Christian Reflection and Prayer

Paid in Full Good Friday

Scripture:

Read John 19:16-30.

TEXT: "So he delivered Him over to
them to be crucified. So they took
Jesus, and He went out, bearing His
own cross, to the place called The
Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is
called Golgotha" (John 19:16-17).

Jesus shows remarkable strength in
His first three hours on the cross.
Even while He is suffering for our sins,
His focus is not on Himself, but on the
people around Him. Seeing His
enemies He pleads, "Father, forgive
them, for they know not what they do
" (Luke 23:34a). He promises the
repentant criminal at His side, "Today
You will be with Me in paradise"
(Luke 23:43b). He provides a disciple
to care for His mother after He is gone
"Woman, behold, your son!" and to the
disciple, "Behold, your mother!"
(John 19:26b, 27b).

Then at noon comes the darkness.
Luke tells us the sun stopped shining.
Jesus hangs alone in the darkness
silently suffering God's wrath at the sins
of the world. Finally, after three hours
He cries out in agony, "My God, My God,
why have You forsaken Me?"
(Matthew 27:46b).

By three in the afternoon, it is over. God
the Father has unleashed His full wrath-
not a single one of our sins has gone
unpunished. John tells us, "Jesus,
knowing that all was now finished, said,
(to fulfill the Scripture) 'I thirst'"
(John 19:28). And "When Jesus had
received the sour wine, He said,
'It is finished,' and He bowed His head
and gave up His spirit" (John 19:30).
There is nothing left for us to pay. We
are free, and the doors of heaven are
open wide to us through Jesus' life,
death and resurrection.

Jesus offers His last confident prayer:
"Father, into Your hands I commit My
spirit" (Luke 23:46b).

PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, on the cross You suffered
the wrath of God for all of our sins, and
paid the price in full. Receive our thanks
and gratitude for Your amazing sacrifice
and the life that is ours because of Your
death.        Amen.

Lutheran Hour Ministries

Lenten Meditation

One Last Card to Play Maundy Thursday

Scripture:

Read John 19:1-16.

TEXT: "Pilate went out again and said to them,
'See, I am bringing Him out to you that you
may know that I find no guilt in Him.' So Jesus
came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the
purple robe. Pilate said to them, 'Behold the
man!'" (John 19:4-5).

Pilate has one last, desperate trick up his
sleeve. It's a long shot, but it's his last chance
to set Jesus free. He orders our Lord to be
flogged. Many died from such a cruel scourging;
others died later from the complications of
those severe injuries. Pilate thought the
scourging might just satisfy the blood lust of
the Jewish authorities.

As Pilate had Jesus brought forward it was a
pitiful sight to behold. Jesus had been beaten
severely. A crown of bloody thorns was on His
head and a blood-soaked, purple robe was
draped around His shoulders. Clearly, the
Jewish authorities could not consider Him a
threat now.

But once they had gotten a taste of Jesus'
blood, the authorities had only one thing to
say, "Crucify Him, Crucify Him!"

Tonight we gather in church to celebrate the
Lord's Supper and receive His true body and
blood. We remember Pilate pointing and saying,
"Behold the man!" We remember John the
Baptist pointing and saying, "Behold the Lamb
of God who takes away the sins of the world.
" We remember this body was beaten and
nailed to the cross for us. This blood was
shed by the scourge and nails for us. And
because Jesus offered His body and poured
out His blood in our place-as our Substitute-
WE ARE FORGIVEN AND FREE!.

"Do this in remembrance of Me" (Luke 22:19b).

PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, You freely offered Your body and
blood for our salvation. Move me to receive it
in gratitude and joy, and to serve You
throughout my days.
Amen.

Lutheran Hour Ministries

Lenten Meditation

Pilate's Gamble

Scripture:

Read John 18:38-40.

"But you have a custom that I should
release one man for you at the Passover.
So do you want me to release to you the
King of the Jews?" (John 18:39).

Pilate won't listen to Jesus; he is too
busy trying to work this out himself. How
can he force the Jewish authorities to
accept his decision to set Jesus free?
Maybe one of the local customs might do
the trick. It was implemented to improve
Roman-Jewish relations. At the Passover
feast, the Roman governors released a
prisoner the Jewish crowds requested.
Normally it was a popular person who had
been imprisoned for speaking against the
Roman government. This time Pilate would
offer the choice between Jesus and the
most dangerous criminal in the prison:
Barabbas.

This was a stroke of genius! Jesus offered
no true threat to public safety and clearly
Barabbas was as dangerous to the Jewish
leaders as he was to the Romans. But Pilate
misjudges the Jewish leaders, who are
convinced Jesus is a much greater threat to
them and to the Jewish nation than Barabbas.

When the leaders convince the crowd to
demanded Barabbas' release and crucify
Jesus, Pilate finds himself in a far worse
position than if he had simply set Jesus free
and lived with the consequences.

Whenever we shun the responsibilities God
gives us-to speak up for those who are
defenseless, to bring up our children in the
fear and knowledge of God or those in any
other area of life-we are just like Pontius
Pilate.

Jesus didn't step away from His responsibility
but freely took the punishment of our sins upon
Himself.

PRAYER:

Lord, thank You for paying the price for all the
times I walk away from the responsibilities You
give me. Give me courage and commitment to
step forward and do what You want me to do.
Amen.

Lutheran Hour Ministries