Truth For Life Program
Alistair Begg Devotional
C. H. Spurgeon Devotional
One-Year Bible Reading Plan
Jesus stood in purposeful silence before religious leaders as they fabricated charges, hoping to sentence Him to death. Hear about the moment He broke His silence and the impact of His declaration, then and now. That’s on Truth For Life with Alistair Begg.
From the Sermon
Jesus Condemned to Death — Part Two
Mark 14:53–65 Sermon • Includes Transcript • 30:01 • ID: 2933
The Humble King
What we now call Palm Sunday was a crucial day in the most momentous week in the history of the entire world. Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem prior to His crucifixion appears in all four Gospels, each of which approaches it from a slightly different vantage point. A closer look at the various iterations of this story would show us the complexity of the social dynamics that may not be apparent in reading Luke’s account alone. Indeed, John’s Gospel tells us that even Jesus’ disciples didn’t understand the impact of His entry into Jerusalem until after the resurrection (John 12:16).
We see in Jesus’ triumphal entry a deliberate statement regarding His identity as He set His face steadfastly toward Jerusalem. He knew that He was fulfilling Old Testament prophecy from hundreds of years earlier: “Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9). John tells us that the crowds swelled as they watched Jesus ride through the city gates because they had recently seen Him raise Lazarus from the grave (John 12:17-18). There was doubtlessly tremendous interest not only in Lazarus himself but also in the one who had performed that great miracle. When they sang “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord” (Luke 19:38), they therefore sang with great expectation that their Savior was in their midst. Few would have thought that their praise would soon turn to jeers.
Even as He proclaims His messiahship in this grand entrance, we ought to notice that Jesus is also presenting Himself as the ruler who is “gentle and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29)—the King on a donkey. Nowhere else in Scripture do we see Jesus riding any beast of burden, and certainly not a colt. To be the rider of an unbroken colt would be uncomfortable at the least. Yet our all-powerful King demonstrated His perfect humility by doing exactly that.
Pause to ask yourself: What kind of king arrives on a donkey and then proceeds to wear a crown of thorns? What sort of humility does that require, and what sort of love would do that? Many in the crowd expected the Messiah to be a conquering, nationalist hero. That was why their enthusiasm for Jesus lasted only as long as He met their expectations. We need to be careful that we do not decide what sort of king Jesus should be for us and to us and then fling accusations at Him when He does not meet our demands. Instead, we must see Him as He is: the King who came to carry a cross, who calls you and me to do the same as we follow Him, and who promises us not a comfortable life now but an eternal one to come. Here is a better, gentler, humbler, more loving King than any our own imaginations could ever conceive of.
How is God calling me to think differently?
How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?
What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?
The Triumphal Entry
28And when he had said these things, bhe went on ahead, cgoing up to Jerusalem. 29dWhen he drew near to Bethphage and eBethany, at fthe mount that is called Olivet, he sent gtwo of the disciples, 30saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, hon which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” 32So those who were sent went away and found it ijust as he had told them. 33And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36And as he rode along, they jspread their cloaks on the road. 37As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—kthe whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice lfor all the mighty works that they had seen, 38saying, m“Blessed is nthe King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and oglory in the highest!” 39pAnd some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, qthe very stones would cry out.”
Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg, published by The Good Book Company, thegoodbook.com. Used by Truth For Life with permission. Copyright © 2021, 2022, The Good Book Company.
Slow to Speak
But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge.
Jesus had never been slow of speech when He could bless the sons of men, but He would not say a single word for Himself. “No man ever spoke like this man,” and no man was ever silent like Him. Was this singular silence the index of His perfect self-sacrifice? Did it show that He would not utter a word to prevent His crucifixion, which He had dedicated as an offering for us? Had He so entirely surrendered Himself that He would not interfere on His own behalf, even in the smallest details, but be crowned and killed an unstruggling, uncomplaining victim?
Was this silence a type of the defenselessness of sin? Nothing can be said to excuse human guilt; and, therefore, He who bore its whole weight stood speechless before His judge.
Patient silence is the best reply to a world of cruel opposition. Calm endurance answers some questions infinitely more conclusively than the loftiest eloquence. The best apologists for Christianity in the early days were its martyrs. The anvil breaks a host of hammers by quietly bearing their blows. Did not the silent Lamb of God furnish us with a grand example of wisdom? Where every word was occasion for new blasphemy, it was the line of duty to provide no fuel for the flame of sin. The ambiguous and the false, the unworthy and mean will soon enough confound themselves, and therefore the true can afford to be quiet and find silence to be its wisdom.
Evidently our Lord, by His silence, furnished a remarkable fulfillment of prophecy. A long defense of Himself would have been contrary to Isaiah’s prediction: “Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.”1 By His silence He declared Himself to be the true Lamb of God. As such we worship Him this morning. Be with us, Jesus, and in the silence of our heart let us hear the voice of Your love.
1) Isaiah 53:7
Devotional material is taken from Morning and Evening, written by C. H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg. Copyright © 2003, Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org. Used by Truth For Life with written permission.
Daily Bible Reading for April 2
1“If anyone sins in that he hears a public eadjuration to testify, and though he is a witness, whether he has seen or come to know the matter, yet does not speak, he shall fbear his iniquity; 2or gif anyone touches an unclean thing, whether a carcass of an unclean wild animal or a carcass of unclean livestock or a carcass of unclean swarming things, and it is hidden from him and he has become unclean, and he realizes his guilt; 3or if he touches hhuman uncleanness, of whatever sort the uncleanness may be with which one becomes unclean, and it is hidden from him, when he comes to know it, and realizes his guilt; 4or if anyone utters with his lips a irash oath to do evil or to do good, any sort of rash oath that people jswear, and it is hidden from him, when he comes to know it, and he realizes his guilt in any of these; 5when he realizes his guilt in any of these and kconfesses the sin he has committed, 6he shall bring to the Lord as his compensation1 for the sin that he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat, for a sin offering. And the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin.
7“But lif he cannot afford a lamb, then he shall bring to the Lord as his compensation for the sin that he has committed two mturtledoves or two pigeons,2 one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. 8He shall bring them to the priest, who shall offer first the one for the sin offering. He shall nwring its head from its neck nbut shall not sever it completely, 9and he shall sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the side of the altar, while othe rest of the blood shall be drained out pat the base of the altar; it is a sin offering. 10Then he shall offer the second for a burnt offering according to the rule. qAnd the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin that he has committed, and he shall be forgiven.
11“But if he cannot afford two turtledoves or two pigeons, then he shall bring as his offering for the sin that he has committed a rtenth of an ephah3 of fine flour for a sin offering. He rshall put no oil on it and shall put no frankincense on it, for it is a sin offering. 12And he shall bring it to sthe priest, and the priest shall take a handful of it as its memorial portion and tburn this on the altar, on the Lord's food offerings; it is a sin offering. 13Thus qthe priest shall make atonement for him for the sin which he has committed in any one of these things, and he shall be forgiven. And the remainder4 shall be for the priest, as in the grain offering.”
Laws for Guilt Offerings
14The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 15u“If anyone commits a breach of faith and sins unintentionally in any of the holy things of the Lord, vhe shall bring to the Lord as his compensation, a ram without blemish out of the flock, valued5 in silver shekels,6 according to the wshekel of the sanctuary, for a guilt offering. 16He shall also make restitution for what he has done amiss in the holy thing and xshall add a fifth to it and give it to the priest. qAnd the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering, and he shall be forgiven.
17y“If anyone sins, doing any of the things that by the Lord's commandments ought not to be done, zthough he did not know it, then realizes his guilt, he shall bear his iniquity. 18aHe shall bring to the priest a ram without blemish out of the flock, or its equivalent, for a guilt offering, and qthe priest shall make atonement for him for the mistake that he made unintentionally, and he shall be forgiven. 19It is a guilt offering; he has indeed incurred guilt before7 the Lord.”
Psalm 3
Save Me, O My God
A Psalm of David, nwhen he fled from Absalom his son.
1O Lord, ohow many are my foes!
Many are prising against me;
2many are saying of my soul,
q“There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah1
3But you, O Lord, are ra shield sabout me,
my glory, and tthe lifter of my head.
4I ucried aloud to the Lord,
and he vanswered me from his wholy hill. Selah
5I xlay down and slept;
I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.
6I ywill not be afraid of many thousands of people
who have zset themselves against me all around.
7aArise, O Lord!
Save me, O my God!
For you bstrike all my enemies on the cheek;
you cbreak the teeth of the wicked.
8dSalvation belongs to the Lord;
your blessing be on your people! Selah
Psalm 4
Answer Me When I Call
To the echoirmaster: with estringed instruments. A Psalm of David.
1Answer me when I call, O God of my frighteousness!
You have ggiven me relief when I was in distress.
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!
2O men,1 how long shall my honor be turned into shame?
How long will you love vain words and seek after hlies? Selah
3But know that the Lord has iset apart jthe godly for himself;
the Lord hears when I call to him.
lponder in your own hearts mon your beds, and be silent. Selah
5Offer nright sacrifices,
and put your otrust in the Lord.
6There are many who say, “Who will show us some good?
pLift up qthe light of your face upon us, O Lord!”
7You have put rmore joy in my heart
than they have when their grain and wine abound.
8In peace I will both slie down and sleep;
for you alone, O Lord, make me tdwell in safety.
1yWine is a mocker, zstrong drink a brawler,
and whoever ais led astray by it is not wise.1
2The terror of a king is like bthe growling of a lion;
whoever provokes him to anger cforfeits his life.
3It is an honor for a man to dkeep aloof from strife,
but every fool will be quarreling.
4eThe sluggard does not plow in the autumn;
fhe will seek at harvest and have nothing.
5The purpose in a man's heart is like gdeep water,
but a man of understanding will draw it out.
6Many a man hproclaims his own steadfast love,
but ia faithful man who can find?
7The righteous who jwalks in his integrity—
kblessed are his children after him!
8lA king who sits on the throne of judgment
mwinnows all evil with his eyes.
9nWho can say, “I have made my heart pure;
I am clean from my sin”?
10oUnequal2 weights and unequal measures
are both alike an abomination to the Lord.
11Even a child pmakes himself known by his acts,
by whether his conduct is pure and upright.3
12qThe hearing ear and the seeing eye,
rthe Lord has made them both.
13sLove not sleep, lest you tcome to poverty;
open your eyes, and you will have uplenty of bread.
14“Bad, bad,” says the buyer,
but when he goes away, then he boasts.
15There is gold and abundance of vcostly stones,
wbut the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
16xTake a man's garment when he has put up security for a stranger,
and yhold it in pledge when he puts up security for foreigners.4
17zBread gained by deceit is sweet to a man,
but afterward his mouth will be full of agravel.
18bPlans are established by counsel;
19Whoever egoes about slandering reveals secrets;
therefore do not associate with fa simple babbler.5
20gIf one curses his father or his mother,
hhis lamp will be put out in utter darkness.
21iAn inheritance gained hastily in the beginning
will not be blessed in the end.
22Do not say, j“I will repay evil”;
kwait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.
23lUnequal weights are an abomination to the Lord,
and mfalse scales are not good.
24A man's nsteps are from the Lord;
how then can man understand his way?
25It is a snare to say rashly, “It is holy,”
and to reflect only oafter making vows.
26A wise king pwinnows the wicked
and drives qthe wheel over them.
27rThe spirit6 of man is the lamp of the Lord,
ssearching all this innermost parts.
28uSteadfast love and faithfulness preserve the king,
and by steadfast love his vthrone is upheld.
29The glory of young men is their strength,
but wthe splendor of old men is their gray hair.
30xBlows that wound cleanse away evil;
strokes make clean tthe innermost parts.
Put On the New Self
1bIf then you have been raised with Christ, seek cthe things that are above, where Christ is, dseated at the right hand of God. 2eSet your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3For fyou have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ gwho is your1 life happears, then you also will appear with him iin glory.
5jPut to death therefore kwhat is earthly in you:2 lsexual immorality, impurity, mpassion, evil desire, and covetousness, nwhich is idolatry. 6oOn account of these the wrath of God is coming.3 7pIn these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8But now qyou must put them all away: ranger, wrath, malice, sslander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9tDo not lie to one another, seeing that uyou have put off vthe old self4 with its practices 10and whave put on xthe new self, ywhich is being renewed in knowledge zafter the image of aits creator. 11bHere there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave,5 free; but Christ is call, and in all.
12dPut on then, as eGod's chosen ones, holy and beloved, fcompassionate hearts, gkindness, hhumility, meekness, and patience, 13hbearing with one another and, iif one has a complaint against another, gforgiving each other; gas the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14And above all these put on jlove, which kbinds everything together in lperfect harmony. 15And let mthe peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called nin one body. And obe thankful. 16Let pthe word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, qsinging psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, rwith thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17And swhatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, tgiving thanks to God the Father through him.
Rules for Christian Households
18uWives, submit to your husbands, as vis fitting in the Lord. 19Husbands, love your wives, and wdo not be harsh with them. 20Children, obey your parents xin everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. 22Bondservants, obey xin everything those who are your earthly masters,6 not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23yWhatever you do, work heartily, zas for the Lord and not for men, 24knowing that from the Lord ayou will receive the inheritance as your reward. bYou are serving the Lord Christ. 25For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.
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