March Letter

"Jesus' Last Week"
(leading to the cross)

In Jesus' last week before the cross, he acted with love, purpose and resolve. Quite consistent it his character, with his heart, wouldn't you say? He continued, resolutely, on his way to Jerusalem knowing w hat awaited him.

He fulfilled prophecy not for the sake of saying 'I told you so, but for the sake of his Father's plan. He taught, he corrected, sheprepred even stubborn thinkers like Peter for what was to corne. He prayed for his disciples. He thought about their needs. He opened the eyes of any who would see what God was revealing.

He re-cornected with dear friends, like Martha and Mary and, wonder of wonders, his dear, back-from-the-dead friend, Lazarus. He rejected easy, selfish, quick escapes and with bloody sweat prayed through fhe desires of his flesh to affirm His Father's will.

That's what Gethsemane moments arr about, afterall:
our Father's will, not ours.

And that's how he got to the cross; that's how we received the gift of redemption. Through his Gethsenmane surrender.

Jesus' last week was an emotional roller coaster. . .

. . . of extravagant love (see Mary pouring expensive perfume on his feet, pouring an expression of her love and devotion, John 12:1 -3)

. . . of deep personal disappointmen over close friends and followers (see Judas, the thief, helping himself to the money mean to fund Jesus' ministry, John1 2:6 )

. . . of enthusiastic applause and lavish praise (see his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, John 12:12ff)

. . . of unspeakable agony as our sin separates him from His Holy Father (hear Jesus on the cross as he cries out, "My God, my God. Why have you forsaken me?" Mark 15:34

But through it all, he remained true. True to his word. True to his calling. True to his Father. True to his mission. True to his disciples. True to his promise. True to each of the prophecies. True to us.

Long after Jesus' last week, in the blessed afterglow of Resurrection power, a hymn writer wrote this personal prayer to fulfill precisely because of Jesus' last week:

'I would be faithful through each passing moment

f would be constantly in touch with God.

I would be strong to follow where He leads me;

I would have faith to keep the path Christ trod.'

Dr. John P. Williams, Jr.
General Superintendent, EFC-ER