“Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.” Mark 15.1
What we do in the morning matters. This morning I wanted to sleep later than I did. But through some willpower, of not my own making, allowed me to wake up, read the Bible, grab some coffee and begin to spend time in his Word. I would often rather lay in my warm bed and it’s comfort than get it! (Just being honest).
This morning for the Jews who were persecuting Jesus began early. They woke up “very early” to plot and make their plans. They were excited. They had been trying to find a way to take down, even kill, Jesus for a long time. Years even. And they finally had him right where they wanted him. All the Jewish leaders were in cahoots — the chief priest, the elders, the teachers of the whole and even the whole Sanhedrin.
Shouldn’t at least one of these groups be praying? Shouldn’t one of them be seeking the Lord rather than plotting to convict a prophet who in all honestly had not done nothing but offend? Perhaps if they had been praying, they might have heard from the Lord that this man Jesus was not their enemy but their Savior.
I could be doing many other things this week for instance. I could be at the beach, it is summer by the way! I could be on vacation or even at my regular day-job-ministry. But I am at youth camp. I’m eating camp food, sleeping camp hours, doing camp activities. After twenty five years of this it’s become a habit! But it’s certainly more than that, it’s a calling. A call to make disciples, to be on the front lines of ministry to students, to tell them about the love and grace of Jesus Christ. What we do with our time matters, and in the case of the Jews, what they did with their morning matters even more.
Those Jews who should have been submitting to God were submitting to the Romans by taking Jesus to Pilate. They could have been praying, fasting, sacrificing. But they were plotting evil schemes that would kill God’s Son and put the whole world in jeopardy. But what man intended for evil, God used for good (Gen 50.20).
“O Lord God, you are faithful. Thank you for allowing me to rest in your presence. To seek your face, to find comfort and solace in your Word. Thank you for loving me, allowing me to know you Lord Jesus. Thank you for the strength to do that which is best. I praise you Lord for early mornings that I might set my heart on you. Give us strength to give you the first fruits of our days even when we would rather sleep. Come now, Holy Spirit, fill me with your love. For you are good and your love endures forever.” Amen