Category Archives: Poem devotionals

JOHN 20 BEHOLDING THE RISEN CHRIST

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April 12

JOHN 20
11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.
– John 20:11-18

JOHN 20 BEHOLDING THE RISEN CHRIST
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
Why are you weeping my beloved faithful one?
I had to die on the cross so you can receive eternal life
Do not grieve without hope for I am with you always
Share what you have witnessed to all your brothers.

Weeping would be something one would do when you lose a loved one. As in this case, we see that she must have gone back to the tomb after she called Peter and John and by this time was alone. She had all the time in the world to mourn her beloved Master. She must have been so focused on that area where they laid Jesus and the cloths were all that is left on that stone. When someone spoke to her, her eyes must have been covered with tears and couldn’t see much, so she didn’t recognize her beloved Lord at first. He must have been by the door, behind her which didn’t give her a good view of who it was who was speaking to her. Sometimes, we lose focus of God because we are overwhelmed.

REFLECTION
• What other things could take away our focus on God and fail to recognize him?

JOHN 20 FEAR & PANIC LEADS TO FORGETTING

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April 11

JOHN 20
Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes. – John 20:1-10

JOHN 20 FEAR & PANIC LEADS TO FORGETTING
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
Imagine how the disciples felt when they lost Jesus
They were full of grief from losing their Master
Mary went to see her beloved Jesus’ body to mourn
She was panic-stricken not to find the body of her Lord.

We have witnessed that among Jesus’ disciples, Mary was the one who loved him most. In Luke 8:1-3 we learn how Jesus has freed Mary Magdalene from seven demons. Since then, she followed Jesus and was actually considered as an Apostle according to some commentaries. Though she wasn’t part of the 12 disciples, she was a very faithful follower of Jesus. She was even there when Jesus died on the cross. She faithfully served the One who freed her from her demons and gave her a new life.
In those days, it was customary to visit the tomb of a loved one within three days after the body was buried. They believed the dead’s spirit was still hovering in the tomb. When she didn’t find Jesus’ body, fear overtook her, so she ran to Peter’s house to report her discovery. All of them forgot what Scripture said about him rising from the dead.

REFLECTION
• Share some insights how and why fear and panic could make us forget things.

JOHN 19 THE BURIAL OF JESUS

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April 10

JOHN 19
38 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. 39 Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.
– John 19:38-42

JOHN 19 THE BURIAL OF JESUS
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
As your dead body was taken down from the cross
Your loved one’s hearts must have been torn in pieces
You deserved the burial of a king; the Jews made it hard to do so
Your disciples did their best to bury you in the custom of the Jews.

Jesus was born in a feeding trough instead of being in a palace with all the comforts. At the time of his birth, there was a threat to the lives of baby boys, so Mary and Joseph had to flee from where they lived. What kind of a king is born in a feeding trough? The world will never understand this concept because no one truly understands what the kingdom of God is until the promise of the new heaven and the new earth come to pass. After finishing the work of salvation on the cross, the world still didn’t know Jesus’ kingdom and how different it was from the world. Just like his birth’s circumstance was in the midst of an unsafe power-hungry insecure leader, his burial looks almost like it happened in the same circumstance. Jesus died and was convicted as a criminal though he didn’t do any crime at all. Because of the power and authority that the Jewish leaders had over the people, many were afraid to be associated with Jesus. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus honored Jesus with a proper burial in the Jewish custom but in hiding.

REFLECTION
• What hinders us from boldly proclaiming our faith to the unbelieving world?

JOHN 19 FINISHED WORK OF CHRIST ON THE CROSS

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April 9

JOHN 19
28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.31 Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. 35 He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. 36 For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.”– John 19:28-37

JOHN 19 FINISHED WORK OF CHRIST ON THE CROSS
According to science, a dead person’s body doesn’t “shed” blood in the way a living person would; instead, blood pools in the lowest parts of the body due to gravity, a process called livor mortis. Verse 34 says that when Jesus’ dead body was pierced on his side with a spear, blood and water came out. How was it possible that he squirted water and blood when his dead body was pierced? Why did John write about this in this gospel? I think John emphasized this so that we could all be reminded that Jesus was truly man and was also truly God. If he was just human, blood and water wouldn’t come out of his dead body. I also think that it signifies the finished work of Christ on the cross. With his blood, he accomplished being the perfect sacrifice to appease the wrath of God on our sinfulness. The water represents that through him, we will be cleansed and have life. Studylight.com comments on this as a symbol of the two great sacraments of the Church. There is one sacrament which is based on water-baptism; and there is one which is based on blood–the Lord’s Supper with its cup of blood–red wine. The water of baptism is the sign of the cleansing grace of God in Jesus Christ; the wine of the Lord’s Supper is the symbol of the blood which was shed to save men from their sins.

REFLECTION
• How can we meditate on the finished work of Christ through our daily lives?

JOHN 19 IRONY AT THE CROSS

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April 8

JOHN 19
23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, 24 so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says, “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” So the soldiers did these things, 25 but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. – John 19:23-27

JOHN 19 IRONY AT THE CROSS
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
While Jesus was dying on the cross to save mankind
The soldiers had his garments and they were gambling on them
They didn’t know that Jesus also sacrificed his life for them
They were so very blind to see their need for Jesus Christ.

This account gives us an irony. On one side, Jesus was hanging on the cross with his loved ones below the cross, waiting for him to die so they could get him down to bury him. A very tender and loving scene was depicted on this part of the cross.
The other view of this scene is the soldiers gambling over Jesus’ tunic. This scene contrasts the first one we saw. Here, we can picture the indifference of the soldiers to what the sacrifice of Jesus was. They were clueless and living their lives only at that moment and missing the other part of life which is eternity. Oxford dictionary defines “gambling” as a play of games of chance for money. Another definition says that it is to take risky actions in the hope of a desired results. With these two definitions, would you say that both Jesus and the soldiers were both taking risks but for different results? Jesus put his mortal life at stake to save us to have eternity while the soldiers were betting on that tunic so that one of them would own an extra garment.

REFLECTION
• What have you risked or given up in your life to follow Jesus?

JOHN 19 KING OF THE JEWS INSCRIPTION

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April 7

JOHN 19
So they took Jesus, 17 and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. 19 Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” 20 Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. 21 So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”– John 19:16-22

JOHN 19 KING OF THE JEWS INSCRIPTION
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
When Jesus was crucified on the cross
Pilate inscribed on him “King of the Jews”
It was to get back at the chief priests for their intimidation
When they wanted it changed, Pilate resisted with indignation.

In verse 20, we were told that the inscription was written in three languages namely Aramaic, Latin and Greek. According to some commentaries, these were the three great languages of the ancient world which represented three great nations: Greece, Rome and Judea, specifically Capernaum and Nazareth. It was the Greeks who taught the world beauty of form and of thought. The Romans taught the world law and government; the Hebrews taught the world religion and the worship of true God.
According to studylight.com “The consummation of all these things is seen in Jesus. In him was the supreme beauty and the highest thought of God. In him was the law of God and the kingdom of God. In him was the very image of God. All the world’s pursuits and strivings found their consummation in him. It was symbolic that the three great languages of the world should call him king.
It is interesting that it took the crucifixion of Jesus before Pilate finally had the guts to exercise his authority over the chief priests who had been bullying him to give the sentence of crucifixion to Jesus even though he couldn’t find fault in him.

REFLECTION
• Why do you think the Jewish leaders want the inscription changed?

JOHN 19 SCOURGING OF JESUS

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April 6

JOHN 19
Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. 2 And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. 3 They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. 4 Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” 5 So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” 6 When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.” 7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.” 8 When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. 9 He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” 11 Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.”– John 19:1-11

JOHN 19 SCOURGING OF JESUS
When Jesus was summoned before Pilate, the governor couldn’t find fault in Jesus, so he told the Jewish leaders to make the verdict but under Roman law the governor was to judge the prisoner since he has jurisdiction over Judea. So, how did it lead to scourging Jesus if he thought he wasn’t guilty?
According to a commentary by Dods, scourging had three purposes. It was used to punish prisoners, and to gain confessions of crimes from prisoners. Also, in cases of crucifixion scourging was used to weaken the victim so he would die more quickly on the cross. Pilate hoped that this punishment of his prisoner would satisfy the crowd. “Neither, then, as part of the capital punishment, nor in order to elicit the truth; but in the ill-judged hope that this minor punishment might satisfy the Jews, Pilate ordered the scourging.” “The victim of this severe punishment was bound in a stooping attitude to a low column and beaten with rods or scourged with whips, the thongs of which were weighted with lead, and studded with sharp-pointed pieces of bone, so that frightful laceration followed each stroke.”

REFLECTION
• What can you say about Pilate’s character when he scourged Jesus?

JOHN 18 KINGDOM FROM OUTSIDE THE WORLD

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April 5

JOHN 18
33 So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” 35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” 37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose, I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” 38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him. 39 But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 40 They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.
– John 18:33-40

JOHN 18 KINGDOM FROM OUTSIDE THE WORLD
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
When Pilate asked Jesus if he was the king of the Jews
He said that his kingdom is from outside the world
It is not driven by self-promotion and control
It is powered by unconditional love and servanthood.

Jesus was summoned Pilate’s headquarters because he was the one who represented the Roman Empire and was the judge to bring the verdict to Jesus. He couldn’t find any fault in Jesus, so he was trying to wash his hands from the responsibility of crucifying a man he can’t see a crime for. Pontius Pilate, as the Roman governor of Judea, held the authority to issue verdicts, including capital punishment, and therefore, he was the one who was to ultimately give the verdict regarding Jesus The Roman Empire’s judicial system, which Pilate oversaw, limited capital punishment to the tribunal of his position as the Roman governor. He tried to do the right thing but his hands were tied.

REFLECTION
• Share some differences of worldly kingdoms against the kingdom of God.

JOHN 18 JESUS BROUGHT TO PILATE

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April 4

JOHN 18
25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You also are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” 26 One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” 27 Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed.28 Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” 30 They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.” 31 Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.” 32 This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die.
– John 18:25-32

JOHN 18 JESUS BROUGHT TO PILATE
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
The Jewish leaders made sure that Jesus was crucified
Their desire to hold on to their reputation was compromised
As a result of Jesus openly confronting their legalism
They cannot have someone stop them; they have to silence him
Death by crucifixion was the only way to stop Jesus
So, they brought Jesus to Pilate to make that decision.

It is so pervasive in all humans to protect one’s reputation. The motive behind the rage of the Jewish leaders was exactly this automated self-protection over their standing in the community. Before Jesus came, their laws and knowledge were their shield. They get the honor and respect of people because they draw a line between them. Their position of authority was their tool to create such fear and enslavement to the people. This way, they can retain their power and honor. When Jesus began to confront and expose their legalism, it was a big threat to their positions of authority. People will no longer look up to them if their phoniness was discovered. Their manipulation tactics will be exposed.

REFLECTION
• Why is it important for us to expose evil when we experience it?

JOHN 18 SUMMONED FOR QUESTIONING

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April 3

JOHN 18
19 The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. 20 Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. 21 Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said.” 22 When he had said these things, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, “Is that how you answer the high priest?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?” 24 Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. – John 18:19-24

JOHN 18 SUMMONED FOR QUESTIONING
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
When you are summoned for questioning
Do you tell the truth or are you defensive?
Are you courageous enough to speak what is true?
Or do you fear punishment and begin to lie?
When Jesus was questioned by the high priest
He spoke the truth boldly and with confidence.

In this account, we witness the first physical abuse by one of the officers standing by in front of the high priest. What an irony this was. Jesus is actually the true High Priest of God and now he is being questioned by a human high priest who doesn’t even know that he was questioning the One true God. That officer who struck Jesus for the way he answered the high priest must have so much hunger for power because Jesus only answered what is true and yet he made a big deal of Jesus’ answer. If only we humans can see how God is watching all these things going on, we would all cringe at God’s reactions. These people were hurting and questioning his Son whom he sent to save them all and this is how they treat him. Jesus calmly faced the high priest and answered his questions truthfully. Jesus’ answer won’t matter anyway because they already have made up their mind that someone must be crucified.

REFLECTION
• Share an experience when you have been summoned by authority and how you responded to it