Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified (Mark 15:15).
Read Mark 15:12–21
Wanting to satisfy the crowd is a very powerful motivator. Many leaders fall into the trap of pleasing the crowd even though it may not be the best line of action or act of leadership.
It is often easier to follow the crowd rather than stick up for what you might believe in or think is right – such is the power of the crowd.
The crowd Pilate wanted to satisfy with their cries of ‘Crucify him’ only a week before was proclaiming Jesus with shouts of ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed is the coming of the kingdom of our father David. Hosanna in the highest’ (Mark 11:9,10).
In the first section of Mark 15, Jesus is handed over to Pilate, who is confused as to why the crowd wants to crucify Jesus. ‘What crime has he committed?’ Pilate asked (verse 14). But Pilate also recognised the motivation of the chief priests, ‘knowing it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him’ (verse 10).
But even though Pilate was in charge, he did not use his authority and gave in to the crowd. ‘When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility”’ (Matthew 27:24).
In today’s Western world, the crowd has little time for God and religion. The crowd mocks believers; it wants to deny the influence Christianity has had on the lifestyle we now enjoy, and it wants to further tear down the vestiges of Christian observance in our institutions, like starting sittings of Parliament with the Lord’s Prayer.
It takes courage to resist the crowd, as there is a great risk of being isolated, ridiculed and ‘cancelled’. Through God’s love, we have the power to be in the world but not of the world.
Heavenly Father, help us to resist the crowd that wants to eliminate you from our lives. Through your Holy Spirit, give us the courage and wisdom to stand apart from the crowd and be a true witness to you in the world. Amen.
Stuart, with his wife Pamela Dalgliesh, lives in Mansfield, Victoria. Stuart has a background in agricultural science, rural journalism and corporate affairs. He loves living on a small farm in the beautiful High Country of Victoria, being involved in the Mansfield community and travelling, having in the last three years done extensive travels in Western Australia, Queensland, the United Kingdom and Ireland.
‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,’ he said to them. ‘Stay here and keep watch’ (Mark 14:34).
Read Mark 14:27–42
On Wednesday, we read Jesus’ parable about the master who leaves the household in the care of his servants and leaves. The servants do not know when he will return, so they remain alert and awake for his arrival.
Now Jesus finds himself in Gethsemane with his closest friends and asks them to ‘stay awake’. This is the same word he used in the parable, just a day or two earlier – the servants were to stay awake as they looked forward to the master’s return. Three times he asks them to stay awake with him, and three times they fall asleep on the job.
We get a beautiful insight here into the lonely heart of Jesus, a heart that holds the knowledge of all that is to come the following day and also holds a fiercely burning love for his wayward, lost children – both for those on the Mount of Olives with him and for us, his 21st-century disciples. If we are honest, we fall away, deny and betray him as much as his early followers did. And if we look down the centuries at this sobbing man, we understand it was Jesus’ love for us that motivated those beautiful words of commitment as much as his friends on the hillside: ‘Yet not my will but yours be done’ (Mark 14:36).
Max Lucado put it beautifully when he said that Jesus would rather go through hell for us than go to heaven without us. Only this great love would put aside fear and pain for the benefit of the beloved. What a joy to know that our Saviour loves us that much.
Dear Jesus, you knew what was coming. You felt the pain. You suffered the loneliness and betrayal. And you saw us. Your heart broke with love for all of us, and that love that created the universe gave itself to free us from the separation of sin. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.
Rachael Stelzer is the Primary Lay Chaplain at Coomera Anglican College near Brisbane. She is a member of Our Saviour Lutheran Church in Rochedale and teaches primary kids in the Growing Kids group. Rachael loves crafts, reading, and sharing meals, coffee and life with her family and friends.
t that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it (Mark 13:21).
Read Mark 13:14–27
From time to time, I visit the religion classes at the school where I am a chaplain. The students love to ask me big questions and favourite topics include what heaven will be like and when the world will end.
At the time Mark wrote his gospel, the followers of Jesus were facing persecution and death for believing in him. I imagine that the end of the world – and Jesus’ return – were events they greatly yearned for, and Mark’s reporting of Jesus’ words here would have been of great importance to them.
For us in the Western world of 2023, with so much conflict in the world around us, natural disasters so prevalent, and so many voices around us promising peace, healing, comfort and self-actualisation, we, too, could use some words of wisdom around what is to come.
Jesus certainly did not sugar-coat his description of the End Times. It comes across as brutal and violent, chaotic and confusing. Jesus even warns that false messiahs will be presented, natural disasters will occur, and some may even attempt to ensnare some of God’s chosen.
But then Jesus reminds his people that ‘at that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens’.
What a beautiful comfort. At the end of the turmoil will come our Saviour to restore his people. With all the signs, warnings and confusion, where do we look? To Jesus, who has already won the ultimate battle to redeem all of creation and will come again to take us home. In this beautiful hope, we live.
Dear Jesus, thank you for the comfort of knowing we do not need to despair – we just need to look to you and listen to your words of eternal life. Guard and guide our hearts as we trust in you. Amen.
Rachael Stelzer is the Primary Lay Chaplain at Coomera Anglican College near Brisbane. She is a member of Our Saviour Lutheran Church in Rochedale and teaches primary kids in the Growing Kids group. Rachael loves crafts, reading, and sharing meals, coffee and life with her family and friends.
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God (Psalm 43:5b).
Read Psalm 43
It’s one thing to deal with injustice: people lying to us, treating us poorly, or taking things that belong to us. It’s another thing to feel as if God doesn’t care, as if there is no justice in this world and that there will be no final accountability for all the wrong that has been done.
In the psalm for today, the psalmist is lamenting the suffering he has experienced at the hands of people who act as if God doesn’t exist. He is also lamenting the way that God has, it seems, rejected him. It’s like he has gone to God’s court to get justice, but God, the judge, has thrown out his case.
But the psalmist does not give up. He knows that God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love (Exodus 34:6,7). So, he asks God to send out his light and truth – to send out his word, which shines on the path of life. The psalmist knows that this light, this word, leads God’s people to his holy hill – to the temple, where God provides a sacrifice that cleanses people from their sins and shows his true and lasting justice in the world.
As God’s baptised people, we can sometimes feel like God doesn’t care about us. We can feel like giving up, especially when we are struggling with injustice in our lives, and it seems that God is not doing anything to help us. But even then, we can still, with the psalmist, call out to God. God will give us his word to lead us back to where we gather with his people to share in the benefits of Christ’s sacrifice. He will lead us to meet in church to receive the body and blood of Christ, where we receive forgiveness of sins. It’s with God’s people, receiving God’s gifts, that we experience that God does care for us and can bring his healing, peace and justice even out of the injustices we have suffered.
Lord Jesus, you show us the justice of God. As we receive your body and blood for the forgiveness of sins, assure us that you care for us and free us to be people who live justly in this world. Amen.
Fraser Pearce grew up in Sydney and has served as a pastor in Melbourne, Bendigo and Adelaide. He is married to Margaret, and they have four children ranging in age from 15 to 23. Fraser enjoys being with family and friends, listening to (and playing) music and reading.
The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes (Mark 12:10,11).
Read Mark 12:1–12
Normally, when we listen to a story or watch a movie, we think about the characters and make judgements about them. We think about whether they deserve praise or blame, reward or punishment: we want the goodies to win and the baddies to lose. We have this way of thinking right from the beginning when we are children first listening to stories. Although we might become more sophisticated as we grow, our sense of what is right and wrong remains, and we listen to or watch stories ready to make judgements.
In today’s reading, Jesus tells a story to the chief priests, scribes and elders who have questioned Jesus about his authority (Mark 11:27,28). In the story, Jesus talks about the tenants of a vineyard, who not only rob the owner of his produce but also mistreat and kill his servants and even his son. Jesus knows that the chief priests, scribes and elders will be able to judge for themselves that the tenants in the story are wicked. Jesus also knows they will eventually understand that he is speaking about them.
It can be a shock for us to realise that, in the story we listen to, we are the ones in the wrong. This is how it is in the Bible: God’s word reveals to us that we are sinners, we have acted unjustly, and we deserve condemnation. This would be too much for us to bear, except that Jesus, who tells us stories that reveal our need, is also the one who has gone to the cross to take away our sins. Although Jesus was despised in life – and suffered a shameful death – through his resurrection, he showed that he is the cornerstone of the church and that as God builds us together in him, we can live with humility and hope.
Father, thank you that Jesus is the cornerstone and that through holy baptism, we are built together into the temple that is his body. Give us humility to acknowledge when we sin, and give us hope that you give us new life through your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Fraser Pearce grew up in Sydney and has served as a pastor in Melbourne, Bendigo and Adelaide. He is married to Margaret, and they have four children ranging in age from 15 to 23. Fraser enjoys being with family and friends, listening to (and playing) music and reading.
[The chief priests, the scribes and the elders] said, ‘By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority to do them?’ (Mark 11:28).
Read Mark 11:27–33
There used to be a show on TV called Undercover Boss. Bosses would go ‘undercover’ in their own companies to investigate how things worked on the ground level. Many interesting conversations ensued, with workers having no idea of who they were talking with until the big ‘reveal’ at the end. It was a way for bosses to get in touch with the challenges they may not have been aware of and make improvements.
Jesus, however, knew exactly what was going on. He had ‘upset the apple cart’ in cleansing the temple, and the ‘authority figures’ demanded answers! They were intent on getting rid of him and wanted to know what authority this man was operating in.
Jesus chose to evade answering them at that moment, targeting their beliefs in the process. He could see their hearts and motives. He also knew that the timing wasn’t right. His time, though drawing very close, had not yet come. There were significant things to be done before the trial that occurred several days later.
Jesus, the Son of God, would ultimately surrender his life to save the world. He had the authority and was, in fact, the only one who could! Even after the big reveal, when he rose victorious from the dead, there were some who still dismissed him … choosing to stay in the paradigms of authority they were accustomed to. But for all who would/will believe, Jesus’ authority over death and the devil is final and life-changing! That is authority worth living under!
Dear Jesus, to say you put up with a lot is probably the biggest understatement ever. But thank you for doing it. Thank you for being my Saviour. I praise and thank you for your amazing love. Thank you that I now get to live and serve you under your authority. In your name, I pray, Amen.
Georgie lives in Adelaide. She loves getting out into the country to experience God’s creation. She likes taking photos when she can. After teaching for many years, she now enjoys working in a church/school setting where she still gets to share stories about Jesus with children and families.
Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no-one, for you do not regard people with partiality (Matthew 22:16b).
Read Matthew 22:15–22
Here we go again … Another showdown.
On one side we have disciples of the Pharisees and the Herodians, intent on ensnaring Jesus with a web of words. On the other, we have Jesus, seeing right through their ploy to the very hearts of those seeking his capture.
And yet, the words spoken as a means to flatter Jesus are not only true, but the way Jesus used to brush ‘the web’ away!
Jesus is indeed a man of uncompromising integrity. He isn’t buffeted by the influence of others when they miss the mark. Jesus’ foundation is truth.
Jesus is secure in his identity as God’s beloved Son. While on earth, he lived in the confines of humanity and obeyed the laws of the land. And yet he never lost sight of the fact that everything belonged (and belongs) to God (Psalm 24:1,2). Jesus’ eternal perspective kept him grounded.
In a world that at times weaves webs of confusion, we too can stand on truth, secure in our identity in Christ, knowing who we are and to whom we belong. Knowing this, what truth from God can you hold on to today that will help you clear away those webs?
Dear Jesus, you are the way, the truth and the life. There are times when life gets loud and confusing. Help me remember my identity is in you. You are my anchor. In your name I pray, Amen.
Georgie lives in Adelaide. She loves getting out into the country to experience God’s creation. She likes taking photos when she can. After teaching for many years, she now enjoys working in a church/school setting where she still gets to share stories about Jesus with children and families.
Everything is possible for the one who believes (Mark 9:23b).
Read Mark 9:14–29
How often have we heard the plea from a parent, ‘Can someone please help my child’? The grief and pain of a parent who scans the crowds for someone – anyone at all – to ease the pain of our children who are cast into the fires of social media confusion or drowned in the waters of online activity.
The father in our Scripture is desperate for someone to act on behalf of his son, but predictably, those in charge (the teachers of the law) are discussing with the other nine disciples. We don’t exactly know what was said but can only assume that they were scoffing to the disciples, ‘You claim the power of your rabbi, but you can’t even heal a child’.
All the hot air wasted on arguing about the issue rather than fixing it …
Enter Jesus, perhaps still glowing from the Transfiguration. The crowd rushed to him, overwhelmed and in awe. ‘The spirit keeps driving him into the depths of the fire and water. If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.’
The father’s response is not simply about healing his son but restoring the family.
Help us.
Jesus gives the most hopeful response – one for the 1st and 21st centuries. ‘Everything is possible for the one who believes.’
No somethings, or a few things, but everything.
But the caveat is – they’re possible, not promised. For this father and his son, the father’s belief brings about immediate change through Jesus’ power, but sometimes the possibility is in the future. Sometimes, that thing we are desperate for doesn’t come in the form we expect (or even want). How does a Christian deal with this? How does a believing person, who prays and fasts, wrestle with an answer that resounds with ‘later’?
What things in life do you struggle with? How do you hear the words of Jesus as possible and promise-ful, especially when it comes to kids?
Lord Jesus, help us. We know you have the power to rescue. You have promised that belief will lead me through. I pray that you give me the patience to wait for your answer. Amen.
Reid Matthias is the school pastor at St Andrews Lutheran College in Tallebudgera, Queensland. Reid is married to Christine, who is part of the Grow Ministries team. Together, they have raised three incredible daughters, Elsa, Josephine and Greta. Dedicated to the written word, Reid has recently published his fourth novel, Blank Spaces, maintains the blog ireid.blogspot.com and regularly contributes to The Lutheran magazine.
Peter said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters – one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah’ (Mark 9:5).
Read Mark 9:2–13
Today, we read about the Transfiguration. I can’t help but wonder what it would have been like to be there and how it would have felt. We know the three disciples were frightened, but to see Jesus in all his glory like that – what an amazing mountaintop experience!
Can you think of a time when you’ve had a mountaintop experience?
It’s a natural human inclination to want mountaintop experiences. It’s also a natural inclination to want to hold on to them. These amazing experiences are so good that we want to stay in that place forever – or for as long as possible – and to savour it.
Peter, of course, was being Peter, so he came up with a solution for this. He wanted to build three shelters: one for Jesus, one for Moses and one for Elijah, right there on the mountaintop. Then he could visit at any time to recapture this unique experience.
We might smile or even outright laugh at Peter’s suggestion, but did you know that the Crusaders actually did build three chapels on Mount Tabor? Now, there is the Church of the Transfiguration that contains them. The Chapel of Elijah is located in the south tower; the north tower holds the Chapel of Moses.
We want to stay there on the mountaintop, but we can’t. Sooner or later, we must leave the mountain and go back down to the real world, and the glory quickly fades. Life happens, death happens, we battle our own demons, we find ourselves in a valley, and the mountaintop seems so far away.
The wonderful thing is that Jesus is also there with us in the valley. He’s not just on the mountaintop. Jesus comes into our grief, fear, doubt, confusion and circumstances. When we look to him and at him, the other stuff fades away. We can experience a bit of the mountaintop in the wonder and joy of his presence and love right where we are.
Dear Jesus, thank you for the mountaintop experiences in our lives. Thank you also for being with us in the valleys and everywhere in between. Because of you, we can experience the wonder and joy of your presence wherever we are. Amen.
Verena is a Church Worker Support Officer for the LCA Church Worker Support Department, where it is her privilege to support congregations, pastors, lay workers, employees and volunteers of LCA. In her spare time, she is involved in drama ministry, women’s ministry and prayer ministry. She has three children and eight grandchildren in three different states.