MESSAGE 17th March – 5th Sunday in LENT – YEAR B
THEMES:
- Jeremiah 31.31-34 NEW RELATIONSHIP: Jeremiah speaks of a new covenant where God’s law is internalised, written on hearts rather than stone, signifying a personal and direct relationship with God. God will not just give them rules to follow but will help them understand and live by those rules. God will be their friend, and they will be God’s people. God loves us and wants us to love God back. It’s like God is saying, “Let’s start fresh. I want to be close to you, not just someone you hear about. I’ll put my guidance inside you, right in your thoughts and feelings, so you’ll know right from wrong. And
don’t worry about the mistakes you’ve made; I’ve got them covered.”
- How has God’s law been written on your heart? How does this help guide you in life/Chaplaincy?
- Hebrews 5.5-14 JESUS AS LEADER – High Priesthood of Christ: Hebrews discusses Jesus as the high priest, appointed by God, emphasising His obedience and suffering, which qualifies Him to be the source of eternal salvation. Hebrews talks about Jesus as the leader, chosen by God, who shows us how to obey and suffer for God. Jesus is the only one who can save us forever. Jesus is the one who shows us how to be friends with God. Jesus did everything God wanted him to do, even when it was hard and painful. Jesus can save us from our mistakes and bad choices. This part is about Jesus being like a bridge between us and God. He gets us because he’s been through tough times too. He’s the go-to person when we’re looking for a way to connect with God and find a path to a better life.
- What do you do to connect with God?
- Where in your life/Chaplaincy have you seen Jesus being the bridge?
- John 12.20-33 GIVING UP AND BEING HONOURED – Sacrifice and Glory: In John, Jesus talks about His impending death, which is necessary for the glorification of God’s name and to draw all people to Himself. These passages show us how God changed the way of relating to us, how Jesus is the key to our salvation, and how dying can lead to glory. When we love God, we sometimes have to give up things that we like or want. But God will reward us and honour us for that. Here, Jesus is hinting at a big change coming. He’s like, “Sometimes, to make something amazing happen, you’ve got to let go of something else.” It’s about sacrifice leading to something greater, kind of how letting go of a seed allows it to grow into a beautiful plant.
- What sacrifice, giving up have you made in your life/Chaplaincy and seen it blessed and grown into something beautiful?