Holy Week Devotional by the Ministerial Staff of First Baptist Owensboro
D
uring Holy Week and Easter—March 25th–April 1st— reflect on the week leading up to Jesus' death and resurrection with daily Scriptures and devotionals from our ministerial staff.
Palm Sunday by Bob Farmer on Matthew 21:1–11
On their way from Jericho, Jesus and the disciples neared Bethphage, on the slope of the Mount of Olives just outside Jerusalem. Two disciples went into the village, as Jesus told them, to bring back a donkey and its colt. How did Jesus know that there would be a donkey and a colt waiting for Him in the village? Because Jesus had a plan. Jesus knew He was going to Jerusalem. God has had a plan of salvation for us since the foundation of the world. Jesus is that plan of salvation. Before man was created, God knew we would need a savior, and He had a plan to send us His Son to die in our place. This same event in the Gospel of Matthew focuses on the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9 mentioning a donkey and a colt. Jesus’ actions fulfilled the prophet’s words. Jesus also knew He would 4 | Connect Magazine
ride into Jerusalem on a donkey. It was
phal entry, Jesus predicts His death and
all done to fulfill what God promised
shares the reason for it. Throughout
would happen long ago. It was an un-
these verses, Jesus speaks of the Father’s
mistakable sign of his kingship. God's
glory. “The hour has come for the Son of
plan to conquer death and sin for all
Man to be glorified.” With His troubled
mankind is a triumphant plan.
heart, rather than asking the Father to
Monday
save Him from this hour, He says “Fa-
by Ginger Mayfield on John 12:1–11 In an act of worship, Mary knelt to the ground and washed Jesus’ feet. She then broke her very expensive bottle of perfume and used it all for Jesus, pouring it onto His head and feet. She wiped His feet with her hair. It was an act of whole-hearted devotion. She did not seem to care that the perfume was costly or that the disciples would criticize her sacrifice. She did not seem to care that Jewish women did not let down their hair in public. She cared only about spending time worshipping Jesus. John's focus on Mary’s anointing of Jesus points to her great humility. Oh, that I would be as humble as Mary,
ther, glorify your name!”, and the voice from heaven confirmed that He had and would indeed be glorified again. What important message did Jesus share in these last days? He told them/ us that we too must glorify the Father. And we do so by dying to self, like a seed must die in order for it to produce many seeds. Dying to self can also bring a troubled heart, because we don’t want to sacrifice the things of this world that seem to give us pleasure. But by laying down this worldly life and following Jesus, we are assured of eternal life and— like Jesus—bring glory to the Father.
Wednesday
by Wesley Dunn on Matthew 26:14–25
God. Forgive me when I make every-
Just before these verses, the disciples
thing about myself. Amen.
were indignant at a woman who used
Tuesday
an expensive oil to anoint Jesus. They
by Dave Roberts on John 12:20–36 In John 12: 20-36, just after the trium-
perceived the act as a waste of resources that could have been used for other good work. It is evident that they had not “set their minds on things that are above,” but instead “on things that are