… who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, [2 timothy 1:10-11]

in God’s grand redemptive plan, he chooses to use vessels of weakness to declare his greatness.

this is the beginning of our celebration of holy week. a week we remember and celebrate. a week we often take far too little time to truly remember and celebrate all Jesus accomplished to redeem and restore this world and us.

for Jesus, it was a week of worship, pleading, rejoicing, weeping, hope, sadness, service, suffering, love, rejection, celebration, mourning, and more. it was one full, long, exhausting, overwhelming, hope-FILLED, and purposeful week. as we read through 2 timothy this week. we will also take you to passages from the holy week. please, allow this week to be a full week of remembering and celebrating what Jesus has done and who he is. let’s begin today with this truth: in God’s grand redemptive plan, he chooses to use vessels of weakness to declare his greatness.

Isaiah 53:2-3 says, “for he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. he was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” Jesus’ human form was nothing special, nothing majestic, and in truth, because of how he lived (servant – not king), and how he was treated, most men did not look on him with respect and honor or look at him at all. his vessel was not one of majesty – but it accomplished great might.

2 corinthians 12:9 says, “but he said to me, ‘my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” paul was a very normal man. by this point in his life he was an older and weak man physically. he was an intelligent man, but had average preaching abilities, and had a dark past of murder and persecution. yet, God chose paul to physically start his new church and lead it as a “preacher and apostle and teacher.” the physical mission of his church was entrusted to this man. why paul?

in God’s grand redemptive plan, he chooses to use vessels of weakness to declare his greatness.

1 corinthians 1:26-29 says, “for consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. but God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” God says there is nothing about you or i that is great. and truth, most everything about us is weak, low, and foolish without Jesus. and the amazing thing, God still chose to give you and I his presence in Christ. even more amazing, he has chosen you and i to tell others they too can know the presence of holy almighty God!

as we begin this week of remembrance and celebration, may I plead and encourage you to do these three things:

  • make this a whole week of remembrance and celebration. use these writings, be intentional with your time, pull your family and or friends together in prayer, and remember and celebrate Jesus all week.
  • plead for the presence of God to be your consuming desire all week. this is one of the greatest accomplishments of Jesus and his work, we get to be with God in his presence. let’s beg and plead for our awareness of his presence to be obvious, sure, and constant.
  • ask him to use your weak vessel to declare his greatness – all week. this is his plan. ask! 

come Lord Jesus! meet with us now. fill our senses, our dreams, our every thought and action with your presence. and, use us so others can know you long for them to be in your presence! amen.

~ john ryan