Mark 14:43-52
43 And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. 44 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard.” 45 And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, “Rabbi!” And he kissed him. 46 And they laid hands on him and seized him. 47 But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. 48 And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? 49 Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.” 50 And they all left him and fled.
51 And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him, 52 but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.
Reflection
For our sake, Christ is abandoned by God, his Father. Among other things, this means that he is handed into the violent and ungodly hands of men (cf. Mark 9:31). Jesus endured the hands of evil men so that the hand of the Evil One himself, Satan, might not have the final say in our lives.
Galatians 3:15-18
15 To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. 16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. 17 This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. 18 For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.
Reflection
Paul says that Christians obtain their eternal inheritance by believing God’s promise, not on the basis of their obedience to the law (Gal. 3:18). If an inheritance is based on a promise, the emphasis falls on what God will do. If an inheritance is based on obedience to the law, the emphasis falls on what people must do. God has placed the emphasis on himself and promised the inheritance to Abraham and to his offspring (vv. 16, 18). Therefore, all who are united to the true offspring of Abraham, Jesus the Messiah, are heirs of Abraham’s promise through faith —whether Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female (v. 28).
Psalm 34:1-3
34: I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. 3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!
God has accomplished our salvation in a way that removes all human boasting. Ask God to help you keep the emphasis on him and his grace when you consider your salvation and when you minister to others.