Devotional Reading Plan

In these final hours together, Jesus takes care to strengthen his disciples and provide them comfort. Jesus understood that his darkest hour and theirs was quickly approaching as “the ruler of this world” was coming to seize him (John 14:30 ESV). We have paid close attention to what was happening visibly on the earth, but we must never forget that Jesus did not come only to free us from wicked earthly rulers, but to defeat the devil who had opposed humanity from the first days in the Garden. We do not fight against flesh and blood, Paul reminds us (Eph. 6:12). Neither was Jesus.

Speaking of his death, Jesus told his disciples, “For this purpose I have come to this hour… now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12:27, 31-32 ESV). By his death on the Cross, Paul tells us that Jesus “disarmed the [spiritual] rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them” (Col. 2:15 ESV). But “[n]one of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Cor. 2:8 ESV).

Jesus knew he was headed for victory, but his victory would appear like the most horrible defeat. When God is present, however, what appears to be powerful is actually powerless, and what appears to be weak is truly invincible. When all the darkness of the would converge upon them, Jesus calls them to trust him and his words so that they would rejoice knowing that he was accomplishing the will of God.

All too often when we look at the state of the world, we are tempted to believe that this is evidence that God’s kingdom is powerless or that the kingdom must not be present at all. When we face great trials and tragedies, or feel the weakness of our flesh, we often see this as proof that perhaps God isn’t working in our lives, or that he can only work in their lives (whoever “they” are) but surely not ours. Jesus counters this very way of thinking. While the devil was about to act with ferocious power to see Jesus dead, the Lord says, “He has no claim on me” (John 14:30).

More often than not, we are tempted to believe that we would be much better off if Jesus had never left, but only in leaving us could he go and prepare our place. Even more, it is in his physical absence that Christ would then send to us the Holy Spirit, so that God would now dwell within us in a way that had never been seen in human history.

In this last year we have witnessed how the nations still rage and how earthly rulers contend for power, encouraging us to hate their enemies in disobedience to the Lord. We have seen great death and great fear cripple the entire world, bringing even the global economy to a near absolute standstill. Day by day we’re encouraged to place our hope in these things. But in the midst of it all, those with open eyes can see Jesus standing at the right hand of God and clothed in glory, reigning over all things.

We can rest in the comfort that the Lord knows our frailty and the weakness of our nature as children made from dust, looking at us with compassion as our great shepherd. Because he has died, so too have we, and all our sin has been left in the grave. Because he lives, so too shall we, and we know that when he appears we will be glorified even as he is. Because he goes to the Father, he prepares for us a place and sends the Holy Spirit to lead us always to him.

This Holy Week, whatever darkness you face, may you hear these words of Jesus and know that he is speaking to you: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you... Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27).