himself is the prize, and that He is worth giving up the things we hold most dear? What will we do with this Jesus?

Jamey Nettles | What is the life of Jesus worth? Some, like Judas Iscariot, see value in the life of Jesus only when it can profit himself. But others, like this unnamed woman in Mark 14, see the life of Jesus as worth more than her most valuable earthly possession. This story should cause us to examine ourselves. Do we see Jesus as simply a tool to get what we really want? Or do we understand that Jesus Himself is the prize, and that He is worth giving up the things we hold most dear? What will we do with this Jesus?

Jamey Nettles | “Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake.” As servants of Jesus look for and await the consummation of the eternal Kingdom, our call is to labor for Kingdom advancement, each with the gifts they have been given, knowing that Jesus makes every bit of our toil and labor eternally valuable.