Christian Reflection and Prayer

Read Ezekiel 11: 14-21. TEXT: My heart is like wax;
it is melted within my breast (see Psalm 22:14).

Sin hardens our hearts, turning them to stone. We will
never see that more clearly than in the case of Jesus'
enemies who coldly and callously abused, ridiculed,
taunted and tormented Him in His agony. We have that
same stone-cold heart when we see our neighbor
suffering and in need and feel no pity, no concern for his
or her plight.

Jesus' tender heart, His inmost soul, is melting under
the fiery wrath of God. That same tender heart had taken
pity and moved Jesus to cleanse lepers, heal the deaf,
blind, mute and paralyzed, cast out demons, and offer
compassion to lost and wandering crowds. This heart
which has never turned hard or calloused now bleeds as
it is blasted by the fiery wrath of God for our hard-
heartedness.
 
Jesus was heartbroken by friends who betrayed, denied
and fled from Him. He had to deal with enemies who
persecuted Him and dogged His every step; chief priests
and Jewish leaders who sought His death; a Roman
governor who abandoned Him to their will; and crowds
that mocked and taunted His agony on the cross. But
more than anything, His heart was broken by His Father's
turning His back on Him, and unleashing His fury on His
only begotten Son -- the Lamb of God who was taking
away the sin of the world.

What heart can see such love in action and not soften in
response? Who can see all his or her sins laid on Jesus,
see the great agony and sacrifice He endured for them,
and not be moved to tears of repentance, thankfulness
and faith by our Savior's great heart and sacrifice?


THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus Christ, You sacrificed Your body, heart, mind
and soul to win our salvation. Melt our hearts in
repentance and faith. Amen.

(Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)

Read Psalm 102.

TEXT: I am poured out like water, and all my bones are
out of joint (see Psalm 22:14).

Jesus is exhausted. He spent the previous night in
prayer, pleading with His Father to take away the cup-the
suffering that was about to befall Him. Jesus didn't fear
death, but He struggled with being forsaken by His Father
and being lashed with His fiery wrath at our sins. Three
hours later He came out of the garden composed and
ready-but physically drained.

That was only the beginnings of His sufferings. After
condemning Him, the Jewish high court punched, slapped
and struck Him. Pilate's soldiers savagely flogged Him,
drove a crown of thorns down over His head, and struck
Him over the head repeatedly with a reed. The heavy cross
bar was placed on His bloody shoulders, and He was forced
to carry it to the place of execution. He was a strong man,
a carpenter, but the abuse He suffered for our sins was so
great He collapsed under the weight. Too weak and weary to
carry it all the way Himself, the Roman soldiers finally
ordered a bystander in the crowd, Simon of Cyrene, to carry
it the rest of the way.

Psalm 22 masterfully describes this exhaustion, "I am
poured out like water."

Then King David adds an incredible prophetic detail, "All my
bones are out of joint." In this grisly form of execution, the
weight of the body hangs on the arms, putting tremendous
strain on the joints in the arms and shoulders. It's as though
He was stretched on the rack. What makes this passage so
remarkable is that King David was completely unfamiliar with
crucifixion, yet he describes it in incredible detail. And those
details will become even more striking in the verses to follow.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus Christ, what sufferings You endured to free me of
my sins and God's wrath. Receive my heartfelt gratitude and
praise forever. Amen.

(Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)

Read Psalm 109.

TEXT: They open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening
and roaring lion (Psalm 22:13).

In yesterday's devotion Jesus compared His enemies to
animals -- powerful, aggressive, ferocious bulls. Now He
compares them to another terrifying, wild beast-mighty
lions with their mouths wide open, advancing on their prey
with loud, frightening roars.
 
The Jewish leaders had long plotted Jesus' destruction.
They roared loudly as they threatened to remove anyone
from the synagogue who confessed Jesus as the promised
Messiah (see John 9:22). When Judas betrayed Jesus they
sprang into action. They arrested, tried, condemned and
abused Him. There was only one man left standing in their
way: the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate.

Pilate examined Jesus in their presence, and found there
was no evidence to support their charges against Him. He
was going to free the Christ until they started roaring. They
bullied and intimidated Pilate, pressuring him to give in to
their will and have Jesus executed. Pilate stood strong at first,
affirming Jesus' innocence. But like the thunderous roar of
 lions, their loud threats and chants of "Crucify Him! Crucify
Him!" overwhelmed Pilate who finally stepped aside, washed
his hands of the whole affair, and ordered the execution of
 God's Son.

Jesus has described His enemies as bulls or lions. They have
the characteristics of wild animals, but they are all too human.
Behind them stands Jesus' great arch-enemy Satan. In the
beginning the devil worked through an animal, a serpent, to
destroy mankind (see Genesis 3). Now he worked through
these ferocious people to destroy the Savior of mankind.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus Christ, You stood all alone before such vicious
people, yet You pleaded with Your Father to forgive them,
"for they know not what they do." Forgive me my sins and
give me strength to stand and tell others of Your great
salvation. Amen.

(Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)