Believing

Today is what is known as Maundy Thursday, a day that contains so many compelling images of the final hours of the earthly life of Jesus - from the Last Supper He shared with His disciples to the dramatic scene in the Garden of Gethsemane, then the arrest of Jesus to stand trial before the religious leaders and the governmental officials. We see a clash of spiritual forces, a conflict of authorities, and the culmination of God's redemptive plan through the cross.   Picking up in verse 42 of Matthew 26 (ESV), we find these words:
42 Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”
43 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.
44 So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again.
45 Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
46 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

This is an important and life-transforming narrative.  The cross stands as a central focus of our faith.  Yet, fewer Americans, according to a new Gallup survey, place a priority on the practice of faith.  A CBN report notes:

Newly published data from Gallup found that, in 2025, the share of U.S. adults who identified as “nones” — those with no religious affiliation at all — reached a record high of 24%, up from 21% and 22% the previous four years. Additionally, 28% said religion is “not very important” in their lives.

And, the study found: "less than half (47%) of American adults say religion is 'very important' to their lives, while another 25% described it as 'fairly important' to them."  The article states that, "Only six demographic groups remain highly religious today, with more than 50% saying religion is “very important” to them."  One of those groups: "Protestant or nondenominational Christians..."

Megan Brenan, a senior editor at Gallup, provides this analysis: "While religion remains deeply important to major segments of the population … the long-term trajectory shows a steady decline driven largely by generational replacement,” adding, “Younger adults are both less likely to identify with a religion and less likely to attend services, reshaping the nation’s religious landscape as they constitute a growing share of the population.”

Writer of the CBN article, Tre Goins-Phillips, notes: "The shift comes as a greater number of Americans are abandoning organized religion for syncretism, an amalgamation of different religious ideas and philosophies."  He uses Jude 4 as a verse describing what is occurring in our culture today - the New Living Translation says, “I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ..."

We are in the midst of this season called Holy Week, which features incredible mileposts of the final days and hours of our Savior's earthly life, leading up to and including His death on a cross, followed by His resurrection from the dead.  He is alive and alive in the hearts of the people who have called upon His name and are saved.

Thankfully, the redemption plan is very, very important to God, and we have to be diligent to adopt and maintain that attitude.  The Bible, in the Parable of the Sower in Mark 4, describes those factors that can lead to the Word of God not bearing fruit in our lives. One of those is "the cares of the world."  1st John 2 says: "For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world."  We must reject an unhealthy affinity for the things of this world and press on and press into Jesus, the One who loved us so much that He was willing to endure the pain, the shame, the brutality, the rejection, and even death so that we might have eternal life.