Saturday of the 5th Week of Lent

Saturday of the 5th Week of Lent

April 3, 2004

Ezekiel 37:21-28

John 11:45-57

Scripture

"My dwelling shall be with them; I will be their God, and they shall be my people."
Many "have seen what Jesus did, and put their faith in Him."

Reflection

Through the prophet Ezekiel, God promises to reunite His people and set for them a Shepherd to give them care. A new covenant of peace will be established and the holiness of God will be with his chosen people through this "everlasting covenant". Yet in the time of Jesus, the Sanhedrin, religious leaders of Israel, are fearful that many will follow Jesus for what he has said and done, and that the Romans will take that fervency as a sign of disobedience to the Roman peace. The Sanhedrin fears that the Romans "will come and sweep away our sanctuary and our nation". They feel that they must act to stop Jesus, "for it is better to have one man die than to have the whole nation destroyed". They have forgotten the promise made to Israel through Ezekiel and they do not see the fulfillment of the promise in the person of Jesus. Here is Jesus proclaiming the very kingdom that was prophesied yet what he proclaims does not match their worldly view of how the Kingdom should look. ...more

Mantra

Trust with all your heart

by: Mike Buell

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