March 22, 2021 (Monday)
Jesus and His disciples were on their way to Jerusalem for the last time in Jesus’ sojourn on earth. Knowing the time was near, “Jesus took the twelve disciples aside and said to them, “Listen! We are going to Jerusalem where everything the prophets wrote about the Son of Man will come true. He will be handed over to the Gentiles, who will make fun of him, insult him, and spit on him. They will whip him and kill him, but three days later he will rise to life.” But the disciples did not understand any of these things; the meaning of the words was hidden from them, and they did not know what Jesus was talking about. (Luke 18:31-34)
They had been with Jesus for three and one-half years, and he had repeatedly told them of his coming death, burial and resurrection, but they still “did not know what Jesus was talking about.”
They would learn shortly what Jesus was trying to tell them, through the bitter experience of watching Him as He would be arrested and accused by the Sanhedrin of blasphemy and crimes against Rome. They would tremble in horror as they saw him, beaten bloody, attempting to carry a cross to Golgotha. They would finally understand what Jesus was predicting as they would watch Him die on that cross between two thieves. They would weep with disappointment when He would be hurriedly laid in a borrowed tomb. They would rejoice in awe when He would appear to them. But for today, they “did not know what Jesus was talking about.”
Sad to say, this message of redemption–the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus–is no longer the central message in some places. The gospel has been replaced with other thoughts and ideas intended to be helpful, but offering no eternal hope.
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians: “…By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,…(1 Corinthians 15:2-4 BSB). This is the message that must be preserved and proclaimed until Jesus comes again.
Hear the Dallas Adult Christian Choir sing the hymn, “One Day:”
ONE DAY
Words, J. Wilbur Chapman (1859-1918)
Music, C. Howard Marsh (1886-1956)
1908
One day when heaven was filled with His praises,
One day when sin was as black as could be,
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin—
Dwelt among men, my example is He!
Chorus
Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;
Buried, He carried my sins far away;
Rising, He justified freely forever:
One day He’s coming—O glorious day!
One day they led Him up Calvary’s mountain,
One day they nailed Him to die on the tree;
Suffering anguish, despised and rejected;
Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He.
Chorus
One day they left Him alone in the garden,
One day He rested, from suffering free;
Angels came down o’er His tomb to keep vigil;
Hope of the hopeless, my Savior is He.
Chorus
One day the grave could conceal Him no longer,
One day the stone rolled away from the door;
Then He arose, over death He had conquered;
Now is ascended, my Lord evermore.
Chorus
One day the trumpet will sound for His coming,
One day the skies with His glory will shine;
Wonderful day, my beloved ones bringing;
Glorious Savior, this Jesus is mine!
Chorus
Click here to listen to piano music and read the words
This hymn presents the real gospel.