Holy Week: We must decide

Read John 12:20-36

I love watching movies. In fact I am not even that picky about what movies I will watch, and will sit through mediocre or even bad movies. In my family however, movie watching is a bit more complicated since it is difficult to find a movie everyone will enjoy. So we try to take turns for who will pick the movie out. Inevitably when I pick a movie I really want to watch (think Al Pacino) my experience of the movie is vastly different from everyone else. What is it about watching movies, and living life, that two people experiencing the same thing can have completely different ways of understanding it? (why doesn't everyone love The Godfather or Goodfellas?)

The truth of the matter is that life requires interpretation, we must decide what something means. When it came to Jesus' life, ministry, and mission the disciples and the crowds all had to decide for themselves who Jesus was and what it meant. Is Jesus the Son of God? the Messiah? a prophet? a great teacher? a political threat? a phony? Depending on their perspectives, those in Jesus' day came to different conclusions. As we prepare this Holy Week, we too are faced with the eternal question from Jesus: "who do you say I am" (Mark 8:29) We each must decide this question for ourselves, no one can answer for us.

As Jesus was preparing for his final journey to the cross, during Holy Week, he took extra time to explain to the disciples and crowds God's plan for his death and resurrection. Jesus was reminding and revealing the path he must travel for the sake of all people. He let people know that while his death on the cross would be personally difficult for him, he was fulfilling God's purposes for God's glory.

²⁸²⁹³⁰Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—“Father, save me from this hour”? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, ‘An angel has spoken to him.’ Jesus answered, ‘This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. John 12:27-30

As Jesus reminds and reveals God's plan for Jesus' death, God's voice speaks from heaven for the sake of the crowd to affirm the words Jesus is speaking. Some of those who heard God's voice thought it was an angel, or from God, while others wrote it off as thunder. They had a choice, like we have a choice, to interpret life from a perspective of faith or not. If we are looking for how God is working in our lives we will see God's hand in most everything. If we decide that God is uninvolved we will miss the everyday presence of a God who loves us. The choice is yours, you must decide.

Questions:
-Do you see God at work in your daily life? Are you looking for God's presence?
-If yes, how is God working in your life?
-If no, what is keeping you from believing that God is active in your life?
-How can you help others see God in their life?

Prayer: Lord help me see and feel your presence in my life today. Open my eyes, my ears, and my heart so that I might know your love and care for me today and everyday, in Jesus' name, AMEN.