Christian Reflection and Prayer

Scripture:

Luke 23: 13-49

13 Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers
and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought
me this man as one who was inciting the people to
rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and
have found no basis for your charges against him.
15 Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as
you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death.
16 Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.”
[17] [a]
18 But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man!
Release Barabbas to us!” 19 (Barabbas had been
thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and
for murder.)
20 Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them
again. 21 But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify
him!”
22 For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What
crime has this man committed? I have found in him no
grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him
punished and then release him.”
23 But with loud shouts they insistently demanded
that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. 24 So
Pilate decided to grant their demand. 25 He released
the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection
and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered
Jesus to their will.

The Crucifixion of Jesus

26 As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon
from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country,
and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind
Jesus. 27 A large number of people followed him,
including women who mourned and wailed for him.
28 Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of
Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves
and for your children. 29 For the time will come when
you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the
wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’
30 Then “‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!”
and to the hills, “Cover us!”’[b]
31 For if people do these things when the tree is green,
what will happen when it is dry?”
32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out
with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the
place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along
with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left.
34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not
know what they are doing.”[c] And they divided up his
clothes by casting lots.
35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even
sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him
save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”
36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They
offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king
of the Jews, save yourself.”
38 There was a written notice above him, which read:
this is the king of the jews.
39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults
at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,”
he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We
are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds
deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come
into your kingdom.[d]”
43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will
be with me in paradise.”

The Death of Jesus

44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the
whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 for the sun
stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn
in two. 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father,
into your hands I commit my spirit.”[e] When he had
said this, he breathed his last.
47 The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised
God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.”
48 When all the people who had gathered to witness this
sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and
went away. 49 But all those who knew him, including the
women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a
distance, watching these things.

Reflection:

As you read the accounts of these impactful
hours, pause and picture yourself in each scene.
Where are you in the picture?
In Pilate's court, with the crowd outside, on the
way to Golgotha. 
As He is crucified, as He is lifted up and hangs
on the cross, as they mock Him.
As He saves the criminal, as He sees His
mother and those He loves.
As darkness falls over the land, as the curtain in
the temple tears open, as He cries out to His
Father, as the centurion comes to believe, as
people beat their breasts, as some stand at a
distance watching.
Where you there when they crucified my Lord?
Now go back to each of these places and see
Jesus looking at you.
What is He saying to you in each place?

Prayer:

Father forgive me for I know not what I do.
AMEN

(from the Covenant Home Altar)

Good Friday

Scripture:

Read Luke 23:44-49.
TEXT: (Jesus said) "Father, into Your hands I
commit My spirit" (see Luke 23:46).

Many supernatural events occur at Jesus' death.
The first is a darkness that covered the whole land
from midday until three in the afternoon. This
darkness indicates God's judgment, as Jesus is
punished for the sins of the whole world.

At 3 p.m. a second miracle takes place in the
temple. The thick curtain dividing the two rooms of
the temple is torn in two, from top to bottom. This
curtain represents our separation from God on
account of our sins. Throughout the Old Testament
only one person could pass through it-the high priest.
But now God's Son-our great High Priest-has torn
down the dividing barrier, so all who believe in Jesus
have direct access to God the Father forever.

At this same moment Jesus cries out with a loud
voice, "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit."
Jesus wants everyone to hear His intense satisfaction
and joy because peace with God has now been won
for all. Now that He has finished the work for which He
was born, Jesus commends His spirit into His Father's
hands.

Then the third miracle takes place. Immediately after
uttering this loud cry, Jesus dies. The Roman centurion
knows crucified criminals don't die this way. Their lungs
slowly fill with fluid, and their last moments are desperate
gasps for air. There is no way Jesus should be able to
utter a loud cry the moment before He dies. Thinking of
the unnatural darkness, the unnatural way Jesus died,
and all the injustices Jesus suffered, he says, "Certainly
this man was innocent."

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, when You completed Your earthly course
You committed Your spirit into Your Father's keeping.
Give me confidence that I am safe in Your hands now
and forever. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)

Maundy Thursday

Scripture

Read Luke 23:35-43.
TEXT: "Jesus, remember me when You come into
Your Kingdom" (see Luke 23:42).

Now we turn to the two criminals crucified with Jesus.
The first asks, "Are You notthe Christ? Save Yourself
and us!" He wants Jesus to be the Christ, but this is
only for his own sinful purposes. He wants to cheat
justice and escape his suffering and death, but not
to amend his sinful life.

But the second criminal looks at Jesus and sees
something no one else has been able to see. The
Jewish leaders look at Jesus and see a man who
can't possibly be a Savior-He can't even save
Himself! The Roman soldiers see a powerless king.
The other criminal sees a powerless Messiah, but
this criminal looks through the crown of thorns, the
blood, sweat and tears and sees God's Messiah,
the promised King. He asks Jesus to remember
him on Judgment Day and not to bar him out of His
Kingdom because of his life of sin.

As wonderful a confession as we see in the criminal's
rebuke and prayer, we see something even more
wonderful in Jesus' reply. Not only on the distant Day
of Judgment will Jesus remember the dying thief, but
this very day his sufferings will cease, and he will be
with Christ in paradise forever.

The repentant criminal asked Jesus to remember him.
This night in Holy Communion Jesus asks us to
remember Him, to remember the sacrifice He made,
so we may live. He gives us His body, which He gave
unto death for our sins. He gives us His blood poured
out, so we might be forgiven and inherit the paradise
He has opened to all who will believe in Him.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, You forgave a despised criminal and
promised him eternal life. Forgive my sins and
remember me when You come in glory. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)