April 7- The Final Week
Write out the Scripture.
Matthew 27:1-5, Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed. 2 So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor. 3 When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders.4 “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.” 5 So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
Observe what it is saying.
Something is terribly wrong when priests and spiritual elders are making plans to have Jesus executed. Is it any wonder Jesus entered the temple courts and overturned the tables? Their priorities were wrong. They had turned the place of prayer for Gentiles into a money-making center for sacrifices. Out of deep fear that Jesus was going to overturn their whole corrupt religious system, the only thing they knew to do was to eliminate him. So, they took Jesus to Pilate who had the authority to carry out the execution. We also find that Judas was overcome with guilt and returned the money he had been paid to betray his friend. He admitted that Jesus was innocent. Again, the religious leaders didn’t care about justice but about accomplishing their will. Judas was so remorseful that he took his own life. The money wasn’t enough to cover his guilty conscience. In this passage, we find how depraved mankind can become and why we are in such great need of a Savior.
Relate it to your life
Due to my own depravity, I desperately need a Savior.
Do something.
Jesus, thank You for being the Savior who is indispensable in redeeming and restoring our souls. Amen.
April 8- The Final Week
Write out the Scripture.
Matthew 27:6-10, The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” 7 So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. 8 That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9 Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel,10 and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”
Observe what it is saying.
At least the religious leaders had some restraint, they refused to put the blood money into the temple treasury. Why did they need a law for this? How often were they involved in paying someone to assist in bringing someone else to death? The name of the field is derived from its association with the violent deaths of Jesus and Judas. It was called the Valley of Slaughter in Jeremiah. Drawing on a combination of Old Testament prophecies that Matthew puts together, (Jeremiah 19, Zechariah 11), he shows that the events surrounding Jesus’ fateful journey to the cross are not random tragedies of history but are previously foretold actions in which God carefully oversees the redemption of mankind. Out of love for His creation, God instituted a plan to restore humanity long before it came to fruition. God is providentially in control of history and yet, He gives each of us freedom to receive or reject His grace.
Relate it to your life.
I can fully trust God because He doesn’t do anything haphazardly.
Do something.
Jesus, I praise you for the detailed thought-out plan that was put into action to save me and the world. Amen.
April 9- The Final Week
Write out the Scripture.
Matthew 27:11-14, Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “You have said so,” Jesus replied. 12 When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer.13 Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?” 14 But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.
Observe what it is saying.
Jesus had to stand trial before the Jewish leadership and now He had to go before the Roman authorities to do the same. A Roman official would care little if a Jew made blasphemous religious claims. But if he aspired to be a governmental “king of the Jews,” the empire would need to take action. Jesus’ reply to Pilate used the same veiled agreement as He did earlier with the high priest with even greater implications. However, this time he refused to say anything more which totally dumbfounded the governor who was used to everyone vigorously defending themselves. This further fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 53:7, “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” Jesus kept quiet so He could obediently complete His Father’s will accomplishing our redemption.
Relate it to your life.
Jesus denied Himself the right to defend Himself so I could appear faultless before God, my Judge.
Do something.
“Jesus, thank You for remaining silent even though you were innocent so my guilt could be forgiven. Amen.”
April 10- The Final Week
Write out the Scripture.
Matthew 27:15-19, Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. 16 At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus Barabbas. 17 So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”18 For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him. 19 While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.”
Observe what it is saying.
The custom of an annual Passover amnesty makes good sense to placate the Jews at the time they celebrate their liberation from Egyptian oppression centuries earlier. Pilate thought he could pit the crowd against its leaders in order to free the innocent Jesus. The Roman rulers often put significant stock in dreams as an omen which explains why Pilate kept trying to release Jesus, but to no avail. It’s interesting that this man’s name was Jesus, as it was a common name during that time. Also, Barabbas means “a son of [his] father,” contrasting with Jesus as the heavenly Son of his Father. They chose to release the one who attempted by human means to gain their national freedom by force versus releasing the One who would actually gain their spiritual freedom by succumbing to the evil forces of this world. Christ’s sacrificial love was a far greater power than governmental might to accomplish the takeover of the world.
Relate it to your life.
No matter what nations do or threaten to do around the world, Christ advances His kingdom peacefully.
Do something.
Jesus, I choose to trust in You alone for my future security. All else will fail, but I will remain standing in the end, if I am found to be with You. Amen.”
April 11- The Final Week
Write out the Scripture.
Matthew 27:20-26, But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed. 21 “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor. “Barabbas,” they answered. 22 “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify him!” 23 “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!” 24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!” 25 All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!” 26 Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.
Observe what it is saying.
The religious leaders pressured the crowd to choose a freedom fighter, Jesus Barabbas to be set free. The crowd got it wrong because they listened to the wrong voices. There are many voices shouting many different viewpoints all over social media. Please know the loudest voices do not always get it right. We need to be careful in what we allow to influence us. Strangely enough, even Pilate knew they chose the wrong man to be set free. Pilate was an outsider to the Jewish conflict and could see more objectively that Jesus was not worthy of death. If we really want to get our heads and hearts in the right place, then we need to directly spend time with God in His word, learning to hear His voice, and follow His will and way.
Relate it to your life.
I need to be cautious and discerning about which voices I allow to influence me.
Do something.
“Jesus, give me a listening ear to hear Your voice above all others and the courage to go against the crowd of voices when necessary. Amen.”
April 12- The Final Week
Write out the Scripture.
Matthew 27:27-31, Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him,29 and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. 30 They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. 31 After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
Observe what it is saying.
Remember, this happened after Jesus had already been brutally flogged. His back was beaten 39 times with a whip embedded with pieces of metal and bone that would have ripped the flesh off his body. Flogging alone would leave you on death’s door. The Praetorium housed Pilate’s palace and the Roman guard. The soldiers mocked Jesus by dressing him as a pretend king, with a royal robe, a crown (but of thorns to further torture him), and a staff as a scepter. In a culture of honor and shame, the indignity of this mock allegiance adds tremendous emotional torture to the horrific physical abuse he suffered. As believers, this scene should rip our hearts apart knowing Jesus experienced this for our sin and guilt.
Relate it to your life.
I am speechless to consider what my Lord Jesus suffered for me.
Do something.
Jesus, I am overwhelmed with thanksgiving and praise for Your willingness to endure such pain on my behalf. May Your name be forever glorified. Amen.
Write out the Scripture.
Matthew 27:1-5, Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed. 2 So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor. 3 When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders.4 “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.” 5 So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
Observe what it is saying.
Something is terribly wrong when priests and spiritual elders are making plans to have Jesus executed. Is it any wonder Jesus entered the temple courts and overturned the tables? Their priorities were wrong. They had turned the place of prayer for Gentiles into a money-making center for sacrifices. Out of deep fear that Jesus was going to overturn their whole corrupt religious system, the only thing they knew to do was to eliminate him. So, they took Jesus to Pilate who had the authority to carry out the execution. We also find that Judas was overcome with guilt and returned the money he had been paid to betray his friend. He admitted that Jesus was innocent. Again, the religious leaders didn’t care about justice but about accomplishing their will. Judas was so remorseful that he took his own life. The money wasn’t enough to cover his guilty conscience. In this passage, we find how depraved mankind can become and why we are in such great need of a Savior.
Relate it to your life
Due to my own depravity, I desperately need a Savior.
Do something.
Jesus, thank You for being the Savior who is indispensable in redeeming and restoring our souls. Amen.
April 8- The Final Week
Write out the Scripture.
Matthew 27:6-10, The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” 7 So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. 8 That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9 Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel,10 and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”
Observe what it is saying.
At least the religious leaders had some restraint, they refused to put the blood money into the temple treasury. Why did they need a law for this? How often were they involved in paying someone to assist in bringing someone else to death? The name of the field is derived from its association with the violent deaths of Jesus and Judas. It was called the Valley of Slaughter in Jeremiah. Drawing on a combination of Old Testament prophecies that Matthew puts together, (Jeremiah 19, Zechariah 11), he shows that the events surrounding Jesus’ fateful journey to the cross are not random tragedies of history but are previously foretold actions in which God carefully oversees the redemption of mankind. Out of love for His creation, God instituted a plan to restore humanity long before it came to fruition. God is providentially in control of history and yet, He gives each of us freedom to receive or reject His grace.
Relate it to your life.
I can fully trust God because He doesn’t do anything haphazardly.
Do something.
Jesus, I praise you for the detailed thought-out plan that was put into action to save me and the world. Amen.
April 9- The Final Week
Write out the Scripture.
Matthew 27:11-14, Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “You have said so,” Jesus replied. 12 When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer.13 Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?” 14 But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.
Observe what it is saying.
Jesus had to stand trial before the Jewish leadership and now He had to go before the Roman authorities to do the same. A Roman official would care little if a Jew made blasphemous religious claims. But if he aspired to be a governmental “king of the Jews,” the empire would need to take action. Jesus’ reply to Pilate used the same veiled agreement as He did earlier with the high priest with even greater implications. However, this time he refused to say anything more which totally dumbfounded the governor who was used to everyone vigorously defending themselves. This further fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 53:7, “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” Jesus kept quiet so He could obediently complete His Father’s will accomplishing our redemption.
Relate it to your life.
Jesus denied Himself the right to defend Himself so I could appear faultless before God, my Judge.
Do something.
“Jesus, thank You for remaining silent even though you were innocent so my guilt could be forgiven. Amen.”
April 10- The Final Week
Write out the Scripture.
Matthew 27:15-19, Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. 16 At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus Barabbas. 17 So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”18 For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him. 19 While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.”
Observe what it is saying.
The custom of an annual Passover amnesty makes good sense to placate the Jews at the time they celebrate their liberation from Egyptian oppression centuries earlier. Pilate thought he could pit the crowd against its leaders in order to free the innocent Jesus. The Roman rulers often put significant stock in dreams as an omen which explains why Pilate kept trying to release Jesus, but to no avail. It’s interesting that this man’s name was Jesus, as it was a common name during that time. Also, Barabbas means “a son of [his] father,” contrasting with Jesus as the heavenly Son of his Father. They chose to release the one who attempted by human means to gain their national freedom by force versus releasing the One who would actually gain their spiritual freedom by succumbing to the evil forces of this world. Christ’s sacrificial love was a far greater power than governmental might to accomplish the takeover of the world.
Relate it to your life.
No matter what nations do or threaten to do around the world, Christ advances His kingdom peacefully.
Do something.
Jesus, I choose to trust in You alone for my future security. All else will fail, but I will remain standing in the end, if I am found to be with You. Amen.”
April 11- The Final Week
Write out the Scripture.
Matthew 27:20-26, But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed. 21 “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor. “Barabbas,” they answered. 22 “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify him!” 23 “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!” 24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!” 25 All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!” 26 Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.
Observe what it is saying.
The religious leaders pressured the crowd to choose a freedom fighter, Jesus Barabbas to be set free. The crowd got it wrong because they listened to the wrong voices. There are many voices shouting many different viewpoints all over social media. Please know the loudest voices do not always get it right. We need to be careful in what we allow to influence us. Strangely enough, even Pilate knew they chose the wrong man to be set free. Pilate was an outsider to the Jewish conflict and could see more objectively that Jesus was not worthy of death. If we really want to get our heads and hearts in the right place, then we need to directly spend time with God in His word, learning to hear His voice, and follow His will and way.
Relate it to your life.
I need to be cautious and discerning about which voices I allow to influence me.
Do something.
“Jesus, give me a listening ear to hear Your voice above all others and the courage to go against the crowd of voices when necessary. Amen.”
April 12- The Final Week
Write out the Scripture.
Matthew 27:27-31, Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him,29 and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. 30 They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. 31 After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
Observe what it is saying.
Remember, this happened after Jesus had already been brutally flogged. His back was beaten 39 times with a whip embedded with pieces of metal and bone that would have ripped the flesh off his body. Flogging alone would leave you on death’s door. The Praetorium housed Pilate’s palace and the Roman guard. The soldiers mocked Jesus by dressing him as a pretend king, with a royal robe, a crown (but of thorns to further torture him), and a staff as a scepter. In a culture of honor and shame, the indignity of this mock allegiance adds tremendous emotional torture to the horrific physical abuse he suffered. As believers, this scene should rip our hearts apart knowing Jesus experienced this for our sin and guilt.
Relate it to your life.
I am speechless to consider what my Lord Jesus suffered for me.
Do something.
Jesus, I am overwhelmed with thanksgiving and praise for Your willingness to endure such pain on my behalf. May Your name be forever glorified. Amen.
Posted in Daily Devotionals