Lent Day 39
Matthew 27:27–56
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him. As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way. Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, 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. When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!” There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him. As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way. Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, 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. When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!” There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
The Apostle Peter wrote of these events, “For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God.” (1 Peter 3:18). We don’t usually label days charachterized by death as “good.” But the death of Christ accomplished something ultimate in the lives of the saints. Because the righteous one suffered for the sins of the unrighteous on the cross, we have access to God through him.
Peter said he suffered once and ‘for all.’ Those words give us assurance that no more suffering for sins is ever neccesary. Jesus’s death pays our sin-debt so that he can bring us to God without condemnation. Therefore, the Author of Hebrews says, “we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus. He has inaugurated for us a new and living way through the curtain, that is, through his flesh” (Hebrews 10:19).
This Holy Friday, let us practice entering into the sanctuary of God with boldness, stepping beyond the curtain, into the holy of holies. We do this in prayer as we confess our sins to God, thank him for the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, and make our petitions before him.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, we confess that we have sinned against God and man. [Take time to confess specific sins.] We thank you for the forgiveness of sins purchased by your blood on the cross. We thank you that you suffered so that you could bring us to God. So we come, recognizing that we have been purified, asking for all that we need. [Take time to ask for what you need.] Amen.
Peter said he suffered once and ‘for all.’ Those words give us assurance that no more suffering for sins is ever neccesary. Jesus’s death pays our sin-debt so that he can bring us to God without condemnation. Therefore, the Author of Hebrews says, “we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus. He has inaugurated for us a new and living way through the curtain, that is, through his flesh” (Hebrews 10:19).
This Holy Friday, let us practice entering into the sanctuary of God with boldness, stepping beyond the curtain, into the holy of holies. We do this in prayer as we confess our sins to God, thank him for the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, and make our petitions before him.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, we confess that we have sinned against God and man. [Take time to confess specific sins.] We thank you for the forgiveness of sins purchased by your blood on the cross. We thank you that you suffered so that you could bring us to God. So we come, recognizing that we have been purified, asking for all that we need. [Take time to ask for what you need.] Amen.
Posted in Lent 2024
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