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Holy Week Devotional Contest: Wolfgang Bernhardt

, Holy Week Devotional Contest: Wolfgang Bernhardt

Holy Week Devotional Contest: Wolfgang Bernhardt

Were you there?

 

As I watch the TV news flashes showing the missile attacks of the Russian invading force blowing up housing apartments, power stations, schools and even hospitals in Ukraine, and hundreds of thousands of people fleeing their homes in a desperate attempt to escape the senseless carnage, I cannot help thinking of my ancestors. Caught by unscrupulous slave traders, and shipped to America in appalling conditions, they were sold to the highest bidders to work the sugar plantations in the south of the new continent discovered by Christopher Columbus.

United in their suffering, my ancestors would console each other round the camp fire, telling stories of their distant families in Africa, and remind each other that one day their suffering would be over when they would meet their Redeemer and Lord who died on the cross:

 

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

 

I now live in New York. I am a departmental manager in a multinational company with 25 people reporting to me. I love my work. My daughter and I live in a very nice apartment. She attends a good school and has lovely friends. Her father left us when she was four years old. 

We are part of a wonderful church. My mother introduced us to this church when my husband left us, and I went through this messy divorce. We have good friends, and my daughter is part of a really great youth group. They organise amazing events, and she meets lots of other young people. 

In our mid-week home group during the seven weeks before Easter we reflect on Jesus’ journey to the cross.

Won’t you join me as we re-live the events which bring us hope:

 

  • Jesus asks his followers: “Who do people say that I am”? (Mark 8:27). Simon Peter says: “You are the Christ – God’s anointed one”. Jesus says: “Blessed are you, son of Jonas – flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.” Jesus, I worship you as God’s sent one – the Saviour of the World.
  • Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey, and crowds of people shouting, waving palm branches: “Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Mark 11:9-11). Just as the people that followed Jesus into Jerusalem, Lord I hail you as God’s chosen one who came to bring us hope.
  • As Jesus enters the temple, he drives out the merchants who are there to make money out of people who go there to meet with God. “Is it not written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of robbers’” Mark 11:17. Lord, when I go to worship, help me to focus on you and forget about money matters. Money can satisfy my physical needs, but only You can give me peace of heart and mind.
  • Let us experience the touching incident in the home of Simon (Mark 14:3-9), whom Jesus had healed from leprosy, where this woman, whom Jesus had released from the bondage of sin, opened her treasured jar of very expensive perfume, and anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping it off with her long black hair. Let us savour the sweet fragrance, and ignore the mercenary statements by Judas and others that this perfume could have been sold for a huge amount.
  • Let us join the disciples at the Last Supper (Mark 14:17-25). Let us show compassion for Judas, who out of disappointment that Jesus was not going to deliver the nation of Israel from the Roman yoke, decided to betray him to the Chief priests. Let us give thanks that Jesus, in obedience to God the Father’s will, gave up his strong, sinless body to be God’s sacrificial Lamb, and allowed His blood to be shed, to atone for our sins.
  • Let us witness (together with Peter, James and John – Mark 14:32-42) Jesus’ desperate prayer in the garden of Gethsemane for strength to go through with the impending crucifixion, which he knew was his Father’s plan of salvation for the world. “Abba Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” (V.36) Let us pray for ourselves that in times of great tests, God will give us strength to be alert, and faithful, unlike the disciples who fell asleep. 
  • When we are falsely accused, like Jesus was (Mark 14:56) by “bought” witnesses in front of the chief priests and Pilate, the Roman Governor, give us the grace to hold our tongue (Mark 15:4), and trust that Your Will be done.
  • Even when unjust decisions are made that affect our future, like the decision made by Pilate to let Jesus be flogged and crucified (Mark 15:9-15) because he did not have the strength to go against the unruly crowd who were screaming to have Barabbas released, instead of Jesus – let us trust God that ultimately right will triumph.
  • Let us see the sinless Jesus hanging on the cross, blood streaming over his face from the crown from the crown of thorns, bowing his head and saying to His Father: “Into your hands I commit my Spirit.” Thank you, Jesus, that you did this for ME.
  • Early on the first day of the week, after his crucifixion, let us accompany Mary, Salome, and the other Mary (Mark 16:1-11) to Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb, where we helped to embalm Jesus’ body after it had been taken down from the cross. After we talk to the two angels who stand on either side of the empty tomb, and say that “He is risen,” we see Him! We cannot describe our joy, and fall down worshipping Him!

 

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Meet Wolfgang

, Holy Week Devotional Contest: Wolfgang Bernhardt

Wolfgang emigrated to South Africa from Germany with his parents after the Second World War. He is an engineer by profession. Wolfgang is a co-author of LIVING BY THE BOOK which has been published on Amazon.