Opening Prayer

Lord Jesus, You faced accusations and death, because You claimed to be Our God. Help us see Your True Identity beyond what the world claims You to be. We choose to worship and follow You as our Lord and God. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!

Scripture

Devotion

The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin wanted to kill Jesus, but couldn’t find any legitimate charge. Then, two false witnesses came forward with a charge that had no legal teeth – claiming to destroy the temple and rebuild it (v.61). The high priest tried a different tact: “Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God”. Jesus affirmed and added, “From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven” (v.64). By making this statement, Jesus not only declared Himself as the Messiah, but also the Son of God of Daniel 7 and Psalm 110:1. The charge that kills Jesus is blasphemy.

Some regard Jesus to be a great teacher and philosopher. Others believe Jesus’ Greatness comes from His Sacrificial Love. Some follow Jesus for the help He offers. But Jesus was not killed for being a great teacher or helper. He was killed because He claimed to be equal to God! As CS Lewis eloquently put it: “Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse.”

If you have not made up your mind about Jesus, the time has come. “You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher.”

Let’s worship Him as our Lord and God.

Intercessory Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, we pray for ourselves that You would give us Your Hope and Strength at this time. The world seems to be spreading the message of hopelessness. The disciples experienced that too, as their friend, their Lord, was led off to a mocker’s trial, as He walked the Via Dolorosa and came to Calvary to experience a death reserved for criminals. Jesus the Messiah, You beat the cross and the grave and through Your Resurrection, led us into a glorious and living hope. May we receive that hope and may we be purveyors of that hope to a dying world. Stop us from trying to do this in our own strength. We ask You now to give us strength and to be Our Strength. We choose Jesus the Messiah, to look to You to be Our Strength. Fill us with Your Love and Power by Your Precious Holy Spirit, and be the strength of our life today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!