Pressure Cooker

A Lenten series on Mountaintop Moments
– Jesus on the Mount of Olives
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Mark 14:32-42 

[In this Lenten series, we will be looking at Mountaintop Moments. These mountains are more than just geographical features. They symbolize divine encounters and moments of revelation, faith and transformation. In other words, meeting God on the mountain top.]

 

March Madness is a pressure cooker! You start with 64 college teams in each of the men’s and women’s tournaments playing in four regions across the country. Those 128 teams represent nearly 2000 student-athletes, all of whom have the same goal – get to the Final Four and win a national championship!

 

The problem is that you only get one shot at it. If you lose, you’re out. Your dream is shattered. Because of this, the further a team advances, the greater the pressure. You can tell that these young men and women are feeling it too. But, as intense as the pressure gets, there’s no comparison to the pressure that Jesus faced.

 

Prior to and during Passover, Jesus had been talking about his death. Three times he had predicted his death to his disciples. He described the woman who anointed him as preparing his body for burial. During the Passover meal, he told his disciples that the bread was his body, and the wine was his blood.

 

When Judas left the meal early to betray Jesus, the religious leaders had already made plans to arrest him and have him killed. Following the meal, Jesus told his disciples that they would all fall away, including Peter who would disown him three times. Jesus seemed to be walking into an inescapable web.

 

Like vice grips, Jesus’ life and mission were mercilessly squeezing him. Can you feel the pressure mounting? The pressure cooker was about to explode.

 

With his disciples following him to the Mount of Olives, Jesus went to an olive grove called Gethsemane, which means “oil press”. During ancient times, heavy stone slabs were used to crush the olives under immense pressure, squeezing out the oil into pits where it was collected. This is a metaphor for Jesus.

 

While the others stayed behind, Peter, James and John went with Jesus to pray. He became “deeply distressed and troubled”. This phrase, according to the New Bible Commentary, “express the utmost degree of unfounded horror and suffering”.

 

³⁴ Jesus told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”        

 

³⁵ He went on a little farther and fell to the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. ³⁶ “Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”    NLT

 

In Luke’s version of this agonizing prayer, Jesus was in such profound pain that "His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground." You can almost feel the heavy stone slab squeezing the life out of him.

 

Clearly, Jesus was experiencing the emotions of being fully human. And yet, in the direst of circumstance, he managed to submit to his Heavenly Father’s will. During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus had taught his disciples how to pray: “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. They weren’t just words for Jesus.

 

One final thought. Olive oil had many uses at the time, not the least of which was to anoint kings, priests, and prophets. The word Messiah means “the anointed one”. Jesus, the Messiah, was the King of kings and Lord of lords. Isn’t it ironic that he chose to go to an olive grove where he was arrested. It was a pressure cooker!

 

Copyright 2025 Joseph B Williams

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www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

 

"One Shining Moment"

A Series on Lent
The stories of Passion Week – Mary Magdalene
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
John 20:1-18 

[Lent is a 40-day season of personal reflection with the purpose to prepare your heart to celebrate the Lord’s Resurrection at Easter. In this series on Lent, we will be looking into the stories of Passion Week. How the people who were directly involved were impacted and how that applies to us today.]

  

Here we go again. It’s March Madness! That time of year when college basketball teams across the country believe that they can win it all. You don’t have to be a blue blood like Duke, Kansas or Kentucky. Anyone can win it!

And when they do, the song “One Shining Moment” will come across the TV airwaves around the world, as images of videotaped plays from the tourney are viewed. But especially of the team who won it all.

 

The ball is tipped and there you are
you’re running for your life; you’re a shooting star
And all the years no one knows just how hard you worked
but now it shows… in One Shining Moment

 

When he entered Jerusalem, Jesus seemed to be heading for his own “One Shining Moment”. But then the train fell off the tracks as he was betrayed, arrested, convicted and crucified. Even his closest followers all deserted him. That is, all except for the women, and one woman in particular.

 

She was a woman who at one time in in her life had been possessed by seven demons. In a culture that already devalued women, she would have been viewed as a social outcast at the lowest level of society. Yet, Jesus healed her. As a result, she became a valued follower of his.

 

She followed him across the countryside of Galilee supporting his ministry. She followed him when he was hung on the cross. She followed him when Joseph of Arimathea took his body to the tomb.

 

She was one of the first to discover that the tomb was empty. She was one of the first to learn that he had risen. She was the first to tell the other disciples. And, while she was crying uncontrollably from grief, she was the first person that Jesus revealed himself to.

 

¹⁶ “Mary!” Jesus said.

She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).

^17a “Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father.”    NLT

 

He called her by name, and she responded with the informal greeting of “Rabboni”. You could speculate that she felt indebted to him; that she never wanted to let him go again. No doubt, he had made her feel safe, secure and loved.

 

For Mary Magdalene, Jesus’ greeting was her own “One Shining Moment”. And when Jesus calls us by name, it is our “One Shining Moment”. And like Mary Magdalene, we can go tell others about it.

 

¹⁸ Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message.     NLT

 

Copyright 2024 Joseph B Williams

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

 

 

 

An Impossible Vision

A Series on Lent
Jesus promises the Holy Spirit
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
John 14:12-31 

[Lent is a 40-day season of personal reflection through prayer, fasting and giving in order to prepare your heart to celebrate the Lord’s Resurrection at Easter. We will be following Jesus through the Gospel of John as he enters Jerusalem for Passover, and the ensuing events that led up to his trial, crucifixion and resurrection.]

 

“The more I watch Purdue, the more I think we can beat them!”

Those were the words of the head coach of the Fairleigh Dickinson University men’s basketball team during his pep talk before taking the court against Purdue. The game was destined to be a classic David versus Goliath battle.

 

FDU was the shortest team in the tournament; Purdue had a 7-foot 4-inch behemoth at center. FDU was a 16 seed; Purdue was a number one seed. FDU got into the tournament by sheer luck; Purdue won the Big Ten conference. Many experts picked them to win it all.

 

But the coach of FDU gave his players an inspiring vision; an impossible vision to most. He believed they could beat Purdue and he got his players to believe it too! Then they went out on the court and did it - only the second time in history a 16 seed defeated a 1 seed. March Madness is truly crazy!

 

The disciples were a small group of followers of an itinerant rabbi from the backwoods province of Galilee. Made up of mostly fishermen and a known sinner, they were not exactly a group that would inspire confidence.

 

Yet, during three years of ministry they had grown significantly with large crowds following Jesus all the way to Jerusalem. But it’s here where everything started to unravel. During their Passover meal, Jesus told the disciples that one of them would betray him, that Peter would deny him and that he, Jesus, would leave them.

 

In a few hours, the disciples will grieve the cruel death of their friend. They will mourn the loss of unmet expectations. They may even feel betrayed by Jesus. After all, they gave up everything to follow him… and for what?

 

In order to prepare the disciples for what lay ahead, Jesus gave them a pep talk, so to speak. He needed to give them an inspiring vision; an impossible vision to most. But one that would carry them through the difficult times ahead.

 

¹² Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.              NIV

 

Wow! Was Jesus telling the disciples that they would do greater things than healing the sick, feeding the five thousand and raising the dead? Unbelievable! However, that wasn’t his vision.

 

Jesus came to earth to fulfill his Father’s plan of redemption which he had begun with Abraham. The Living God chose a small nomadic nation to bring redemption into his world. His plan had migrated through the millennia. And now, Jesus was passing the torch to his little band of believers.

 

Like the coach for FDU, Jesus was telling his disciples that he believed in them. He believed that they could take on a vision that they had no right to. It was the vision to step into God’s redemptive plan at a critical time in history, and to spread the Good News throughout the world.

This is the same impossible vision that he gives us. And by doing so, Jesus is telling us that he believes in us. That we can step into God’s plan of redemption to spread the Good News. Jesus is passing the torch to you and me.

 

Copyright 2023 Joseph B Williams

 

Mr. March

A Series on Lent
Jesus comforts his disciples
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
John 14:1-11 

[Lent is a 40-day season of personal reflection through prayer, fasting and giving in order to prepare your heart to celebrate the Lord’s Resurrection at Easter. We will be following Jesus through the Gospel of John as he enters Jerusalem for Passover, and the ensuing events that led up to his trial, crucifixion and resurrection.]

 

Tom Izzo is the Hall of Fame head coach of the Michigan State University men’s basketball team.

This year marks the twenty-fifth consecutive year that he has led his team to the NCAA tournament known as March Madness. It’s more than any other coach in history. Because of his record, he’s been given the nickname of Mr. March.

 

At the end of February, the team was riding high scoring over 80 points per game. But during the Big Ten Tournament, they lost to the second to the bottom seeded team. Their confidence was shaken. How will Coach Izzo prepare his team to face the challenges of March Madness?

 

The disciples were riding high as Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead and later was given a king’s reception into the city of Jerusalem. They were celebrating the Passover together in the upper room when Jesus dropped a bombshell... one of the disciples would betray him. Not only that, but Peter would deny him.

 

The disciples were shocked. Their confidence was shaken. Just when everything appeared to be victorious, their world was turned upside down. How will Jesus prepare his disciples to face the challenges of the next few hours? Like Coach Izzo, Jesus will point to himself.

 

¹ “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.    NLT

 

⁶ Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.  NLT

 

The disciples can trust Jesus because he’s the conduit to the Father. Not only is he the conduit, but he and the Father are one.

 

^9b ...Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! ^10b …The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me.     NLT

 

Jesus also promises that he is preparing a place for them in his Father’s home.

 

³ When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.  NLT

 

The disciples lived with Jesus twenty-four seven for three years. They trusted him through the good times and the bad. Now Jesus asked them to trust him again. In the same way, Jesus asks us to trust him again.

 

These verses, these promises spoken to the disciples, are spoken to us too. Jesus loves you. He’s faithful. He’s always with you. That’s way better than Mr. March.

 

Copyright 2023 Joseph B Williams

 

 

March Madness and One Shining Moment

A Series on Lent
 (Use the link below to read the verses.)
Mark 14:12-26

[As we approach Easter, consider the example that Jesus set by spending forty days alone in the wilderness to prepare for his ministry and his ultimate sacrifice on the cross. Lent is a forty day period with a focus on spending time with Jesus, to meditate on who he is and what he did for us. This Lenten series is about people who spent time with Jesus; and as a result, their lives were changed forever.]

  

March Madness is one of my favorite times of the year! 

College basketball teams from across the country compete in a single elimination tournament. There are schools that haven’t been in the tournament for over thirty years; and other schools that are there every year. From a small private school to a public mega-university; they’re all thrilled to play.

 

For me, it’s exciting to see what school is going to be this years “Cinderella” team. It’s exciting to watch as the tournament unfolds and is whittled down from 68 teams to 32 to the Sweet Sixteen to the Elite Eight to the Final Four. With each game, the excitement and pressure builds until the climactic finish when they play ‘One Shining Moment”. It’s a pressure cooker that ultimately explodes.

 

The final week of Jesus’ life was a pressure cooker too. Jews had been anxiously waiting for centuries for the Messiah. With these expectations, Jesus road into Jerusalem on a donkey with the crowds cheering him onto victory, and calling him the Son of David.

 

But soon after arriving, Jesus created chaos as he went to the Temple and drove out those who were buying and selling, and turned over the tables of the money changers. Following this, Jesus gave his disciples instructions on preparing for the Passover meal.

 

During this meal, the pressure really ratcheted up. It was then that Jesus informed his disciples that one of them would betray him. On top of that, Jesus told them that all of them would desert him! Peter was adamant that he would never do that; he would die before deserting Jesus.

 

Finally, Jesus took the disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane. Here, while Jesus was fervently praying to his Abba, Father, he sweat drops of blood while his closest friends and followers fell asleep. Soon a crowd came to arrest Jesus. In one final attempt of bravado, Peter cut off the ear of the High Priest’s servant.

 

After three years of living and learning and loving together, the pressure cooker exploded, and the disciples scattered. Peter denied Jesus three times. There seemed to be no victory. All seemed to be lost. There was no “One Shining Moment”.

 

Yet, in the midst of all this darkness and defeat, there was a brief moment of hope... one shining moment, if you will. During the Last Supper, Jesus explained that his body was the bread; that his blood was the wine. And even though they would desert him, he wouldn’t desert them. He would be faithful.

 

That promise is still true for you and me. That same meal is the one that we as believers celebrate to remind us of his promise. It doesn’t matter how badly we sin; it doesn’t matter how badly we fail him; he will forgive us. Jesus paid the ultimate price as the perfect Passover lamb so that we might also know his Abba Father.

 

 

March Madness

Revelation 22:1-5

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%2022%3A1-5&version=NIV;NLT

  

March Madness is the name given to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. It’s called that because crazy things can happen during the tournament. On any given night, a Cinderella team from the Ivy League could beat the top rated team in the tournament. Anything can happen.

 

Being an alum of Michigan State University, I’m a VERY big fan! In fact, the finished portion of our basement is dedicated to the Spartans. Last Sunday

we advanced to the Final Four. Did you catch that… we? As if I played in the tournament. But that’s how it is for any avid fan. If your team won, then “we” won. You’re involved in the victory.

 

John wrote about what it would mean for Eden to be restored; for the River of Life to flow through it; for the Tree of Life to bring life, and not death.

 

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb ² down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. ³ No longer will there be any curse. NIV

 

Just like death came as the result of the sin of one person, Adam, so life came as the result of one person, Jesus. His life of love, obedience and sacrifice to the point of death, paid the price for our sins. Through his act of redemption, we are redeemed. Through his victory, we are victorious. Jesus played “the game”, but we are the beneficiaries.

 

March Madness is a great time of the year. Of course, for me it helps if Michigan State is still in the tournament. And when “they” win, “we” win. The victory is ours. And when Jesus won over sin and death, we won over sin and death. His victory is ours. That’s way better than an NCAA championship.

 

 

 

Here's another message on the same passage.

 

 

TRANSFORMATION

Revelation 22:1-5

 

³ No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. ⁴ And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. ⁵ And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.           NLT

 

These verses present an image of light and life, not darkness and death. They paint a picture of God’s servants living in His presence constantly and for eternity. What would that be like?

 

Moses was in God’s presence at the burning bush, and came away a changed man. Jesus spent time in his Heavenly Father’s presence on the Mount of Transfiguration and was transformed physically. If you or I spend time in God’s presence, we will be transformed. We will be a new man; a new woman. Changed from the inside out.

 

I experienced this many years ago when I went on a personal 24 hour retreat. When I returned to the office, one of my co-workers commented that something was different about me. Being in the presence of God will do that.

 

Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. ² It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations.         NLT

 

Although Revelation is an image of the future, the goal for you and me, as believers and followers of Christ, is to live in His presence in the grind of daily living. This is not just a goal for us to attempt to achieve, like climbing the corporate ladder. This impacts every aspect of how we live.

 

God is always at work in your life. He is always present. Jesus is always standing at the door knocking and waiting for you to invite him in to your life at home, at work and in your leisure time. Let us open the door for him to enter. If you do, you will be transformed.