A Prayer for Holy Monday
”Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But this is the very reason I came! Father, bring glory to your name.” Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, “I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again.” When the crowd heard the voice, some thought it was thunder, while others declared an angel had spoken to him. Then Jesus told them, ”The voice was for your benefit, not mine. The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” John 12:27-32 (NLT)
Lord Jesus, as the events of “Easter Week” began to unfold, exuberant “Hosannas!” gave way to deep troubling in your soul. There was zero hesitation, but profound consternation. No surprises awaited you, just an overwhelming assignment—a plan you embraced before the world began (Eph. 1:3-14).
Within days, you would take the judgment we deserve to give us the grace we could never earn. On the cross, you took our sin, and gave us your righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21)—the most glorious exchange ever made. Your “bruised heel” (Gen. 3:15) crushed Satan’s head—securing his defeat, evil’s eradication, and death’s death.
By your cross, you guaranteed the salvation of God’s gigantic beloved family. Children of grace—redeemed from every nation, tribe, people, and language. Daughters and sons of mercy—as numerous as the stars in the sky, sand on beaches, and dust of the earth (Gen. 12-17).
It was for this purpose you came from eternity into time and space—not to be our exemplary model, but our perfect substitute. For this reason, you emptied yourself of your glory by taking the form of a servant—the Lord’s Servant and our Savior (Isa. 52:13-53:13; Phil. 2:5-11).
The day after Palm Sunday, your heart was greatly overwhelmed, but a greater joy compelled you (Heb. 12:2). We praise, bless, and adore you, Jesus. The Gospel is true, glorious, and enough.
In our pandemic-slowed pace, may this be a week of surveying the wonders of your cross, and being undone by the greatness of your love. Jesus, We pray this in your holy and gracious name.
Scripture Reading
Jesus Curses a Fig Tree- Mark 11:12-14 (ESV)
[12] On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. [13] And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. [14] And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.
Meditation
Israel is often characterized as a fig tree in the Old Testament (Jer. 8: 13; Hos. 9: 10, 16; Joel 1: 7), and Jesus’s cursing of the fig tree symbolizes the judgment of God upon a nation that has the outward appearance of life but fails to bear fruit.
Prayer
Confession and repentance that we focus on outward appearances
Prayer for our church family and ourselves to abide in Jesus and bear fruit
Scripture Reading
Jesus Cleanses the Temple Mark 11:15-19 (ESV)
[15] And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. [16] And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. [17] And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” [18] And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. [19] And when evening came they went out of the city.
Meditation
With the riveting events of the previous day still fresh in everyone’s mind, all eyes are on Jesus as he enters the city Monday morning. What will the recently hailed Davidic Messiah do to bring about his kingdom? Jesus wastes no time in answering this question by going straight to the temple.
From his visit the night before, he knows exactly what he will find there— moneychangers and merchants selling sacrificial animals in the Court of Gentiles. These profiteers prey upon the religious devotion of the Passover pilgrims who must pay the temple tax with a Tyrian shekel and present unblemished animals for sacrifice. Consumed by holy zeal and righteous indignation, Jesus overturns the tables and chairs of the moneychangers, throws out merchants and customers alike, and refuses entrance to any who are carrying goods for sale. He then begins to teach the people that the temple was to be a house of prayer for all nations (see Isa. 56: 7; Jer. 7: 11), not a den of thieves where the rich and powerful exploited the poor under the guise of facilitating worship of God.
By these actions, Jesus directly challenges the Jewish religious leadership complicit with— and likely benefiting from— this glaring corruption of devotion to Israel’s covenant-keeping God. The chief priests, scribes, and leaders of the people desperately begin looking for a way to destroy Jesus. Not only had he directly challenged Jewish authority, but the Romans needed no excuse to exercise force if there was any civil instability.
In contrast, the common people love what they are seeing. Jesus is shaking things up and setting things right just as the Messiah was expected to do. At the same time, however, by cleansing the temple Jesus further seals his death sentence. Those in power will not put up with a challenge to their authority on this level. Jesus must die. When evening comes, Jesus and his followers leave Jerusalem once again.
Prayer
Confession & repentance for where we have exchanged worship and prayer for something else.
Confession that we have excluded others from our community because they don't meet our criteria.
Confession that we prefer power/influence over righteousness/ holiness.
Prayer for genuine worship and devotion to prayer
Prayer for all people to meet Jesus within our community
Prayer for humble righteousness rather than unjust power.
Benediction
The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
guard your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God,
and of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord; and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, remain with you always. Amen.
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