The Daily Lectionary for WEDNESDAY, April 8, 2020 — Wednesday of Holy Week

Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 70; Hebrews 12:1-3; John 13:21-32

The Daily Lectionary

WEDNESDAY, April 8, 2020 — Wednesday of Holy Week

(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

Isaiah 50:4-9a

The servant is vindicated by God

4  The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue,
     to know the word that sustains the weary.
   He wakens me morning by morning,
     wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.
5  The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears;
     I have not been rebellious,
     I have not turned away.
6  I offered my back to those who beat me,
     my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;
   I did not hide my face
     from mocking and spitting.
7  Because the Sovereign Lord helps me,
     I will not be disgraced.
   Therefore have I set my face like flint,
     and I know I will not be put to shame.
8  He who vindicates me is near.
     Who then will bring charges against me?
     Let us face each other!
   Who is my accuser?
     Let him confront me!
9  It is the Sovereign Lord who helps me.
     Who will condemn me?
   They will all wear out like a garment;
     the moths will eat them up.

Psalm 70

Be pleased O God to deliver me

1  Hasten, O God, to save me;
     come quickly, Lord, to help me.

2  May those who want to take my life
     be put to shame and confusion;
   may all who desire my ruin
     be turned back in disgrace.
3  May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”
     turn back because of their shame.
4  But may all who seek you
     rejoice and be glad in you;
   may those who long for your saving help always say,
     “The Lord is great!”

5  But as for me, I am poor and needy;
     come quickly to me, O God.
   You are my help and my deliverer;
     Lord, do not delay.

Hebrews 12:1-3

Look to Jesus who endured the cross

12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

John 13:21-32

Jesus foretells his betrayal

13:21 After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.”

22 His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. 23 One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. 24 Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.”

25 Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”

26 Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.

So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” 28 But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. 29 Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor. 30 As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.

31 When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.

Optional parts of the readings are set off in [square brackets.]

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle, and Gospel lessons are from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

The Daily Lectionary is a three-year cyclical lectionary. We are currently in Year A. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent in 2020, we will be in Year B. The year which ended at Advent 2019 was Year C. These readings complement the Sunday and festival readings: Thursday through Saturday readings help prepare the reader for the Sunday ahead; Monday through Wednesday readings help the reader reflect and digest what they heard in worship. Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org
The Daily Lectionary for WEDNESDAY, April 8, 2020 — Wednesday of Holy Week
Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 70; Hebrews 12:1-3; John 13:21-32

The Daily Prayer for WEDNESDAY, April 8, 2020

The Daily Prayer

WEDNESDAY, April 8, 2020

Jack Bernard, a co-founder of the Church of the Sojourners in San Francisco, wrote, “The key element in beginning to learn to embody the love of God is not heroic faith and determination. It has to do with whether or not we can take hold of the love of God as a power that includes us within it. The difference is between seeing life from the inside of God versus seeing it from within my own sensibilities and capacities. From inside the love of God, suffering becomes not only bearable, but a privilege of participating with Christ in his love for the world. This cannot be rationally explained or justified, but it is the fruit of a life trustingly lived in and for God who is all love.”

Holy Spirit, you dwell within us and you teach us perfect love, which drives out all fear. Give us a spirit of courage, and make us bold enough to love one another without fear. Enable us to see that perfect love calls us to persevere in suffering and to trust beyond what is visible. Amen.

Verse of the Day for WEDNESDAY, April 8, 2020

Romans 5:10

For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

Read all of Romans 5

Listen to Romans 5

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

The Lenten Prayer for WEDNESDAY, April 8, 2020 - Wednesday of Holy Week

40 Days of Lenten Prayers

Day 37 - Wednesday of Holy Week

My savior,

do you invite me to share

in the glory of the resurrection?

Please stay with me

as I struggle to see

how accepting the crosses of my life

will free me from the power

of the one who wants only

to destroy my love and trust in you.

Help me to be humble and accepting

like your son, Jesus.

I want to turn to you

with the same trust he had in your love.

Save me, Lord. Only you can save me.

Amen.

Un dia a la Vez - Miércoles 08 de abril de 2020

La edad dorada

Corona de honra es la vejez, que se halla en el camino de justicia.

— Proverbios 16:31, RV-60

Me gusta mucho cuando se habla de la edad dorada, pues dan la idea de las experiencias maravillosas en la vida.

Hoy quizá seas tú esa persona de la tercera edad que se siente triste y solitaria. A lo mejor tu familia te dejó en un hogar para viejitos y de vez en cuando te visitan y a veces te llaman. La soledad en esta etapa de la vida es una de las razones que más lleva a la depresión.

En este día, Dios quiere decirte que no estás sola ni solo aunque pases días sin saber de tu familia. Tal vez te encuentres en tu casa viendo pasar los días y, en muchos casos, sin poder salir siquiera porque tu salud no lo permite o porque ya hasta conducir un auto es un problema para ti.

Hoy Dios te dice que Él está contigo, que eres más que una hermosa joya para Él y que es tu compañía. Refúgiate en Dios.

Ante esto, las preguntas que caben son las siguientes: ¿Qué estamos haciendo tú y yo por ellos? ¿Cómo estamos ayudando a nuestros viejitos, empezando por casa? ¿Cómo los tratamos? ¿Sabías que después del abuso infantil el abuso a las personas mayores está en segundo lugar? Lo más triste de todo es son víctimas de sus propios familiares.

La Palabra nos enseña que las canas son sabiduría y merecen todo el respeto.

Por lo tanto, honro hoy a las personas de la edad dorada.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Hoy quizá seas tú esa persona de la tercera edad que se siente triste y solitaria.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Wednesday, April 8, 2020

CHRIST IS RISEN INDEED

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

— 1 Corinthians 15:20, NIV

Brother Andrew shares today’s devotional:

At the time of the cruel persecution in the Soviet Union under Stalin, public meetings were regularly held in order to ridicule religion, the church, and the priests. On one occasion the inhabitants of a town were summoned to the main square. From a platform on the square, a fluent 'scholarly’ atheist, who seemed to have many proofs against the Bible, God and the clergy addressed the public.

The crowd had listened silently. But when the local priest was called to the front to answer this brilliant oration, an uneasy muttering rippled through the crowd. The man went and stood close to the microphone and everyone held his breath. The tension could be cut with a knife, and you could hear a pin drop. What would his answer be?

We shall never know what went on in the heart of this man - his fear, his prayer - but at last, his voice could be heard, resounding through the loudspeakers, not only to the crowd but also to a large part of the city: “Khristos voskrese!” Christ is risen!

For one split second, there was silence. A shudder went through the crowd and then, like a blazing testimony to the priest and to the atheist opponent, the cry broke out, unanimous and powerful: “Voistinu voskrese!” The Lord is risen indeed!

That was a bad day for atheistic propaganda in Russia. It was also a bad day for the religious leaders in Jerusalem, nearly 2,000 years ago, because they had to bribe the soldiers with much money to get them to tell lies (Matthew 28:12-13). It was also a bad day for the guards who “became like dead men” (Matthew 28:4).

But it was a bad day especially for the devil because if he had known this, he “would not have crucified the Lord of Glory” (1 Corinthians 2:8).

The one who believes in the Cross and the Resurrection takes the side of those who are persecuted. Or, to put it another way, whoever identifies with the persecuted church stands in the power of the Resurrection - a target of misguided and corrupt people, but nevertheless together with the mighty Conqueror. The Lamb conquers and we conquer too...in Him. Hallelujah!

RESPONSE: Today I rejoice in the glorious truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord.

PRAYER: Lord, may the persecuted church around the world resound today with a vocal outburst of assurance that Jesus is alive.

Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS), a daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks. © 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission.

LHM Daily Devotions - April 8, 2020 - "ENTRUSTED"

"ENTRUSTED"

April 8, 2020

Standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" Then He said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

— John 19:25-27, ESV

My husband and I made our wills some time ago, and one of the questions we had to consider was what would become of our son if we were to die at the same time. Who would take care of him? Who would love him and be there for him?

Jesus faced the same sort of question about the people He loved. There was His mother, Mary, who believed in Him and followed Him, even to Jerusalem and the shadow of His cross. She couldn't be left alone with that grief—or sent back to live with Jesus' hostile brothers. Mary needed someone who would care for her and comfort her, not say "I told you so" or worse. And so Jesus entrusted her to His disciple John. John would take her into his own home and care for her as for his own mother.

This was good for John, as well. Jesus knew that Mary would love John as her own son—would comfort him, pray with him, and help him through the devastation of Jesus' death. And so Jesus entrusted them to one another.

Jesus could do this with confidence because He entrusted all of His people, whether living or yet unborn, to God the Father. Jesus said, "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand" (John 10:29) If you trust in Jesus who died and rose again to set you free from evil, then you are in the Father's hand, and the Holy Spirit is watching over you. What safer place could you be?

THE PRAYER: Lord, thank You for entrusting me and all Your people to the Father. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

* When have you trusted something valuable to the care of a friend or family member?

* What is the most valuable thing anybody has ever trusted you with?

* Whom is God entrusting to you, to care for and help meet their needs?

Lenten Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
When have you trusted something valuable to the care of a friend or family member?

Devocional CPTLN del 08 de abril de 2020 - "Encomendado"

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Encomendado

08 de Abril de 2020

Junto a la cruz de Jesús estaban su madre, y la hermana de su madre, María mujer de Cleofas, y María Magdalena. Cuando Jesús vio a su madre, y vio también presente al discípulo a quien él amaba, le dijo a su madre: "Mujer, ahí tienes a tu hijo." Y al discípulo le dijo: "Ahí tienes a tu madre." Y a partir de ese momento el discípulo la recibió en su casa.

— Juan 19:25-27, RVC

Hace algún tiempo, mi esposo y yo hicimos nuestro testamento. Una de las preguntas que tuvimos que considerar fue qué sería de nuestro hijo si los dos muriéramos al mismo tiempo. ¿Quién cuidaría de él? ¿Quién lo amaría y estaría con él?

Jesús tuvo que considerar el mismo tipo de pregunta con respecto a las personas que amaba. Estaba su madre, María, que creía en él y lo había seguido hasta Jerusalén y hasta la sombra de su cruz. No podía dejarla sola con ese dolor o enviarla a vivir con los hostiles hermanos de Jesús. María necesitaba a alguien que la cuidara y la consolara, no que dijera: "Te lo dije", o algo peor. Y así fue que Jesús la confió a su discípulo Juan. Juan la llevaría a su casa y la cuidaría como a su propia madre.

Esto también fue bueno para Juan. Jesús sabía que María amaría a Juan como a su propio hijo, lo consolaría, oraría con él y lo ayudaría a superar la devastación de la muerte de Jesús. Y así Jesús los confió el uno al otro.

Él pudo hacer esto con confianza porque le confió todo su pueblo, ya sea vivo o aún por nacer, a Dios el Padre. Jesús dijo: "Mi Padre, que me las dio, es mayor que todos, y nadie las puede arrebatar de la mano de mi Padre" (Juan 10:29). Si confías en Jesús, quien murió y resucitó para liberarte del mal, entonces estás en las manos del Padre y el Espíritu Santo te está cuidando. ¿En qué otro lugar podrías estar más seguro?

ORACIÓN: Jesús, gracias por confiarme a mí y a todo tu pueblo al Padre. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:

* ¿Qué es lo más valioso que alguien te ha confiado?

* ¿A quién te está confiando Dios para que cuides y ayudes en sus necesidades?

© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿Qué es lo más valioso que alguien te ha confiado?

Ministérios Pão Diário - Força no sofrimento

Força no sofrimento

Escritura de hoje: 1 Pedro 2:11-23
Bíblia em um ano: 1 Samuel 10–12; Lucas 9:37-62

…Cristo sofreu por vocês. Ele é seu exemplo; sigam seus passos.

— 1 Pedro 2:21

Aos 18 anos, Samuel recebeu Jesus como Salvador e foi rejeitado pela família, que praticava uma fé diferente. Mas a comunidade cristã o recebeu, encorajando-o e também com recursos financeiros para sua educação. Mais tarde, quando o seu testemunho foi publicado numa revista, a perseguição se intensificou.

No entanto, Samuel não se afastou: visitava a família sempre que podia e falava com o pai, apesar de os irmãos o impedirem de participar dos assuntos familiares. Quando o pai adoeceu, Samuel ignorou o desprezo deles e cuidou do pai, orando por sua melhora. Quando Deus curou o pai de Samuel, a família tornou-se mais receptiva. O testemunho amoroso suavizou a postura dos familiares e alguns se dispuseram a ouvir sobre Jesus.

Seguir a Cristo pode nos causar problemas. Pedro escreveu: “Porque Deus se agrada de vocês quando, conscientes da vontade dele, suportam com paciência o tratamento injusto” (v.19). Quando passamos por incômodos ou sofrimentos por causa de nossa fé, o fazemos porque Cristo sofreu em nosso lugar, deixando-nos o exemplo para seguirmos os Seus passos (v.21).

Jesus é o nosso exemplo no sofrimento. “Não revidou quando foi insultado, nem ameaçou se vingar quando sofreu, mas deixou seu caso nas mãos de Deus, que sempre julga com justiça” (v.23). Podemos pedir-lhe forças para seguir em frente.

Por:  Lawrence Darmani

Refletir & Orar

Senhor Jesus, ajuda-me a seguir o Teu exemplo.

Quando sofremos por Jesus, Ele nos sustenta na jornada.

© 2020 Ministérios Pão Diário
Aos 18 anos, Samuel recebeu Jesus como Salvador e foi rejeitado pela família, que praticava uma fé diferente.