Your study notes and prayer guides this week are authored by Will Buschmann, Director of Student Ministries.
Welcome to a new week! We are leaving parables behind (kinda) and we begin preparing our hearts and lives for Easter. We have already begun our preparation through the season of Lent and this week we look to Palm Sunday, which marks the beginning of Holy Week. Personal Worship this week will take us through the story of Jesus’ encounter and conversation with a man who is described as “The Rich Ruler;” a conversation that is as necessary for us to have with the Lord as it was for this man. We will end our week focused on Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday!
Index to Days 2 through 5
Day 1
Eternal Life?
Observe
We meet a man who comes to Jesus not looking for healing or for a handout. Instead, this man raises a question for Jesus that hopefully has come to all of our minds in this life.
{Luke 18:18 ESV} {18} And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
This ruler comes to Jesus seeking an answer to a profound spiritual question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” And we have to consider how this man comes to Jesus in this scene. We know from the first couple of words that he is a ruler. A ruler of what we do not know, but he is a man who has some kind of earthly power. He also refers to Jesus as “Good Teacher.” He is not coming to Jesus as the answer for his eternal life, but purely for an answer.
- How can our earthly privileges and powers in this life change the way we come to Jesus?
- How do you think Jesus will answer this ruler’s question?
- If you could ask Jesus one question right now, what would it be?
Jesus, would you give me a desire for this question in my own life and the life of everyone around me? Would you make this a pressing question that leads me back to you each and every day of my life? I ask that you would make this a question for the people in my life who don’t know the answer to this question. Would you give my friends, my family members, the people I run into day in a day out the desire to have this question answered in their own lives? Would you lead us in order to have this question answered? For nothing on this earth can answer this question—only you can. Amen
Day 2
A Lesson on Goodness
Observe
We would expect that this ruler set Jesus up for an easy lay up about how He is the Savior of the World and eternal life is only found through him. This is not what Jesus does. He sees the fatal flaw in the ruler standing in front of him and he addresses that.
{Luke 18:19-21 ESV} {19} And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. {20} You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.'” {21} And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.”
{Matthew 5:21-22, 27-30, 33-37 ESV} {21} “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ {22} But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. … {27} “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ {28} But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. {29} If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. {30} And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. … {33} “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ {34} But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, {35} or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. {36} And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. {37} Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.
On the surface Jesus’ response could be alarming. Is Jesus denying his sinlessness? Is Jesus denying his deity? That’s not what he is doing. Jesus sees that this man sees him as a good teacher, maybe even a prophet, but the rich ruler doesn’t see him as God. The man doesn’t understand that this is the good God incarnate in front of him and only he can say that he is good. This man has a defective understanding of what goodness is and he sees himself pridefully or naively as good. Jesus is trying to take him to a place that shows him that his own “goodness” cannot earn him the eternal life he seeks.
- How would you define good in the way that Jesus is using it?
- Do you believe that there is no one good except God alone?
- Why in our world is it easy to believe that we can earn our salvation? What in our human experience makes us think that it is possible?
Lord, I praise you that you are God and you are good! Forgive me for all of those days where I think I am good, where I put myself up against others and judge myself favorably. Would you draw me to you? You are the only good. I can’t say that I have abided by your laws, so forgive me. Give me clarity and humility that there is no good except for you. Let me rest in your goodness today. Amen
Day 3
Camels, Needles, and Hearts
Observe
Jesus gives this man a command that is not a universal command for everyone, but in our wealthy western world it may be a good heart check on how we value the wealth that we have been given.
{Luke 18:22-25 ESV} {22} When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” {23} But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. {24} Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! {25} For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
{Matthew 6:19-24 ESV} {19} “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, {20} but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. {21} For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. {22} “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, {23} but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! {24} “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
Jesus understands this man’s heart. The rich ruler may think he has kept all the commandments, but his response to Jesus shows that he broke and continues to break the very first commandment. He has made money into his true god. He can’t leave it behind in order to follow and worship Jesus.
- Why is it so easy to make money into our true god in this world? Is money an idol of yours?
- If money isn’t your idol, what could Jesus say to you that would make you walk away very sad if he asked you to give it up?
Jesus, forgive me for my love of earthly things. You are the God of all things who has given me so many blessings and my heart turns to love the things over you. I have the ability to make anything an idol, money especially. Forgive me that I trust in my bank account for security. Forgive me that I am enticed by wealth. Lord, protect me from myself. Give me your Spirit to flee from the temptations of wealth that seek to make me trust in them over you. Give me the ability to see money for what it is. Let my heart not be divided by two masters. Amen
Day 4
For the Sake of the Kingdom
Observe
The crowd that watched this scene unfold was obviously shocked. So they have a follow up question for Jesus.
{Luke 18:26-30 ESV} {26} Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” {27} But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” {28} And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.” {29} And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, {30} who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”
Jesus makes it clear that salvation is impossible for man to do on his own. We can’t earn or achieve it based on our own efforts. Thanks be to God though that the things that are impossible for us are possible for him. That he has made a way for us. A true heart of faith in him is constantly checking the idol factory that is our heart seeing what we have placed above Jesus on the throne of our hearts. In verses 29 and 30 Jesus is not saying that by giving up these cherished things can earn eternal life. Only a life that is in love with Jesus would be able to take these good things that we have been given on this earth and not make them god things. That the sacrifice is based on them being “for the sake of the kingdom of God.”
- What is in your way right now of following Jesus wholeheartedly?
- How can we practically reassure our hearts and believe that the life to come after this will be far better than this one? That the difficult things to give up in this life will be absolutely worth it in the end?
Lord, give me courage to follow you in the way you ask. Breakdown the things in my life that keep me from following you. Give me your Spirit to be able to hold everything, literally everything in my life with open hands. Teach my heart to use the gifts you have given me for the sake of the Kingdom. Give me eyes to see past this world. Amen
Day 5
Palm Sunday
Observe
Jesus enters Jerusalem on his final week before his crucifixion.
{Matthew 21:1-11 ESV} {1} Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, {2} saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. {3} If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” {4} This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, {5} “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.'” {6} The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. {7} They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. {8} Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. {9} And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” {10} And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” {11} And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”
The people praise Jesus’ arrival. They praise him as the Son of David, the King of Israel! They correctly see him as a king, but more than that they see him as the king who has come to save. They shout “Hosanna” which means “lord, save” or “save us.” The long awaited Messiah King has finally arrived.
- What does it mean for Jesus to be a King?
- Take some time to rest in the fact that Jesus is the King. That he has all authority and power. Remember though, he is not just any King, but he is the good and perfect King in our lives. He rules and reigns for our good and his glory. He protects us from all those who seek to harm us. He defeats the ultimate evils in our life in sin and death. He can be trusted as King.
Jesus, I praise you that you are the King. That you are the good King. That you have all power and authority in this life and the next. Forgive me for all the times I want to place myself on the throne. Forgive me for my pride and arrogance thinking that any good can come from that. Give me your Spirit to trust and to follow you as King. Teach my heart that there is no better rule to be under than yours. Amen