Friday – We Walk With Jesus – Day -1
Holy Week 2023 – Reality and Faith United! Starting Friday, March 31st 2023 until — Easter Sunday, April 9th 2023
Written By: David Anson Brown
March 31, 2023
Jesus and His disciples in the village of Bethany – 9th of Nisan
Then Jesus six days before the Passover [Holy Week] came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom He raised from the dead. There they made Him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with Him.
Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. ~ John 12:1-3
And when they [Jesus and His Twelve Disciples] came near to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and **Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, He sends forth two of His disciples, And says unto them, Go your way into the village [Bethphage] opposite to you: and as soon as all of you be entered into it, all of you shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him. And if any man say unto you, Why do all of you this? say all of you that the Lord (Owner) has need of him; and immediately he will send him here. ~ Mark 11:1-3
Personal Reflection #1 – Anointing Oil
Mary Anointed Jesus with very costly and very precious oil. Biblically oil is a symbol of acceptance. To anoint someone is to accept them, to accept them for who and for what they are. Judas on the other hand did not want to bother with anointing Jesus. He didn’t even want to be bothered with other people anointing Him. Mary was accepting Jesus. She had accepted that He had come to die for her in her place and was anointing Jesus for His coming burial. The cross of Jesus was something that even the disciples had not yet been able to come to grips with yet Mary had and Mary acknowledged and accepted Jesus for it. Having accepted the gift from Jesus that He was to die in her place for her sins she had now entered into a place of rest and comfort. Rest in that she did not have to work to amend for her own sins and comfort in that all things would be taken care of for her through God who is also King, her King Jesus.
As we begin our walk with Jesus let’s pause and reflect (Selah) about acceptance … are there people in our own lives who we need to anoint and to accept even though we don’t understand them?
How much could our fellowships gain by this one simple act of anointing one another in the simple affection of acceptance. Anointing others with the precious oil of acceptance can only come from our own rest and security through the knowledge of what Jesus Himself has done and will do for us in our lives.
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life [eternal] for evermore. ~ Psalms 133:1-3
Are we anointing and accepting of ourselves?
Biblically people are allowed to anoint – refresh themselves with oil (Matthew 6:17).
In fact it is crucial that we accept ourselves. God has already accepted us. He created us and He is for us.
How is it that we can reject what God has already accepted?
Are we anointing and accepting of Jesus?
Even today we can anoint Jesus with His precious costly oil of acceptance by accepting His accomplishments in His sacrificial death and eternal resurrection life for us and by trusting in His authority and Kingly rule over and in our lives.
We would like to be bold enough to take the steps to walk where Jesus walks, but it is now evident even on this day, day one, that Jesus does not walk as a human walks but that He walks as God walks. For us to walk with Jesus we are going to have to be bold and remove our focus from others and place it on God.
Old & New Testament Holy Week Prophecies
Therefore thus will I do unto you, O Israel: and because I will do this unto you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel. ~ Amos 4:12
We have also a more sure Word of Prophecy; unto which all of you do well that all of you take heed, as unto a Light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the Day Star [TriUne God – Holy Spirit] arise in your hearts: 20 ~ 2 Peter 1:19
Holy Week 2023 – Reality and Faith United! Starting Friday, March 31st 2023 until — Easter Sunday, April 9th 2023
Written By: David Anson Brown
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