Matthew 27:57-66

Let’s continue to pray for Jim and Marty.

“Notice what you notice.” I’ve read these words so many times that I find myself finishing sentences before I read the words. One sentence in particular struck me today, …and they rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb… (v. 60b). I don’t know what translation that came from, I just remember it from my childhood and continuing to this day, finishing the words in verse 60 with my own words before I read them. Which makes me enormously thankful for my parents bringing me up strong in my faith…!! Those Catholic roots run deep – and wide! I am forever grateful!

But what struck me today came from our Chronological Bible, with the chief priests and Pharisees asking Pilate for a guard on Jesus’ tomb. They made this request on the Sabbath, a day in which no work of any kind was to be done. But these Jewish leaders were so troubled by Jesus’ words (“…in three days…”) that they were willing to violate their own sacred traditions and do this “work” on the Sabbath!! But beyond that, put yourself in Pilate’s shoes for a minute. First these Jewish leaders ask you to condemn an innocent man to crucifixion, when you are troubled by their request and your wife has counseled against it – but you do it. Then these same Jewish leaders come again later in the day (after they have had their wish granted) and ask you to change the sign that you have affixed to Jesus’ cross. You dismiss them, “Go away!” Then they come again the next day and ask for a guard on the tomb. While Scripture says simply that Pilate granted their request, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” (v. 65), in my mind I hear him screaming at them, granting their request in his most irritated, frustrated, exasperated tone!! “JUST GO AND DO IT!!” (And don’t come back…!!) I feel sorry for these Jewish leaders – and then again, I don’t. Jesus had struck at their hearts so deeply, but theirs were hearts of stone, and His words could never penetrate. I’m so glad to live on this side of the Resurrection…!! Glory!

Slava Bohu!

John 19:31-37

Let’s continue to pray for Jim and Marty.

“Notice what you notice.” For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of His bones will be broken.” (v. 36) Whenever I see the Gospel writers quoting the Old Testament, my first inclination is that they are quoting from Isaiah or the Psalms. And so with this quotation… However, not true. This quotation comes from the Pentateuch, from Exodus 12:46 and Numbers 9:12. The reference is to the Passover lamb which is to be sacrificed as a remembrance of the Jews’ departure from Egypt. The lamb is sacrificial – the blood of the lamb was spread on the doorposts of the Jewish people so that the Angel of Death might pass over their houses and leave the residents alive. The death of these lambs saved the Jewish people. Now we see John applying this quotation to Jesus as fulfillment of Scripture – but I wonder if John understood the full implications of Jesus’ death, that Jesus was that one sacrificial “lamb”, that His death meant salvation for all humankind, for all time. Or did John just see Scripture being fulfilled? Intriguing…

But the one other thing about this quotation is that neither Jesus nor His followers could make it happen. It was something that a Roman soldier did that yielded the “blood and water” outcome – with no broken bones. The only way that we can argue against this Scriptural fulfillment is to say that John was lying, that it didn’t really happen. But that’s the same argument that critics pose for all of Jesus’ miracles, that these are just stories made up by Jesus’ followers – for whatever reason! But if that’s what critics want to believe, that’s their choice. Personally, I know Whom I have believed!

Slava Bohu!

John 19:28-30

Let’s continue to pray for Jim and Marty.

“Notice what you notice.” Today now, we have the fourth account by the Gospel writers of Jesus’ death, this time by the apostle John who had stood there watching. It’s a very short account and a very short phrase sticks out for me: It is finished. (v. 30) I know I’m covering ground here already plowed by hundreds, even thousands of preachers and commentators before me, but one wonders, “What is ‘it’”? It would be obvious for Jesus to be referring to His own life – finished. But probably the more popular reflection is that Jesus is referring to His complete and final obedience to the plan that the Holy Trinity had set forth before Jesus was even born, that His completely innocent death would suffice to cover the sins of all mankind for all time. And now, that plan was accomplished: It is finished.

So we can say, yes, the plan was accomplished. As our Jesus Storybook Bible would put it, Jesus has rescued all humanity. But my immediate reflection goes back to what we’ve been saying the past few days, back to Jesus refusing the drink that He was offered as He was being nailed to the cross (Matthew 27:34, Mark 15:23). If He refused the drink because He chose to be fully aware of His suffering as He went through the complete agony of His full and final deliverance of all mankind from all sin, then He continued that desire completely, up to and including His final breath. Suffering through six hours of intense pain and completely aware of it all, never losing consciousness up to that final deliverance…! That’s more than I can imagine – and more than I can fully appreciate, no matter how hard I try. That’s LOVE – all caps, bold, italicized – love at a level that we can never comprehend. But Jesus doesn’t ask us to understand all that He and the Father and the Holy Spirit had put together millennia ago, only that we accept that love, His substitutionary death on our behalf. GLORY!

Slava Bohu!

Luke 23:44-49

Let’s continue to pray for Jim and Marty.

“Notice what you notice.” It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour, because the sun was obscured… (v. 44-45a, NASB). The ESV has verse 45a as while the sun’s light failed… and the NKJV has Then the sun was darkened… I’m intrigued by this darkening. I’m trying to imagine this daytime darkness. We’ve all seen dark clouds before a storm, but typically they don’t last for three hours! My Study Bible pointed out that Passover occurs during a full moon and an eclipse cannot occur during a full moon. This must have been a very thick cloud covering the area for a long time! And the darkness covered “the whole land”, which surely would have included the temple area where all the Jewish leaders hung out. Surely they also saw this darkening.

This darkness immediately calls to mind Exodus 10:21, Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even a darkness which may be felt.” Exodus 22b continues with …there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. So I’m wondering if any of the Jews standing near the cross had this same reflection back to Exodus and, if so, what would have been their reaction? Certainly the centurion was affected by it all. How could others also not have been struck by all that occurred? Maybe they were! I hope we are…!

Slava Bohu!

Mark 15:33-41

Let’s continue to pray for Jim and Marty.

“Notice what you notice.” The centurion… First, I wonder why a centurion, a commander of 100 men would be at the crucifixion. Second, Mark is more complete than Matthew in the centurion’s response: When the centurion, who was standing right in front of Him, saw the way He [cried out and] breathed His last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” (v. 39, NASB) [NOTE: Some manuscripts include “cried out”, some do not, but in or out is not so important.] What is important, however, is the centurion noting the manner of Jesus’ death. My Study Bible described an “ordinary death” whereby the crucified “suffered long periods of complete agony, exhaustion, and then unconsciousness before dying”. Jesus’ death was far from ordinary and the centurion saw that. For him there was something different, something “special” in the way Jesus died. His concluding comment reflected his awareness of this different manner of Jesus’ death: Truly this man was the Son of God. (v. 39b)

All this is consistent with what we saw a few days ago, that Jesus refused the pain-killer (the intoxicant?) and wanted to be fully aware of what He was going through. Even as I write this, I wonder at how much we really understand it all. It is beyond my comprehension that Jesus would so willingly suffer, yet I have no doubt that He did. For us…

Slava Bohu!

Matthew 27:45-56

Let’s continue to pray for Jim and Marty.

“Notice what you notice.” I knew before I started to read today that we would be reading of Jesus’ death, so I was determined to be fully focused on what I was reading. I had just finished verse 50, And Jesus…yielded up His Spirit, when the next words in verse 51 struck me unlike anything I had ever read before, sending shivers down my spine: And behold…! Just those two words, And behold…! As I sat here I fully wondered, “What’s next”? And then I read on: …the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. (vv. 51-53) And I thought, “What POWER!” I thought to myself that it must be God the Father throwing down His final judgment on sin, proclaiming sin defeated, Satan never to have the power over peoples’ lives that he had had up to this time. Yes, he has influence, but not power!

Reflecting further, I see a three-fold witness of God’s power – the spiritual (…the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom…), the physical (And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.), and the human (And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised…). And I am struck further…!

I’m sitting here – thinking, reflecting – and I have this full sense of awe at what I’ve just read. GLORY! Thank you, Lord!

Slava Bohu!

John 19:17-27

Let’s continue to pray for Jim and Marty.

“Notice what you notice.” The readings have been divided up so that we see the crucifixion accounts in each of the four Gospels, one each day. Tomorrow we will begin to see Jesus’ death, again in each of the four Gospels, one each day.

Each of the four Gospels speaks of the soldiers dividing Jesus’ garments, but only Matthew and John cite Psalm 22:18 directly. I took the time to read Psalm 22. It’s striking how it speaks of Jesus’ crucifixion, especially verses 16-18. My Study Bible points out that no Psalm is quoted more in the New Testament than Psalm 22.

It troubles me (and I suspect, many of you) that Jesus’ mother is there standing by at His crucifixion. Small matter, but I’ve wondered how she got there, and I’ve played it out in my mind that John must have followed Jesus’ trail all along, to the point of His taking up His cross, whereupon he went to get Mary and bring her to Golgotha. But what mother would want to be there to see her son crucified? Or what mother would not want to be there? The pain she must have endured…! I’m at a loss for words.

Slava Bohu!

Luke 23:26-43

Let’s continue to pray for Jim and Marty.

“Notice what you notice.” Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. (v. 42) Probably many of you, like me, know this verse as a song – one line, repeated over and over, especially during Holy Week. I find myself wondering if there is any other song that we sing that comes as a quotation from the Gospels, but from someone other than Jesus. Mary comes to mind – the “Magnificat”, but others…?

Clearly this thief is highly exalted in Christian circles. I’ve heard it said on many occasions that this thief is the only person that we know with certainty is in Heaven with Jesus. We can quibble and quarrel about who will be saved, but not about this thief. But it’s not just the outcome that we honor. This thief shows us what it means to repent, to truly express sorrow for our sins, to realize that there is a horrible outcome that we deserve, and to be able to turn to Jesus and the grace that He offers: Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise. (v. 43) GLORY!

Slava Bohu!

Mark 15:21-32

Let’s continue to pray for Jim and Marty.

“Notice what you notice.”

And they offered Him wine mixed with myrrh, but He did not take it. (v. 23) A couple of reflections on this verse, in part because this one verse is translated quite differently in various translations. The NASB has it as They tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh; but He did not take it. And Matthew’s gospel in the NASB has that one phrase as “…wine mixed with gall…”, which is what I remember from my childhood. Gall has a very bitter taste, so wine mixed with gall has always seemed to me to be more of the taunting that Jesus was receiving from the soldiers.

However, what struck me today was the beginning of that NASB translation, They tried to give Him… I wondered why the soldiers were “trying” to give Him this mixture (a stronger emphasis than simply “offering” it to Him). And I wondered if this was more of their taunting or if they were being merciful. My Internet searching led me to an article, “Sour Wine and Gall: Was it a Merciful Gesture or Mockery?” In that article the author goes into great detail about the possible pain-killing effects of a mixture of wine and gall. It made me think even more of whether the soldiers were showing mercy, especially when the next verse says that Jesus did not take their “offer”. That article and others led me to three possible conclusions, that the mixture was (1) a pain-killer (a merciful gesture) or poison typically offered to crucifixion victims; (2) a bitter mixture intended as a continuing taunt; or (3) an intoxicant designed to entertain the soldiers with the victim’s responses to this inebriation. I tend to go with #2 – I don’t see anything else in context that suggests any level of mercy offered by the Roman soldiers. So it remains an interesting study, but not much to go on in the way of reflection!

What is worthy of reflection, however, is Jesus’ response not to accept their offer, especially if #1 is true. I can easily see Jesus rejecting the wine mixture if it was intended for the soldiers’ taunting or entertainment. But if #1, a merciful pain killer, why would Jesus not take it? One explanation in that article suggested that Jesus did not want His senses dulled, that He desired “…to remain conscious throughout His crucifixion without any pain relieving agent.” Another Internet article said it even better, “Jesus did not want to die from poisoning or have His senses numbed while on the cross. He knew that He had to shed His blood in order for Him to become the supreme sacrifice for the sins of all man, and He refused to take the easy way out of it.” That sentiment is, I believe, a good reflection to end with.

Slava Bohu!

Matthew 27:32-44

Let’s continue to pray for Jim and Marty.

“Notice what you notice.” December! So much in today’s reading… Let’s begin here: So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying… (v. 41a) I was initially intrigued by how many were mocking Jesus. Matthew reports the passersby, the Jewish leaders, and the thieves (although Luke disputes the latter). But among those mocking Him, what struck me the most was the chief priests, with the scribes and elders. Evidently they were not content with the arrest, the trial(s), the torture, and the taunting – they had to come out and see for themselves Jesus’ unseemly death. But these are the JEWISH LEADERS!! Aren’t leaders supposed to set an example for followers? What sort of example is this mockery and taunting? What a sad lot they are!

Here is part of the Jewish leaders’ mockery: He trusts in God; let God deliver Him now, if He desires Him. For He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ (v. 43) What struck me here was the phrase, “…if he desires Him.” The NKJV had that phrase as “…if He will have Him”, which, to me, was even stronger. That phrase struck me in two ways. First, obviously, yes, the Father desires the Son – He “will have Him”! From the beginning of creation they have been One. The Father loves the Son and clearly desires Him. HOWEVER, this is the one point in all of history when the Father was rejecting the Son, when the Father was pouring out His wrath against sin onto His Son. At that one point in history, the Father did not desire the Son. I have in my mind this picture of Darth Vader going with “lightning bolts” against his own son. But the Father’s wrath against sin was GOD’s wrath – much greater, much more powerful. The Father did not desire the Son. Not this time. How horrible!

Slava Bohu!