We know that being a member of a certain association and even an organisation there would be certain costs for you to maintain your commitment in that particular institution. But there are also some benefits that you would be able to reap by being part of certain organisations. And so having your… having a participation in a certain institution would have such cost and there would be some sort of benefits in in so many forms.
But in our passage today through the ministry of Paul and their fellow believers from the different cities that are indicated in the book of Acts, we see both the cost and the blessings of being a disciple of Christ. It shows to us the disciples participation. So please now turn with me to the New Testament and we will be going to the 21st chapter of the book of Acts. So if you have you have your Bibles with you, please open with me to Acts chapter 21. We’ll be reading verses 1-16 for this morning. So give ear now to the reading of the word of God.
And when we had parted from them and set sail, we came by a straight course to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. And having found a ship crossing to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. When we had come in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left we sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre, for there the ship was to unload its cargo. And having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days. And through the Spirit they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. When our days there were ended, we departed and went on our journey, and they all, with wives and children, accompanied us until we were outside the city. And kneeling down on the beach, we prayed and said farewell to one another. Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home. When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for one day. On the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied. While we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’” When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, “Let the will of the Lord be done.” After these days we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. And some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us, bringing us to the house of Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we should lodge.
Let us come before God in prayer. Our most gracious and loving Father who is in heaven. Oh Lord and our God, we so need your strengthening. We so need your grace for this morning. We do recognise, oh Lord, that such help only comes from You. We look to You, oh Lord, that you would give grace to us as we try and talk about and preach, oh Lord, the very words that You have prepared for us this morning. May we truly worship You, not only in the proclamation, but in the reception and hearing of your words, that we would receive it gladly with readiness to obey You. And we pray oh Lord that your spirit would strengthen us to help us embrace the very teachings that we would be hearing this morning. Help us oh Lord in Jesus name we pray. Amen.
So, we left off last week’s sermon seeing the emotional farewell of the Apostle Paul with the Ephesian elders, and we’ve learned how the Lord’s faithful ministry has happened in the city of Ephesus. Paul had laboured patiently and faithfully as he preached the Word daily in the city of Ephesus, giving them the whole counsel of God, ministering to them, not depending on his needs, but working with his hands to continue to help the church in ministering to them. So nakita natin doon yung faithfulness, not only of Paul but of the Lord Himself through the ministry of the apostle. And now, before he leaves, he warns them that fierce wolves would come. And the elders were charged to pay close attention to themselves and to the flock because Christ Himself bought the church, His people, with His precious blood.
And so, through this time, through the time of the Apostle Paul in Ephesus, a deep bond of love was made. And knowing that they won’t be able to see the Apostle Paul again because he was expecting that he would be imprisoned, he might die in Jerusalem, they became sorrowful. They wept, they hugged and kissed the Apostle Paul. And in our passage today, they made the hard decision to continue on and to proceed to Jerusalem.
And remember, if you would recall the past sermons, we have learned that the Apostle Paul was constrained by the Spirit. He knows exactly that God the Spirit wants him to go there, to Jerusalem. And another purpose why he needs to go there is because he has gathered all of the gifts, all of the relief effort that was done by the Gentile churches to support their fellow brethren in Jerusalem who are poor and persecuted. And this is not only to provide a relief effort or to do a relief effort, but it is also Paul’s effort to show the love of the Gentile church to the Jewish Christians. And so, ang effort niya rito is to really establish the unity of the church. And he was willing to go the difficult route in going to Jerusalem just so he could make that effort, just so he could show their oneness in the Lord Jesus Christ.
So, that was his goal. He knew that it was a Spirit-given mission. He will be a witness for Christ there. And he knows full well that when he gets there, he will suffer imprisonment. He will suffer beatings, but he is committed to the cause and the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. And so, yes, the journey to Jerusalem is going to be acquainted with a terrifying expectation of dangers that await him and his companions. But he found the Lord’s grace through the fellowship with the disciples who took care of them when they were on their way, who took them in and provided hospitality to them for their journey.
And so, nagkaroon ng pagkakataon that they would receive graces, they would receive mercies through the efforts of the churches who were there. And quite interestingly, if you would recall, who was the reason for the establishment of the churches in Phoenicia and Caesarea? It was Saul of Tarsus. It was the Apostle Paul himself because of his persecution, because of his efforts to imprison Christians. The disciples were scattered. And the ones in chapter 8, sinabi doon, the ones who were scattered, went to Phoenicia, went to the other cities, preaching the gospel of Christ. And so, quite interesting that the one who persecuted the church before now, in chapter 21, is benefiting from the ministry of the churches that were established in those particular cities.
And so, he’s headed there. And as he is on his way, he is benefiting from the ministry of the church. And for us, dear brethren, we know full well that our devotion to Christ is costly. It requires a costly commitment to our Lord Jesus Christ. Because when we say yes to Christ in obedience, in faith, in trusting His will for our lives, it will attract hostility from this sinful world.
When we humbly submit our wills to our Savior and consider ourselves as slaves and bondservants of Christ, whose will and desire is to honour his Master and to reject the allurements of the world, there will be opposition. There will be persecution. There will be an expectation of suffering and trial in this world. And when it does come, ang prublema, madalas ay there’s a temptation to fear. We would worry for our lives. There would be discouragement, whether it is still worth it to continue. But because of our fellowship with Jesus Christ and His bride, the church, God makes His grace and comfort and strength available within the impossible journey of the Christian life. Yes, there would be hardship, but it is coupled with the surpassing greatness of the grace of God in our Christian lives.
And so, my message for this morning is that While Our Commitment To Christ Is Costly, Our Fellowship With Him And His Church Makes It Bearable. While our commitment to Christ is costly, our fellowship with Him and His church makes it bearable. So, those are essentially the two things that we will be looking at in the two points that we will consider. The first one would be Costly Commitment, and the second point is Comforting Communion.
And so, let us go now to our first point: Costly Commitment. So, we should have an idea by now that the decision to go to Jerusalem is indeed a costly commitment for several things because, right in verse 1, it opens by saying, “And when we had parted from them.” It literally reads in the original language, “when we had torn ourselves away from them.” Ganun siya kahirap basically, in verse 1. Ganun kahirap for Paul and his companions to be separated and to say farewell to the Ephesian elders, that they had to be literally torn apart. The goodbyes are not even enough. They had to be physically and forcefully torn away so that they could go on in the journey to Jerusalem. They loved one another so much that the only way to part them was to sever themselves from one another. And another thing is that if you would look at the journey of the Apostle Paul and his companions, it says here they went to Cos, they went to Rhodes, and they also went to Patara. It only goes to show that the journey is difficult. Mahirap yung sa kanya kumbaga. The only transport that you have is a little boat that can only go along the coastline. So, meaning, if that’s the only way for you to go to Jerusalem, expect many days, and probably you wouldn’t even get to Jerusalem in time for the feast. But until they came to Patara, they found a ship sailing directly to Phoenicia, or to Syria. So, mahirap yung journey.
And another thing, there are these disciples telling the Apostle Paul. It says here, “through the Spirit,” okay, through the Spirit, they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. We value the counsel of the church, and it is wise for us to continue to go to our fellow brethren who are also in-dwelt by the Spirit of God to seek counsel.
But imagine the situation of the Apostle Paul, hearing these people, his fellow brethren, saying, “Through the Spirit, do not go there. Don’t go to Jerusalem. Your life is at stake. You will put yourself in danger. You can die by going there.”
And the prophet Agabus, who accurately prophesied the famine that would happen in Acts 11, also told the Apostle Paul, “The one who holds this belt, the one who owns this belt, will have his hands and his feet tied and will be imprisoned,” which would happen eventually to the Apostle Paul. He would be imprisoned.
And because of that, even Luke now, si Luke na nagsulat ng account in chapter 21, joined the people in telling the Apostle Paul, “Wag na. Don’t go to Jerusalem. Your life is at stake,” to the point that the Apostle Paul said, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart?” He says here, “I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” Paul is determined and resolved to go directly to Jerusalem for the sake of Christ. He knew exactly what it would cost him, and he is willing to pay with his own life.
The question is, it is through the Spirit of God that these disciples were telling Paul not to go to Jerusalem. So, was Paul sinning? Did he sin when he actually proceeded to go to Jerusalem? Because it says here very clear, sinasabi ni dito, through the Spirit of God, they were telling Paul not to go. And si Agabus ba, sinasabi niya, this is what the Holy Spirit had shown them. And the commentators have many different opinions about this one. Some said that Paul indeed had sinned. Paul, hindi siya nag-sin pero he made a mistake.
But I do think that it is very clear what is being shown in the passage, is that Paul knew this is what God wants him to do. He really wants Paul to be in Jerusalem. We see that in Acts 19:21. We saw that in the passage that he was constrained and bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem and then to Rome.
And we should know that the Spirit of God, God Himself, would not contradict Himself. He wouldn’t say one thing to one believer and another thing to another believer. God is not a God of confusion. He will not deny Himself.
What the disciples, in order for us to understand what is being shown to us here, is that the disciples had was the prediction, not the prohibition. They knew what would happen, but they were not giving a command from God to tell Paul. It was already given to Paul. They knew what would happen. And because they knew what would happen, they counselled against Paul going to Jerusalem. So, this is arising out of love and out of care for the beloved apostle. So, Paul was not sinning by going to Jerusalem. But what we see here is a man with godly courage. Though his heart was breaking because of their concern, his commitment to the Savior and his ministry was greater. He knew that God wants him to be there, and God wants him to accomplish his ministry. And so, what we are actually seeing here is that the Christian life requires a costly commitment to Jesus Christ.
It has been said that Christians are not their own but belong, body and soul, to their faithful Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Paul himself said in Galatians 2:20, a very well-known passage, “The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” In other words, to be a Christian is to be a person who is in Christ, who is wholly consumed under the lordship of the Savior. And being consumed under the lordship of the Savior, it entails a cost. It would cost us, dear brethren. And no one spoke about the cost of being a disciple of Christ better than Christ Himself. The Lord Himself said in Matthew 16:24, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.” Which means, if you would identify yourself with Christ and call yourself His follower, we are called to acknowledge His authority and lordship over our lives, embrace the sufferings and the persecutions on account of His name, and trust Him as we walk in faith and obedience to Him.
Simply put, being in Christ would cost you your very lives. It would cause us to devote our entire being, body and soul, to our faithful Savior. It calls us to follow the way of the Savior, and it also calls us to walk along the path that Christ has prepared for us. And we know full well that while being a disciple of Christ is hard, to say the least, the hardship is not worthy of comparing to the glories of what we also enjoy. That while there are hardships, there are trials, there is suffering, it is embraced and covered with the graces of Christ as well. Yes, it would mean the sacrifice of our comforts, your wants, and your pleasures, but we enjoy better things in Christ.
Walking along the path as a Christian, walking along the path of the Savior, as we continue to embrace and bear the sufferings of Christ, magnifies our Savior.
When we go through sufferings and trials on account of Christ, we are showing the world that we are not seeking the vanities of the temporal and present age. We are showing the world that we are embracing the real and true treasure, the pearl of great price. And that is none other than Christ Himself. When we suffer for His name’s sake, it affirms that we are the children of the kingdom. And it confirms the blessedness that Christ has promised for us, that we ought to rejoice because our reward is great in heaven. And whenever we walk in the path of our costly commitment to Christ, it glorifies the gospel of grace.
In the same way that hardship only brought the gospel further in the early church to different cities, different people, Jews and Gentiles, we can be comforted by the fact that our deep and dark providences are also means in the Saviour’s hand in order to glorify Christ and to advance the work of the gospel in our very lives.
And so, dear church, because of that, let us joyfully take up our duties, our callings, and patiently endure hardship when it happens for the sake of Christ.
You know, Dr. MacArthur had an interesting take on this passage. He was considering the courage and the commitment of the Apostle Paul, and he mentioned in his commentary that the measure of our commitment to our Savior, or even to the other things that we are committed to, is how quickly we are swayed from it. The measure of our commitment is how quickly we are diverted from it.
When we easily get swayed to sin, when we easily fall into the temptation of committing a sin against God, it is telling of our devotion to Christ. When we are easily swayed in our duties as a father and as a husband, it is a measure of our commitment to the God-given roles that were given graciously to us by God. It can be telling. And don’t be mistaken, dear brethren. Alam natin na mahirap and mabigat. It is costly to follow the life that Christ has given us. And I want to submit that the problem at times is that our comforts do matter more to us than our commitment to our Savior. We want the pleasures, but we don’t want the thorns.
When obedience becomes too costly for us, when obedience and faithfulness to Christ become a compromise to our commitments, then we give second thoughts to our obedience.
And we do understand that because, while still having our fallen nature, we easily cling to our comfort because this is something natural to us. Eto yung problem natin sa ating remaining sin.
The pathway to glory is indeed not an easy pathway. Through many tribulations, the Apostle Paul had already said, after being beaten down and almost left for dead, that it is through many tribulations, sabi ni Apostle Paul, that we should enter the kingdom of God.
And when we look at this passage, we could admire the Apostle Paul and say, “Oh, this man is quite courageous. Grabe ang commitment niya to our Lord Jesus Christ.” In the face of hindrances, he stood firm.
And when we look at Old Testament saints, David, in the face of Goliath, says, “I come in the name of the Lord God.” In the face of Goliath, even Daniel, in the face of a threat against his worshiping God, he was courageous enough to continue his devotion to the one true God. Esther, in the opportunity to save the Jews from peril, she says, “If I perish, I perish.”
We can admire these kind of boldness and the embracing of the costly commitments that they had for the one true God and our Savior Jesus Christ. These people had confidence because they knew who their God is. But all these figures, including the Apostle Paul, pale in comparison to our Savior, who knew that when He goes to Jerusalem, He will suffer. He will die. He would be crucified. He would be mocked. He would be driven to the point of shame. He would be beaten into an unrecognisable person.
But all these things out of love for the Father and the bride that the Father had given Him. He came into this world and humbled Himself, endured suffering for us, so that you and I can partake of grace and not the suffering and death because of our sins.
His perfect life and perfect obedience, up to the point of death, procured and secured our redemption. The punishment that is due to us sinners, He Himself bore on the cross. Yes, He died. Yes, He was buried. But the hope for us, dear brethren, is that after the third day, He rose again. We have a resurrected Savior. We have such true hope that we can find in Jesus Christ.
And now, dear brethren, for us who are in Christ, Christ walked and endured the dark road for us so that light may be given to us who are in darkness and who continue to walk in the darkness of this world.
In the face of temptation, we can always find strength in our Lord Jesus. He calls us to fix our gaze upon Him, He who did not seek to please Himself but gave Himself for us so that we might be saved, so that we would no longer live for our own, church. So that we would not seek our own lusts but to go after the heavenly joys that goes beyond the pleasures of this world.
Because, brother and sister, at the end of the day, can we think of anything that is better than the comforts that we have in Christ, than the blessings that we enjoy in Christ, than the graces that we now possess in Christ? Being set apart for Him, having redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our sins, being adopted as sons and daughters of the kingdom of God. What compares? What trumps against the graces that we have in Jesus Christ?
That’s why the Apostle Paul, having considered everything that he had, everything that he possessed, would be bold in saying that he counted all these things as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:8.
So, dear church, the gospel is our source of strength in the costly commitment of our Christian life.
This is also good news for you, dear friend, if you are not yet in Jesus Christ. You may have joined us here. It is not by accident that you are here and have planned your way to join the worship of the church. But it is the grace of God being given to you at this very moment, calling you to turn away from your sins because it is the very thing that separates you from fellowshipping with God. But Christ Himself is the one who can save you from your sins.
And, dear ones, the perfect Savior came to save, and He is calling you to turn unto Him so that you may not only enjoy the fleeting pleasures of this life, but that you may enjoy Christ Himself and the saving blessings that He gives to all who would come to Him in faith. So, dear friend, if you’re not yet in Christ, repent of your sins. Place your faith in our Savior.
And, dear brethren, may this be an encouragement for us to take up and continue with our costly commitment to the Savior.
But not only that, we’re not only called to take up our crosses and to deny ourselves. We know that it is hard. We know that it is impossible. But God is gracious to give much comfort and consolation. And so, that will be the thing that we’ll be looking at in the second point, which is Comforting Communion.
So, upon reaching Syria, we saw the Apostle Paul sailing directly to Syria. He wanted to get there, to Jerusalem, as fast as possible. And so they went on a direct voyage from Patara all the way to Syria. And it was told here that Paul and his companions reached Tyre. It is a port area. And so the reason why they were required to stay there for a lengthy period of time is because the ship was about to unload its cargo. So masasabi natin na isa itong malaking barko na kanilang sinakyan. So, at the moment, they didn’t have any choice but to stay in Tyre. And because of that, notice what the Apostle Paul and his companions did. They did not look for the next lodging or what would serve their comforts. In verse 4, it tells us here, their very first order of business, look for Christians. They sought for the disciples. Verse 4.
It was their very first instinct that once they got to Tyre, they would look for fellow disciples during the time of delay. And yes, they were able to find some disciples. They were able to stay for seven days. So, about a week’s time, they enjoyed fellowship during the time of delay. They were able to be with the disciples.
And though these people, their brothers and sisters, counselled against going to Jerusalem out of concern for Paul, we can see that such a brotherly bond had already been established. It wasn’t hard for them. In a short period of time, the bond between Paul and the rest of the disciples were already been established.
In verse 5, we can see that the Apostle Paul continued with the journey. But, we see the disciples’, hindi dahil sa kanilang disagreement ni Apostle Paul, not to go to Jerusalem, hinayaan na nila. We don’t see the disciples, not supporting the Apostle Paul. Pero ano nangyari? Hinatid pa nila si Paul at yung mga kasama niya. The whole family, children and wives, even went there to bring them to their next ride. They prayed with the disciples and knelt down at the beach. It is kind of like a mini episode of what we have seen in Acts chapter 20. Probably they were saying their farewells to the Apostle Paul. They were praying with them, showing their affection for them.
And after their stay in Tyre, they also met and greeted the disciples in Ptolemais. They stayed there for one day. They were taken care of. And at Caesarea, we see once again the familiar figure, the first batch of the diaconate, Philip the evangelist, who was instrumental to the early church. And this is an interesting meet-up.. Who was one of the reasons for the martyrdom of Stephen? It was Paul himself.
And now, meeting Philip, he knew that this used to be the enemy who was responsible for the death of my fellow deacon. And now he’s taking him into his home, staying there for many days with him, providing hospitality to him, and welcoming him. And so they were able to enjoy such fellowship.
And so we saw how the church took it upon themselves, nakikita natin dito in the various stays that the Apostle Paul had in different cities with different disciples, with one Lord and Savior. We can see that the church took it upon themselves to care for the missionaries, Paul and his companions.
And not only that, we also see the Apostle Paul recognising that the church, through the disciples, would help and aid them in their journey, not because they demanded their rights. Hindi nila sinabi na, “Hey, I’m an Apostle of Jesus Christ, and so you ought to support me.” No. But because he and his companions recognised that they had fellowship with the church. It is a bond that is like no other because it is founded not because they were related by blood, not because they were fellow kinsmen, but because they knew that they were one with the Savior.
And through Christ, we are united and we enjoy such a bond.
What we see here is that in Christ believers are made one and are ordinarily strengthened through His ministry. Our fellowship is first and foremost found in Jesus Christ. Through His redemptive work, He united us to Himself.
But not only that, though we are justified by faith in Christ alone, we as Christians are never meant to live our lives alone. As a result of our fellowship with Him, we have become united to one another because He has placed us in His body. He becomes our Head, and we become His body. He is the Bridegroom, and we are His bride.
The union that we enjoy overcomes differences so that even past enemies can be united because they are united in one Savior. It overcomes differences. Whether you have been brought up in a different cultural background or you are part of a different lineage, in Christ Jesus we are one.
The church is essentially united not because of a common interest but because we have a common Savior. By being united by the gospel, God the Spirit, through the Scriptures, also calls us to serve one another for our good. Thus, we become participants and partakers of His graces and gifts.
We do not only receive the gift of salvation, but we also receive grace in order to serve, to minister, and to work toward the building up of the body of Christ. We are also called to lovingly care for, serve, and bear one another’s burdens, showing hospitality because Christ Himself was the One who first welcomed us to Himself.
Imagine this, dear brethren and dear friend. We don’t have any right to fellowship with God because He is a thrice-holy God and we are sinners. We deserve to be condemned because of our sins. But Christ, out of His love for His bride and for sinners, gave Himself up for us so that we can be welcomed to Himself.
We come alongside one another in difficult times and in suffering and trials. We are called to love one another with the same love that we have received from Christ. And this is for the purpose of building the body up. The Spirit of God is moving every part of His body in such a way that every member benefits from the graces of the Savior.
And this is for the ultimate purpose of magnifying the gospel. And this is for the purpose of showing all the more the greatness and the worth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
And so, with that in mind, dear brethren and friends, let us gladly receive the ministry of Christ through His church and give ourselves to serve for its good.
We have to recognise that it is through the church that Christ ordinarily bestows His grace upon us. And though we affirm that it is important to be part of a church, and we actually rejoice because we are members of the local church, we may fail in appreciating its necessity. We may fail in really appreciating the fact that this is integral to our lives. We may deem it as vital, yes, but not necessarily essential.
It’s good, but it depends on whether it is really for you to be part of a church.
And often this is because of our pride, thinking that we have all that we need. We can sort things out. We can get by. We can figure it out on our own. We don’t need others. We don’t need others to help us, to speak to us, or to call us out when we sin because, “I know. I read the Bible. The Word itself will rebuke me and call me out.” We may even be tempted to think, “Who has the right to even talk to me like that and to minister to me?” Well, if that’s what we think, then all the more we should see that fellowship with the church is necessary for us.
Brother, sister, brethren, Christ is after your good. He uses His ministry to continue helping us and building us up. The comforting communion of the church is where you, brethren, receive the love of Christ. We primarily see that on the cross, and He continues to show and demonstrate that love to us through the church.
It is where you, dear brethren, receive the love of Christ, and it is also where the brethren receive the love of Christ through you because Christ has gifted you. Christ has given you the Spirit. Christ has given you such graces so that you can, through your gifts, minister to the body and make use of them for its building up.
And so, appreciate the comforting communion that Christ has established in the church.
But if you, dear friend, again, this is a call for you. Apart from Christ, you are first and foremost not in fellowship with God. And most definitely, you are not a partaker of the graces that God gives to His people. And so, the call for you is to repent of your sins. Place your faith in the Savior, who alone can bring you into fellowship with Himself.
To our little ones, playtimes are great. Sharing toys is wonderful. And you know what’s even greater? To enjoy fellowship with your friends, talking about the one common Savior of sinners, and that is Jesus Christ Himself.
And our prayer, dear ones, for you, children, is that one day you would appreciate the gracious work of Christ, and repent someday of your sins, and place your faith in Him.
So what a gracious God we have, that He would not only save us from our sins but also bring us into communion with His body. And so, though being a disciple of Christ would cost you everything, He is faithful to give grace and strength that we may continue to persevere in His will.
May God’s Word shape us, sanctify us, and comfort us in the Savior of our souls.
Let us pray.
Most holy and gracious God and heavenly Father, we are thankful for Your Word. Indeed, O Lord, it is through such means that You continue to show Your love to us. We pray, Lord, that in our costly commitment to being Your disciples, may You remind us of Christ, who Himself have endured such great suffering, and death, up to the point of death so that we may receive grace. And so, Father, please strengthen us. Thank You because You are faithful. May You keep us, O Lord, and sustain us throughout this day and in the days to come. This is our prayer, in Jesus’ name. Amen.