The Daily Lectionary for THURSDAY, April 9, 2020 — Holy Thursday

THURSDAY, April 9, 2020 — Holy Thursday
Exodus 12:1-4 [5-10] 11-14; Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-17, 31b-35

The Daily Lectionary

THURSDAY, April 9, 2020 — Holy Thursday

(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

Exodus 12:1-4 [5-10] 11-14

The passover of the Lord

12:1 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, 2 “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. 3 Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. 4 If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat.

[5 The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. 6 Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. 7 Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. 8 That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. 9 Do not eat the meat raw or boiled in water, but roast it over a fire—with the head, legs and internal organs. 10 Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it.]

11 This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord’s Passover.

12 “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. 13 The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.

14 “This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance.

Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19

The cup of salvation

1  I love the Lord, for he heard my voice;
     he heard my cry for mercy.
2  Because he turned his ear to me,
     I will call on him as long as I live.

12 What shall I return to the Lord
     for all his goodness to me?

13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
     and call on the name of the Lord.
14 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
     in the presence of all his people.

15 Precious in the sight of the Lord
     is the death of his faithful servants.
16 Truly I am your servant, Lord;
     I serve you just as my mother did;
     you have freed me from my chains.

17 I will sacrifice a thank offering to you
     and call on the name of the Lord.
18 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
     in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts of the house of the Lord—
     in your midst, Jerusalem.

   Praise the Lord.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Proclaim the Lord’s death

11:23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

John 13:1-17, 31b-35

The service of Christ: footwashing and meal

13:1 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

…

31b 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.

33 “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.

34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

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 THURSDAY, April 9, 2020 — Holy Thursday
Exodus 12:1-4 [5-10] 11-14; Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-17, 31b-35

The Daily Prayer for THURSDAY, April 9, 2020

The Daily Prayer

THURSDAY, April 9, 2020

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906—1945)

Dietrich Bonhoeffer studied theology in Germany and the United States and pastored a church in London before returning to Germany as a leader of the Confessing Church, which tried to resist Adolf Hitler. Though Bonhoeffer returned to Germany a pacifist, he became a resistance worker and was part of a failed plot to assassinate Hitler. But it was his evasion of the call-up for military service that led to his arrest. Perhaps he died because of his political convictions and not as a Christian martyr, but he would have said that there is no distinction between the two.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “Jesus Christ lived in the midst of his enemies. At the end, all of his disciples deserted him. On the cross he was utterly alone, surrounded by evildoers and mockers. For this cause he had come, to bring peace to the enemies of God. So the Christian, too, belongs not in the seclusion of a cloistered life, but in the thick of foes.”

Lord, reveal to us all that makes itself an enemy to the life you want for us. Help us hunger so deeply for the freedom of all your people that we risk walking among enemies who pervert justice. Reveal to us when we ourselves act as enemies to your kingdom of justice and peace. Amen.

Verse of the Day for THURSDAY, April 9, 2020

Hebrews 1:3

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

Read all of Hebrews 1

Listen to Hebrews 1

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 THURSDAY, April 9, 2020 - Holy Thursday

40 Days of Lenten Prayers

Day 38 - Holy Thursday

Loving Provider,

you gather me in this upper room with your son,

to be fed by your love.

At that supper, Jesus told us to "love one another"

and I know that is the heart of his gift,

his sacrifice for me.

I ask that I might find the source of my own heart,

the meaning for my own life,

in that Eucharist.

Guide me to the fullness of your love and life.

Amen.

Un dia a la Vez - Jueves 09 de abril de 2020

Oración por las etapas de la vida

Como palmeras florecen los justos [...] Aun en su vejez, darán fruto.

— Salmo 92:12, 14, NVI

Hoy quiero, mi Dios, presentar esta oración pidiendo que nos ayudes a aceptar cada una de las etapas que estamos viviendo en la vida.

Te pedimos que quites de nuestra mente pensamientos de frustración y que podamos gozar cada año que nos das. Ayúdanos a entender que todo tiene su tiempo y que no somos los únicos en sentirnos así.

Danos entendimiento y sabiduría en la manera de vestirnos y de comportarnos. Permite que podamos llegar a esta etapa de la edad madura con orgullo y que podamos disfrutar de esos cambios manteniendo un corazón alegre y apacible.

Dios mío, extiende también tu misericordia y danos mucha salud.

Ayúdanos a ser prudentes y cuidarnos, y a mantener por siempre nuestra mirada puesta en ti.

Gracias, mi Dios, por la vida y, sobre todo, gracias por la vida eterna.

Amén y amén.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Oración por las etapas de la vida

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Thursday, April 9, 2020

GOD’S PROMISES ARE STRONGER THAN FEAR

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

—Psalm 91:1-2, NIV

“Two days ago the police raided our house. They took away all the Bibles and Christian books that we had in the house,” says Lazar, a church leader in Uzbekistan. The roots of communism seem not to have withered yet. Uzbek Christians are balancing between fear of surveillance, intimidation and imprisonment and faith in God’s promises.

The penalty which Lazar may receive for possession of the “illegal books” he had in his house is a prison sentence of fifteen days or a hefty fine.

“I would prefer a prison sentence,” says Lazar. He knows comparable cases when fines equivalent to over a year’s salary were imposed. Leila, his wife seems bewildered by her husband’s response. “I don’t want you to go to prison,” she responds.

Lazar counters, “The Pharisees persecuted Jesus, but still, He went on with His work. The evening after the raid, I read Psalm 91. God is my refuge and my strength. I can hide in Him. I don’t want to allow myself to be governed by fear, because that doesn’t help you at all. After my arrest, one of the neighbors telephoned me. ‘Lazar,’ he said, ‘we’ve packed our things and we’re ready to leave for Moscow. Should we go?’”

Lazar can understand this, but he resolutely teaches his church members to take a different approach. “We must oppose people who are sowing fear. God’s promises are stronger,” he emphasizes. “We have difficulties, but we believe that God is with us and that His promises are stronger than fear.”

Still, this fear may suddenly take a grip on you if you’re in the middle of a situation of direct persecution. A few days later Lazar suddenly says, “I’m leaving the city tonight. My lawyer has advised us to take a break. It may be the case that another raid is conducted on our home. We can’t cope with this now and so we’re leaving. Please pray for me and my family.”

In the space of a few days, Lazar struggles with the horribly hard hand of the regime and with the values of his faith. He’s balancing between fear and faith. Pray that the fear which the government is trying to sow shall not take root in his heart.

A few weeks later, Lazar reports that he and his family are back at home. But the problems are not over. Legal proceedings have been taken against him and he has been threatened with death by the authorities.

RESPONSE: Today I will boldly affirm that God is with me and His promises are stronger than fear!

PRAYER: Pray for Christians like Lazar and Leila who are on the teeter-totter between fear and faith. Pray that Satan’s tactic of fear will not take root in their hearts.

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

Men's Devotional Bible - Thursday, April 9, 2020

Scared to Death

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18
Recommended Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:1–58; Philippians 1:21–23

Despite all the personal fitness trainers, gastrointestinal bypass surgeries, expensive wrinkle creams and everything else people use to look young and keep fit, the mortality rate still stands at 100 percent! Someone once remarked that our generation will produce the best-looking corpses in history. Of course, Christians aren’t immune from the desire to live longer and look better in the process. And while there’s nothing wrong with caring for our bodies, Paul reminds us that death is nothing to fear.

Paul wants to address the concern of the Thessalonian Christians about loved ones who have died before Christ’s return. Of course, behind this worry for others likely stands a more personal concern: “What will happen to me when I die?”

Paul gets straight to the point with his encouraging answer. Those who die before Jesus returns will on that final day rise from the grave and accompany Christ to meet those still alive. Death doesn’t dash our hope in Christ; indeed, death for Christians marks a transition to an infinitely better life.

While Paul seeks to calm the fears of his readers, he also expresses his concern about the effect these anxieties will have on the other people around them—especially non-Christians. Paul reminds us that we don’t need to grieve the deaths of our loved ones or worry about our own deaths like “the rest of mankind” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Notice that Paul doesn’t say that Christians won’t grieve. Death is horrible, and it separates us from our loved ones. If we tried to pretend that this loss didn’t matter, we wouldn’t be authentic.

Paul, instead, wants us to know that we don’t need to grieve like those without hope. Yes, we mourn our loss, but we also rejoice, knowing that one day we’ll be reunited with loved ones who also knew Christ. More importantly, Christ will unite us with himself for all eternity. This truth allows us to, as Paul invites, “encourage one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:18).

To Take Away

• What is your attitude toward death?
• How do you grieve? How does your response to death affect other people around you, especially non-Christians?
• How can you find encouragement and even cause for rejoicing in the midst of your grief?

The mortality rate stands at 100 percent!

LHM Daily Devotions April 9, 2020 - "SAVED BY HIS BLOOD"

"SAVED BY HIS BLOOD"

April 9, 2020

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." And He took a cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you, for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."

— Matthew 26:26-28, ESV

(The Lord said) "And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt." (Exodus 12:13)

It was Passover that night, when Jesus met with His disciples for dinner. The lamb was roasted; the bread was baked; the wine was poured. They came together to remember God's mercy when He saved the people of Israel from death and delivered them from slavery in Egypt.

Blood was a major part of the first Passover. God told Moses to tell the people of Israel to kill a lamb for dinner and to use its blood to mark the doorposts of their homes. When God passed through the land of slavery and took the lives of all the firstborn of Egypt, the children of Israel would be safe. The blood was their salvation.

This story was on all the disciples' minds, because it was retold every year at the Passover celebration. But Jesus knew what the disciples did not. He knew that within 24 hours, God would carry out an even greater salvation than the rescue of the Hebrew slaves from Egypt. God was setting all of humanity free from their slavery to the powers of sin and darkness. And Jesus was the Lamb whose blood would deliver them.

No wonder Jesus took the cup of wine at supper and said, "Drink of it, all of you, for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." This is the blood of the Lamb of God, whose suffering and death on the cross set us free from the power of death. No one who trusts in Him needs to be afraid of God's judgment. His blood protects us. And Jesus' resurrection from the dead is the guarantee that we will all share in His everlasting life—no longer as frightened slaves, but as God's joyful people.

THE PRAYER: Lord, give me Your body and blood to eat and drink at Your Supper, because You are my life. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

* What is your favorite holiday? What does it commemorate?

* What do you personally remember or think of when you go to Communion?

* What is one specific thing Jesus' blood has set you free from?

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).
What is your favorite holiday? What does it commemorate?

Devocional CPTLN del 09 de abril de 2020 - "Salvado por su sangre"

ALIMENTO DIARIO

Salvado por su sangre

09 de Abril de 2020

Mientras comían, Jesús tomó el pan y lo bendijo; luego lo partió y se lo dio a sus discípulos, y les dijo: "Tomen, coman; esto es mi cuerpo." Después tomó la copa, y luego de dar gracias, la entregó a sus discípulos y les dijo: "Beban de ella todos, porque esto es mi sangre del nuevo pacto, que es derramada por muchos, para perdón de los pecados."

— Mateo 26:26-28, RVC

Era la Pascua cuando Jesús se reunió con sus discípulos. Se congregaron para recordar la misericordia de Dios, cuando salvó al pueblo de Israel de la muerte y lo libró de la esclavitud en Egipto.

La sangre fue una parte importante de la primera Pascua. El pueblo de Israel debía matar un cordero para la cena y usar la sangre para marcar las puertas de sus hogares. Cuando Dios pasó por la tierra de la esclavitud y mató a los primogénitos de los egipcios, los hijos de Israel estuvieron a salvo. La sangre fue su salvación.

Esta historia estaba en la mente de todos los discípulos, porque se contaba cada año en la celebración de la Pascua. Pero Jesús sabía lo que los discípulos no sabían. Sabía que en las próximas veinticuatro horas, Dios llevaría a cabo una salvación aún mayor que el rescate de los esclavos hebreos de Egipto. Dios iba a liberar a toda la humanidad de su esclavitud a los poderes del pecado y la oscuridad. Y la sangre liberadora sería la del Cordero Jesús.

No es de extrañar que Jesús dijera: "Beban de ella todos, porque esto es mi sangre del nuevo pacto, que es derramada por muchos, para perdón de los pecados." Esta es la sangre del Cordero de Dios, cuyo sufrimiento y muerte en la cruz nos liberaron del poder de la muerte. Nadie que confíe en él debe tener miedo del juicio de Dios. Su sangre nos protege. Y la resurrección de Jesús es la garantía de que todos compartiremos su vida eterna, no como esclavos asustados, sino como personas alegres de Dios.

ORACIÓN: Señor, dame tu cuerpo y sangre para comer y beber en tu cena, porque tú eres mi vida. Amén.

Dra. Kari Vo

Para reflexionar:

* ¿En qué piensas cuando vas a la comunión?

* ¿De qué cosa específica te ha liberado la sangre de Jesús?

© Copyright 2020 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Que a través de estos devocionales, la Palabra de Dios te refresque en tu diario caminar.
¿En qué piensas cuando vas a la comunión?

Хлеб наш насущный - Оставайтесь на пути

Оставайтесь на пути

Читать сейчас: Иоанна 14:1-7 | Библия за год: 1 Царств 13-14; Луки 10:1-24

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«Господи! Не знаем, куда идешь. И как можем знать путь?»

— Иоанна 14:5

На землю опустились сумерки. Я находился среди гор Центрального Китая и следовал за Ли Бао по высеченному в скале уступу. Никогда раньше я здесь не был и видел не дальше чем на один шаг вперед, а также то, как слева от нас резко обрывался уступ. Я глубоко дышал и старался держаться поближе к Ли. Я не знал, куда мы идем, сколько времени это займет, но я доверился своему другу.

Мое положение было похоже на то, в котором оказался Фома, ученик Христа, постоянно нуждавшийся в подтверждениях и ободрении. Иисус сказал апостолам, что должен уйти, чтобы приготовить им место, и что они знают, куда Он идет (Ин. 14:4). Тогда Фома задал логичный вопрос: «Господи! Не знаем, куда идешь. И как можем знать путь?» (ст. 5).

Иисус не удовлетворил любопытство Фомы и не сказал, куда Он их возьмет. Он просто уверил учеников, что Он – путь в то прекрасное место. Этого было достаточно.

У нас тоже могут возникать вопросы о будущем. Никто из нас точно не знает, что ждет впереди. Жизнь полна неожиданных поворотов. И это нормально. Нам достаточно знать Христа, Который есть «путь, и истина, и жизнь» (ст. 6).

Господь знает, что будет дальше. У нас только одна задача – идти рядом с Ним.

Какой ваш самый большой страх о будущем? Почему, шагая в будущее, нам достаточно только того, чтобы следовать за Христом?

* * *

Посмотрите видео «Не бойся».

Небесный Отец, помоги нам понимать, что наше путешествие – это и есть наша цель, а путь – Твой Сын.

автор: Майк Уитмер

© 2020 Хлеб Наш Насущный
Я не знал, куда мы идем, сколько времени это займет, но я доверился своему другу.