Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterward. Now he is seated in the place of highest honor beside God’s throne in heaven. Think about all he endured when sinful people did such terrible things to him, so that you don’t become weary and give up. (Hebrews 12:1-3 NLT)

    Whew! What a week. Ups and downs. Thrills and disappointments. Moments of joy and hours of sorrow. Glimpses of glory and stares into the face of betrayal.

    We all will have one of those weeks. They are the inescapable reality of living in a fallen world, one of those unavoidable times when our catastrophic foolishness collides with the sinfulness of those around us.

    So what do we do with our “What a Week!” experiences? Same thing we always do — we look to Jesus.

What do we do? We look to Jesus.

    Nearly 2000 years ago, Jesus had the most incredible “What a Week!” experiences anyone could imagine. His week began and ended with a procession of people shouting out to him. At the beginning of the week, they hailed him as the Son of David. By the end of the week, they cursed and mocked him as his life ebbed away and as he faced the ridicule of Golgotha. During the week, he defeated and deflected the questions of his worst enemies. These same enemies would later see him executed as societies scum, executed on the Cross. Jesus enjoyed meals with his disciples, but dipped his hand in the same bowl with the one who would sell him out for thirty pieces of silver. He washed the feet of his disciples, doing the work of a slave, knowing that each of those feet would forsake him and flee in his hour of trial. He would pray daily, sharing time with the Father, but would be betrayed by one of his own in the place of prayer by a kiss. He would pray for deliverance from the experience, but God said he would deliver him through the experience. He would warn his strongest and most vocal friend about the possibility of betrayal, only to see that friend across the courtyard after the rooster crowed his final judgment.

    One week. Seven days. Sometimes a lifetime. And for us, this week is more than a lifetime, it is our assurance of a listening ear, a presence before God, and grace to help us in our “What a Week!” experiences.

    When you have one of those “What a Week!” passages, go to the one who has lived it and triumphed over it. He knows about your world, your pain, your grief, your disillusionment. He knows about you! So why not turn to him?

That is why we have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it. (Hebrews 4:14-16 NLT)

Title: "What a Week!"
Author: Phil Ware
Publication Date: March 25, 2002

Share with Others	Related Heartlight Resources
Print this Article Send it to a Friend Discuss	Antidote to Excess Stress