Not Quite Ready

“Having loved his own were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.” John 13:1 

Holy Week is here, but I’m hardly ready.  Thankfully, the discipline of giving up something for Lent has kept Christ’s sacrifice often on my mind during the past few days, but I could have done so much more.  I could have studied the story in all four Gospels.  I could have reviewed the many Old Testament prophecies.  I could have perused the writings of countless saints, or, at the very least, I could have reread my own Easter devotional book.  But this year I did none of these.

Being busy is no excuse.  Most of us have crammed calendars and pressing responsibilities, and even those with blank slots on their agendas still sport a long “to do” list.  For some reason, or no reason, I just didn’t prime my heart specifically for this special celebration. But today, God’s kindness overwhelmed me once again as my “straight through the Bible” reading landed me in John 13—the passage which follows Palm Sunday’s triumphal entry.  Had I been planning, that’s exactly where I would have turned.  How comforting to know that though we slip, God never stumbles, and He’s already in the future working His sovereign ways even through our many mess-ups.   

So if you’re heading into this marvelous Monday not as primed for Easter as you wish you were, let the failure itself find you more grateful than ever for God’s amazing grace.  And if today you are fully prepared to ponder and praise, then pray for those of us who are taking the crash course in “resurrection readiness.”  For all of us, the more we realize our utter ineptness and our absolute dependence on God’s relentless mercy the better off we are and the bigger our celebration will be.

During this Holy Week, as you reflect on the deliberate steps of our Savior toward the old, rugged cross and out of the stone-cold tomb, consider every move He made and listen to every word He said.  Sense His purpose, feel His passion, and bow in worship. “Having loved his own were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love”(Jn 13:1). 

Ready or not, it’s time to contemplate and celebrate!

“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified”(Jn 12:23).