Family Holy Week DevotionalSample

READ TOGETHER The next day, Tuesday, Jesus returned to the Temple again. He kept coming back to the Temple because that was the place in Jerusalem where people gathered and came to hear teaching about God. Remember that back then was much different than today. You probably have lots of churches in your city, but there was only ONE Temple in Jerusalem! It had different courtyards and outside places to be, and different inner rooms where only certain priests were allowed. Jesus and his disciples, along with many people from all over Israel, were in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. There would have been lots of crowds in and around the Temple! In Luke 19:47, we read, “Every day he was teaching at the Temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him.” So on this Tuesday of Holy Week, we remember that Jesus spent most of this day just teaching at the Temple. People loved to hear him speak and tell stories! They had never heard anyone like him before! But there were some people who did not like to hear Jesus teach. The Pharisees and Sadducees (remember, those were the most important religious leaders at the time), were listening to him teaching, trying to catch him with trick questions, and plotting ways that they would be able to kill him. Jesus often said things about the Pharisees and the teachers of the law that they did not like. He knew their hearts and knew that they did not care about God, they only cared about being important. Jesus even said that God would punish them! Jesus’ teaching was very important to the people who heard him because he shared ideas that no one had ever told them before. He told them that the most important law to live by was: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your mind and with all your strength.” Then he added a second one that he said was just as important, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” (Mark 12:28-31). We need to listen to Jesus’ teaching in our lives, too. Do you know how we can do this? We can learn what Jesus taught by reading the Bible! His life is recorded in four books of the Bible called the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. When we read what Jesus taught and how he lived, it helps us to see how we should be living, too. When we learn from Jesus, we learn more about our Heavenly Father. TALK TOGETHER 1 - Why do you think the Pharisees and Sadducees did not like Jesus? 2 - What can we do as a family to learn more from Jesus? PRAY TOGETHER Dear God, thank you for teaching us more about you through your Son, Jesus. We want to learn from you! We want you to be our teacher and show us how to live life in a way that is honoring to you. When we read the Bible, help us to apply the lessons to our lives. We love you! In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.