DAILY BIBLE READINGS FOR PASSION WEEK

Posted by & filed under easter, Passion Week, Religion, resurrection, Weblogs.

Visiting The Church of the Holy Sepulcher

“And he said to them, ‘I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer’” (Luke 22:15 ESV).

This coming Sunday begins what many Christians call Holy Week or Passion Week. It is called “Passion” week because of its connection to the Greek word πάσχω (pas’-kho), which means to feel heavy emotion or passion, especially due to suffering. This is the word that Jesus used to describe His coming crucifixion.

A wonderful way to remember Christ’s passion is to visit the Holy Land. I’ve had the privilege of visiting Israel several times. In the attached photo, I’m visiting The Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which is the traditional location of the empty tomb. Here, I’m touching the Stone of Anointing, a slab of reddish stone flanked by candlesticks and overhung by a row of eight lamps. It commemorates the place where the body of Jesus was laid, anointed, and prepared for burial.

But you don’t have to go to Israel to remember Christ’s suffering and resurrection. In fact, all the church buildings, slabs and memorials added through the ages by well-meaning church folk can be a distraction. I’ve found that reading the Scriptures that describe the Lord’s final week leading up to the Cross, the Tomb and the Resurrection to be just as moving and beneficial to my spiritual life. With this in mind, I offer this daily reading plan for Passion Week for your edification.

  • Palm Sunday – The Triumphal Entry. Read Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-44, and John 12:12-19.
  • Monday – Clearing the Temple. Read Matthew 21:10-19; Mark 11:12-18, Luke 19:45-48, and John 2:13-22.
  • Tuesday – Teaching in the Temple. Read Matthew 21:23-24:51; Mark 11:27-13:37, and Luke 20:1-21:36.
  • Wednesday – Resting In Bethany. Read Matthew 26:1-16 and Mark 14:1-11.
  • Thursday – Last Supper & Gethsemane. Read Matthew 26:17-30; Mark 14:12-26, Luke 22:7-23, and John 13:1-30.
  • Good Friday – Trial & Crucifixion. Matthew 27:1-56; Mark 15:1-41, Luke 22:66-23:50, and John 18:28-19:37.
  • Saturday – In the Tomb. Read Matthew 27:57-66; Mark 15:42-47, Luke 23:50-56, and John 19:38-42.
  • Easter Sunday – The Resurrection. Read Matthew 28:1-13; Mark 16:1-20, Luke 24:1-49, and John 20:1-31.

In addition to the daily Scripture readings, you might want to watch my daily video devotions for Passion Week. These were originally in recorded in 2020 as Facebook live events, so they’re pretty unprofessional. But the content is there and hopefully it’s beneficial and encouraging. You can follow this link to watch them:  Passion Week Devotions.

There are two weeks recorded in the Bible that the Lord inspired its writers to make daily diary entries. They are the seven days of creation and Passion Week. In the first week, He made the world, and in the second, He brought its redemption. God must have thought these two weeks important enough to keep a journal…

… And one worthy of our reading and meditation.

ASK THE PASTOR – 4/8/22

Posted by & filed under Religion.

Pastor Gary Combs responds to a question about a recent sermon. The question is from the reading in Zechariah 11:10, which reads: “And I took my staff Favor, and I broke it, annulling the covenant that I had made with all the peoples.”

The question submitted was: “Which covenant was annulled by the breaking of the staff Favor? I thought God would not break a covenant?”

In his answer, Pastor Gary referred to eight biblical covenants. The chart below is offered as a help to those who would like to consider this further.

COVENANT SCRIPTUREDESCRIPTIONCONDITION
1. EdenicGenesis 1:28–30; 2:16-17For all humanity. Sets out the conditions for the life of unfallen man.Conditional. Broken by Adam and Eve
2. AdamicGenesis 3:14-19For all humanity. Sets out the conditions for man’s life on the earth after the fall.Conditional. Much in this covenant is perpetual throughout all generations until the curse is lifted (Rom. 8:19–23).
3. NoahicGenesis 8:20–9:27For all humanity. Discloses the divine intent respecting humanity in all succeeding generations beginning with Noah.Unconditional. This is the “rainbow” covenant, promising that God will never destroy all life by flood again.
4. AbrahamicGenesis 12:1–3; 13:14–17; 15:1–18; 17:1–8For Israel This covenant guarantees everlasting blessings upon Abraham, his seed, and all the families of the earth.Unconditional. Primarily for Israel, but also that all nations would be blessed from their Promised Seed, namely Jesus.
5. MosaicExodus 20:1–31:18For Israel. This is the Old Covenant, which directed the moral, social, and religious life of Israel, promising either blessing or curse based on their obedience.Conditional. Broken by Israel. And later fulfilled and made obsolete by the New Covenant given through Christ Jesus.
6. PalestinianDeuteronomy 30:1-9For Israel. Discloses what Jehovah will yet do in regathering, blessing, and restoring Israel to her own land.Both conditional/unconditional. If Israel repents, they will be restored to the land.
7. Davidic2 Samuel 7:5–19For Israel. Secures three advantages to Israel through David, namely, an everlasting throne, an everlasting kingdom, and an everlasting King.Unconditional. This has been, is being, will be fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the Son of David.
8. NewJeremiah 31:31–34; Hebrews 8:1-13For all humanity. This covenant is “new” in the sense that it supersedes as a rule of life the Mosaic Covenant that Israel broke.Both conditional/unconditional. If we believe in Christ, will be saved.

Ask the Pastor – 3/14/22

Posted by & filed under One Year Bible, Religion.

Pastor Gary Combs responds to a question about a recent One Year Bible reading. The question is from the reading in Leviticus 23, concerning the “Feast of Weeks.” This feast is also called the Feast of Harvest. The question was: “Isn’t the Festival of Harvest a fall festival? Whereas Jesus was crucified after Passover in the Spring. Why is the Festival of Harvest now called Festival of Pentecost? I’m missing the connection.

The Lord instituted seven “festivals,” or feasts for Israel. These feasts were to remind Israel of God’s provision and to prepare them for the Messiah. It can get a little overwhelming reading the description of these feasts, but they are worthy of our meditation as we see how they point to their fulfillment in Christ Jesus.

JEWISH FEASTSCRIPTUREJEWISH MONTHMODERN CALENDARCHRIST’S FULFILLMENT
Passover (Pesach)Lev. 23:4-8Nisan 14March/AprilCrucifixion
Unleavened Bread (Chag Hamotzi)Lev. 23:6Nisan 15-22March/AprilBurial
First Fruits (Yom Habikkurim)Lev. 23:10Nisan 16March/AprilResurrection
Weeks (Shavu’ot) Harvest, PentecostLev. 23:15-16Sivan 6May/JuneHoly Spirit given
Trumpets (Yom Teru’ah)Lev. 23:23-25Tishri 1Sept/OctRapture/Christ’s return
Atonement (Yom Kippur)Lev. 23:26-32Tishri 10Sept/OctJudgment
Tabernacles (Sukkot)Lev. 23:33-36Tishri 15Sept/OctMillennium/heaven